Real Wedding – Ashleigh & Justin, Sunbury VIC
Keeping true to their authentic selves and creating a celebration that unfolded effortlessly was the ethos underpinning Ashleigh and Justin’s warm, elegant and timeless wedding.
For a couple whose engagement took place on a Mt Macedon hike, the breathtaking bushland surrounds and warm, refined surrounds of The Epicurean Emu Bottom were always front and centre when choosing a venue.
From there, they leaned into real wedding inspiration to create their aesthetic – crisp, fresh vanilla, bold scarlet accents and an overall sensibility of understated grace.
Having their seven-month-old son and young niece and nephew present was emblematic of the beautifully grounded feel of the day, and captivating sense of uplifting fun that permeates every stunning shot by the stellar Smith + Archer.
The meeting.
Justin and I met in April 2018 at a mutual friend’s 30th birthday party. The theme of the party was Harry Potter, and I, being a super fan, found it fitting that I would find my future husband dressed as Harry Potter. We struck up a debate about whether The Lord of the Rings movies were better, and the rest is history.
The one.
It wasn’t long after the party! We went on a few dates and, within a few months, had moved in together. It all felt very natural and familiar from the beginning.
The proposal.
Justin had it all planned and had spent the week suggesting a hike at Mt Macedon. I was reluctant, having finished a big work week, but was convinced to take our German Shepherd, Hans, up to the lookout on a Saturday morning. Blissfully unaware of what was happening, even though I thought it strange Justin was wearing ‘nice’ clothes for hiking, Justin suggested a photo, but of course had the video set up. Posing for the photo, I then turned, and there he was on his knee.
Style inspiration.
We wanted somewhere that felt very homely, cozy and had a beautiful view of the bushland. We had Emu Bottom in mind, and upon first look, we were in love. It was also important for us that we had good food.
Real wedding inspiration was much more inspiring than many of the staged shoots. It was great to be able to look at things other couples had done and find suppliers through tagged posts.
The ceremony.
The best decision we made was keeping to our authentic selves. We wrote our own vows and were genuine throughout the ceremony. There was plenty of emotion, tears and laughs, and it was important to us that we shared and expressed our love for each other in a genuine way. Nothing too staged!
We were so lucky our little boy, who was seven months at the time, kept himself occupied throughout the ceremony. We took a gamble by having our niece and nephew walk down the aisle together (both are four years old). After our flower girl instantly got stage fright, our page boy took the reins and paraded down the aisle on his own with full confidence. My brother walked me down the aisle in the absence of my Dad, who passed in 2017, so there was plenty of emotion there. When I arrived, Justin did well to keep himself from tearing up too much, but I could see it was a struggle!
We also had an absolutely wonderful celebrant who struck the perfect balance of leading the ceremony but keeping it true to us. We had both our Mum’s witness our signing.
The outfits.
My dress: I tried on a variety of dresses in a day, across different styles, even the huge ball gowns! When I put this one on, though, my mum and sister were in tears, and it instantly felt like the dress for me.
Justin’s suit: Keeping in theme with our classic look, Justin went with a classic black suit and bow tie.
Favourite moment.
Geee, this is a hard one! There were so many, but probably a special highlight was the moment just before we were introduced at the reception. We were on our own, took a selfie in the mirror together and then shared a kiss before we came out. Our entrance was also so fun as we danced our way down the aisles and high-fived all our guests as we went through.
Meaning of marriage.
To us, it was the cherry on the cake. We’d been through many of life’s milestones before the big day so to declare our love for each other in front of friends and family was the final puzzle. From here, it’s continually supporting and loving each other as we build our family.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: To Build A Home, Cinematic Orchestra
Reception entry: Fox Hunt, Sierra Ferrell
First dance: Wonder of You, Elvis (we had this performed live by Woody).
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Oh yes! Our flower girl getting stage fright was a good one.
My bridesmaid taking a full speccy to make sure she caught the bouquet (she had even taken her arms out of her sleeves so she had maximum reach).
The boys got ready at our house, and one of the groomsmen let our German Shepherd out the front door by accident. He and Justin (in their suits!) had to run down the street to catch him.
Planning surprises.
Probably the volume of things that needed to get done. I had done all the stationery as a graphic designer, so that did take up a lot of my time; however, just managing the different suppliers chewed up a bit of time.
Words of wisdom.
Don’t sweat the small stuff; if something doesn’t go to plan, it doesn’t matter. Keep it genuine and true to yourselves, and let your love for each other warm your guests. Also, if you have kids, get a babysitter!
It was so special having our little boy there with us. We had some special moments with him, and having him sit up at the table with us in his little suit was super cute.
ASHLEIGH & JUSTIN’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: The Epicurean Emu Bottom, Sunbury
Celebrant: Amy, Amor Weddings. Amy is so lovely and accommodating. She brought such a positive energy.
Photography: Smith + Archer. Ali was so amazing, such a talent and so organised.
Videography: Films by Bek. Bek is amazing to work with. New on the wedding scene, but a very capable videographer.
Florist: Flowers in a Vase. Arnie and the team nailed the brief and brought colour into our classic colour palette.
Hair: Styled Bridal Hair. Alicia is so lovely, talented and someone you want to have with you on your special day.
Make-up: Renee Chanelle Artistry. Renee also was gorgeous and very talented, listened to any feedback and was so pleasant to have around.
The dress & veil: Raffaele Ciuca
Shoes: Jo Mercer
Rings: Michael Hill
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Azzurielle
Cake: Dessert Laine, Elaine
Entertainment: Music by Woody
