Real Wedding – Jordanne & Daniel, Coldstream VIC
By date three Daniel knew there was no one else for him but Jordonne.
Fast forward to their swoon-worthy wedding day at Stones of the Yarra Valley, and romance met rustic European charm in a celebration of love that was personal and purposeful, all the soundtrack of the legends of entertainment, One More Song DJs.
The couple leaned into the venue’s pared-back Tuscan palette of stone, timber and soft natural textures, illuminated by flickers of candlelight, delicate draping and a truly sublime sunset only luck can provide.
Their vision centred on fresh florals, artfully arranged into an overgrown secret garden of gold, butter and peach hues, which were thoughtfully wrapped and repurposed at the end of the night for guests to take home.
Dive into the behind-the-scenes planning of this whimsical occasion as captured by the queen of intention and heart, Tess Follett.
The meeting.
We started chatting on Hinge in 2019. Daniel’s photos were all from a distance and his answers were kind of lame, so I was intrigued. Daniel thought I was the friend standing next to me in my profile pic. When we did meet up, we teased each other without mercy. It was instantly annoying and we had to see each other again. When Daniel walked away without looking back and then coolly asked for a second date the next day, I knew I had to set him straight and it’s been ‘game on’ ever since.
The one.
Daniel: I didn’t necessarily know we were going to get married, because you can’t control the future, but by date three I knew there was no one else.
Jordonne: When I realised wherever he was in the world it felt like home. I travelled a bit by myself when we first met, and knowing I could tell Daniel about it made me so happy – I couldn’t wait to share what I’d seen. When we later travelled together, I felt just right wherever we were. And I love the home in Melbourne we’ve created together.
The proposal.
Daniel pulled off a complete surprise. Perhaps the ultimate decoy was blocking out our calendars months in advance for a mystery night out. I freaked out and got my nails done, hair done and outfit just right (and nerves in a tangle) before we arrived at what turned out to be AAMI Park to watch Monster Trucks as a joke. The next time Daniel blocked out the calendar, thoughtfully on the exact date of our five-year anniversary, I had plans with friends. Daniel casually rescheduled and we had an amazing dinner at Abbotsford Convent and then an attempted romantic walk in the grounds, which in the pitch black in the middle of winter felt incredibly creepy. At this point, my fingers had been blue for a bit longer than fingers really should be, and Daniel decided the time and place might actually be by the fire at home. He gave me a box full of things he’d secretly saved from our early dates – or acquired when I saw things I loved – and I was so overwhelmed I didn’t even see the ring at the bottom. Daniel then tried to put the ring on the wrong hand and so I was awkwardly both pulling away physically and struggling to get my words back so I could say a big yes immediately. In the end it was an incredibly special moment after midnight in our happy place!
Planning process.
We hadn’t really talked about what getting married would look like for us, so when we got engaged, we had an extremely accelerated from-scratch conversation about what we wanted to do. Sneaking off to elope had a lot going for it, but it didn’t involve all the people we love. We knew we’d miss celebrating with them. In the end, it felt absolutely right to say our vows with our community around us, in the place we’ve made our home, with a big feast and party after. Waking up at the venue the next morning with the sun on the vines and people traipsing down to breakfast was also super special.
Once we had decided to have a big wedding there was no reason to wait. Within two weeks, we had locked in our dream venue and photographer (Stones of the Yarra Valley and Tess Follett – our two non-negotiables) for a date eight months away and we ran with the planning from there – it was actually great to have to find momentum and make quick decisions, and it felt a bit like the project management I do at work.
Style inspiration.
The Stones of the Yarra Valley aesthetic is romantic, and at the time we wed, the vines were changing colour. We leaned into the pared-back Tuscan styling and natural textures and colours like stone, wood and autumn leaves, with minimal tulle draping and fairy lights and candlelight for a glowy, soft atmosphere. Fresh florals were a focus for us, and we wanted to create an ‘overgrown secret garden’ look, with golds, butter, peach and other colours of sunrise/sunset.
Real weddings brought me so much joy! We actually had a fairly clear sense of what we loved and didn’t look for much inspiration beyond that, but it was exciting to see beautiful/unique real weddings. For us, the focus was on finding vendors who we loved and trusted to bring our vision to life. Seeing examples of their work, plus word of mouth, was helpful – when we found a star vendor we took on board their recommendations of others.
The ceremony.
Walking in with our parents, brothers and closest friends in our bridal party, and saying our personal vows in front of our favourite people, was the best feeling. We were married by one of my closest friends, Miranda, who could tell our story in a personal way. The string quartet was also key: my background is in music performance, so music was always going to be an emotional part of the ceremony and we were conscious we had fairly difficult and specific requests. Vivid Strings are the best and it was amazing being able to trust them so fully. The atmosphere of the stone chapel, decked out with fresh flowers and sunlight through the windows, was unforgettable -an absolute moment. We also appreciated getting ready and having the ceremony, cocktail hour, photos, reception, nightcap drinks and accommodation all on site in one location. The ceremony felt central, not separate, and we loved walking out to a rose petal shower and guests wandering straight into canapes and drinks.
The outfits.
To make spend and time go further, we prioritised quality, trusted makers and also considered samples and seconds. Couture was largely ruled out by our timeline, but I fell in love with Berta’s off-the-rack designs – they are delicate, fit beautifully and I love the way they play with light. When I found the dress (an ivory strapless, corseted soft tulle A-line), I sourced a sample that could be sent from London. I then worked with a seamstress on alterations and added an ivory veil with tiny Swarovski crystals to catch the light.
I was obsessed with my second dress, a hand-beaded Clio Peppiatt mini. The beads gave it weight and it was so fun to wear for dancing and running around once the reception kicked off. I also scored with incredibly comfy shoes and was somehow happily in stilettos from ceremony all the way through to nightcap drinks.
We also had a great experience working with P Johnson for Daniel’s suit – we loved the class and quality, and fittings could not have been more chill.
Favourite moment.
From sun streaming through the autumn leaves in the morning and getting ready with our friends and family, to our final exit on the back of Daniel’s uncle’s truck while everyone waved sparklers, we were on a cloud all day.
Walking down the aisle and catching sight of each other was unforgettable, but so were all the little moments. Sometimes we’d take a breath and look around to see what guests were doing. People were having fun in so many different ways and we felt so lucky to be surrounded by it all.
Meaning of marriage.
Choosing to be family and building a life together.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle:
- Daniel, parents and groomsmen: Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
- Jordy, parents and bridesmaids: Emer’s Dream/Aisling Eimear – Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Signing:
- Sarabande from Suite IV – JS Bach
- Largo from Concerto Grosso – Corelli
Exit: String Quartet No. 60 in C (La music notturna della strade di Madrid): 5. ‘Los manolos’ – Boccherini
Entrance to reception: Giornata di Merda – Ciliari (an inside joke)
Cake cutting: Awake – Electric Guest
First dance: Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell on You) – Aqualung
Streamer dance: Song for Zula – Phosphorescent
Father/daughter dance & everyone up for slow dance: Nightswimming – REM
Last dance: Shooting Stars – Bag Raiders
Final exit: Pale Sun Rose – Matthew and the Atlas
Funny stories/near disasters.
When I got to the end of the aisle, with Mum and Dad on either side, I couldn’t go any further. Literally. Turns out Mum and Dad were both standing on my veil but neither they nor anyone else had any idea, and I couldn’t even turn my head to either side to see what was wrong.
Also, at the end of the night, we did our big exit and got driven over to the on-site hotel on a high, but we hadn’t brought a thing with us. We didn’t have our key, so after standing in the dark for a little while in the dead silence outside, we walked around to the bar and asked for a drink. We didn’t have any money with us either so when guests started to arrive at the hotel they found us awkwardly trying to introduce ourselves to bar staff as the bride and groom.
Planning surprises.
Realising that no other single person has all the insight into the event that you both do. It’s also surprisingly easy to forget that all anyone actually cares about is you being happy and celebrating love!
Words of wisdom.
Take the time to find vendors who really care about the feel and vision you’re after and are excellent at what they do. It’s a great feeling on the day trusting people to bring it all to life and being able to let go and enjoy it.
You can get a lot of energy from other people’s excitement. Getting dressed up, catching up with other guests, staying at the venue – guests look forward to the event for plenty of their own reasons. We loved noticing this because it made the wedding feel like a festival for a whole community which we get to attend, rather than a performance by us as bride and groom!
The time around a wedding can also be really special – the day itself flies, so we tried to enjoy having people in town before and after. It was also great leaving on our honeymoon (safari in Namibia) straight after the wedding without returning to work or routine – it made the wedding feel like the start of a whole adventure and gave us time to really soak it up together.
To minimise waste and share the love, we arranged for the floral team from Judah Rose to set up a wrapping station towards the end of the night and wrap bunches of flowers for guests to take with them. We also asked Stones to place paper cake bags with the platters of any leftover cake. Our guests loved leaving with a bag of cake and a bunch of stunning flowers, and we were so happy not to waste.
JORDANNE & DANIEL’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Stones of the Yarra Valley
Celebrant/Officiant: Miranda Williams – Our wonderful friend.
Photography: Tess Follett – We literally didn’t finalise our venue booking until we had locked in the date with Tess. I’d seen her capture friends’ weddings and fell in love before Daniel and I were even engaged – I knew that if we ever got married, I’d want her to tell our story. There’s a reason Tess is the reigning queen of real, honest and highly personal photography – she sees and captures the moments that matter. The atmosphere of the day, the light, the quiet pauses, the raw emotion showing itself in unexpected ways, and the unbelievable beauty of humans just feeling things. We love that Tess’s background in photojournalism allows her to step in and grab a moment that will never be repeated again – nothing is staged and it’s all so quick and natural. The presence and spontaneity Tess brings lets you just slip into the day and completely forget to perform it to anyone.
Florist: Judah Rose – Judah Rose’s work consistently shows exquisite taste and attention to detail – there’s an artistic sensibility that we hadn’t found elsewhere. Instead of a “quantity over quality” approach, her approach is detail-oriented and she’s able to interperate a specific brief with impeccable understanding and judgement. Floral design was a huge part of our vision for the event, so we really hunted around and were thrilled when we found Judah Rose – we knew we’d end up with something bespoke and incredibly special.
Hair: Tonic Agency – I loved Stephanie Kate’s influence on our day! She just stepped into the Day Room at Stones first thing in the morning and brought relaxed, happy vibes with her – all my bridesmaids, Mum and I felt great and had so much fun getting ready and hanging out before the ceremony. Thanks to Stephanie Kate we somehow also had perfect hair all day and night – a true miracle for frizzy gals.
Make-up: Tonic Agency – I will be forever grateful to Steph for subbing in out of nowhere less than 24 hours before our wedding when the artist I had booked for my make-up had a medical emergency. What a lifesaver and what a beautiful, calm, sweet presence – Steph made the whole experience feel zen and special and she absolutely nailed the brief without a trial. I had glowy make-up which accentuated my natural features and let the skin breathe while lasting beautifully without touch-ups all night.
Additional bridesmaid hair & make-up: Tonic Agency – Rubi was an absolute delight to work with and did a gorgeous job of both hair and make-up across a range of different hair types. So quick, genuine and lovely to hang out with all morning!
The dresses: Berta (gown); Clio Peppiatt (second dress)
Veil: Kayrouz Bridal (veil)
Shoes: Nina Armando (bride); Elite (groom)
Rings: Skygem
Bridesmaid’s dresses: IDS Fashion
Suits & ties: P Johnson (groom); Peter Jackson (groomsmen)
Favours: Italian lace confetti flower sugared almond bonbonnieres via Etsy from Italy and the US, with custom labels handmade by the bride and groom.
Cake: Miss Ladybird Cakes (cake) / Judah Rose (florals) – I don’t know how Gina does it, but her cakes are at the centre of so many events across Melbourne on any given weekend and yet every one of them is unique, stunning and actually delicious (you know when a wedding cake is actually delicious? What an underrated win), and it feels like she has personally cared about every detail. I ordered my first Miss Ladybird Cakes cake for a birthday a couple of years ago and came straight back to Gina for our two engagement party cakes and wedding cake! Also, the tasting box…we had so much fun blind tasting and scoring all the flavours with a bunch of friends.
Stationery / Signage: Judah Rose) / A Small Drop of Ink. We reaped the benefits of a dream partnership between Judah Rose and A Small Drop of Ink. Through Judah Rose, we arranged for all our signage / place cards to be hand-drawn in brown ink calligraphy on a gorgeous paper stock by A Small Drop of Ink and it couldn’t have been a better fit for us and our aesthetic.
String quartet: Vivid Strings – Having previously worked in the industry I knew that Vivid books the best musicians in the field and it was a no-brainer for us when it came to choosing entertainment for our wedding. As mentioned above, we had a difficult set of music requests for our ceremony (including a solo work, a custom arrangement and a difficult classical work outside of the standard repertoire), and we also wanted to fill the chapel and grounds for pre-ceremony arrivals and post-ceremony cocktail hour with a special atmosphere, so booking highly skilled musicians was a non-negotiable for us. We knew Aly and the quartet would nail it but what they delivered on the day was beyond – we were so grateful! The technical skill, professionalism, and taste that Vivid musicians bring is a cut above so we just had deep trust and could relax on the day. It was emotional walking into the ceremony to music we love played so beautifully. Our guests ranged from professional musicians to those who are fairly unfamiliar with classical music / strings, yet all sorts of different people said the music was special.
MC and DJ: One More Song DJs – There is only one Aleks and you need her! Atmosphere meant heaps to us and we wanted a DJ and MC who would really keep the vibe going all night. We didn’t think we’d find a chill, fun, hilarious, organised AND kind person in one, but then there was Aleks. She just gets people and has amazing taste, so we had the luxury of just trusting everything she did. We felt like she was totally on our team. During the lead up to our wedding and on the day, it was relaxing knowing that whatever else happened, we were going to have a really fun party at our reception. As our MC she set a great tone, moved things along so smoothly and made the formalities feel great for everyone involved, and as our DJ she brought an amazing atmosphere and dancefloor.
Hire: Ghostbooth (photobooth and guestbook) – Super classy, super great at what they do. I wouldn’t book anyone else – these guys just don’t put a foot wrong and the whole experience and product is outstanding. The photobooth was so much fun for guests all night, and the photos are all somehow crazy flattering and cute. Given how much time flies on the night, it is great to end up with fun photos of everyone mucking around and to see what guests actually got up to. Showed us a whole other dimension of our day!
Honeymoon: Safari in Namibia
