Real Wedding – Jacob & Genevieve, Kyneton VIC
Genevieve and Jacob’s dreamy country affair ticks all the boxes; ethereal contemporary elegance, timeless touches and a beautifully emotion-filled celebration.
With the ever-delightful Chloe May there to capture every epic moment, this one is an aesthetic treat. Choosing to lean in to the historic regional surrounds of their stunning location led to a perfectly cohesive visual effect, realised by Elderberry Events. The overarching theme of Italian-inspired elegance was echoed in the chic black accents, dove grey linens and soft olive leaf foliage. Touches of lavender and soft cornflower blues lifted the vanilla florals and added a sweet point of interest to the overall effect.
We love the uniquely exquisite fashion choices embraced by Jen and her bridesmaids. Soft, flowing gowns in a perfectly modern silhouette create effortless glamour. Gen worked with dressmaker extraordinaire d’Italia to create her dream dress, and the result is truly stunning.
We especially love the newlyweds’ advice to anyone planning their wedding – to smile even if things don’t go completely as envisioned; the weather can’t be controlled, so enjoy the unplanned, beautiful moments that will always eventuate.
Scroll on to see this dream day unfold.
The meeting.
Online, of course! I work in a female-dominated workplace and he works for the family business- not a lot to work with there! He immediately stood out once we connected online. We snuck our first meeting in between COVID waves- a walking date, which is all we could do at the time, and we hit it off! The rest, as they say, is history!
The one.
He would say, one particular day when he came home after a stressful day at work to a clean house and a homecooked meal – the way to a man’s heart!
I would say that I knew he was special from the first time we met. A more specific moment was when he travelled to be with me after my Mum passed away, although we had only known each other relatively briefly.
The proposal.
He asked me on a deserted Barwon Heads beach, just the two of us, now affectionately known as ‘Proposal Point’. We had shopped for my beautiful ring together, so I knew it was on the cards! He had asked my Dad, of course, and I reckon my sisters had an inkling, knowing how much of a hopeless romantic I am. His Mum and Dad caught on straight away, wondering why he had a bottle of champagne in hand!
Planning process.
Our photographer, Chloe May, was only available on the 19th of November – so that was decided. She was so worth it.
As for the rest of the planning process, I didn’t want to be stressed in the lead up, so I chipped away at the planning throughout the year, but even then, you can only do so much! I have always loved weddings, so the planning process was never a problem for me- I enjoyed it far too much. I began with social media, which has such a wealth of inspo to draw on. It wasn’t long before my phone was full of mostly screenshots of inspiration from other people’s big days!
I knew I wanted the ceremony to be at Our Lady of the Rosary- a very special and sentimental Church in the heart of Kyneton. It never needed much in the way of decorations.
We were lucky enough to have the reception at the family farm, ten minutes out of town, which meant we could also chip away with preparations throughout the year. Elderberry Events played a huge part in our wedding- we enlisted their styling services as well as one of their packages, consisting of the beautiful barn-style marquee, tables and chairs for our 120 guests and various other furniture pieces such as couches and wine barrels. A one stop shop.
We had roving canapes and a grazing table to start, followed by a seated dinner with sharing plates, courtesy of our brilliant caterers at Truffle Pig. The dessert table was put together by our special family and friends, featuring a croquembouche, macaroons and of course our cake- a giant pavlova! There was not a crumb left. Jake also organised a milk-bar-style lolly bar which may or may not have been the highlight of the night!
Additional personalised touches were made by my father-in-law: our wooden table runners, signs and other wooden pieces. My FIL and now-husband also designed and handcrafted our bar!
We stayed at the beautiful Stonewood in Kyneton for the weekend- it was such a treat to have Roxanne host us. We are already going back there for our anniversary.
Style inspiration.
I could never quite put my finger on what style I wanted; I just knew it had to be a fairly neutral colour palette. Once we had met with Orla, a stylist at Elderberry Events, and I tried to describe my vision, she pulled together the most dreamy combination. We incorporated some grey on more grey (who would have thought), a pop of blue in the glassware and interestingly black, geometric accents in the candleholders and chairs that somehow pulled everything together so perfectly. We threw in a bit of sage from branches of olive leaf beneath the table runners and I had found my ‘Italian-inspired Elegance’!
Social media is obviously huge in identifying what you’d like your perfect day to look like. I’ve also spent hours sifting through the beautiful weddings featured on Ivory Tribe. You really can do anything you want to these days, which makes for such unique weddings, and I loved seeing everyone’s different takes on what that might look like.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was so incredibly emotional and surreal. It took place in the Church my Mum and Dad had got married at 30 years before, a place we have also said many goodbyes to special family members over the years. It always had to be here. Our priest, Father Ed, kindly travelled from Ballarat to be with us. He set the tone for us – lighthearted and real yet sincere. We are so glad we found him!
The outfits.
I bought my bridesmaid’s dresses from Tendresse Studio in January 2022 and our wedding was in November 2022. They were perfect from the beginning; silk, one-shouldered midi dresses that complemented my dress perfectly.
As for the boys, we had to look no further than our local Trevor Dudleys. Peter was so helpful, I cannot recommend him highly enough. The boys scrubbed up beautifully in royal blue Daniel Hechter suits that they’ll be able to wear for years to come.
For myself, I was lucky enough to come across D’Italia Couture. I knew I wanted my dress to be made having seen an image of my dream dress years before and keeping it (before Jake, mind you). I booked into D’Italia and met the girls there who were incredible. They sketched the design for me, and we chose the fabrics for my dress as well as my pearl veil. They then referred me to the beautiful Mary, my dressmaker. Mary created a masterpiece for me but also made the whole experience incredibly special. My dress itself was silk, with layers of tulle, a lot fuller than I originally thought it might be but even more perfect than I had envisioned.
Favourite moment.
Nothing is more special than walking towards your husband, with your Dad at your side, in a place filled with everyone you love watching on. I loved involving our family and friends with carefully selected readings throughout the ceremony. Our speeches were also a highlight! It was also nice to spend time with my Uncle who drove us around in his GT. It was all my favourite!
Meaning of marriage.
LOVE! Marriage means something different to everyone, but for me I guess it is the ultimate gesture of commitment and love. We have both been lucky enough to witness the long and loving marriages of our parents, and it only seemed right and natural to follow in their footsteps. We both have quite traditional values, and so marriage to us seemed like the next step forward in our relationship.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: I’m With You by Vance Joy
Signing: Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles
Recessional: Dreams by The Cranberries
Reception entry: We Are Family by Sister Act
First dance: Stand By Me by Ben E King. Short and sweet!
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Oh gosh, the weather! It could have been an absolute disaster if it hadn’t been for my incredible family, who convinced me that the winds at 30km/hr would blow the rain into the marquee and saturate our guests seated at that end! We had to change the layout the day before. The day was not as I envisioned, but it definitely didn’t matter!
My now brother-in-law also managed to forget his good shoes, which made us all laugh.
When returning some of the hire gear, the clutch in the ute packed up, and my Uncle had to rescue it on the side of the freeway! We then had to find another tow vehicle to continue the trip to Bendigo!
Jake also developed an infection from a blister on his foot that escalated quickly, requiring antibiotics. He then reacted to the antibiotics, a mere few hours before we were meant to board a flight to the Maldives! Talk about stressful.
So much didn’t exactly go to plan, but it was still the best day ever! We learnt to just deal with whatever popped up!
Planning surprises.
I never expected DIY to be cheaper, but boy, do the costs add up quickly! Tablecloths and cutlery are expensive!
Words of wisdom.
You can find so much on Marketplace! I met so many great people from buying some items on MP, and I also managed to pick things up at a fraction of the price, such as glassware, wishing wells etc.
Pay the additional fees for picking up/ delivery of equipment hire goods if you can afford to; it’s not worth the hassle! But in saying that, it’s a great way to save a bit of money if you’re looking to cut costs!
This didn’t bother us, but if you want your details to be exactly as you envision, you should hire a coordinator, as you can’t be there on the morning of.
Get your family and friends to upload any pics/videos captured to a shared album. We didn’t have a videographer, but I have all of our speeches on video.
Smile even if things go wrong or the weather isn’t optimal- it doesn’t change a thing if you don’t let it; the wedding is about you marrying your partner, after all!
Looking for tips on how to deal with the uncontrollable elements of your dream day? From scorching heat to an unwelcome downpour, we’ve gathered invaluable advice on what you can do to ensure you and your guests still enjoy every moment. Check it out here, on the blog.
JACOB AND GENEVIEVE’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony venue: Our Lady of the Rosary, Kyneton, VIC
Reception location: Private Property, Pastoria, VIC thanks to my Uncle
Celebrant/Officiant: Fr Ed Moloney from Ballarat
Photography: the amazing Chloe May who we discovered via Instagram!
Videography: Opted out of this one/ family & friends!
Styling: Orla at Elderberry Events
Florist: Flowers in a Vase, Woodend, VIC for our bouquets, as well as Elderberry Events for the reception pieces
Hair: Studio 48, Kyneton, VIC
Make-up: Bec Shannon
The dress: D’Italia Couture and the beautiful Mary (Sassi by Andronis)- highly recommend!
Veil / headwear: D’Italia Couture and Mary (Sassi by Andronis)
Shoes: Bared Footwear
Rings: Mens Rings Online, Charles Rose (engagement) and Natasha Schweitzer (wedding)
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Tendresse Studio
Suits & bow ties / ties: Trevor Dudleys in Lilydale, VIC. Highly recommend Peter!
Catering: Truffle Pig Catering
Bar: Designed by husband, manufactured/ handcrafted by husband/ father-in-law!
Favours: Plantable name cards by Studio Y
Cake / Cake topper: our giant pav made by my beautiful cousin, she knows who she is! We also had an incredible croquembouche by our family friends.
Stationery / Signage: Rabbit Loves Graphics for our invitations, Studio Y for our menus, Cloth and Confetti for our cloth welcome sign, Daylight Letters for other signage
Entertainment: Hey Jack. We had Bloom (incredible!!!) during canapes and Christian as our DJ. Highly recommend!
Transport: Bev at Organs Coaches
Décor & Hire: Elderberry Events
Honeymoon: Pullman Maldives Maamutaa- HIGHLY recommend!
