Real Wedding – Maddie & Tom, Swan Bay VIC
Maddie and Tom’s dream wedding day atmosphere was one reminiscent of inviting guests into their own home.
They wanted the mood to be relaxed, welcoming and light-hearted, underpinned by personal touches and a sentimental feeling.
Guests were greeted with a cocktail on arrival and later welcomed into the reception space by having rosemary pinned to them in a touching nod to Croatian tradition.
The couple let the beauty of Basils Farm in full bloom set the tone for a less-is-more garden party aesthetic where unstructured minimalism – combined with the epic floral artistry of Florette – created mesmerising impact.
Asked about their most cherished moment of the day, the duo said being at the centre of a packed outdoor dancefloor on a balmy spring night – listening to DJ Beth of Logan Entertainment play hit after hit – and looking up at the full moon was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Experience the warmth and feeling that leaps from the frames captured by the super-talented Nikki McCrone below.
The meeting.
Maddie: We matched on Hinge in December 2019 and began chatting. We decided to meet for a drink on the last working day of the year. It was sweltering, and I nearly cancelled because of the heat!
Tom: We met at Belle’s Hotel in South Melbourne. I think I might have been sweating through my shirt! We’ve both agreed since that it actually wasn’t love at first sight, but it was so easy to talk to each other and we got along very well. We had a drink at the pub and then had dinner in Clarendon Street.
The ‘one’.
We both knew pretty early on. We had only been seeing each other for a few months before we went into covid lockdowns. That happening pretty early into our relationship meant we spent a lot of time with each other. I think we both quickly realised that if we can get through this, we can get through anything!
The proposal.
Tom: It was Christmas Day 2023, and Mad had an extra gift under the tree. The night before, I’d placed the ring inside a gift bag, carefully camouflaging it among the other presents. Just the day before, we’d been on a winery tour for my friend’s birthday, and I was getting some grief from my friends about when I was going to finally bend the knee. Early on Christmas morning, before we had to head to my sister’s place for breakfast, it was just the two of us at home, and it was perfect.
Planning process.
We started by looking at venues. We knew we wanted to find a venue around Geelong and the Bellarine and Basils Farm is stunning – we had always loved going there for lunch with family. The venue, having both the ceremony and reception at the same location, was important for us (as was the food). The photographer was also really important. Once we had those locked in, we felt more relaxed about the other vendors. Real Weddings on Ivory Tribe was super helpful once we had locked in the venue, as I could find local vendors other couples had used across similar locations.
Style inspiration.
We wanted it to feel like we were inviting our guests into our home. Everything should feel relaxed, welcoming and light-hearted. We both love the minimalist style and garden vibes. We wanted to let the Basils Farm venue do its thing in the peak of spring, so our floral arbour was quite whimsical and unstructured, and we kept that going throughout the venue. Guests had cocktails on arrival that they could take down to the ceremony and were welcomed into the reception by having rosemary pinned to them (a Croatian tradition). Everything they saw had a personal touch and felt sentimental.
The ceremony.
We both grew up living by the water, so it felt special overlooking the bay and having a relaxed atmosphere with our family and friends. We didn’t tell our witnesses until during the ceremony. It was a big surprise for my Aunty and Tom’s brother. They were so grateful to have a special moment in our day.
The outfit.
More traditional wedding dresses weren’t my style, so I was nervous about finding a dress that felt like me. Prea James and Lola Varma were the only two designers I looked at. I tried on the Prea James dress at Bluebell Bridal and felt so comfortable in it. I knew it was the one. Closer to the wedding I decided to add the silk organza cape, I felt my dress needed some romance and softness for the outdoor ceremony and it was so much fun to wear!
Favourite moment.
It was an unusually balmy night, and the outdoor dancefloor was filled with everyone we love. We looked up at a huge full moon, and it felt magical.
The meaning of marriage.
Vowing to see the beauty in the everyday things, together, forever.
Name your wedding soundtrack (aisle, reception entry, first dance songs):
Aisle: First Date – Acoustic version by Taylor Acorn
Signing songs: Can’t Hardly Wait – The Replacements & Hey Lover – The Daughters of Eve
Recessional: You Make My Dreams Come True – Daryl Hall & John Oates
Reception entry: Music Sounds Better With You – Stardust, Benjamin Diamond, Alan Braxe, Thomas Bangalter
First dance song: This Kiss – Faith Hill
Final dancefloor song: Like a Prayer – Madonna
Funny stories.
During our vows, we got interrupted a few times by a sheep in the nearby paddock. It gave everyone a nice laugh during such an emotional moment!
Planning surprises.
How easy and stress-free it can be if you focus on what matters to you and are flexible about everything else.
Words of wisdom.
If you want to keep your head in the lead-up, we recommend keeping a Reddit thread open which includes comments from people about everything they DON’T remember at weddings. It will really help maintain your sanity when choosing paper textures (a decision that, at the time, feels life-threatening).
MADDIE & TOM’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Basil’s Farm A special shoutout to Katherine, who was amazing to work with—always responsive, kind, and happy to answer any questions, no matter how small. We can’t recommend the Basils team and this venue highly enough for a wedding. It was everything we dreamed of and more!
Celebrant: Elizabeth Graham. Every coffee catch-up felt like we were meeting a friend. She made us feel relaxed and that everything was under control (she also MC’d our reception!)
Photography: Nikki McCrone. Her passion and talent are unmatched!
Florist and vase hire: Florette. The best on the Bellarine for a reason.
Hair & Make-Up: Jaz Little Hair and Makeup. My MOH and I went to school with Jaz so it was lovely having someone familiar to help ease the nerves while getting ready. She’s incredibly talented.
The dress: The dress was Prea James from Bluebell Bridal, silk organza cape was made by Karen at Pearls & Roses Bridal
Shoes: Larroudé for Maddie, Peter Jackson for Tom
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec & Bridge
Suits & ties: MJ Bale
Cake: Original Cyn. It tasted as good as it looked.
Stationery / Signage: Our invitations were designed locally by CAN Design. Our on-day signage and stationery were designed by our dear friend Lexi on Canva (how lucky are we). Our linen welcome sign was locally made (Etsy). A special mention to our family friend (and artist) Sue, who hand-made giant crepe paper flowers for our day.
Entertainment: Logan Entertainment. Beth was our DJ and nailed it.
Transport: Our guests were picked up and dropped off by McHarrys
Décor: DIY. Maddie’s Mum cut sprigs of baby’s-breath to have on each place setting. Candles were purchased from Target.
Honeymoon: Noosa immediately after the wedding with a big trip to Japan and South Korea down the track.
Other: My wedding bag was hand-made by my Mum with lace and beads from her wedding dress. I’ll treasure it forever.
