Real Wedding - Emilia & Max, Yarra Valley

May 9, 2017 In Real Weddings By Jo Betz

Real Wedding – Emilia & Max, Yarra Valley

Seeing Max at the end of the aisle with tears in his eyes was enough to make Emilia go weak at the knees with love and happiness on their wedding day.

In the Yarra Valley they created the perfect party that not only celebrated their story, but also their cultural backgrounds and what resulted was a seamlessly stunning day! There to capture all the moments was The White Tree.

In Emilia’s words…

The meeting.

Max and I met nearly 7 years ago at a local real estate agency we both were working at. I was the weekend receptionist while I was completing my university degree and Max and just began his career as a real estate agent, so was working all hours of the week including weekends. Soon after, Max was slowly trying to win me over, even made attempts of making an impression on my mum who worked at the local bakery a couple of doors down from where we worked, and eventually asked me out on a date to the comedy festival.

The ‘one’.

I can’t recall a specific time or particular event that made me feel that Max was ‘the one’ so to speak. I just knew from early on that there was something special there and that we had a close and deep connection from the get go. If you ask Max though, he would say from the very first moment we locked eyes at the initial sales meeting I was introduced to the team. He had to make a point of getting to know me as there was something special there.

The proposal.

Over the Christmas/New Year period Max and I went on a big overseas trip to the US and Central America. While we were in New York City, on Christmas Eve, we were strolling around Central Park exploring its surroundings when all of a sudden Max led me to a nice quiet spot by the concrete chess sets, got down on one knee and popped the question. It was very special, completely unexpected and really set the atmosphere for the rest of our trip.

Planning process.

We had less than 11 months to plan the whole wedding from start to finish as we decided to get married the same year of the proposal. There were definitely periods of excitement and fun mixed with elements of stress and chaos throughout the planning process. The lead up to our wedding was probably the most exciting part as it started to become real that were actually getting married. What made it particularly special was having a lot of our family stay the night before in the Yarra Valley. We had a pre-wedding dinner and then everyone getting ready together the morning of. The wedding morning atmosphere was filled with lots of laughter, fun and excitement with loads of champagne of course.

Style Inspiration.

We really wanted to create a celebration that included incredible food, wine and natural scenery with a relaxed and less formal feel. Having great food and wine while sharing it with loved ones was especially important to us, particularly as we come from Italian and Argentinean backgrounds, so Zonzo Estate was truly a perfect fit.

We also really wanted to incorporate the stunning views of the Yarra Valley and utilize the venue and its natural surrounds into our theme. So we decided to have a Sunday lunch wedding, which enabled us to really soak up the beautiful countryside backdrop and vineyards. We then opted to have a shared menu filled with lots of authentic Italian food. This really enhanced the relaxed and informal style we were aiming for while also paying homage to our cultural backgrounds. We also utilized a lot of greenery and native flora such as olive and gum foliage that complemented the lovely long rustic timber tables with touches of rose gold styling items.

The dress.

One Saturday morning, I got my mum, sister and aunty to come along to an appointment I had booked in at Mariana Hardwick. I had liked a few of their designs on their Instagram page and website so just decided to book in to see if I could try on a few different styles. The second dress I tried on, I immediately fall in love with and felt so special in. Even my mum, sister and aunty said immediately that this was ‘the one’ as soon as I walked out in it from the dressing room.

I loved the simplistic design of the dress, the structure and how it allowed the material to be the statement. I never thought I would go for a sequin dress, I thought lace was more my style, so I was pleasantly surprised that I went with something completely different to what I had originally envisaged.

Favourite moment.

This is a tricky question as I truly loved everyone single minute of our day. There really were too many favourite moments to choose from. However, I think a real highlight was walking down the aisle, with my dad by my side, and catching a glimpse of Max with tears streaming down his face as we first locked eyes. I know that this is quite a cliché moment, but it really did help elevate all the built-up nerves and we finally got to see each other all dressed up.

Traditions.

We had very few traditions, but included a couple along the way. During our ceremony we had created a time capsule where we placed our wedding vows and a bottle of red wine from Zonzo Estate into a rustic wooden box that we plan to open up at each wedding anniversary. We loved this idea that our wedding celebrant, Shannon Jeans from Cloud9 Celebrations, had suggested. It encourages us to remind each other of the vows and promises we made to each other on this day, each year. Of course, each year we will top it up with a new bottle of wine in preparation for the following year.

Meaning of marriage.

A continuation of our commitment to one another.

Wedding soundtrack.

Processional – I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) – Sleeping at last

Signing of the register – Grow old with you – The Wedding Singer

Recessional – Crazy in love – Beyonce

Reception entry/first dance – Sky full of stars – Coldplay

Farewell – 500 miles (I’m gonna be) – The Proclaimers

Funny stories (or near disasters).

To be absolutely honest, everything ended up being perfect in the lead up and on the day. It all went to plan and beyond our expectations.

Planning surprises.

The amount of little details that is involved in the planning and how consuming it can quickly become.

Words of wisdom.

Invest in both photographers and videographers. And yes, get a videographer. We originally had decided not to get a videographer and we are also glad we ended up deciding to just go with it. The best part is when you get to relive the full experience of your wedding day through your photos and film over and over again.

Also, really take in every single moment of the day as it truly goes super-fast and find a moment throughout the day where you can just be with your husband, check in with each other and take it all in together.

Final tip, throughout the planning process, give yourself plenty of time to plan, take regular breaks and engage in lots of self-care activities as the planning can easily become consuming and at times overwhelming.