Real Wedding – Chris & Abbey, Werribee VIC
Abbey and Chris’s vision was for a day filled with classic elegance, incorporating timeless traditions with a fresh feel. Lancemore Mansion Hotel in Werribee Park provided the perfect backdrop; equal parts 1920s opulence, lush English gardens and heavenly hospitality.
Choosing a colour palette in line with the surrounds elevated the styling into the contemporary; masses of crisp, clean ivory in layered textures against soft greenery and the deep teal of the bridesmaid’s gowns. Abbey cut a striking silhouette in her stunning gown by Made with Love Bridal, all clean lines and goddess glam. Stationery by tribe faves State of Elliott, in deep ash with striking white typography, framed the occasion with modern elegance.
From a laughter-filled ceremony by Marry Me Megan to the epic dance floor by superstars The White Tree band, emotion and fun was truly the overarching theme of Abbey and Chris’s day. The legend behind the lens capturing every sweet moment was Matt Elliott.
The meeting.
Abbey accidentally crashed Chris’ birthday at Garden State hotel when catching up with her Maid of Honour! They danced and chatted the night away, and the rest is history. Best birthday ever for Chris!
The ‘one’.
We knew within the first month! I think we both just started to see our future and the other one being our spouse and mother/ father of our children. The future just became really organically clear without any premeditation.
The proposal.
Chris took Abbey to Lavandula, the Lavender farm at Daylesford. He’d organized champagne on ice to be waiting with a little picnic set up under a rose-covered arbour.
Style inspiration.
We both wanted to keep as many traditional elements as possible while bringing a modern mindset to it. We wanted it to be an event that everyone could enjoy and relate to. We wanted to look back at photos at whatever point in our lives and feel like it was timeless and elegant always. Once we found Werribee Mansion, it all fell into place; black-tie dress code, neutral colours for flowers, lots of whites and greens.
The ceremony.
We are very emotionally articulate people, so our personally written vows were really special – we got so many comments from people who were shocked at how good they were! People kept calling us wordsmiths!
It was also very humbling having so many people there, as our families are spread between two states (SA & VIC). Chris’ paternal grandmother also got to be with us at 86, so we were really blessed to have her witness our wedding, which is such a meaningful event in general, but especially to her!
The look.
Chris knew exactly what he wanted from the get-go and pretty much found his preferred tailor straightaway. InStitchu were amazing to work with and executed his vision without a hitch!
Abbey wasn’t so lucky, not really knowing what she wanted and going to (advise against this!) six bridal stores. She ended up going with a dress she never would’ve envisioned that was recommended by one of the girls at Made with Love bridal, and it was just perfect! Abbey got asked so many times if it had been made bespoke for her!
Favourite moments.
All of the words from the day, like our vows and loved one’s speeches.
Meaning of marriage.
Abbey – Marriage is having the courage to trust someone else with loving you but also having the courage to trust yourself to give the other person everything they need and deserve.
Chris – Marriage is always pursuing the other, always fighting for them and never giving up on what you are building together.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: It’s Your Love by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Signing: Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue (acapella version)
Recessional: Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing Soundtrack
First dance: Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars
Funny stories or near disasters.
Almost not having half the wedding there with border closures! (Not funny- more disaster like!)
Planning surprises.
How time-consuming every little detail is. I looked at the cost of a wedding planner at the start of the process and thought, no way, that is ridiculously expensive. In the end, I almost wish I’d done it. If I hadn’t been working from home, I would’ve been way more stressed and would see the benefit of hiring one.
Words of wisdom.
Include every single thing you can think of that will cost you money in your budget. It was the things that cropped up the week or two before the wedding that we found we were either out of pocket for or just hadn’t budgeted for, and it added up!!
Do timeless traditions and exquisitely elegant details align with your vision? Settle in with a coup of champagne and have a browse of some of our favourite classicly themed real weddings, curated here for sublime scrolling!
CHRIS & ABBEY’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Werribee Mansion. Chalice Madacki was our planner and was a star!
Celebrant: Marry Me Megan. Megan deserves to be on your supplier list – she is an absolute angel and only ever made us feel like the process was easy and warm.
Photography: Matt Elliott – genius legend. Enough said.
Videography: Video Boutique
Styling: Me!
Florist: Flora by Taleah Tilley – underrated but oh so good. Worth a look into for your supplier list.
Hair: Hair by Pearly. More like Hair Wizard- she worked quickly and quietly, and not one person asked to change a thing about their hair.
Make-up: Carla Dyson. The vibe you need with your bride tribe on the morning of your wedding, just an all-around great chick. She also works like a little light-handed mouse; make-up was long-lasting and didn’t feel like it was caked on.
The dress & veil: Made with Love Bridal. The service at fittings and look-ins was best in class. A great experience that impacted my choice in the end.
Shoes: Charlotte Mills via The White Collection. Expensive but THE cutest design with a sixpence and blue colours on the shoe for the old superstitious sayings. Expensive but oh so worth it; for a girl who is hopeless in heels, I didn’t think about my feet all day!
Rings: Maurice Poloni – private jeweller- executed our vision perfectly and on super tight timelines!
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy
Groomsmen’s suits & bow ties: InStitchu
Bar: Kirrihill Wines (our family winery from Clare Valley!)
Favours: We created our own design wine label, which got rolled onto clean skin wines from our winery Kirrihill Wines.
Cake / Cake topper: Katielou’s Cakes– Kaitlyn Bott. Very competitive pricing and beautiful work! A very chill lady who made arranging the cake a non-event which was refreshing.
Stationery / Signage: State of Elliott.
Entertainment: Kaneo Macedonian Band and The White Tree Band. Both fantastic and brought excellent vibes to the day.
Honeymoon: Hamilton Island (Beach Club Resort) – would recommend every day of the week! Facilities and staff blew us away. Not to mention the view of Catseye Beach and the adults-only resort!
Hayman Island (Intercontinental) – facilities are world-class.
