Real Wedding – Lauren & Jason, Ripponlea VIC
Lauren and Jason love where they live, and so a Melbourne wedding was high priority on their list of planning particulars.
Once securing Ripponlea’s Quat Quatta for their big day, they embarked on pulling together a celebration that was as intimate and cosy as it was beautiful and fun.
An emotion-charged ceremony set the tone for their day and what followed truly was the time of their lives.
Lilli of I Got You Babe has covered this chic celebration ever-so-beautifully.
In Lauren’s words…
The meeting.
We met in 2012 at a mutual friend’s 21st birthday in our hometown of Traralgon.
The one.
For me I don’t think there was an exact moment, but after our first date I knew that we had something special. Also once I saw how much Jason was genuinely interested in getting to know my family and friends and then how much he cared for them – I was hooked!
The proposal.
Jason organised a trip away for my 27th birthday to the Yarra Valley. He had kept where we were going and what we were doing a secret. We started the day with hot air ballooning followed by a wine tour. That afternoon we went and sat on the grounds of the Balgownie winery where we were staying, had a drink and that’s where Jason popped the question. He was so nervous he actually forgot to ask me, he got down on one knee said some lovely things and asked if he could put the ring on my finger. I had to remind him that he hadn’t actually asked me to marry him yet.
The process.
We had just over one year to plan our wedding, which we felt was a really good amount of time. The planning process was fun, I enjoyed the research and looking through lots of blogs for inspiration. Once we had secured a venue the rest all fell into place pretty easily. However the last few weeks leading up to our wedding day were a bit stressful with lots of small time consuming things to do.
Style inspiration.
We wanted our wedding to be in Melbourne, we love where we live so much. Having a venue that felt intimate and cozy, and where we could have the ceremony and reception in the one place was important to us.
The dress.
I wanted something simple, modern and elegant. Once I tried on the Flame of Desire dress by Corston Couture I knew it was the one. I went wedding dress shopping with just my mum, we went to three different boutiques and I had lots of fun trying on many different styles of dresses.
Favourite moments.
I have a couple of favourite moments.
The ceremony. I thought as we had seen each other at our ‘First look’ that I wouldn’t be as emotional at our ceremony. I was wrong and was so overwhelmed with having all the people I adore in the one place, watching us get married. I cried happy tears the entire way down the aisle. We wrote our own vows and I just loved hearing Jason’s, they were funny and beautiful and I wish I could relive this moment.
Having my cousin and our best friend Michael MC our wedding was also one of my favourite parts of our day. It was incredibly personal and he put so much energy into planning the perfect night. Michael made us all laugh, he was sincere, kept the night running smoothly and really set the mood for our reception.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to me is a commitment to be by each other’s side through all life’s challenges and the good times. It’s working together to build a life that you both love. It means friendship, good company, and always having someone to talk to, laugh with, cook for, and eat with!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Kiss me by Ed Sheeren
Procession: Can’t get enough of your love by Barry White
Reception entry: All night long by Lionel Richie
First dance: Into you by Tamia
Last dance: Crazy in Love by Beyonce
Funny stories (or near disasters).
It had been a super warm March so we were pretty confident we would have nice weather for our wedding day. We were very wrong. The 30th of March was not only the coldest day of the year so far, but the coldest March day in 41 years. Our ceremony was planned to take place in the courtyard at Quat Quatta, with the back up plan being inside the venue on the dance floor. However I was so stuck on having the ceremony outside, we purchased umbrellas and I let everyone know that unless it was pouring we were getting married outside.
It rained up until the time of our ceremony, we then had a 20 minute break in the weather which allowed us to get married in the beautiful courtyard. It started drizzling again right at the end, just as we walked down the aisle as Mr & Mrs. We also had a window of no rain during our ‘first look’ and photos. We were SO lucky!
Planning surprises?
None really. We tried to be as organised as possible to eliminate any unwanted surprises.
Words of wisdom.
Look after yourself leading up to your big day. It can be an incredibly busy time with lots to do. Try to remember what the day is all about, marrying the love of your life. There are heaps of decisions to make, lots of feelings and often some pressure. It can be easy to get caught up, but try focus on why you’re doing it in the first place and how special this moment is for you and your partner.
Last words.
We did a ‘first look’ followed by photos and drinks with our bridal party at Ripponlea Food & Wine. We were so pleased we did this. It was great to spend some time together before the festivities began, but also great to get most of the photos out of the way. We really didn’t like the thought of leaving our wedding for an hour or so to get photos and wanted to make the most of spending time with our family and friends.
A first look! It worked a treat for Lauren and Jason. Keen to know more? We got the lowdown on the trend from Tribe photographer Michael Briggs – check it out here.
LAUREN & JASON’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception venue: Quat Quatta
Celebrant/Officiant: Lisa Graham – Throughout the entire process Lisa was thoughtful, professional and such a lovely person to be around. She wrote a beautiful ceremony and we couldn’t recommend her more.
Photography: Lilli Waters, I Got You Babe – Lilli is an incredibly talented photographer and we felt very lucky to have her shoot our wedding. She made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera.
Videography: Sam Bennett, The Wedding Fair – Sam was the right amount of fun and professionalism.
Florist: North St Botanical – they completely aced the brief!
Hair: Nicole Groch
Make-up: Katia Amerena
The Dress: Corston Couture from Bluebell Bridal
Veil / headwear: Bluebell Bridal
Shoes: Isabella Anselmi purchased from Merchant 1948
Rings: Janai (Lauren) and Goldstrom (Jason)
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Forever New
Groomsmen’s suits: Bell and Barnett
Bow ties / ties: Politix
Catering: Quat Quatta
Favours: The Greek Pantry via Etsy
Cake / Cake topper: Fantasy Cakes
Stationery / Signage: The Bridal Type via Etsy
Entertainment: Connotations – They were amazing and kept the dance floor full most of the night!
Transport: Enrik Limousines
Hire: Amica (Black bentwood chairs)
Honeymoon: Hong Kong and Thailand
Other: We had drinks at Ripponlea Food and Wine. Rachael and her team were so accommodating allowing us to book some space for us and our bridal party and having drinks all ready to go when we arrived. It’s such a beautiful space for photos and a great place for pre wedding drinks.
