Real Wedding – Meg & Joel, Sunbury VIC
The quaint, rustic charm of Emu Bottom Homestead lent a timeless elegance to Meg and Joel’s heartfelt celebration, making it the perfect setting for their simple yet soulful wedding day. Surrounded by history and nature, the couple exchanged vows beneath the shade of a towering eucalyptus gum – one of many scattered across the scenic property with bountiful blooms by Pomp and Splendour framing their ceremony, adding a whimsical beauty to the intimate moment.
Meg exuded elegance in a gracefully draped satin slip gown, while Joel looked effortlessly handsome in a custom YSG Tailored suit, both embracing a look of understated sophistication. The day’s precious moments were beautifully captured by Georgia Verrells, preserving the warm, joyful atmosphere that filled the homestead grounds throughout the evening.
The meeting.
Just another lucky Tinder swipe right story all the way back in 2014. Joel was persistent and finally got me out on date after a month or so of chatting and the rest is history.
The ‘one’.
Good question, I can’t really remember. Joel and I have been together for nearly ten years now and he really is not only my partner but my best friend. I couldn’t imagine life without him. In saying that, I would attribute all his quick-witted humour that had me belly laughing from our very first date to knowing he was the one for me.
The proposal.
We planned a weekend away at Kangaroo Ridge retreat Easter weekend back in 2022. I was currently back at university studying to become a paramedic and working full time, so I planned to use the long weekend to take some time out and relax. Little did I know Joel had enlisted the help of my best friend and Kangaroo Ridge retreat to plan an incredible proposal that, in his true style, had to come with some humour.
A knock at our cabin door saw us being taken up to the ridge of the property by one of the accommodation owners, where a high tea and a stunning sunset awaited us. At this moment, I thought, this is it, he’s going to propose, but time passed, and dusk came, and Joel looked at me and said we better make our way back before it gets too dark.
The whole walk back down that mountain to our cabin I thought to myself why would you do that and not propose but held my tongue as not to ruin this nice evening he had organised. By the time we got back to our cabin, it was really dark, and in a split second, Joel nudged me aside as we approached the door, which I can tell you made my agitation rise a little more. He opened the cabin door, and there it was, our room filled with candles, balloons and a large marry me illuminated sign. When I turned to Joel, he was down on one knee, popped the question and then preceded to say, ‘I got you, didn’t I?’
Planning process.
I would say Joel (like I assume many husbands-to-be are) wasn’t the most involved; he just left it up to me to choose what I wanted, which made it super easy but also hard as I am the most indecisive person and the world’s biggest procrastinator. But I do my best work under pressure, and when I couldn’t decide, he would pick out of the options I had, and it all came together in the end.
Style inspiration.
Emu Bottom Homestead grounds reminded me of my childhood home growing up in the small country town of Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsula. I’m a ‘less is more’ type girl so nothing too extravagant, just simple and classic and that’s exactly what we created for our day. Our main focus was just wanting everyone to have fun, and we think we did just that.
Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook were the most helpful when it came to planning. The Wedchat by Wedshed Facebook page is amazing for DIY hacks, recommendations and inspiration through members’ wedding graduation posts. Instagram provides so many visual ideas and the ability to link you to amazing vendors and suppliers.
The ceremony.
Boy, oh boy, did we pick the date, no need to worry about rain. Our wedding day was the hottest day recorded for January 2024 at a scorching 35 degrees. Our ceremony was held outdoors on the lawn beside the Homestead at Emu Bottom under the beautiful big gum tree, but even a 5 pm ceremony couldn’t beat the heat. Walking down the aisle with my Dad will always be one of the most special moments to me. I have always looked up to him; he has always been my hero. The emotion and love felt between Joel and I at the alter was electric and sharing that experience with our closest family and friends will always hold a special place in my heart.
The look.
I searched high and low for the dress that felt most like me. This took me all the way to the small country town of Yarragon, where I met the wonderful Grace and her team at Twelve South Bridal. I had seen a dress online that was my style but with a point of difference, and Twelve South Bridal was the only stockist. I tried on many different styles, thinking maybe I should change from my usual fit of choice, but I always came back to the liquid satin Laine gown and Val jacket design by NeWhite Bridal. The fabric was one element that I loved about the dress, it was pearlescent and shimmered in the light which was so different to most of the fabrics I had seen. The second element was what sold me on the dress, it was a draped liquid satin cowl neck half jacket with off the shoulder long sleeves. This brought drama to the effortless slip dress I had fallen in love with. It was like I had two outfits in one as once the formalities were over, I removed the sleeves and was able to completely relax but still feel beautiful in the soft drape of the liquid satin slip dress.
After searching for my perfect dress, it was only deserving that Joel also looked and felt his best on our special day. I had met Ryan, the owner of YSG tailors at the Melbourne Bridal expo during my planning process and was impressed by his enthusiasm, knowledge and designs. We made an appointment, and from the first consultation, we knew we wanted YSG Tailors to create Joel’s suit. Every element was selected from an array of options, and we settled on a black tux and bow tie with custom embroidery on the inside of the jacket for a special touch. A suit has never fit Joel as perfectly as the one created by YSG Tailors, and he looked as handsome as ever. I’d say he nailed it.
Favourite moments.
How do I just pick one? I think walking into our reception as Mr and Mrs St Clair would be my favourite moment. The formalities were done, the nerves of the vows were gone and it was just time to relax and celebrate our marriage together with our beautiful family and friends. Knowing it was time to just enjoy delicious food, drink until we were merry and dance the night away like one big party is what we always wanted for our day.
Meaning of marriage.
Love is truly the greatest gift we have been given to share, and marriage is the promise of a partnership of love, respect and support for each other through all of life’s moments.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Cinema by Gary Go (Acoustic)
Recessional: You make my dreams (come true) by Daryl Hall & John Oates
Reception entry: Praise You (Purple Disco Machine Remix)by Fatboy Slim, Purple Disco Machine
First dance: Simply the Best by HayBax (Tina Turner cover)
Farewell: Jubel by Klingande
Funny stories or near disasters.
My maid of honour’s partner was chauffeuring my Dad, my maid of honour and myself to the venue. We were about ten minutes away from arriving at the venue when all of a sudden, l looked down at my hand and asked my maid of honour if she had collected my wedding band from the box. Georgia, our photographer, had done an earlier flat lay with the ring and other key pieces. The car fell silent, she turned to look at me from the front seat eyes wide, whispered to her partner and in a blink of an eye the car stopped made a swift u-turn and her partner Tom turned into the Stig from Top Gear. Crisis was averted, we arrived five minutes late to the ceremony with everyone probably none the wiser because I am always late. Usually, it’s the best man who has the ring mishap!
Planning surprises.
It’s time-consuming and requires lots of admin, so being organised is key to a stress-free wedding planning experience.
Words of wisdom.
Enjoy every moment; the day will feel like a whirlwind and will be over in a blink of an eye. Make sure you stick together as much as you can throughout your special day to experience all the love and emotions together. I was given this advice from another bride, to which I told my husband to be prior to our day. Once the ceremony was done, I turned around and he was gone, clearly he forgot that advice in the moment of the day.
On the hunt for a fabulous venue to host your wedding? Check out some of our favourites here.
MEG & JOEL’S VENDORS
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Emu Bottom Homestead
Celebrant: Elisa Westein – Elisa is absolutely wonderful, from our first meeting we knew we had found our celebrant. Elisa makes you feel so comfortable and relaxed. She’s so kind, full of love and highly organised. On the day she told our story beautifully, with so much positive energy, love and a little humour.
Photography: Georgia Verrells – Georgia was recommended by our venue and after seeing her work through her instagram platform we knew we wanted her to capture our day. Georgia is a beautiful soul, she’s super relaxed, fun and professional. When it comes to her work and talent she made us awkward camera shy people feel comfortable and look effortlessly beautiful in her shots. She captured all the special and natural moments of our day and we couldn’t be happier.
Florist: Pomp and Splendour – Pomp and Splendour created the most amazing florals for our wedding day. Val was a pleasure to deal with and was very helpful through the whole process. Her and her team delivered our vision perfectly. I couldn’t recommend them enough.
Hair: Shauna Elizabeth – Shauna is a beautiful soul, who effortlessly creates stunning hairstyles.
Make-up: Paige Elaine MUA – Paige is a very talented makeup artist. She knows the ins and outs of every product she uses and takes care to ensure that you feel comfortable with thorough consultation and suggestions to achieve a very glowy flawless natural result.
The dress: NEWHITE from Twelve South Bridal – Grace the storeowner is a beautiful soul who goes above and beyond for her customers. Her bridal store is stunning and her team are so kind.
Veil: Twelve South Bridal
Rings: Hers: Jacque Fine Jewellery – Jacque and his team are based in Sydney, but accommodate interstate and international customers with ease. They provide exceptional service and exquisite craftsmanship.
His: Uniform Black – Rhett from Uniform Black is a pleasure to deal with, all consults for his custom wedding bands are conducted by appointment at his workshop in Melbourne. He provides a true one on one service, his expertise, advice and service is second to none.
Bridesmaid dress: Bec and Bridge – Bec and Bridge store at the Emporium Melbourne provides a range of styles and colour options from their wedding edit which is so helpful when finding a dress to suit different body shapes and sizes.
Suits: YSG Tailors – YSG provides incredible customer service and high quality products, the owner Ryan is a legend. Joel’s and his best mans custom suits fit like a glove on the wedding day all thanks to Ryan’s attention to detail and knowledge.
Bow ties: YSG Tailors
Catering & Bar: The Epicurean Group – The catering provided by The Epicurean was amazing, so many compliments from the guests on the delicious share style menu.
Favours: CakenBakeBaby – Loren is an amazing baker who supplied our incredibly delicious two tier cake and sugar cookie favours. She is very responsive with her communication and provides a comprehensive selection of flavours and options.
Stationery / Signage: Mila & May – Beautiful wedding stationery, quality is amazing and service is fast and efficient.
Entertainment: HayBax – HayBax duo Lachie and Josh are incredible, they are such a vibe. Our guests and venue couldn’t say compliment them enough, our dance floor was never empty.
Décor: Hurricane Candles, Linen Napkins, Photo Frames
Honeymoon: Bali-Private Villa in Lovina – Incredible secluded beachfront villa with all the amenities you could need. Pool is on the beachfront, with stunning sunset views. Villa staff are so friendly and provide daily cleaning and cooking.
Other: Content creator: Mel James – Melanie is your behind the scenes hype girl, she was amazing and very fun. Joel and I can be a little awkward in front of the camera so having Mel taking candid photos, videos and reels of our special day was amazing.
