Old-world elegance at Coombe Yarra Valley
For Amanda and Brendan, Coombe Yarra Valley was love at first sight. With its beautifully sculpted hedges, elegant pencil pines and timeless Italian Garden, the venue offered everything they were looking for: a stunning natural setting that needed little embellishment. Nature lovers at heart, they wanted an outdoor celebration that felt effortlessly elegant, with earthy tones and thoughtful details that complemented the surrounding landscape.
Amanda and Brendan’s vision came to life beautifully, with a showstopping floral backdrop framing the ceremony while working in harmony with the garden’s manicured greenery. Having kept the finished florals a surprise, the moment Amanda walked down the aisle and saw everything come together was particularly special. And as if perfectly timed, the drizzle that had lingered throughout the day stopped just as she began her walk, making an already beautiful moment feel all the more magical.
From Amanda’s strapless gown and her bridesmaids’ individually chosen dresses to the relaxed celebrations that followed, every element felt considered yet natural. Beautifully captured by Tess Follett, the day was everything Amanda and Brendan had imagined: timeless, personal and filled with the people they love. With the help of the wonderful team at Coombe Yarra Valley, it all came together seamlessly.
The meeting.
We first met at Port Melbourne Beach during an ultimate frisbee social game. However, we didn’t talk much then, aside from exchanging polite hellos. The first time we really started to get to know each other was at the ultimate frisbee training sessions we used to attend every Saturday morning at Princes Park near the city.
We were both relatively new to Melbourne back then, so we went to these training sessions not only to get some exercise but also to meet people. After each session, we’d head to Brunswick, the next suburb north, for brunch. After a few weeks, Brendan had really taken a liking to me, and one day at brunch, he offered to pay for my food. He suggested that because he’d paid this time, we’d have to go out again, just the two of us, so I could return the favour.
While Brendan has never confirmed or denied whether he was joking, we did go out again, this time to an Italian restaurant on Lygon Street in Carlton. We had a great time, and the rest is history!
The one.
We knew we were each other’s person when our relationship simply felt natural and easy. We’ve always had each other’s back. While our shared values and interests were what drew us to each other initially, we are opposite in many ways and that balance is what makes us work so well. I am a night owl and lean towards chaos, whereas Brendan is the morning person and has a calm and steady presence. Together, our differences complement each other.
The proposal.
Brendan and I were in Sydney for Coldplay’s concert with two of our mates. I had booked dinner at Armorica in Surry Hills, while Brendan was unusually determined to visit the lighthouse at Watsons Bay afterwards. Dinner ran later than expected and, with the sun quickly setting, Brendan had to abandon his original plan and improvise.
He suggested a walk through Moore Park instead, and while we were taking photos, he suddenly got down on one knee and popped the question. It may not have gone exactly according to his plan, but thankfully, the proposal itself was a success!
The planning process.
The planning process was lengthy, but in a good way, as we had plenty of time to research what we wanted and learn from the weddings we had attended. We had over a year to plan and managed to lock in all of our vendors within six months. If you ask Brendan, he would probably say it was easy! That being said, he was an immense help with the admin side of things ensuring we paid our vendors on time. I genuinely enjoyed the process and loved being immersed in every part of it. The wedding felt like a passion project, and seeing all the ideas I had imagined begin to take shape was incredibly fulfilling.
I have always had a keen eye for styling, but the thought of pulling everything together myself was still slightly daunting. Thankfully, the team at Coombe Yarra Valley were amazing throughout the process. A special shoutout to Angela and Gemma, who understood my vision and made sure everything was executed beautifully on the day.
We put a lot of thought into every detail, so seeing it all come together exactly as we had hoped was such a rewarding feeling.
Style inspiration.
Brendan and I are both big on nature and the outdoors, so we knew from the beginning that we wanted an outdoor wedding with minimal decorations and to let the venue speak for itself. When we came across Coombe Yarra Valley, we could immediately picture ourselves getting married in the Italian Garden. We wanted the day to feel timeless and elegant, with earthy tones that complemented the venue and its natural surroundings.
As for inspiration, I spent countless nights scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok. Once the algorithm knew what I was looking for, similar styles started appearing on my feed and I saved everything I liked into different folders. It was really helpful to have something visual to show our florists and give them a clear idea of what we were after. From there, they honestly ran with it and worked their magic.
The ceremony.
The ceremony was one of the most special parts of the day. We hadn’t seen the finished floral backdrop beforehand, so walking into the Italian Garden and seeing everything come together was such a beautiful surprise. Our florists completely nailed the brief; the flowers worked so effortlessly with the natural surroundings.
It had been drizzling on and off all day, but as Amanda began walking down the aisle, the rain suddenly stopped. It was one of those perfectly timed moments that felt almost surreal and made the ceremony even more memorable.
Having so many of our loved ones together in one place was incredibly special, especially as they are based in different parts of the world. Knowing they had travelled from near and far to share the day with us made the celebration feel even more significant.
The outfits.
Amanda: A month after the proposal, I happened to be visiting Malaysia, where I was born and raised. The first wedding outfit I bought was my tea ceremony dress from a boutique called Ecesis. I was lucky enough to find it off the rack, which made the process so much easier. It was also particularly special to shop for it in Malaysia, as my mum and I live in different countries and weren’t able to go wedding dress shopping together.
For my wedding dress, I visited several boutiques with my girlfriends over the course of three or four months. When I arrived at Brides of Armadale, I immediately felt a genuine connection with Suzie. I chose one of their dresses but had a few ideas about how I wanted to alter it and together we transformed it into something that felt completely my own. The team at BOA was incredibly supportive throughout the entire process and brought everything I had imagined to life. I couldn’t have been happier with my dress.
Brendan: For my tea ceremony shirt, I was lucky enough to borrow one from a friend of Amanda’s who had recently married. Finding my wedding tux was a relatively smooth process, as I only visited two stores before deciding on Oscar Hunt. Their service was exceptional, and they guided me through every step of creating the perfect suit for the day. Amanda also gifted me a pair of F1 cufflinks from Declic, which added a personal touch and tied in perfectly with our shared love of Formula 1.
Favourite moment.
This is such a tough one, but we would have to say the dance floor. After all the formalities were over, it was so special to finally let our hair down, mingle with our guests and celebrate with everyone who had travelled from near and far to be there with us. We truly had the time of our lives dancing the night away, made even more memorable by our DJ jumping on the saxophone and bringing the most incredible energy to the dance floor.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is choosing to love and support each other through every stage of life. It means having a lifelong partner and best friend by your side, someone to share the highs with, lean on through the lows and encourage you to become the best version of yourself.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle song: Simply the Best – Sidney. A little backstory behind choosing this song: we binged Schitt’s Creek during COVID, and Patrick serenading David with it was incredibly special. We knew we had to include it in our wedding.
Signing song: You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins
Walk-out song: Music for a Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles
Reception entry: Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (on saxophone)
First dance song: Yellow – Coldplay (It felt only fitting as we got engaged before a Coldplay concert)
Funny stories (or near disasters).
In the week leading up to the wedding, we spent as much time as possible with our family and friends who had travelled from different parts of the world to celebrate with us. After packing rather last-minute and heading to the Yarra Valley, Brendan realised the night before the wedding that he had left his tea ceremony shirt at home. Thankfully, Amanda’s cousin lived nearby and came to the rescue, collecting it just in time for the tea ceremony. Crisis narrowly averted!
Planning surprises.
Once we had locked in our vendors, there was a brief lull in the planning process. The final three months leading up to the wedding, however, were much busier than anticipated as every detail needed to be confirmed.
Words of wisdom.
Looking back, starting early and locking in our key vendors gave us the space to enjoy the process rather than feel rushed. As we were both working full-time, sharing the planning and communicating openly with each other made everything feel much more manageable.
We also learnt to trust the people around us, especially our vendors, who brought so much experience to the day. By the time the wedding arrived, we were able to let go, take it all in and enjoy being surrounded by the people we love. More than anything, it was a reminder that the little details matter far less than being there to marry your person.
Final words.
The vendors you choose and the people you have around you on the day make such a difference. We were incredibly lucky that everyone got along so well and brought such positive energy to the wedding. The whole day felt relaxed, seamless and genuinely fun, which made it even more memorable for us.
Looking back at the photos, we are both laughing like kids in so many of them. That is a real reflection of how comfortable Tess, Annette, Dani and everyone around us made us feel throughout the day. They helped create such a warm atmosphere and allowed us to be completely ourselves in front of the camera.
Amanda and Brendan’s Vendors
Ceremony and reception venue: Coombe Yarra Valley
Celebrant: Megan Thompson. Megan guided us through the entire process with such warmth and ease, and told our story beautifully. She created a ceremony that felt personal, heartfelt and completely true to us.
Photography: Tess Follett. Choosing Tess felt like such a full-circle moment. I had already booked her when, while searching for a dress on Stillwhite, I visited a seller’s home to try on one she had listed. She showed me her wedding album and I immediately thought the photos were stunning. When I asked who her photographer was, she told me it was Tess! It felt like another sign that we had made the right choice. We have received so many compliments on our wedding photos, and we couldn’t be happier with how beautifully Tess captured the day.
Videography: Annette and Dani. They brought such incredible energy to the day and had us smiling from start to finish. They made us feel completely relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, which allowed us to be ourselves and genuinely enjoy every moment.
Florist: Pepperberry Flora. I had seen Sally and Ruth’s work at one of my friends’ weddings and honestly fell in love with it straight away. We feel so incredibly lucky to have had them as our florists. From the very beginning, they understood my vision so intuitively and brought it to life more beautifully than I could have imagined. They completely nailed the brief!
Hair & Makeup: Stephanie Cahyadi. Stephanie had done the makeup for a few of my friends, so I already knew how talented she was. She made me feel like the most polished version of myself while still looking and feeling completely like me.
The dresses: Wedding dress – Brides of Armadale. Reception dress – Manning Cartell.
Veil: Calily Bridal
Shoes: Bride: Bared Footwear Groom: Loakes
Rings: Larsen Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Each bridesmaid wore their own dress, which I loved as it allowed everyone’s individual style to shine through.
Suits: Oscar Hunt
Bow ties / ties: M.J. Bale
Cake / Cake topper: Lucy and her team made the most delicious tiramisu for our wedding. They were also very accommodating and arranged a tasting for us beforehand, which made choosing the flavours even more enjoyable.
Stationery / Signage: Menu and seating chart – State of Elliot. All other signage designs were done by Amanda on Canva.
Entertainment: Ceremony – Lua Lua Music, Reception – DJ Max on Sax. Both artists were booked through Unplugged Entertainment. They were exceptionally talented, captured the atmosphere perfectly and brought exactly the right energy to the wedding. We would highly recommend them.
Transport: Tour the Valley.
Décor: Linen signage: Ask Cheryl. She was recommended by a friend who had their wedding in Bali and is based in Malaysia. She made a sketch of us in a F1 car which represented us pretty well!
Honeymoon: We are currently planning our European honeymoon and couldn’t be more excited! We will be travelling through the UK, Italy and France, with the wineries of Tuscany and the coastal towns along the French Riviera among the places we are most looking forward to visiting. As massive Formula 1 fans, we have also secured tickets to watch the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, which will be such a special addition to the trip.
