Real Wedding – Anna & Adam, Chatsworth VIC
Step into the enchanting love story of Anna and Adam as they journeyed from their church wedding to the breathtaking private property of Chatsworth House. With a shared vision for their dream day, they both wanted their wedding to be situated in a country setting, classic, and simple, reflecting their personalities.
Surrounded by rolling hills and majestic red gum trees, their celebration unfolded amidst the rustic charm and timeless elegance of this idyllic venue.
Underneath a canopy of stars, Anna and Adam celebrated their marriage with their nearest and dearest in a stunningly appointed marquee, bringing elegance and style to the expansively gorgeous bushland surrounds.
Join us as we delve into the magical moments of their wedding day, beautifully captured by Flick The Photographer. Filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories against the backdrop of Chatsworth House’s natural beauty, Anna and Adam’s celebration truly encapsulated the essence of their love and authenticity.
The meeting.
We first met at Dunkeld Races in 2013, however we were both very busy in our own lives at that stage. Then seven years later we reconnected after matching on Tinder. Anna committed to a five-hour round trip to have lunch with Adam in Halls Gap and the rest is history. We feel in love with each other’s big smiles straight away.
The one.
Our relationship at the beginning was a guarded treasure. In the thick of Covid lockdowns, we embraced two-hour phone calls every night, weekends away at Yallamatta enjoying French champagne and cheese platters. It really is true when they say, “you know when you know”. While building the foundations of our relationship it just felt so relaxed and easy. We will treasure those six months forever because we got to know each other in our own time, and really embrace quality time together.
But when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. And it honestly didn’t take long to for us to realise this.
The proposal.
We went for a Sunday walk in Halls Gap. Adam was keen for a little walk and a picnic; however I was dead set on a hike. So off we went on a hike up Boronia Peak where Adam managed to get down on one knee and pop the question. There were a lot of tears of pure happiness!
Planning process.
We set ourselves the task of planning a wedding within four months….and we did it! We were so determined to have an Autumn wedding which didn’t leave us much time, especially as my matron of honour was going to be 35 weeks pregnant, and our best man’s wife would be 38 weeks.
South West Victoria is known for being windy, so we were a little nervous having an exposed wedding set up but we were so blessed with the weather. It was a perfect sunny Autumn day.
Style inspiration.
We both wanted to our wedding to be situated in a country scenery and for it be classic and simple. It reflects both our personalities.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was in the most beautiful big bluestone church – Tabor Lutheran Church. The Tabor Lutheran Church has a very talented music group who played from the second floor and added to the most magical atmosphere for our ceremony.
The outfits.
Adam and his groomsmen went to Melbourne to choose their suits. The brief was black tie. But to Anna’s surprise Adam had purchased a gorgeous velvet black tie jacket….and boy did he look handsome!!
Favourite moment.
The whole day was just incredible, but Adam and I did love the moment we had in the car driving from the church to Chatsworth. It was the perfect time to celebrate becoming Mr and Mrs Gellert and take a moment together before we entered the reception to party with all of our friends.
Meaning of marriage.
We see marriage as a way of promising your loyalty and love for one another. For us it’s about being each other’s number one partner for all the things that are ahead of us: both the good and the bad.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: I Get to Love You by Ruelle
Reception Entry: Make My Dreams Come True by Daryl Hall & John Oates
First Dance: This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole
Farwell Circle: Stand By Me by Ben E. King
Special moment.
My father Wayne drove myself and my two sisters, Laura, and Kirsty to the church. Wayne put on We are going to the Chapel, we were all singing then before we knew it, we were all crying with so much happiness. It was such a special moment before I walked down the aisle to become Mrs Gellert.
Planning surprises.
There were no planning surprises. I have dreamt of planning a wedding my whole life so when we hit the green light it was all GO!
Words of wisdom.
Do things your way, it’s your day so the more ‘you’ it is the more relaxed you’ll be leading to an overall better vibe on the day. Remain grounded and let it all unfold.
Also put time into your seating plan. We had lots of friends from various parts of our lives so instead of just clumping people together we really thought about who had shared interests, and who would get along with who. This made for some awesome lunch conversations, new friendships forming, and we heard about some very funny stories after the event. It was really worth putting lots of time and effort into getting this right as it set the tone for the entire afternoon.
Final summary of the day.
A beautiful, intimate early Autumn wedding set amongst at the gorgeous backdrop of Chatsworth House.
We chose to focus on creating a fun, relaxed vibe which lead us to planning a day wedding. We kicked off at 12pm then concluded the evening at 9pm.
We had our eight nieces and nephews all involved in our wedding and it was so special to have them on the dance floor with us.
We had no disasters (thankfully!)
Absolutely breathtaking! Chatsworth House is truly a private property paradise. To learn more about this stunning location and hosting your own dream day, be sure to check out our latest blog post.
ANNA AND ADAM’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony & reception venue: Chatsworth House. From the moment we drove into Chatsworth House we knew we had found the perfect wedding venue. The venue was picturesque and accommodated family members along with some guests. When guests continue to talk about your wedding venue weeks after, you know you’ve got it right!
Event management/coordinators and styling: Ginnie from VC Events Co and Sophie from Swish Events were incredible. The trust that we were able to give when it came to the planning of our special day could not have been greater. Our wedding was a day we will never forget, and these amazing women played a huge part in that. We will be forever grateful for the time and effort they put into bringing our perfect day to life.
Photographer: Felicity The Photographer. Flick’s relaxed but bubbly and energetic personality made taking photos a breeze. We felt so comfortable with Flick all day. We will be forever grateful for all the memories and moments Flick was able to capture for us on what was an unforgettable day.
Videographer: Sol Media Wedding. Annabel is a creative and talented videographer with a keen eye to detail, a knack for storytelling and an absolute pleasure to be around on your wedding day. Annabel is so relaxed and you just know she is working up special magic throughout the day!
Celebrant: Colin Huf
Florals: Yellow House Flower Farm. Ash was a delight and absolutely nailed our vision to create timeless, abundant, romantic floral pieces of classic and simple design that amplify and appreciate the natural environment that the wedding is set within.
The dress & veil: Claire Home Designs. I describe my custom-made dress by Claire as a dress of dreams. She brought my vision to life and so much more.
Bridesmaid dresses: I gave the girls a colour and let them choose a dress that would suit them. They absolutely nailed it and looked so elegant.
Menswear/suits: Mens Suit Warehouse
Hair stylists: Jess Bubb | The Studio, Naomi Lee Hair
Make-up: Abbey Edwards, Miss Kit Beauty
Rings: Leskes Jewellers (engagement ring), Ian Pattison Jewellers (wedding ring)
Catering: Anna Jamieson Catering. You know you have nailed the food when every guest is blown away. Anna is an absolute queen in the catering industry. We completed trusted her to choose our menu and she did not disappoint.
Bar: Fodder Box & Bar. Henham was an absolute delight and ran such a professional bar. Our guests never saw the bottom of their glass. He came back for the recovery the next day and made the most amazing coffees for all our wedding guests, and a few cheeky mimosas.
Event Hire: Pure Vibe Event Hire
Cake: Sally Bensch (A very good friend)
Signage: Anna Gellert. I made the signage. Two weeks out from the wedding I bought a Cricut and went crazy!
Vases: Noss & Co. Noss & Co vases were such a special touch to our styling. My middle sister made the vases specially for the big day!
Stationery: Laura Hawkins (my very talented oldest sister)
Music: Baker Boys Band
Transport – Trotters Coaches
Honeymoon – Likuliku Resort, Fiji. Travel Agent – Naracoorte Travel and Cruise (Kate)
