Real Wedding – Daisy & Richie, Yarra Glen VIC
For these two high school sweethearts, their wedding day was long in the making, high on happiness and sweetly stylish in every carefully considered element.
Relaxed, classic elegance was the theme of the celebration beginning with the striking black and white look of the wedding party, elevated into contemporary freshness through clean, sleek lines and fresh, fuss-free details. In her low-backed, elegantly silhouetted gown by Jane Hill, Daisy was nothing short of a stylish vision. The look on Richie’s face from the moment he caught sight of his wife to be said it all – this was one man who was glad he built up the courage to ask out the beautiful girl in his year nine French class.
The dramatic weather accompanying the day, along with covid postponements, couldn’t dampen the spirits of this dynamic duo – from the very beginning, they stuck to their theme that in the end, they were marrying their person, and that is what mattered most.
And as they danced together under the stars, just the two of them, the atmosphere was sweet, timeless romance – all captured to perfection by Motta Weddings.
The meeting.
Richie and I are high-school sweethearts. We met in 2005 in year nine French class when we were both 15 years old. One day after school, he finally worked up the courage to ask me to be his girlfriend. I instantly said yes, and we have been by each other’s side ever since.
The ‘one’.
When we were in high school and didn’t have our driver licenses, Richie preferred to walk me home from his place instead of asking my parents to pick me up because he wanted to spend an extra ten minutes with me, even if it meant walking in the rain!
The proposal.
Richie and I went to the Yarra Valley for the day and had lunch at Mandala Wines. We love going to wineries together, so this wasn’t something I was suspicious about. It was a balmy Sunday in October, and we had just finished eating a delicious three-course meal when Richie suggested going for a wander through the property. Richie found the perfect spot amongst the vineyard and suggested we take a few photos together. I wanted to take some photos on my phone, so I reached into my bag to get it and as I turned around Richie had got down on one knee and with a beaming smile asked me to marry him! It still gives me goosebumps. Afterwards, we went to Yering Station Winery, where we did a wine tasting before heading home to work out how to deliver the exciting news to our families. Unbeknown to me, Richie had organised for both our families and closest friends to decorate our house and be there to surprise us when we got home!
Planning process.
About a month after we got engaged, we booked our venue, and everything else fell into place pretty quickly. Although, we had to postpone our wedding three times due to COVID, so that kept me busy! I still enjoyed the whole process, and that’s mainly because all of our suppliers were so accommodating, and I tried to not worry about the things I couldn’t control. I knew at the end of the day I was marrying my person, and that’s what mattered most.
Style inspiration.
We both have the same taste in style, so from the beginning, we were on the same page with how we imagined our wedding. We wanted it to be relaxed, classic and elegant, so we decided to have a cocktail style wedding with a black and white theme.
Most of my inspiration came from viewing wedding blogs like this one! I loved looking at real weddings on Ivory Tribe and seeing what styles and themes other couples chose. It was also helpful to see which suppliers couples recommended and read about their experiences.
The ceremony.
We wanted a ceremony that was personal and reflected us both, and that’s exactly what our celebrant provided. She told the story about how we met, and many of our guests said it felt as though she had known us for years. We also wrote our own vows and kept them a secret from each other until the big day, which made it extra special.
The weather made the ceremony even more memorable. The day of our ceremony was sunny and humid, but just before my bridesmaids and I started walking down the aisle, the weather started to storm, and the wind picked up. It was such a dramatic entrance! Thankfully our venue had a perfect wet weather option, and the storm made a great backdrop for photos; we even got a rainbow.
The look.
I knew from the beginning that I wanted to wear a modern and classic wedding dress that I could look back on in years to come and still love. I only tried on a handful of dresses, but once I visited Jane Hill and saw the square neck gown with the low back, I knew it was the one!
Richie wore a classic black suit and a white shirt with black buttons by Men’s Suit Warehouse. He paired it with a black bow tie and Montblanc cufflinks, which I surprised him with on the day. The groomsman wore the same suit but wore black ties. Richie also bought each of them a pair of multi-coloured Happy Socks, which added some personality to their outfits.
Choosing the bridesmaid dresses was probably one of the easiest decisions I made. I wanted something that they would feel confident and comfortable in that would also go with the black and white theme. Looking back at the photos, the dresses were more perfect than I had imagined. The ivory dresses stood out in front of the luscious green vineyard and stormy skies.
Favourite moments.
This is a tricky question because there were so many! There was a time during the night when our photographer wanted to take some photos of us practising our first dance, so we went outside and slow danced under the fairy lights with no one else around. It was a very romantic and special moment together which also helped settle the nerves before dancing in front of all our friends and family!
Meaning of marriage.
A lifetime of love, happiness and adventures with your best friend.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Higher Love by James Vincent McMorrow
Signing: Ho Hey by The Lumineers
Reception entry: Tell Me You Love Me by Galantis and Throttle (bride and groom), Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake (bridesmaids), Glorious by Macklemore (groomsmen).
First dance: Do You Remember by Jack Johnson (the lyrics speak to how we met, so this was very sentimental to us)
Exit song: A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay
Funny stories or near disasters.
Planning a wedding during a pandemic was definitely not ideal, but it makes for a great story! The postponement that stung the most was in May 2021, when a lockdown meant we had to postpone a day before our wedding. All of our friends and family were extremely supportive and organised drinks at the pub to cheer us up that night.
Planning surprises.
People tell you that planning a wedding can be stressful, but I loved the whole process, and part of me misses it!
Words of wisdom.
Remember that the day is about you and your partner, so try to add touches to your wedding that reflects you both. Richie and I enjoy the occasional glass of gin, so we made sure it was available at the bar and organised a variety of our favourite garnishes to pair it with.
Everyone tells you that the day goes by so quickly, and it’s true. Make a conscious effort to take a moment to look at all your loved ones having fun and soak it all up. It’s the best feeling!
It’s the darling details that make a wedding day feel personal, unique, and reflective of who you are as a couple. But often these are left until the last minute, in a high pressure rush that is less calm consideration with a champagne in hand and more frantic thrown together choices over the fourth large latte for the day! We’ve got some great tips as to what to pre-plan, to give yourself a cruisy lead in to your dream day, whilst creating something super special, here.
DAISY & RICHIE’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Acacia Ridge Winery in the Yarra Glen
Celebrant: Georgia Mills
Photography: Alex Motta from Motta Weddings – Alex is incredibly talented and the best in the business.
Videography: Alper Kasap from Artistic Films
Florist: Debbie O’Neill
Hair: Rachael Anne Evans
Make-up: Isabella Quinn
The dress & veil: Jane Hill
Shoes: Bianca Buccheri from Dolci Firme
Rings: Marquise Designs
Earrings: Amelie George Bridal
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge
Suits: Men’s Suit Warehouse
Bow ties / ties: M.J. Bale
Catering: Ojella Catering, Stuart is a family friend of ours, and his food is delicious, so it was a no brainer for us!
Bar: Acacia Ridge Winery
Favours: We had love heart cookies with our initials on them, by Renate Elise Designer Cakes.
Cake: Renate Elise Designer Cakes
Stationery / Signage: State of Elliot
Entertainment: Angus James from Unplugged Entertainment, we received a lot of compliments from our guests on the music. Angus definitely knows how to get a dance floor going!
Transport: Enrik Limousines and McKenzies buses for the guests
Honeymoon: Fitzroy Island and Port Douglas in June
Other: PJ’s and bride getting ready gown by Le Rose
Clutch: Ogla Berg
