Real Wedding – Lucy & Daniel, Red Hill VIC
Classic, timeless and chic was the overarching vision for Lucy and Daniel’s wedding celebration, and with a superstar team of vendors supporting them, they absolutely nailed the brief! Sweethearts for over a decade, this was one day long in the making, and the abundance of blissed-out emotion is captured to perfection in every image by photographer Tess Follett.
There to harness all the love in a perfectly personal, light-hearted and captivatingly crafted ceremony is superstar Megan Thompson. Against the soft bushland backdrop, the minimalist styling choices are utter perfection, with a muted palette of vanillas and barely there blush.
For us, it’s the golden hour photos that are beautifully breathtaking. Lucy and Daniel cut an elegantly modern silhouette, Lucy in her stunningly stylish gown by Kyha Studios, a darling curation of corsetry, clean lines and chic perfection. For Daniel, his YSG suit is giving main man energy in the best possible way. But it’s the electrifying dynamic between them that really steals the show.
This is one dream duo in a gorgeously curated day, so scroll on to see it all unfold!
The meeting.
We still laugh (and cringe) about the location of where we met: back in 2010 at a dingy bar in St Kilda called X Base. That night we continued chatting over some midnight Maccas, and then Daniel reached out to me on Facebook the next day. We found out we only lived a few streets away from each other, so we organised a few local dates, and our relationship took off from there.
The ‘one’.
From early on in our relationship, there really was an immediate spark, connection and banter; and over time, as we navigated a range of experiences and milestones together, our relationship continued to grow stronger. This really cemented a sense of gratitude as we continued to appreciate how we shared the values and desires for the future, as well as the experiences, values and qualities that we wanted our lives to be defined by. So, for us, there was no one defining moment when we knew we’d found ‘the one’, but more the realisation that we have always felt calm and at ease in each other’s company and that no matter where life took us, we wanted to share it all with each other.
The proposal.
After 11 years, the proposal was perfectly us. It was a Tuesday evening on one of our favourite walks by the beach when Daniel called out to me, “Look at Ted” (our dog). Daniel took that opportunity to drop down on one knee and pop the question. The rest of the week was then spent celebrating with family and friends.
Planning process.
About a month after we got engaged, we decided on our three non-negotiables for our wedding: venue, photography and live music. We were very lucky that everyone had availability, especially given we were getting married in this post-Covid era. After we booked these initial vendors, everything else fell into place pretty quickly as we went off recommendations from Polperro and Tess Follett. This made the planning process smooth and quite easy as we locked in everyone early, and then we had a break from planning for a few months.
In the months leading up to the wedding, we then had time to chip away at the other details.
Style inspiration.
We established early on that our vision for our wedding was an intimate, relaxed and fun celebration with delicious food and wine, so Polperro was the perfect venue for us. We were instantly drawn to the stunning views around the property and the intimate and stylish dining space, as it felt elegant and warm. This set the tone for our wedding, and we honestly didn’t need to do much additional styling. However, when we were choosing styling elements, such as florals and stationery, we had a very simple colour palette in mind that was neutral-based and understated to complement the venue.
We knew that we wanted the styling to be minimal and timeless, so we drew our inspiration from our vendors’ Instagram profiles, as well as real-life weddings featured on Ivory Tribe. These platforms gave us ideas for styling elements, colour palettes and outfits that tied in with the overall aesthetic and type of celebration we had in mind.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was one of our favourite parts of our wedding, as it really was a fun celebration that felt light-hearted, relaxed and intimate. We had our ceremony on the lawn at Polperro, and the views of the native trees and vines provided the perfect backdrop, and we were blessed with the most magical lighting.
Our celebrant, Megan Thompson, set the tone for the rest of the night, crafting a personalised ceremony that reflected us and told our story so far with plenty of laughter, smiles and tears. Something that we will never forget is sharing our personalised vows to each other in front of our family and friends and the raw emotion, love and warmth we both felt.
The look.
From the beginning, I knew I wanted a dress that was minimal and elegant, but I wasn’t sure what that exactly looked like for me. I didn’t have a specific dress or style in mind, and I was open to trying on a range of styles and silhouettes so I could understand what I liked.
Initially, we went to a bridal store in Melbourne that stocked a large variety of dresses from different designers; however, I didn’t find a style that I felt comfortable in. That afternoon we ventured to KHYA Studios in South Yarra, and I tried on three completely different styles, and I liked different aspects of each dress. Despite thinking I wouldn’t wear a tight-fitting dress, I was drawn to the Harris gown as the dress fitted beautifully, and I loved the modern but classic design. I made my decision that day as I felt that it was a dress that I could look back on in years to come and still love.
Since my dress was going to be a surprise to Daniel, he wanted to take the opportunity to surprise me with his outfit. He liked the clean and classic look of a black tux, white shirt and bowtie, so he went straight to YSG Tailors and had his suit custom-made. The final design was timeless, and his suit fitted perfectly.
Favourite moments.
It is so hard to choose just one as we loved every moment of our wedding and each part of the day was special for different reasons. However, the most memorable moment of our wedding was seeing each other for the first time, coming down the aisle, and exchanging our vows.
Funnily enough, the part of the day that we were initially most nervous about was being photographed, and this turned out to be one of the most fun, light-hearted and joyful moments. We had our portraits taken after the ceremony with three of our closest friends, and we all laughed our way through golden hour!
Meaning of marriage.
To us, marriage is about making your best friend officially family and continuing to build the best possible life together as a team through a lifetime commitment to love, support, laughter, friendship and growth. We don’t expect anything to change day to day, but take comfort and excitement in knowing we have chosen to stand by each other and feel so strongly about each other. We both value each other more than can be expressed in words with deep trust, total admiration and love.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Green Eyes by Coldplay
Recessional: This Will Be by Natalie Cole
Signing: Holocene by Bon Iver
Reception entry: Got to be Real by Cheryl Lynn
First dance: Move on Up by Curtis Mayfield
Funny stories or near disasters.
Spring 2022 had its fair share of wet and wild weather, and the week leading up to our wedding was no exception. We fell into the trap of looking at 14-day weather forecasts, so we ended up ordering way too many clear umbrellas for guests. Luckily, the weather was perfect, and we were able to have our ceremony and photos outside. We do, however, still have many clear umbrellas sitting around at home!
Planning surprises.
We were both initially quite intimidated by the idea of a wedding and being the centre of attention. To our surprise, we both actually felt relaxed on the day, and we think this was credited to the trust we had in our vendors, which really allowed us to enjoy every moment.
Words of wisdom.
Decide on your three non-negotiables together, and then book your vendors in early.
Love Lucy & Daniel’s timelessly elegant vision? For a different take on a similar theme, check out Penny and Luke’s sweet summer soiree, another dream day filled with chic contemporary touches.
LUCY & DANIEL’S VENDORS
In terms of finding our team of suppliers, we went off recommendations from our venue (Polperro) and our photographer (Tess Follett). This made it such an easy process, and all of our vendors were truly amazing and so talented! We followed our vendors on Instagram and looked around their personal websites, as well as blogs and Instagram posts that were featured on Ivory Tribe.
Ceremony & reception venue: Polperro Winery, Red Hill. Polperro was the perfect wedding venue for so many reasons! We had our ceremony on the lawn, and the views of the native trees and vines were just breathtaking and so relaxing. The dining room was just as gorgeous as the space was warm, intimate and stylish and provided the most beautiful ambience. There were also so many beautiful locations on the property to have our photos taken.
In the lead-up to our wedding, Kim and her team were sensational. She made time to meet up in person, answered any little questions that popped up along the way, and put so much care and organisation into the running of the day. It really made for such a smooth planning process and allowed us to feel relaxed and allowed us to really enjoy our wedding. The team at Polperro were also incredible during the reception, providing such a calm and attentive presence, and everyone just commented on how beautifully everything flowed from one thing to the next. The food and wine are still a fond talking point amongst family and friends.
The accommodation at Polperro was beautiful and made for such a memorable wedding weekend! Lauren and her team were amazing through their correspondence and organisation in setting up the villas and the farmhouse – it was just so seamless and made for such a relaxed day getting ready, and the photos looked gorgeous in the different spaces.
Celebrant: Megan Thompson. From the moment we met Megan, we felt at ease and relaxed; she was warm and sincere, humble and down-to-earth, as well as professional and organised. In the lead-up to the wedding, we were amazed by the genuine care and commitment Megan put into her emails to answer any small questions, and we had a beautiful time chatting and laughing away when we met in person for the first time prior to the wedding.
In terms of the ceremony, what Megan crafted and delivered was so special and memorable. Our ceremony was a perfect balancing act of heartfelt and relaxed, warm and witty, and romantic and light-hearted. We are still in awe of Megan’s ability to seamlessly and creatively weave our responses from our ‘Love Homework’ to tell our story so far whilst managing to inject humour, warmth and fun in the most eloquent and calm manner. We have had so many rave reviews from our family and friends about Megan and how personalised the ceremony was, and how it made them laugh, smile and cry.
Photography: Tess Follett. Tess was one of the first vendors we booked, and we don’t even know how to put into words how honoured we are that we had Tess photograph our wedding. We knew how well respected and sought-after Tess is due to her fierce talent, passion and humble, down-to-earth nature – and it truly was a privilege that we had her behind the lens.
We are so grateful for the way that Tess made us (and our families and friends) feel calm, comfortable and relaxed during the intimate and in-between moments. We have the most beautiful photos that tell the story of the day perfectly in a way that is natural, honest and full of emotion. Tess’ ability to stay calm, organised and professional whilst managing to inject humour, warmth and fun in the most effortless manner is incredible.
It is so evident that Tess is deeply passionate about photography and takes such pride in the work she creates. The care, warmth and hard work Tess put into our wedding photos and album are above and beyond anything we could have ever imagined.
Videography: John Kurt. We were instantly drawn to John’s style of videography, and we feel so grateful for the memories he has provided us. We loved spending the day with John as he made us feel relaxed and comfortable and kept everything light-hearted, fun and natural. We are beyond thrilled with how John captured the emotions, love and energy of the day, and we now have the most beautiful memories and highlights on film. Above all of his talents, John is truly such a lovely and kind person.
Florist: Millicent Green – Kate Southon. Kate did our florals and styling on the day, and we feel so lucky that we crossed paths with her. Her warmth, care, smiles, and passion came through from our very first phone and carried through to our wedding day. Kate kindly suggested catching up in person at our venue, and we had the best afternoon discussing different ideas where her attention to detail, creativity and professionalism came through. From that meeting, she took our ideas and created the most stunning floral arrangements that complimented the venue and its colour palette without being too over the top.
Kate went above and beyond with her communication in the lead-up to our wedding, with beautiful messages and phone calls to check in; and on our wedding day, she was there to wish me luck as I walked down the aisle and then stayed around to move the arrangements from the ceremony on the lawn to the reception space. We had so many beautiful comments on the floral arrangements (along with what a gorgeous lady Kate was).
The dress & veil: KYHA Studios. The girls at Kyha Studios at the South Yarra boutique were wonderful. Nina and Olivia instantly made me feel comfortable, as they were so warm, welcoming and helpful.
Shoes: Harlo Shoes. The ‘Alexandra’ block heel was so comfortable and easy to walk around in outdoors on the grass.
Rings: Sarah and Sebastian. Lily at Sarah and Sebastian (Armadale) was incredible! We are so happy with our engagement ring and wedding bands. The designs are unique but timeless.
Suits & bow ties: YSG Tailors. YSG Tailors were incredible from start to finish. The attention to detail, product knowledge and guidance throughout the fitting and styling process was excellent, and the service was above and beyond to ensure the final fit and quality of the suit was perfect. The suit, shirt, bow tie and shoes were so comfortable, and the design and style were timeless and fitted perfectly.
Catering & Bar: Polperro Winery
Make-up: Arielle Wray Beauty. Arielle is a ray of sunshine, and we had so much fun getting ready with her! Apart from being an absolute joy to be around, her knowledge, passion and expertise are incredible. Arielle went above and beyond to make sure that everyone felt comfortable and happy with the looks she created, and we all commented on how the make-up felt lightweight on our skin but lasted the whole night.
Hair: Alarah Studio – Jessica Puleio. Jess is the most beautiful girl and talented hairdresser, and it was such a joy to get ready with her. She was cool, calm and collected, and her attention to detail was above and beyond. We all just wanted our hair to be quite relaxed, minimal and timeless – and she nailed it!
Cake: Our best friend, Stef, kindly made our beautiful cake.
Stationery / Signage: Peppermint Press. Anna at Peppermint Press was incredible with her attention to detail and ongoing communication. We opted for minimal signage and stationery as we didn’t want to end up with much waste, and we didn’t want the tables or event space to feel cluttered. We selected the Balmoral collection for our welcome sign and place cards, and then Anna suggested colour themes to complement the dining space and exterior of the venue.
Entertainment: Like This Entertainment. Live music was something that we wanted to be a focus, so one of our non-negotiables was to make sure that we could book Like This Entertainment after seeing them play at our friend’s wedding a few years ago. The music was one of the highlights of our wedding – from the stunning live ceremony acoustics to the energy, warmth and fun they brought to the dancefloor.
The band members are incredibly talented musicians (individually and collectively as a band), but are also such kind, warm and genuine people! It was also so nice when we caught glimpses of the band all having fun, smiling at each other and dancing around – it was truly the best! It was so obvious they all shared such a lovely friendship, and it came across and added to the night, too.
Transport: Watson the Grapevine. We organised a bus for our guests through Watson the Grapevine. Michelle was very organised and accommodating and had great suggestions for transport ideas. As we were staying at the accommodation at Polperro Winery, Daniel walked over from the villas, and we rocked up in my Dad’s Mazda!
Décor: Polperro Winery, Red Hill. The dining room at Polperro is beautifully styled, and the candles, napkins, menus and tablecloths were all provided.
Hire: State of Elliott. We hired our wishing well and welcome sign stand.
Nails: Buff Nail Studio, Brighton. Best manicure and pedicure and the most perfect nude polish!
Tan: Spray Aus, Brighton. I never wear fake tan, so I was a bit nervous about getting a spray tan, but I loved my spray tan from Spray Aus! It was great to have a bridal trial run before our wedding, and the colour was a beautiful bronze.
