Real Wedding – Lachie & Katherine, Dromana VIC
When Lachie and Katherine got engaged while visiting the part of Greece her parents’ families originated from it was giving My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibes in the best possible way.
Knowing that traditional dancing would set the dancefloor ablaze at their 150-person reception at the majestic Tanglewood Estate, Katherine was inspired to track down a Clio Peppiatt mini dress – dripping in Swarovski beads and featuring signature sun and moon motifs – similar to the one worn by Taylor Swift at her 2023 birthday celebration.
And the fabulous party frock wasn’t the wasn’t the only nod to the bride’s favourite artist.
Katherine walked down the aisle to a live violin rendition of Enchanted and entered the reception arm-in-arm with her new husband to the aptly named tune How You Get The Girl.
The indomitable Motta Weddings was on hand to capture everything from the carefully curated details – like the cohesive spring palette and grand hanging floral installations – to the sweet, unscripted smiles of guests reacting to the heartwarmingly sincere vow exchange.
Dive in and explore the exceptionally executed fusion of earthy elegance and rustic charm.
The meeting.
We met back in April 2015 at Arcadia Hotel (an institution in South Yarra) when introduced by a mutual friend. We got to talking and played pool, enjoying getting to know one another. The night ended with Lachie giving me his number; one thing led to another, and ten years later, here we are, married!
The ‘one’.
Fairly early in the relationship, we both felt that what we shared was special and envisioned a future together. Having been together for so many years before getting engaged, we were lucky enough to have travelled the world and lived together, so we were confident that as a couple, we had what it takes to make it work.
The proposal.
In 2023, we planned a holiday to Greece in June, which we had split into two parts. The first half of the trip we travelled to various islands and other areas of Greece ourselves and the second part was spent visiting some of my Greek relatives. Admittedly, I thought Lachie might propose when it was just the two of us.
However, it wasn’t until the latter half of the trip where he surprised me by proposing in Ioannina, the city my parents’ families came from, with a few of my Greek relatives and family from Australia present. Afterwards, we had a delicious feast and Facetimed family and friends back home, sharing the news. It was incredibly special being able to celebrate the moment with some of my Greek relatives, who absolutely adore Lachie after having met him for the first time. Safe to say it was giving My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibes in the best way possible!
Planning process.
We went into the planning process with the mindset of breaking things down into various stages. Therefore, we started by looking at the things that we felt needed to be booked in advance, such as the venue, wedding dress, photographer etc. Our approach to stagger the planning made the process a little less overwhelming and daunting. We made sure to always have a ‘To Do List’ which helped us prioritize and keep track of what needed to be done.
Style inspiration.
Given the first thing we locked in was our venue, we knew that we wanted the aesthetic of our wedding to feel cohesive with the overall feel and vibe of Tanglewood, which we felt was earthy and rustic but with a paired-back elegance and charm. I was able to reflect elements of this throughout the design of things such as our invites and place cards. I wanted the overall colour palette to feel fresh and reflect spring vibes. As a result, I chose a white/buttery cream and a light blue colour scheme, which was featured on various details, including the florals, signage and table setting.
The ceremony.
When first visiting our venue, we knew immediately that we wanted to have our ceremony outdoors overlooking the lake surrounded by the stunning nature at Tanglewood Estate. Being in Melbourne, we knew that we also had to have an indoor plan in case of the weather, which our venue had. In the end, we truly lucked out with the weather; it was about 25 degrees and overcast, which also worked perfectly for photos. Having our closest friends and family surround us in the most peaceful nature was such a surreal experience and was one of the highlights of our day.
The outfits.
I knew when looking at dresses I wanted my wedding dress to be sleek and classic, as I felt that was most in keeping with my own style and fit the aesthetic of our venue. I ended up going to three different stores and then made my final decision. I absolutely loved my dress; it felt authentic to me and appropriate for the winery setting. I also had such a wonderful experience when finding my dress at Ivory Thread with the incredible Gemma. It makes a huge difference when you feel comfortable and at ease when making your decision.
Given I love to hit the dancefloor and knowing there would be plenty of Greek dancing I felt that it would be wise to have a party dress that I could change into after all the formalities. I am a huge Taylor Swift fan and was inspired by a similar Clio Peppiatt dress that she had previously worn. Instead of purchasing the dress I hired it from The Volte which saved me quite a lot of money. Whilst my wedding dress is so special and the one I’ll cherish the most, having a party dress allowed me to fully embrace the party vibe, which I love so much. In the words of Taylor (and if I do say so myself), in this dress, I ‘made the whole place shimmer’!
Favourite moment.
The entire day felt like such a dream; it’s impossible to pick just one moment as there were so many. Although a highlight during our ceremony happened when Lachie was reading his vows. He mentioned that “when we are having fun together, I have the cutest laugh,” and at that moment one of my twin nieces, who was a year old, proceeded to giggle quite loudly. I am happy to confirm that her laugh is far cuter than my own. Our amazing videographers Annette & Dani captured it so we can rewatch and relive this sweet moment and one day show her when she’s older.
Meaning of marriage.
For us marriage means experiencing the rollercoaster of life with your best friend everyday by your side.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Enchanted – Taylor Swift. We had an incredible violinist, Rasika Hewage, who played an acoustic version of the song.
Reception entry: How You Get the Girl (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
First dance: Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
Funny stories or near disasters.
Luckily, there were no real disasters in the lead-up or on the day, but I’m sure Lachie would say otherwise. I tend to get a bit stressed and overwhelmed ahead of big events, but I knew that on the day, I would let go, enjoy and soak it all in, which I did, and truly, we had the best day ever.
Planning surprises.
We had spoken to quite a few friends and family members who had planned their weddings prior to us, which was helpful taking on their advice and not being too surprised by what was involved. Although we were surprised by how quickly the planning time flies by, particularly towards the months leading up to the wedding.
Words of wisdom.
Planning a wedding can be stressful at times, but it goes quickly so try to focus on enjoying the experience! I am someone who loves being creative and getting to design and bring a vision to life so I made sure to have fun with it and be proud of what we could accomplish without needing to pay for a wedding planner/designer. I also think it’s important you delegate jobs to each other – there were certain things that Lachie took charge of that worked to his strengths and likewise with myself.
One of the best pieces of advice we received was to make sure that on the day, you spend as much time as possible with each other. It’s so easy to get separated from one another, particularly when you have quite a few guests. We made sure that we were with each other throughout most of the day and night so that looking back, we felt that our wedding day was spent together. Also, if things don’t all go to plan, and trust me it will happen, try not to let it get to you. If you’re happy and having fun, your guests will feel that energy too.
For more Real Wedding goodness, dive into Laura & Lachie’s big day at Provenance Wines in Fyansford.
LACHIE & KATHERINE’S SUPPLIERS:
A huge part of why we felt our wedding day was such a success was because of our amazing vendors who helped bring our vision to life. Not only were they all incredible at what they do but are such lovely & beautiful people, we could not recommend any of the following people enough!
Ceremony & reception venue: Tanglewood Estate – We first discovered Tanglewood Estate when watching another couple’s wedding video on YouTube. We were immediately drawn to the nature and gorgeous barn featured throughout. We then visited in person and knew immediately that it was the place for us. Donna and the team at Tanglewood are the absolute best and helped make the planning process so easy
Celebrant/Officiant: Georgia Lejeune – Georgia was the celebrant at my sister’s wedding back in March 2022 and we both felt that she had such a warm and inviting energy. We were so grateful that Georgia was able to officiate our wedding and appreciate her going above and beyond in making our wedding day so incredibly special.
Photography: Alex Motta – Alex was recommended to us by the photographer from my sister’s wedding as he wasn’t available for our date. I have the mentality that things happen for a reason and that we were meant to have Alex capture our day and boy were we lucky to have secured him! Alex is truly one of the kindest and most organised people you will meet! His ability to deliver the most insane photos with the quickest turnaround time is truly outstanding.
Videography: Annette + Dani – Annette & Dani were recommended to us by Alex as we felt that it would make sense that our photographer and videographer work well together. Having experienced them all in action we now refer to them as the ‘Dream Team.’ We had a blast with them, they brought so much fun and energy to the day. We absolutely adore the final footage they sent us and are so happy we had them there to help record our day.
Florists: Millicent Green– Kate was recommended to us by our venue manager at Tanglewood and did the most incredible job with all the floral arrangements for me and our bridal party. Kate is one of the kindest people you will meet and is extremely creative and talented. Kate sourced and decorated the arbour we had featured behind us in our ceremony as well prepare the table arrangements with her vases and flowers.
Melbourne Event Florals – For our reception in the barn we wanted to ultilise the hanging ornament and pillars by decorating them with florals and greenery. To save costs we contacted Melbourne Event Florals who use a combination of silk flowers and greenery to create stunning installations. The team at Melbourne Event Florals were amazing and were more than happy to work with our other florist to ensure that the arrangements were all cohesive.
Hair: Alexandra Whiteoak – I discovered Alex through Instagram and was so grateful that she was available to be the hairstylist for my day!
Make-up: Sophia Pafitis – I had been following Sophia on Instagram and was also recommended to her by Alex as they had worked together many times previously. Both Sophia and Alex are two of the sweetest and loveliest people, and I was extremely lucky to have had them as my wedding glam squad. Their relaxed and fun energy made the morning such a highlight. They did such a wonderful job of making me look like an enhanced version of myself, which was very important to me. When you have such talented artists such as these two, you’re truly in the best hands possible.
The dresses: Justin Alexander from Ivory Thread Bridal – I had the most incredible experience finding my dress at Ivory Thread. Not only does Gemma supply the most beautiful range of dresses but you have the pleasure of getting to meet her and experience her infectious joy and positivity.
Reception gown – Clio Peppiatt hired from The Volte
Veil: Madame Tulle from Ivory Thread Bridal
Shoes: Badgely Mischka (ceremony) Mi Piaci (reception)
Rings: Katherine’s engagement ring- Cameron & Co
Wedding rings- Cullen Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: MISHA
Suits & ties: Peter Jackson
Catering: Finesse Catering – Finesse had been recommended to us by Tanglewood, as their go to catering company, and for very good reason! The food they produce is truly outstanding. Lachie and I had done a food tasting, which they offer yearly at Tanglewood in October, and that itself was such a highlight for us. We were so impressed by the quality and selection of foods we knew our guests were in for a real treat. We received so much positive feedback from our guests on the night and the days afterwards that the food was such a highlight. Kym and the team at Finesse were a pleasure to deal with and handled any dietaries and requirements perfectly.
Cake: Get Caked By Lisa-We discovered Lisa through a friend who had used her for her own wedding a few months before ours. It was honestly one of the most delicious cakes I had ever tasted, and soon after reached out to see if she’d be available for us as well. Lisa has the magic touch when it comes to baking and creating the most stunning pieces of work. From the get-go we felt completely reassured that she had everything under control and that we were in the best hands possible.
Stationery / Signage: Kwik Kopy -Katherine and her sister Sarah designed everything from the invites to all the signage using a combination of Photoshop and Canva. Jonny and the team at Kwik Kopy South Yarra were the best at delivering quality prints quickly and efficiently.
Entertainment:
Violinst – Rasika Hewage – We discovered Rasika through a Google search which directed us to his page on a site called Crowd Pleaser. We asked if he could play before our ceremony as well during the cocktail & canape hour. Rasika is extremely talented and was accommodating to all our needs. He went to great lengths to ensure that my vision of having an acoustic rendition of Enchanted by Taylor Swift was played when I walked down the aisle, which we appreciated greatly.
DJ – Jaaz Tobias-Quigley – We met Jaaz at another wedding we had attended and were immediately drawn to his fun and infectious energy and so asked if he could DJ at our wedding. Jaaz is truly such a joy to be around, and we loved that he also played the saxophone and would incorporate this throughout the night. He helped bring the absolute best party vibes and was happy to cater to playing various Greek songs and plenty of Taylor of course.
Transport: EV Tours & Charter –Given we were having a wedding in Dromana we wanted to ensure that any guests who had planned on staying down that way had transport to get to and from the venue. Lachie organised buses through EV Tours based on a recommendation from Tanglewood and they were able to pick up and drop guests off along various stops along the peninsula.
Hire: Table Art (linens & napkins)
Skin: Skin Angel -I was recommended to Dimitra and the lovely ladies at Skin Angel by my make-up artist as I was looking to up my skincare routine. In the months leading up I had various treatments and my skin felt incredible on the day and in the lead up to the wedding. It was also a nice treat for myself – I greatly looked forward to the appointments as way to relax and recharge.
Honeymoon: We were a bit unconventional and decided to have a pre-honeymoon. We wanted to make the most of the European summer and escape Melbourne winter and went to Italy for four weeks and caught up with friends who were travelling there as well. The week after the wedding we stayed at an amazing Airbnb in Mount Martha to relax and unwind before going back to work.
