Real Wedding – Maddy & Andrew, Macedon Ranges VIC

 

Maddy and Andrew’s Macedon Ranges wedding day was filled with all of the good stuff – laughter, emotion, sublime styling, good vibes and a whole lotta love.

The pair wed at the glorious Lancemore Macedon Ranges, and from Maddy’s jaw-dropping Prea James Bridal gown, through to her accompanying bride tribe – it’s clear that everybody not only looked, but also felt amazing.

Their ceremony was equal parts emotional and entertaining, with their grandparents called in to play a special role that brought all the laughs.

This frivolity continued into the night, with music maestros Hey Jack creating dance floor vibes-a-plenty, and Fern and Stone Photography on hand to capture every single magic moment.

 

The meeting.

We met in 2014 at The Great Northern Pub in Melbourne. We were introduced via mutual friends who were keen to set us up. We got talking, and as the night progressed, we ended up at nightclub and had a pash on the dancefloor. Andrew walked me home and from there we started dating.

 

The ‘one’.

Maddy: I knew from the first time I met Andrew I would marry him. There was something about him that I knew I wanted to get to know and have in my life. I had also declared after my last breakup that I never wanted to have my heart broken again, and so the next person I dated better be the person I marry – so there were fairly high stakes.

Andrew: I can’t top Mads on this one – she called it early. I think I really knew I’d found the one on our first overseas trip together. We spent three weeks together and had the best time. Being able to spend that much time together with someone convinced me she was the one – I considered popping the question on that trip (took me a few years though to actually do it!).

 

The proposal. 

We were travelling in Turkey in mid-2019 and it was our first night in Istanbul. We had just been out for dinner and came back to our hotel which had an amazing rooftop with a view of the city. We were both pretty jet-lagged and I was keen to just go to bed, but Andrew insisted on staying up for one more glass of wine on the rooftop. He was the acting a bit weird, but I didn’t think too much of it. As we were sitting up on the roof top taking it all in, he got down on one knee and popped the question!  

It was the best start to our holiday and we got to soak up the joy of it all between the two of us for the first week before joining friends to continue the celebration.  

 

Style inspiration.

We didn’t have a style per se – but rather picked elements from other weddings we had been to and had seen on blogs and Instagram. We wanted the day to feel like ‘us’.

 

The look.

My dress was from Prea James. I had originally wanted something fairly non-traditional like a jumpsuit or not white but couldn’t find anything that felt like “me”. The dress I ended up choosing was the third one I tried on. I knew it was the one because my mum (who we had called on FaceTime) started to cry over the phone as soon as I showed her.

Andrew: I was under instruction by my wife-to-be that I had to be in a tux, so that narrowed the choices!

 

Favourite moments.

We had asked our grandparents (my Papa and Andrew’s Granny) to be the ring bearers for us on the day. So mid-way through the ceremony, the grandparents were prompted to bring up the rings. After everyone had exchanged kisses and hugs, Andrew’s Granny said to my Papa “well I think we should have a kiss too then” and planted a big kiss on him without any warning.

She was so matter of fact, but it was hilarious. There is a great photo of everyone in the bridal party cracking up with laugher. It really helped to calm the nerves as well.

 

Meaning of marriage.

For us, marriage is about being a team and making a commitment to sticking by one another both through the good times, but even more so through the hard times.

 

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

Reception entry: Beggin by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

First dance: Good Night by John Legend

 

Funny stories (or near disasters).

The night before the wedding (we were all staying at a house in Macedon close to the venue) it was revealed that one of the groomsmen had left his tux back at the dry cleaners in Melbourne! Fortunately, a wedding guest offered to drive it up first thing the next morning… it arrived 15 minutes before photos!

 The same groomsman realised he’d lost the key to his hotel room at about 2am on the night of the wedding, so he definitely came off second best from the weekend.   

 

Planning surprises.

Despite numerous others warning us about – the seating plan proved to be the most time consuming and stressful part of the whole planning process!

 

Words of wisdom.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s inevitable that things will go wrong or not go according to plan, but if you go into it with an open and relaxed attitude it will be just that. At the end of the day – it is just that, one day!

One of the best pieces of advice (which actually came from several people) – was to make sure you take 5 mins during the reception to stand together and just watch the room. It’s a pretty incredible feeling to watch all your favourite people in a room together because of you!

 

 

Ensure your big day has the atmosphere you always imagined. For top tips on creating a vibe you and your guests will remember, click here.

 

 

MADDY & ANDREW’S TRIBE

Ceremony and reception location: Lancemore, Macedon Ranges 

Celebrant/Officiant: Kat Brandt (AKA the Celebrandt). Kat was amazing – she was so positive, professional and was genuinely interested in us as a couple, and what we were wanting out of our ceremony. She was also really great in the lead up to the wedding walking us through the whole process.

Photography: Jessica Mitchell of Fern & Stone Photography. We cannot speak highly enough of Jess. She would have to be one of the best in the business. Not only is she incredibly talented, but her calm and warm approach really shone through on the day especially with the bridal party, helping us all feel relaxed and ready to party! Probably the standout for us on the day! 

Florist: Marnie Cunningham of Poppy’s getting Married – Marnie knows flowers! She did an amazing job and created the most stunning flowers that totally exceeded expectations. 

Hair: My hairdresser of many years, Bec from Oxhey and Bushey.

Make-up: Claire Gourley from Tonic Agency – Claire was so lovely to have around as we got ready – she knew exactly what I wanted and also made the girls (and my mum) look like absolute beauties.

The Dress: Prea James

Veil / headwear: Veil from Bluebell Bridal

Shoes: Tony Bianco 

Rings: Robert H. Parker and Sons. – Andrew was fantastic, he designed both Maddy’s engagement ring and our wedding rings exactly how we wanted, and guided us through the entire process. His love for what he does could not be more obvious. 

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Hexie and Shona Joy. Special shout out to Harmony from Hexie (a local Melbourne designer) who was really great in helping us choose dresses for the girls (even had us over to her studio to try on pretty much every design in her collection).

Menswear: MJ Bale

Stationery / Signage: We got our creative juices flowing and with a bit of help from Etsy did these up ourselves!

Entertainment: We arranged the acoustic trio and the DJ with Hey Jack. Jordyn was amazing in helping us figure out what we wanted for the big day and the music was great!  

Transport: Mercedes Benz Toorak – courtesy of the best man who works there!

Honeymoon: We had planned to go to Sri Lanka mid-year however clearly that’s no longer the case! Fortunately we managed to duck up to Byron Bay for a quick ‘mini moon’ after the wedding.