Real Wedding – Lauren & Matthew, Coldstream VIC
Ever thought a first date was an indicator of the strength of the relationship to follow? Lauren and Matty are here to show you that absolutely doesn’t hold up! After a first date they describe as one of the worst dates they had each ever been on, neither suspected that five years later they’d be standing at the end of an aisle, making forever promises to each other.
And what a stunner of a result it is.
Focusing on their guest experience (epic entertainment at the top of the list) and creating a dream team of vendors who could bring their simple, timeless vision to life, Lauren and Matt were able to truly relax and enjoy the incredible celebrations.
Refined, monochromatic elements infuse the indomitable surrounds of Stones of the Yarra Valley. Single long-stemmed ivory roses create a simple yet visually impactful tablescape, giving contemporary elegance with a curated twist.
See every elevated styling choice and radiant emotion through the ever-artful lens of Georgia Verrells.
The meeting.
Five years ago, one of our best friends set us up. She suggested we get to know each other, so we followed each other on Instagram. I had just gotten my puppy Louis, so whenever I would post Louis on my story, Matty would slide into my DMs. After chatting for a little while, we organised to go out for a boozy dinner to finally meet.
Safe to say it was one of the worst dates we had both ever been on.
I have a resting bitch face and can be pretty awkward/shy when I’m nervous – a combination that left Matty thinking I didn’t want to be there. Matty actually called his friend in the bathroom mid-dinner to plan his escape. After a little while, we felt a little more comfortable, and the conversation got a little easier, but it still wasn’t great – I wasn’t expecting to hear from him again.
The next day at work, Maddison told me that Matty said I was socially inept and spoke with no emotion but that he saw me as a bit of a challenge.
Thank god he persisted!
A few months later, on a night out while on the dancefloor – Matty told me that he loved me and the rest is history.
The one.
Three months into our relationship, Matty was away with some friends in Miami for the Superbowl before I met him for a holiday in New York. He says he knew he’d found the one because all he wanted to do was get to New York to see me. I think the New York trip was also when I realised, I knew I already loved him, but that holiday I really fell in love with him. New York is now such a special place for us and will be the first stop on our honeymoon.
The proposal.
Matty had wrapped the ring in a large box and had it sitting underneath our Christmas tree for a couple of weeks before Christmas. There had been a few nights where we would be sitting on the couch together, or having dinner, where Matty would ask me if I wanted to open a Christmas present early, but I had always said no.
On Christmas morning, Matty was pretty nervous, and as I was getting ready, he kept asking me to come downstairs to do presents. After calling me downstairs again, I asked Matty if I could finish my hair and get dressed first, but the nerves were getting the better of him, so I came down as I was (in a pyjama top and my hair a mess). I knew what two of the presents were so I unwrapped those first, leaving a small box until last.
Inside the box was a smaller jewellery box, and when I opened it, Matty was sitting next to me, telling me that he loved me and asked me to marry him.
Planning process.
My sister gifted me a wedding planner/journal when we got engaged, so we used that to give us an idea of exactly what we needed to do!
We found the whole planning process to be great! It was overwhelming at times – but generally pretty easy looking back at it now.
The first step for us was the venue. We had booked in to see Stones of the Yarra Valley and a few other venues in the area. We went to Stones first, and as soon as we turned into the driveway, we knew that it was where we wanted to get married. I work at an entertainment agency called Solution Entertainment – so this was one of the most important things to me when planning our wedding! We really wanted our wedding to be a big, fun party, so as soon as we had secured a date at Stones, we called a few of our favourite performers on the way home and locked them in, too.
For Matty, the most important aspect of planning was the cake. A dessert man through and through, so he took this very seriously. For Matty, nothing beats Nikos Cakes in Oakleigh, so this was an easy job.
We took a little holiday to Noosa so that we could start planning everything else, needing some time away from work and all of life’s distractions to really focus on the wedding. We used this time to go through the suppliers on Stones’s preferred supplier list, get quotes from a few different suppliers, lock in meetings with some celebrants, and do a lot of Instagram stalking – and, of course, create our Pinterest board.
Upon returning, we had a meeting with our stylist at Décor It Studio, where they looked at our mood boards and then took us into their warehouse to create mock-ups of the table settings, which was really exciting. The styling was such an important aspect for us; we wanted everything to look amazing and cohesive. Décor It took so much pressure off us throughout the whole planning process, it was really low touch on our end after we approved their proposal, which was a huge relief.
Everyone tells you how fast your wedding day goes, so we wanted to make it last as long as possible! While I planned most of the wedding, Matty took on the job of planning our after-party (with epic entertainment, of course, including a bunch of our friends jumping on the decks). Along with accommodation, we also organised transportation for our guests to get to our wedding, then to the afterparty, and back to their accommodation at the end of the night.
We really had everything wrapped up and ready to go a few weeks before the wedding. We both took the week off work before the wedding, and we made the most of this time. It was a really nice week of pampering, we both got massages, our hair done, mani’s and pedis, so we both felt pretty relaxed going into our weekend.
Style inspiration.
We wanted something that would complement the venue. We really wanted something single and timeless, something that we can look back at in 40 years and still love!
Matty surprised me with an engagement party at Smith St Bistrot, and he worked with Billie at Décor it Studio to style the space. A lot of our wedding inspo came from that night. We wanted something super romantic with lots of candles and beautiful roses.
For inspiration, we followed so many different wedding accounts on Instagram. We found Instagram and Pinterest the best for working out what kind of vibe we wanted to go for!
We found all of our suppliers really easily, so we really just leaned on articles and magazines for inspo and information. We found articles and blogs really helpful when it came to finding to-do lists, budget templates and ideas on roughly what things cost for weddings, timelines and run sheets. Having never planned a wedding before, we really didn’t know how much was involved and when we should be doing certain things (e.g. timelines on wedding dresses and suits, when to send out invitations, etc.), so this is something we really pulled from when finding articles.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was perfect. It was Matty and I to a tee, incredibly personalised and everything that we wanted. We switched it up and had our families sit on opposite sides of where we stood so that we could see them and they would also be able to see our faces. Both my mum and dad walked me down the aisle, which was really important to me.
Our celebrant sent us a detailed questionnaire so that she got to know every detail about the two of us and what we loved about each other. She got to know us so well, and it really showed in our ceremony. We wanted our ceremony to be a reflection of us and our relationship, we love each other very much but aren’t really a sappy kind of couple, so we wanted it to be meaningful but also light hearted and fun. So many of our family and friends have commented on our ceremony, saying how much they enjoyed it because they felt so connected to what our celebrant was saying, like it was so relevant to the relationships they each have with us. We also had a dear friend of ours write and read a poem during our ceremony, which was so beautiful for us.
The outfits.
Matty knew what he wanted from the beginning, he was always set on a tux with a white suit jacket. His dad and grandfather both went for a similar look, so I think this was really important to him. When going in for his fittings, he had some really beautiful detailing added to his suit (our initials and wedding date are embroidered on the cuff of his shirt) and inside his suit jacket too.
I had no idea what I wanted when I started looking for a dress; I tried on lots of different styles and really liked a lot of them! I am an incredibly indecisive person, so my mum and sister knew we had our work cut out for us. We had a really great experience at Jane Hill, and Liz (the lady who was looking after me) actually picked out my dress for me. I knew it was the one as soon as I tried it on.
Similar to our styling, we both wanted something simple and elegant, something that would age well.
Favourite moments.
Our favourite part of the day was straight after the ceremony. After we had walked back down the aisle together, we went upstairs to the chapel and had a moment alone where everything really sank in. It was nice to have that time alone after the formalities of the ceremony and before the whirlwind of the rest of the night. From that space, we could also see all our loved ones below us in the chapel, which was also really lovely to see.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage means celebrating our love and commitment to each other with the people that we love. We both know that we could have spent the rest of our lives together without getting married, but it’s nice to really solidify our commitment to each other. We have already been living together for over three years, so not a lot has changed for us – but we are both a bit traditional in the sense that it’s nice to have that kind of commitment to each other in more of a permanent way, and we’re really excited because it does feel like a new chapter in our lives. We do want to travel together and start a family. We don’t love the idea of growing old, but we love that we’ll be doing it together.
And we are absolutely loving the love bubble we’re in!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Something by the Beatles, the Billie Eillish cover.
Reception entry: Into You, odd Mob remix/Saving Up – Dom Dolla
First dance: Don’t Wait by Mapei (acoustic)
Funny stories (or near disasters).
While Matty and the boys were getting ready for the wedding, Matty realised that he had forgotten to get cufflinks for his suit.
With only a couple of hours to go before the ceremony, one of our gorgeous friends was just about to drive from the Yarra Valley to the closest shops to get him some cufflinks, just as my dad arrived to deliver my wedding gift to Matty.
When thinking about what to give Matty a gift, I wanted to get him a signet ring with his late grandfather’s initials engraved in it – which also happened to be Matty’s initials. Realising he was already getting a ring on our wedding day, I changed my mind and decided to get cufflinks with the initials instead so that he could have his grandfather on his sleeve on the day of our wedding.
Crisis averted!
Planning surprises.
Not really! I have a background in events, so we had some great connections to pull on, and we received a lot of great advice, which made us feel pretty prepared!
Words of wisdom.
Plan early, try not to procrastinate! As someone who is very indecisive, I left a few things later than I should have, which made things more stressful than they needed to be (e.g. buying my jewellery online from Canada the week before the wedding)
Just do what you want to do, and try not to think about what other people will like or think. We really focused on what we loved whenever we made a decision for the wedding, and we wouldn’t change a thing!
On the day of your wedding, allow for extra time! We both had really relaxed mornings and had a bit of spare time after getting ready – which meant we were calm, we felt all of the feelings and really enjoyed the day.
At some point during the night, just take a time out with your partner to enjoy each other’s company, be in the moment, and look around at everyone that you love in the same room together. It is very rare that all of your friends and family are in the same space to celebrate your love – so make sure to soak it in!
Love Lauren and Matt’s chic yet classic style? Real Wedding couple Mikaela and Matt also chose Stones to host their dream day festivities, and their take on modern elegance is one to enjoy.
LAUREN & MATT’S VENDORS
We definitely leaned on blogs, different websites, and Instagram accounts to find suppliers. I had been following Ivory Tribe, Wedding Wonderland, Weddings of Desire, Wed Vibes, Brides, and lots of other wedding inspo pages before we even got engaged! Most of our suppliers/vendors were recommended to us by friends, which was really helpful; we felt really comfortable locking in suppliers knowing that our friends/family/colleagues had great experiences with them.
Ceremony venue: The Chapel at Stones of the Yarra Valley.
Reception venue: The Barn at Stones of the Yarra Valley. Stones was incredible. The whole process was incredibly detailed but so easy and stress-free. We had a fabulous wedding planner from the team who ensured we had everything covered before the wedding, and we didn’t have to worry about a single thing on the day. The staff were all fantastic and so lovely, the food was delicious, and the venue itself is just stunning. An absolute dream.
Celebrant/Officiant: Megan Watson, Marry Me Megan. We absolutely adore Megan; we did from our first Zoom call. We knew we wanted something light-hearted but meaningful, and Megan just got us. She put us both at ease before the ceremony, and she absolutely nailed it. All of our friends and family have commented on how great our ceremony was, so tailored to us and so personal. When Megan sent us the first draft of our ceremony, we didn’t change a thing; it was just perfect. She is brilliant.
Photography: Georgia Verrells. We love Georgia, and we are obsessed with all our photos. Georgia has such a beautiful energy, and she made us both feel so comfortable. Matty was not too keen on getting our portraits done but she made the whole process fun and so relaxed, she also brought along a little speaker with her which made it fun! Georgia knew the venue well and didn’t mess around. She knew exactly what she was doing and the best places to go.
Videography: Moment Seeker. Haydn has been lovely to work with, and he worked really well with our photographer! We haven’t seen our wedding video yet, but based on his other work, we’re very excited to see it.
Styling & florist: Décor It Studio. Where do we even start? We had a dream, and Décor It really brought it to life. They were incredible to work with, and everything looked stunning. From the signage to the table settings, the bouquets, and the installations in the chapel – everything was better than we could have imagined. Billie and her team were just brilliant, and we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.
Hair: Hair by Nikolettaa & Hair by Kaitlyn Greaney.
Make-up: Nik Licastro Makeup & Makeup by Sarah
We had the most amazing glam team; they were all so lovely and brought such a warm and calm vibe to the bridal suite on the morning of the wedding! All the girls are so talented, and my bridal party and I were so happy with our hair and make-up. Absolutely flawless!
The dress & veil: Jane Hill. Liz from Jane Hill was fantastic. She made me feel very comfortable and was really honest with her opinion – which I really appreciated.
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Rings: Natasha Schweitzer
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Billy J
Suits: Groom – YSG Tailors, Groomsmen – MJ Bale. Very thorough, very helpful. The attention to detail was next level. Couldn’t be happier with my suit.
Bow ties / ties: MJ Bale
Catering & bar: Stones of the Yarra Valley
Cake / Cake topper: Nikos
Stationery / Signage: Invitations – Ivory & Stone, everything else was Décor It Studio
MC: one of our gorgeous friends Josh, who absolutely nailed it.
Entertainment: Pre-dinner drinks – Cisco Tavares. Reception entertainment: DJ Jesse Boyd, Harry Cooper (sax), Emmanuela Costaras (Vocals). After Party – DJ Ziggy & Ashley James on sax.
The absolute dream team. All our performers are obviously incredibly talented, but also just the most beautiful people. We have SO much love for each and every one of them.
Transport: Enrik Limousines (bridal party)
Décor: Décor It Studio
Honeymoon: Minimoon Silky Oaks – Mossman, Honeymoon will be New York and Europe in July!
