Real Wedding – Lucy & Hayden, Wangaratta VIC

From the beginning of their planning, Lucy and Hayden laid the foundation for a ceremony steeped in their personal story and genuinely meaningful elements. Choosing their dream day site as Lucy’s family’s farm, which was also the scene of their engagement, made for not only a stunning vista to backdrop their I Do’s but surrounds that gave an effervescent sense of celebration to the soiree from the couple and their guests.

Beginning with a ceremony by celebrant extraordinaire Megan Thompson, the tone was set for a truly momentous occasion to unfold. Captured through the indomitable lens of Tess Follett and Ryan Lee Adams, it is one to love.

From the elegantly fresh styling, with a palette of soft lilacs, deep vermillion and clusters of lavender mauve, to the epic marquee bedecked in festoon lights, Lucy and Hayden worked with the talented team to create a vision of contemporary timelessness.

The newlyweds looked every bit the glowing centre of it all. Hayden is strikingly dapper in his Joe Black tuxedo, while Lucy wears a gorgeous custom gown by our friends at Luci Di Bella. The luxe, detailed fabric brings an elegant gravity to the simple yet stunning silhouette, cut to perfection to enhance Lucy’s natural radiance.

Scroll on for all the darling details, and don’t miss Hayden’s unbelievably lucky post-wedding near-disaster!

 

The meeting.

Hayden and I met in 2016 at the Doutta Gala Hotel in Flemington at a mutual friend’s birthday. Hayden had been at the footy with a friend and was a late arrival to the party. After a few glasses of Shiraz and some encouragement from the girls (let’s be honest, I didn’t need much convincing), I proceeded to plant a kiss on an unsuspecting Hayden and asked him to dance. At the end of the night, he asked for my number, and the rest is history.

 

The one.

I don’t think there was a particular ‘moment’ but the more I got to know Hayden, the more I learned what an amazing man he is. The realist in me waited for red flags that never came. He possesses so many admirable qualities, has great friends and family and so seamlessly integrated into my life with love and light. It was an easy realisation that this was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

 

The proposal.

Hayden and I often travel back to Wangaratta to visit my family. It was there, one dreary October weekend, that he invited me out to the deck to take some photos of the golden hour that had snuck out during a break in the rain. I would often take photos of the deck during golden hour as it’s my favourite spot on the property. While out there, he got down on one knee and popped the question! This would become the location of our wedding ceremony 18 months later.

 

Planning process.

We had previously discussed which vendors/suppliers we wanted for our big-ticket items and booked them quite early, but we knew we needed help with the nuances of an at-home wedding. Living in Melbourne with busy work schedules posed a challenge when planning a wedding in Wangaratta, so choosing a planner to help execute the vision was very necessary. After enquiring with a few planners, we quickly recruited the expertise of Izzy from Event Den. I’d seen Izzy’s work online, specifically her work in country Victoria on private properties. I knew she’d be the right person for the job. From the get-go, Izzy was super organised, easy to work with and accommodating of our requests. She alleviated so much of the stress and worked closely with Hayden and I to ensure the day came together perfectly. We are so grateful for her assistance.

 

Style inspiration.

I always knew I wanted to get married at home. The sentimentality really appealed to me. In terms of styling, we wanted to allow the property to be the standout. We opted for a minimalist approach with pops of colour through the florals to contrast with the dry, country elements.

I always found real weddings the most helpful source of inspiration. There is such variety and extravagance in the wedding world that it can be really overwhelming when deciding on realistic elements that align with your vision. I always found reading/looking at other weddings similar to what we wanted the most useful.

 

The ceremony.

Our ceremony took place on the deck where we got engaged, overlooking the Warby Ranges. This is my favourite spot on the property and holds such sentimental value. Arriving in the wedding car and seeing all our nearest and dearest there felt really special. Seeing Hayden at the end of the aisle was the moment when all my anxiety melted away.

 

The outfits.

Hayden wore a Joe Black tuxedo with a pleated dinner shirt – is there anything more classic and handsome?

I found dress shopping quite overwhelming and certainly didn’t have a “moment” with a dress. After a few appointments with different bridal boutiques, I came across Luci Di Bella. Luci and Naomi were such a pleasure to work with and I was able to build a dress with all my favourite elements.  My dress was quite minimalist, a classic cut with the most beautiful silk jacquard fabric.

My second dress was a Rachel Gilbert mini. I wanted the second look to be fun, easy to dance in and not traditionally bridal so I paired it with bright fuchsia pink tights and matching heels.

 

Favourite moments.

There are too many to choose from but Hayden and I both loved the ceremony. Despite some initial nerves, this was the moment we felt it all came together. We also really enjoyed our sunset photos, just the two of us having some time together in the quiet to take it all in.

 

Meaning of marriage.

An unconditional and unwavering commitment to one another bound by love.

 

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: La Vie En Rose by Emily Watts

Signing song: You Are In Love by Taylor Swift and Green Eyes by Coldplay

Recessional: This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole

Reception: We Found Love by Rihanna

First dance: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell

 

Funny stories (or near disasters).

My gosh, where to start!

We had a few small incidents the week before the wedding involving plagues of caterpillars & crickets, fallen trees, and rogue racehorses breaking in and churning up the lawns. But the standout was Hayden crashing our wedding car and breaking his nose a week out from the wedding.

His dad had very kindly spent many months restoring his 1930 Ford A-model for us to use. Once complete, Hayden took it for a drive, mistook the accelerator for the break and drove straight through their pergola and into a conifer tree. Thankfully, he made a near-full recovery, with his nose being the extent of the injuries (somehow without a single bruise!) The car also made a full recovery in time, however aged Hayden’s dad a decade in a week.

 

Planning surprises.

I don’t think I had fully comprehended the involvement of planning a wedding at home. There were lots of tiny details I hadn’t considered and would have overlooked without a planner. It’s certainly hard work but well worth it, and if I had my time again, I’d do it all the same. I’m very grateful to my family, in particular my parents Jacki and Phil and my sister, Kristen, for all their help in preparing for the day, particularly in the week leading up. They took time off work and were there in the thick of it, helping us unpack trucks, set up, garden, prep – everything.

 

Words of wisdom.

Communication is key. Hayden and I sat down early in the piece to discuss our shared and individual priorities, and from that, we were able to plan, compromise and manage the budget.

The wedding world is a rabbit hole that’s easy to fall into. Try not to get swept up in it all, stay true to yourselves, stick to your vision and remember to have fun.

 

 

Need help to choose your ultimate wedding day soundtrack? We spoke to the masters of their craft, One More Song DJs, to get their playlist suggestions, key moment song options and their overall take on how to make it a day both to remember and to reflect you.

 

LUCY & HAYDEN’S VENDORS

 

Instagram played a large role in finding many of our vendors. It’s such a great platform for creatives to showcase their talent and a great place to connect with people whose visions align. We also relied on recommendations from friends or suppliers themselves, as well as vendors we had used in the past.

Ceremony & reception location: parents private property, Wangaratta

Celebrant: Megan Thompson – we stumbled across Megan via a Google search! Well also later realised she came recommended by our photographer Tess. She captivated our guests and told our story so well. We are so glad we had her as part of our team.

Photography: Tess Follett – the first vendor we booked! I’d been a huge fan of Tess’s work for years and knew that when the day came, I wanted her to photograph our wedding.

Videography: Ryan Lee Adams – another excellent recommendation from Tess. Ryan captured all the tiny, intimate moments from our day so perfectly. A collection of memories we will cherish forever.

Styling: Event Den – Instagram led me to Izzy. We genuinely wouldn’t have been able to pull it together without her.

Florist: Studio Alyssum – Alyssa and I met randomly at a cafe in Byron Bay. Hayden and I had travelled there for a wedding. We got chatting and learned her partner was going to the same wedding. She told me she was a florist and showed me some of her work (bright and colourful – right up my alley). I told her when the time came, I’d book her for my wedding, and I did!

Hair: Salon Mysa – I wanted to use local businesses as much as possible. Unfortunately, the hairdressers I reached out to in Wangaratta were unavailable or declined, so I reached out to Salon Mysa in Albury. Lucy did such an amazing job of all our hair!

Make-up: Madison Papas – Madi and I were childhood friends. Again, with the view of wanting to support local, I booked Madi. She painted my face for a number of events in the lead-up to the wedding and loved it every single time. If I could carry her around in my handbag, I would.

The dresses: Luci Di Bella & Rachel Gilbert

Veil: custom embroidered Madame Tulle

Shoes: Charlotte Mills

Rings: Matt Wynne (Lucy’s rings) & Artelia (Hayden’s rings)

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Billy J Boutique

Suits: Joe Black & Daniel Hechter

Bow ties / ties: Men’s Suit Warehouse

Catering: Bluebonnet BBQ – we both wanted to share plates of wholesome, delicious food. We ate our way through many American BBQ restaurants in Melbourne before deciding on Bluebonnet BBQ.

Bar: The Rusty Bartender – a local bar/bar staff service. We had a number of cocktails on our menu, and the staff did a great job keeping everyone watered.

Favours: Cocktails by Supply Kit – Justin was a pleasure to work with! We’d both been to weddings where favours got left behind or thrown in the bin. We wanted favours that would be used! I’ve had a few guests admit they took more than their own home.

Cake / Cake topper: Coolabah Kitchen – Janine is a local cake maker who had also made my 30th birthday cake. It was as delicious as it was beautiful, and I had no hesitation in booking her to make our wedding cake.

Stationery / Signage: Atelier Creative

Entertainment: Alana White Music (ceremony and canapé hour) – a local artist who played acoustic covers for our ceremony and canapé hour. Luke – The DJ You Need (reception) – Luke DJ’d our engagement party, and everyone loved him. We quickly reached out to book him again again for our wedding.

Transport: guest transport – Dyson Group Wangaratta

Décor: Event Den & The Small Things Co

Hire: Harry The Hirer

Honeymoon: I am currently writing this from a beach in Sicily where we are celebrating our honeymoon.