Real Wedding – Georgia & Emmett, Dixons Creek VIC

Georgia and Emmett’s dream day is a fun-filled frolic of modern elegance and colourful cohesion, overflowing with effervescent energy.

Even a typical Victorian drizzle couldn’t dampen the vibrant vibes of the day, instead creating a sense of intimacy and romance for the heartfelt ceremony, led in all its lighthearted brilliance by one of our own, Kat from The Celebrandt.

Leaning into the visual energy of their venue, fresh garden party with a rustic touch, allowed Georgia and Emmett to add their own imprint through contrast and colour. Bold, bright hues echo through the florals to transcend Georgia’s sweet cornflower blue Randall Loeffler heels and soft sage bridesmaid gowns.

Emmett consulted with stylist extraordinaire at YSG Tailors to create his epic ensemble, elevated with a forest green velvet jacket. For Georgia, it was all about sleek simplicity and a stunning silhouette in her gorgeous gown by the talent at Love You More Bridal.

For these two sweet souls, it was waiting in the chapel with their wedding party as fresh newlyweds, reflecting on the day so far, that gave them a moment to pause and soak it all in. And when the rain passed and they emerged to find a breathtaking rainbow arching over them, photographer legend Georgia Verrells went to work making absolute aesthetic magic.

The meeting.

We met at a club in 2012 (Georgia was 18, and Emmett was 21). Emmett gave Georgia his number at the club (he claims his phone was out of battery), and she waited an appropriate three days before texting to arrange a date.

The ‘one’.

We took some time apart in 2016 while Emmett moved away for work. When we got back together, we knew that this time it was going to be forever. We knew that being apart clearly did not work for us!

The proposal.

Emmett originally planned to propose on the 23rd of December 2020, as Georgia’s family were coming around on the 24th of December, and they could celebrate with them. Georgia had just graduated from medical school and was travelling around Sydney and Tasmania with her friends, but she had to return home early from Tasmania due to COVID lockdowns. She told Emmett she had booked flights and was coming home that day!

Emmett rushed to get the proposal ready in time with help from his friend, Sophie. Meanwhile, Georgia had to get a COVID test and wait for the result at home. So, Emmett decided he couldn’t wait any longer and proposed at home with rose petals and candles (and a flower for their dog Cheesecake’s collar). They celebrated the night with pizza and champagne in their home together.

Planning process.

We found the planning process surprisingly smooth and stress-free. We had an 18-month engagement and booked most of our vendors early, which meant planning the little details in the final months leading up to the wedding was fun rather than stressful. Every decision was made as a team.

Style inspiration. 

We always knew that we wanted to get married at a winery in the Yarra Valley with live music, great food and, of course, excellent wine. As such, the rustic style of the venue helped to inspire the remaining colour choices for bridal party outfits and colours. Native flowers were the focal point of the decorations, providing beautiful colour to a rustic backdrop.

Reading through the Real Weddings section of Ivory Tribe was definitely my main source of inspiration. Once we found vendors that we liked from Ivory Tribe, we were able to look at their portfolios and previous weddings they had been involved with and drew inspiration from that. Following lots of different bridal accounts on Instagram helped provide inspiration as well.

The ceremony.

Our ceremony was a short, sweet, and intimate affair. We had planned for a garden spring wedding; however, on the day, terrible Melbourne weather meant we had to relocate to the indoor chapel.

This ended up providing a cosy, romantic space for us to exchange our vows. We had our beautiful groodle, Cheesecake, walk down the aisle as our flower girl. The ceremony was romantic, and many tears were shed.

The look. 

Georgia: I wore two dresses throughout the night. A significant amount of Instagram research had taken place during COVID-19 lockdowns, which meant that the ceremony dress was one of the first dresses I tried on. I knew it was the one as soon as I tried it on – it was modern, sleek and flattering. The second dress was also an easy find as I wanted a fun, comfortable dress to dance the night away in. Plus, it had pockets – how could you go wrong?!

Emmett: I knew I wanted something a bit different. So, after consulting with Ryan from YSG and going through numerous books full of different fabric swatches, we decided on a tux with a green velvet jacket.

Favourite moments.

After the ceremony, when all the guests had departed to the reception for canapes, we had to sit in the chapel with our bridal party and wait for the rain to clear before we could take photos. This was a quiet moment with our bridal party to have a drink, relax and enjoy the calm of the moment. Shortly after, the rain cleared, and a rainbow appeared in the sky, allowing the perfect moment to take photos.

Meaning of marriage.

To us, the wedding was a chance to celebrate our love in front of all our family and friends. Marriage to us is dedicating our lives to sharing it with someone who is a best friend and partner, with all the ups and downs that come with it. It is about building a solid foundation of trust and respect to share a life with a partner who will support, encourage and listen when we are struggling.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Only You by Joshua Radin

Signing: Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer

Recessional: Stay Stay Stay by Taylor Swift

Reception entry: I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness

First dance: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys

Funny stories or near disasters.

For 18 months, we had planned to have our ceremony outdoors in the spring gardens of the venue. As we nervously watched the weather forecast in the days leading up to the wedding, we had to scramble to buy umbrellas for our guests and shawls for the bridal party and move our ceremony to the indoor chapel. The day before and after our wedding ended up being beautiful sunny days!

Planning surprises.

We were surprised at how smooth the planning process was. Of course, it helped to have a venue that was extremely organised to help the day run smoothly and experienced vendors who were able to guide the process while still allowing room for our own creative expression.

Words of wisdom.

Start planning early, and lock in your major vendors at the start, so you don’t have to scramble or feel stressed closer to the day. Our other advice would be to plan the wedding for yourselves, not for others – do what makes you feel comfortable and happy.

Love a modern garden party vibe? Check out Damien and Bronte’s elegant Hepburn Springs affair for more chic floral fabulousness, here on the blog.

GEORGIA & EMMETT’S VENDORS

Ceremony & reception venue: Immerse in the Yarra Valley

Celebrant: Kathryn Brandt, aka The Celebrandt – we couldn’t recommend a more genuine, warm and kind human to officiate your wedding. https://www.thecelebrandt.com/

Photography: Georgia Verrells – she is absolutely the best photographer in the industry – she makes you feel instantly at ease and produces authentic and natural photos that perfectly capture the day.

Florist: Sugarbee flowers

Hair: Kaitlin Sammut

Make-up: Emma Rumian

The dresses: Ceremony dress & veil- Love You More Bridal. Reception dress – Elope Bridal

Shoes: Loeffler Randall 

Rings: Tianyu Gems

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Hexie

Suits & bow ties: YSG tailors

Catering & bar: Immerse in the Yarra Valley

Favours: The Photobooth Girl

Stationery / Signage: The Pink Teapot

Entertainment: The Craig Francis Band

Honeymoon: We had a beautiful honeymoon travelling around Germany, The Netherlands and Greece.