Real Wedding – Jarrod & Hayley, Curlewis VIC
Open air weddings don’t get much better than Hayley and Jarrod’s sublime celebration at one of our favourite venues, Rusty Gate on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula.
Hayley stunned in a Silvana Tedesco gown as she made her way down the aisle to a reassuring Jarrod, as they enjoyed a heartfelt ceremony with the perfect amount of love and laughs.
Using the incredible ocean view as their breathtaking backdrop, this darling duo combined the perfect country meets coastal day. Hayley was at the helm with their styling and the luxe, yet relaxed vibe, allowed their guests to feel comfortable as they partied all night long in the paddocks with Stewart Leishman and Burgess Video there to capture it all!
In Hayley’s words…
The meeting.
We met through friends at a local bar, I was 18 and Jarrod was 21.
‘The one’.
We moved out together for six months, when Jarrod brought his first home. Everything was so easy and we made a great team, I couldn’t imagine not ever being with him . Also when we met each others families, we both fitted into one another’s perfectly.
The proposal.
It was our six-year anniversary and we were heading out for a special dinner on Chapel Street, Melbourne to celebrate. I was in the kitchen getting ready to leave when Jarrod turned around to me, white as a ghost, and got down on one knee. Of course, I said yes and our nice romantic dinner turned into Red Rooster drive through after we spent our night driving around surprising friends and family with the news!
The process.
The planning process was pretty crazy as I did it all myself: from booking a blank canvas venue and arranging all structures, catering, furniture hire, to the finer details like setting up vases and candles the day prior on site!
I was super organised, though and booked all the big-ticket items as soon as we had set our date which helped with the smaller things. Throughout the year I worked really hard on setting everything in stone so we could relax over Christmas, and really enjoy the lead up in the weeks leading to the actual day.
The days leading up to the wedding were pretty intense, but I was lucky enough to have so much help from my family and bridesmaids.
Style inspiration.
We knew we wanted it outside, in the open air, with an amazing view as the hero. We wanted to create a relaxed, party atmosphere with beautiful food and wine. When we met Athena at Rusty Gate Winery in Curlewis I was obsessed with the long dry grass of the property’s paddocks, overlooking the deep blue water. The setting of the country meeting the coast had me sold.
We loved that it wasn’t beachy nor rustic however a blank canvas that we could make whatever we wanted. Probably best described as Romantic Country meets the Coast! The beauty of hiring a property, means you can choose exactly what you both want which was a great way to symbolise Jarrod and I.
We had a clear marquee with outdoor bar and dancefloor, surrounded by views of the bay which created something really special as the sun started to go down.
In terms of furniture style, I choose white and light timber chairs, bar stools and bar tables, paired with relaxed outdoor Hamptons style furniture.
I then met with Danielle from Moss Industry to plan the flowers. I was certain on some aspects like the dark greenery, pampas grass and white orchids but what she created exceeded all my expectations!
For our ceremony alter we had four stands from Shape Steel with vases in front. Danielle created a masterpiece of florals with large flowing pampas, dark greenery, with white Phalaenopsis orchids spilling down and copper beach smoke bush – the colors against the scenery looked insane!
The same style was continued in the marquee where we created a focal point feature: a large gold mirror featuring our names on a white wire wall from Sketch & Etch.
Down the center of the three long tables we had pampas, olive and gum arrangements with simple glass vases holding candles to set a mood after sunset and I went with a hessian color table cloth to work in with the surrounding scenery.
The dress.
I always knew I wanted a more modern style opposed to a traditional bridal gown. I spent a day in Melbourne trying on dresses at all the major boutiques but didn’t find anything I loved.
I was recommended to Silvana Tedesco from a girlfriend who had recently been married. When I met Silvana I knew I was in great hands and she could design the perfect dress for me. I had a couple of inspo photos to get it started however changes were made throughout to best suit my body. I selected my fabric from a local supplier in Richmond.
The final project was a hand beaded, fitted dress, with the lace hand-sewn onto the organza, creating a floor length, flowing, romantic look with the bottom skirt/section in a breezy silk.
Favourite moments.
When I got to the end of the aisle, my Dad gave me away and I finally got to stand opposite Jarrod. He grabbed both of my hands and I felt a whole sense of relief. From then on, the whole day was like a dream we are still re-living over and over!
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage was the next step in officially making a lifelong commitment to each other. It’s was a perfect way to celebrate our love in front of our family and friends.
Wedding soundtrack.
Bridesmaids: Everywhere by Ida Redig
Bride: Best Of Me (acoustic) by Secret Nation
Recessional: You’ve got the love by Florence and The Machine
Walking back down the aisle: Best Day Of My Life by American Auothers
First Dance: Never Tear Us Apart by INXS
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Jarrod has a man bun and I knew my Dad was planning to cut it off at the Bucks Party – thank god that didn’t happen!
Planning surprises.
I was so impressed by some of the vendors we worked with. As I planned everything myself I learnt so much and was really surprised with how much thought, effort and skill goes into everything for the day.
Words of wisdom.
Enjoy every minute! From the moment you set your day, throughout your whole planning process, meeting your vendors, visiting your venue – just have fun together! The day will be one of the best days of your lives and remember to take it all in. If you get a chance on the night, grab your partner and take a moment just you two, look at what you have created. The morning will be a blur!
The Bellarine Peninsula is full of beauty and brilliance, check out our favourite venues for your own big day!
HAYLEY & JARROD’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception: Rusty Gate Estate, Curlewis
Celebrant/Officiant: The amazing Jo Betz! From the moment we meet with Jo we instantly felt calm and relaxed about our ceremony, she was the best!
Photography: Stewart Leishman – he was hilarious, we laughed so much and don’t even remember him asking us to do anything. We are so in love with our photos, they bring back amazing memories.
Videography: Burgess Video – From the moment I spoke with Annette on the phone, I knew she would be perfect for our day. Both Annette and Dani were so much fun to work with and we cannot wait to see our video.
Styling: Me! I had a vision and sourced pieces from different suppliers that I liked.
Florist: Moss Industry – The super talented Danielle at Moss Industry. I was so picky with my flowers and wanted them to be different. I remember on the day I was blown away with what Danielle had created.
Hair: Studio2 Hair & Makeup
Make-up: Blondie
The Dress: Silvana Tedesco
Veil / headwear: Silvana Tedesco
Shoes: Senso
Rings: Sharon Fine Jewelry
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Camilla and Marc
Menswear: Jack London
Catering: Annies Kitchen
Bar: Memphis Hire
Cake / Cake topper: Kiss My Cakes
Stationery / Signage: State of Reverie, Sketch & Etch Creative
Entertainment: Andrew Loadsman
Transport: Range Rover Wedding Cars – John Orchard (0413 332 334)
Hire: Marquee – The Marquee People
Furniture – Memphis Hire
Linen – Table Art
White Wire Wall – Dress My Wedding
Aisle Stands – Shape Steel
Seating Chart and Wishing Well – State Of Revrie
Honeymoon: Bali
Other: Grazing Table – Platter Co by Jade