Real Wedding – Kate & Nick, Chirnside Park VIC

Kate and Nick chose to lean into the style and experience offered by their venue, Vue on Halcyon – fantastic wine in a relaxed yet classy setting, giving simple elegance and an effortless feeling of fun.

The upbeat atmosphere began with their ceremony, crafted by celebrant Sam Lavery. An ode to their favourite memories with the ultimate blend of laughter and light-hearted romance, it set the tone for what was to come.

Kate wore a beautifully beaded sheath gown by Madi Lane from Luv Bridal, while Nick’s timeless black suit from Peter Jackson made a striking statement. From the just-married joy to the epic dancefloor led by TNG Entertainment’s Adrian, this was one dream day celebration big on feels and underpinned with elegant, modern style.

Scroll on to experience the elegance of Kate and Nick’s unforgettable day, captured with deft artistry by our very own Courtney Laura Photography.

The meeting.

We met via the dating app Hinge exactly five years to the day of our wedding – Nick spoke to Kate first.

The one.

Kate: I saw the way that Nick interacted with my friends and family with ease. Nick fit in seamlessly.

Nick: Our first few dates made me think that Kate was someone with whom I could spend the rest of my life. Kate’s smile is infectious; our conversation always flowed freely, and Kate had me laughing like not many other people can.

The proposal.

I proposed to Kate in the living room of our home. I had a slow afternoon at work and decided it was the perfect time to go and investigate an engagement ring for Kate. 15 minutes after walking into the store, I had the engagement ring in hand. After leaving the store, I received a text message from Kate saying she had received some good news about a teaching position that she had interviewed for. So, I decided that today was the day to also pop the question. After swinging past my parents’ place to show them the ring and advising Kate’s parents to put some champagne in the fridge for later that day, I bought some flowers from the local florist and set up tea light candles.

As Kate arrived home from work, I was already down on one knee, waiting for her to walk down our hallway. Our dog Pippa was present and very excited to see Kate’s reaction.

Planning process.

We won’t lie here – it was a lot more work than we had imagined it would be!

It was stressful at times, particularly weighing up different options and trying to envisage what it would look like on the day; however, we were very confident in our various suppliers and were happy to be guided by their experience and advice.

Style inspiration.

The venue was the inspiration – fantastic wine in a relaxed yet classy atmosphere. Simple elegance.

The ceremony.

We loved that our celebrant Sam prepared a script that was very much ‘us’ – it included some of our favourite and funny memories and set a tone of smiles and laughter for the rest of the day. We particularly loved that everyone could be seated during our ceremony so that they were comfortable.

We were very fortunate to come across Lily and Jax (our vocalist and guitarist) who set a wonderful tone as our guests were arriving for the ceremony.

The outfits.

Kate: I had an initial idea about what I wanted but was open-minded to different options and was on a mission to try every style. I ultimately settled on a dress where I felt like I was comfortable and didn’t need to make any compromises. Finding the right footwear was important, and Bared Footwear was able to provide the sweet spot between comfortability and style.

Nick: For me, it was a little easier – classic, timeless style was the name of the game. I tried on a few different black suits and went with the one that suited my body shape. A satin lapel was also chosen to differentiate me from my groomsmen. I like to wear high-cut lace-up boots as part of formalwear, and I was able to find a really nice pair at Sparrods & Co.

Favourite moments.

We simply cannot narrow it down to just one! We really enjoyed getting ready with our families and bridal party, who filled our day with laughter and helped ease any pre-wedding jitters. That ‘just married’ feeling when we walked out of the Chapel, and the special moments we shared together on the day by ourselves.

Seeing the dancefloor pumping all night long was definitely a highlight, and Adrian from TNG Entertainment brought the party vibes we were after! Golden hour in the vineyard was stunning, and it was amazing to see Courtney and Kim doing what they do best (making us look like a million bucks!).

But our favourite moment from the day was when we re-read our vows to one another on the couch at home before going to bed at the end of the night. It was nice to be able to take in these special words/commitments to one another when you’ve had a chance to slow down.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage solidifies the love that we have for one another and marks the next exciting chapter in life that we’ve already decided to build together.

Wedding soundtrack.

Kate walked down the aisle to You by Vance Joy.

Our bridal party entered the reception to We Like to Party! by Vengaboys, and we entered to Heaven by DJ Sammy – the perfect songs to set the tone for a fun party reception!

We had our first dance to You (acoustic version) by Dan + Shay. We both like country music, and this was a nice blend between romantic and country vibes.

Funny stories (or near disasters).

The funniest moment from the day was when Nick took out his own ring from the ring box and attempted to put it onto Kate’s finger. It was quickly put back in the box and swapped over with Kate’s. Nick was just that keen to have a ring on his finger!

In a way, it helped both of us to relax by having a laugh, and it created a memorable moment to look back on (particularly as it was captured beautifully by Kim, our videographer).

Planning surprises.

It took us by surprise that locking in our wedding venue and the suppliers was the easy part. There were a lot of finer details that took a lot of time and consideration to settle on, but it was amazing to see all these little decisions come together seamlessly on the day. We found the florals to be quite challenging, in particular selecting a colour scheme and style that suited an Autumn wedding, but Aimee from Forget-me-Not Floret was such a reassuring presence in the decision-making process.

Words of wisdom.

The day goes quickly, so find every moment you can to be with your new husband/wife.

If you want your wedding to be a party, then make sure you’re on the dancefloor because your guests will follow your lead.

LINKING POST

KATE & NICK’S VENDORS

Every single one of our suppliers put in an incredible amount of work to make our wedding special. The meetings in person, via zoom, over the phone, emails back and forth – nothing was ever too much effort. We always felt like we had a really supportive team around us, who aligned with our personalities and values. We would recommend every single one of our suppliers without any hesitation!

Recommendations from family and friends are the way to go. Keep your eyes and ears open when you attend a wedding as a guest, and make note of the suppliers you like. Bridal expos can also help with finding inspiration and ideas.

Venue: Vue on Halcyon, Chirnside Park. Reene, Georgia, Dean, and the team from Vue on Halcyon took care of all of the finer details and were always focused on making sure that we could enjoy our day without any stress. The care and attention that they put into their wines and food is exceptional. We also admired the way they interacted with our guests and ensured that they had a memorable experience, too.

Photography: Courtney Laura Photography. Courtney was such a warm and calming presence on the day and her photos captured our day beautifully. She made us feel like we could be relaxed and ourselves in front of the camera which resulted in some stunning memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Videography: White Horse Films. Kim went above and beyond to capture every moment of our day. The way that Kim brought together all of our special moments was beyond anything we could have ever imagined. It’s impossible to have a dry eye when we watch our highlights film.

Celebrant: Sam Lavery. Sam was the perfect celebrant and MC. The atmosphere he created at the ceremony and reception was like he had been part of our lives for years. Sam nails the mix between professional, funny and storyteller so effortlessly.

Florist: Forget-me-Not Floret

Hair: Hair by Rae

Make-up: Tahlia Rooney Make-up Artist

The dress: Madi Lane Bridal from Luv Bridal Chadstone

Shoes: Bared Footwear (Kate), Sparrods & Co (Nick).

Rings: SH Jewellery.

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Pretty Woman Bridal.

Suits: Peter Jacksons Eastland (Nick), Opal Blackburn (Groomsmen)

Cake: Custom Cakes by Alyssa

Stationery / Signage: MH Events

Entertainment: Ceremony/canapes singer, Lily Uzice and Reception DJ, TNG Entertainment

Transport: Mr Hummer Limousines

Honeymoon: Four Weeks in Japan!