Real Wedding – Craig & Abbey, Gembrook VIC

For Abbey and Craig, there was no doubt in their mind when they first met that they’d found someone super special – and that clear-headed vision endured throughout their wedding planning, inspiring them to create a day as fabulously fun and relaxed as it is visually vibrant.

With only five months from Will You to I Do, decisiveness was integral, and Abbey and Craig played it to perfection, surrounding themselves with a dream day crew of true talent. Kicking off the soiree with a ceremony equal parts loved-up bliss and bold romance, with a touch of perfectly poised humour, was celebrant legend Precious Celebrations.

From there, the party continued to escalate with the best type of emotions, against the gorgeous backdrop of Forest Edge. While the new Mr. and Mrs. claim to have focused more on the good times than the visual effects, every frame by photographic talent Hannah Briggs glows with aesthetic appeal. From the soft palette of crisp vanilla and muted sage to the sweeping bushland surrounds, this is one simply stunning day. And Hannah’s red lip tops the whole effect off to perfection.

Scroll on for every radiant image.

The meeting.

Craig and I first met online after he was ‘dared’ by some mates to send a cheesy pickup line to a stranger. He didn’t take much convincing! We exchanged messages for a few weeks before our paths crossed, unplanned, at a local bar.

The ‘one’.

We knew almost immediately. We both knew the connection was special, and we immediately became best friends.

The proposal.

On the anniversary of the weekend we met, we headed away to visit family on the Murray River. It was a beautiful wintery afternoon, and we were enjoying a nice wine at All Saints Winery, Wahgunyahe. Craig asked my grandma to take a picture of us in front of the lake, then he dropped on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was such a perfect afternoon.

Planning process.

It was actually pretty straightforward! We knew we wanted to get married fairly quickly to continue growing our family. From the time we got engaged to the wedding day, it was exactly five months (we’re crazy, we know). We already had a wedding venue in mind, as it is an area that’s really sentimental to us. Once we locked in a date with the venue, we started locking in the main vendors – photographer, celebrant, cake, make-up. Everything just fell into place because all the vendors we loved happened to be available on our date – it was meant to be!

Style inspiration. 

We both wanted to have a laid-back, easy and relaxed vibe at our wedding. We wanted the day to be about us and our love rather than to have a theme or particular style.

We really didn’t do a whole lot of prep or planning for our wedding. We wanted the focus to be on the feelings and emotions of the day rather than the look of it.

The ceremony.

Our ceremony was held at Forest Edge, Gembrook, overlooking beautiful hills, acreage and farmland. Our ceremony was being held outside in the beautiful gardens, and the weather looked like it was going to hold up. But, in typical Melbourne fashion, on our way to the ceremony, it started to bucket down with rain. Before walking down the aisle, I nervously waited inside, watching our guests open their umbrellas and seek shelter from the rain. Then suddenly, it all stopped! We quickly got in position to walk out and start the ceremony before it rained again, and to our surprise, as soon as the doors opened to begin walking, the sun came out!

Our ceremony was perfect. Our incredible celebrant, Precious Fawcett, wrote a fantastic, personalised ceremony that had everyone laughing and aww-ing. There was a perfect mixture of laughter and tears – exactly as we had envisioned.

The look. 

I knew I wanted to wear a bright red lipstick, so I wanted to find a simple, elegant, and classic dress to suit my ‘Old Hollywood’ inspiration. I ended up wearing the Winter from Made With Love, which is a beautiful, fitted gown with a train, button details and detachable sleeves.

Craig wanted to do something a bit different and non-traditional. To tie in with the theme of the venue, ‘Forest’, he wore a dark teal jacket with black pants and black boots. The only request I had for his outfit was to wear a bowtie!

Favourite moments.

We loved every moment of our wedding, but it was great once all the formalities had finished and we could dance the night away with our friends and family. The vibes on the dancefloor were so amazing; it felt like we were in a nightclub!

Meaning of marriage.

To us, marriage means this is the person you want to be with for the rest of your life. It’s a way of showing you’re always going to be there for that person and love them always.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Afterglow by Ed Sheeran (Piano Version)

Reception entry: Crazy In Love by Beyonce/ Jay-Z

First dance: Beyond by Leon Bridges

Funny stories or near disasters.

On the day of the wedding, I thought it would be funny if I got a taxi to the venue with my bridesmaids and my dad. I sat in the front seat of the cab in a white wedding dress, with a veil and flowers, when the taxi driver turned to me and asked, “Are you guys going to a wedding?” We told him yes (as if it wasn’t obvious), and he asked us whose wedding we were going to…

Another funny story would have to be cutting the cake and breaking the cake knife! I could feel that we had hit one of the cake dowels that supported the cake, but Craig continued to push the knife through, only for the knife handle to snap off!

Planning surprises.

Because we planned our wedding with such short notice, I found it impossible to find a freelance hairstylist! Thankfully, one of our best friends is a hairdresser, and she kindly offered to help us on the day.

Words of wisdom.

Don’t lose sight of what the day is actually about! You’re here to marry the love of your life and enjoy it. The day will go so, so fast, don’t sweat the small stuff.

We love a real wedding for attainable yet aspirational wedspo. For more of the visual feast vibes with a good dose of feels, check out this round up of our favourite real weddings of 2023.

CRAIG & ABBEY’S VENDORS

Ceremony & reception venue: Forest Edge Gembrook

Celebrant: Precious Celebrations

Photography: Hannah Briggs Photography

Florist: Blush Blooms Beaconsfield

Hair: Centaine Veli

Make-up: Artistry by Annie

The dress: Made With Love

Rings: MG Jewellery Designs

Cake / Cake topper: Hey Butter

Entertainment: Front Entertainment

Transport: 13 CABS