Real Wedding – Gracelee & Daniel, Milawa VIC
There’s something inherently special about holding your wedding day at a place with such sentimental value. Which is exactly what Gracelee and Daniel chose to do, celebrating their wedding in the heart of North East Victoria. With the rolling countryside as their backdrop, Gracelee was proud to share the beauty of where she grew up with their nearest and dearest, setting the perfect stage for a day steeped in love, laughter and elegant charm.
A lush garden wedding was Gracelee’s one non-negotiable, and Lancemore Milawa delivered in spades; a dreamy setting where refined romance bloomed at every turn.
Clad in a stunning classic silhouette from Kyha Studios (with a wonderful experience to match), Gracelee was the very vision of modern bridal beauty. Their wedding party cut a sophisticated figure in black, a timeless contrast to the fresh palette of crisp whites and delicate blue floral accents woven throughout the styling by We Are Lure.
With Ivory Tribe alum Elizabeth Graham leading the ceremony with all the warmth and heart of a lifelong friend, the day was a celebration that felt deeply personal, effortlessly stylish, and utterly unforgettable. All captured beautifully by Kelsey Renae Photography.
The meeting.
We met when I first moved from country Victoria to Melbourne at a bar we worked at. He thought I was a little country bumpkin and I thought he was a cool city boy.
The ‘one’.
During our early days of seeing each other, I had already made plans to do a working holiday visa in Japan for a year. We had only been seeing each other for two months and Gracelee was encouraging me to go on this working holiday. We both had decided to keep seeing each other for the next three months before I left and to just enjoy the time together.
Three months go by and we have an amazing time together, but knowing I had to leave made it a little bittersweet. I went off to Japan for my working holiday, and we decided to stop talking, but I ended up caving after two days.
All the snowboarding in the world wasn’t enough for me to enjoy my time as I realised how much I missed her while I was away and thought how nice it would have been if she were at my side. After 10 weeks in Japan snowboarding, I decided to cut my trip nine months short so that I could be back with Gracelee.
Gracelee came and picked me up from the airport, and after that, I knew what we had was something special.
The proposal.
After a trip to the South Melbourne markets, Daniel was very insistent we go to the Botanical Gardens. I wasn’t so keen as it was a typical gloomy Melbourne day. When we arrived, the gardens were closed, surprisingly, the few times a year they are closed for Nightscape. Daniel’s face dropped, and I, noticing his out-of-the-ordinary behaviour on the way there, realised what was happening. I perkily suggested we instead head to Como Gardens, as I didn’t want to wait another week for him to propose. Daniel fumbled his way through a nervous speech in the gardens and finally pulled out the beautiful ring I had picked out three months earlier. I was so happy to say yes.
Planning process.
Throughout the wedding planning process, my style changed constantly; however, I always knew I wanted a lush country garden wedding.
Style inspiration.
Real weddings were extremely helpful while planning our wedding. Being able to see what suppliers had been used by other couples helped us pick out the perfect team for our day.
The ceremony.
We chose to get married in the countryside where I had grown up. It felt special to be able to share my love for North East Victoria with all our friends and Daniel’s family. Lancemore was the perfect location as our guests were able to stay at the venue where the wedding was held. Lancemore is such a beautiful venue with gorgeous European-style gardens.
The look.
I was nervous when it came to trying on wedding dresses for the first time. My goal was to find a dress that fitted my waist and supported my chest so I didn’t have to wear a bra. I ended up landing on the first dress I tried on. The team at Kyha were amazing and went out of their way to ensure the dress fit me perfectly.
For my second party dress, I wanted something fun and easy to dance in. I purchased a By Watters dress online from a US website, however, I got confused with the US sizing, and it came two sizes too big. Alter It St Kilda did a wonderful job with the alterations, so you would never know.
Daniel wanted to keep it simple and was very excited to be able to get his whole suit and his groomsmen’s suits from the Men’s Suit Warehouse.
Favourite moments.
We had the whole hotel booked out for our guests, so we were able to move into an after-party in the lounge once the wedding had concluded. Our after-party involved loud karaoke and lots of soju. My favourite moment was belting out the classic wedding song “Mr Brightside” with our guests while jumping around in my slippers.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage means that my partner and I will always depend on each other through the complexities of life together no matter how difficult.
I will always have someone to come home to and to enjoy our lazy days in the sun, relaxing without a care in the world.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Here comes the sun by The Beatles (flower girls and bridesmaids) & Yellow by Coldplay (Bride) both sung acoustically by Ayden from Little Wolf
Signing: Birds of a feather by Billy Eilish
Recessional: Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder
Bridal Entrance Song: Accidentally in love by Counting Crows
Bridal Dance: My love mine oh mine by Mitski
Father Daughter Dance: Rich girl by Daryl Hall & John Oates for the first 15 seconds for a laugh, then cut to My Girl by The Temptations
Funny stories or near disasters.
The week leading up to the wedding, we realised the day was going to be extremely hot, 35 degrees at the exact time of our ceremony. We purchased a bunch of paper parasol umbrellas for the guests and portable hand fans for the wedding party. The portable mini USB fans were a lifesaver all throughout the day and especially when getting our photos taken, so our makeup didn’t melt away.
Planning surprises.
I was surprised by the decision fatigue and how much thought goes into every aspect of the day.
Words of wisdom.
I had to keep reminding myself that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that I get to marry my best friend, and everything else is just extra.
I’d suggest organising a hair and makeup trial early in the wedding planning process, especially if you will be travelling for your wedding. I booked local artists for the area, however, I didn’t book my trial until six weeks out from the wedding. I wasn’t comfortable with the trial and realised I would have been better booking an artist from Melbourne and paying the extra for the travel fees. My sister did the impossible and found the extremely talented Annie (Annie Rose Artistry) after calling the team at Mecca to see if they knew of any artists who were available at such short notice. Annie was so accommodating, driving the three hours from Melbourne and then back to fit me in between her evening booking. She advised me that this is a pretty common thing with brides looking for makeup artists last minute after not loving the trials.
If you’re on the hunt for a celebrant who feels like a trusted friend (just like Elizabeth), we’ve curated an amazing group who are ready to bring your ceremony to life right here.
GRACELEE & DANIEL’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Lancemore Milawa – I knew about the venue from growing up in the area; however, I was so excited to see the new renovations they completed a few years prior.
Celebrant: Elizabeth Graham – I found Elizabeth through Instagram. From my first conversation with her, I knew she would be the perfect fit to guide us through the wedding process.
Photography: Kelsey Renae – I contacted so many photographers and was overwhelmed by choice. I found Kelsey through another photographer, she helped and loved her Instagram page. Her style was exactly what we were looking for to capture our day.
Styling: We Are Lure – Emma from We Are Lure kept me sane while I changed my mind on the styling constantly. She really helped me visualise every detail. I also used Emma as my wedding planner and MC. She was my knight in shining armour throughout the wedding process and on the day.
Florist: Rosie Flower House – my wedding planner suggested Alison, who did an extraordinary job with my flowers. I was absolutely in love with my bouquets.
Hair: Sarah Collins
Make-up: Annie Rose Artistry
The dresses: Kyha – Luni Gown & By Watters – Obsessed dress
Veil: Madame Tulle custom length Celine one-tier lace veil
Shoes: Verali heels & Scanlan Theodore Gold Trim Slingbacks
Rings: Sarah & Sebastian
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Effie Kats – Monroe Gown
Suits & bow ties: MSW
Stationery / Signage: Callum Saxby & k-ydesigns
Entertainment: Ayden at Little Wolf Entertainment
Honeymoon: Anantara Veli Maldives Resort
