Real Wedding – Michael & Rachel, Yarra Glen VIC
In every real wedding, something special stands out – and for Rachel and Michael, it’s the way their faces light up when they see one another. Every one of their dream day images by photographer superstar Fern and Stone is enhanced when the two of them are together in the frame.
Surrounding this electric emotion is a stunningly styled soiree filled with sweet romance and a light-hearted, effortless sense of excitement and fun.
The ever-beautiful Zonzo Estate is styled to perfection with simple touches of soft linen and silk florals in shades of crisp ivory, burnt tangerine and lush lilac. Against the monochromatic palette of the wedding party, the look is pure modern elegance.
We love the newlywed’s choice to do a first-look reveal, showing off their fabulous fits – Michael in a classically classy black suit and Rachael in a chic minimalist sheath with a gorgeously bold bow. Their delight in their first look is everything.
To see every sweet detail of this dreamy day, scroll on.
The meeting.
We met working our part-time jobs at the cinema during uni. We started as colleagues and friends; we always got along really well. When it was time for us to go our separate ways with work, we realised we didn’t want our time together to end, and maybe we were more than friends. We started hanging out more and worked out that we had something special.
The ‘one’.
We both knew pretty early on that we wanted to be together. We were young and were still going through a lot of the things that come up in your early twenties, like finishing uni, travelling, moving for work etc. As we started to navigate those things together, we realised that we were only getting stronger and couldn’t picture a future without each other.
The proposal.
After a long lockdown in 2020, restrictions eased, and we went away for the weekend to Mount Martha. We stayed at a really pretty, private and picturesque little place, and Michael proposed in the garden with a great view out to the beach. It was nice and intimate, very much our style!
Planning process.
We had a two-year engagement, so the wedding planning process was not particularly rushed. We had a good look around at venues and sort of took our time deciding. With COVID causing a backlog of weddings, to get our ideal venue, we had to push the wedding back later than initially planned, but it was all worth it!
In the months leading up to the day, we looked at all sorts of blogs and articles but ultimately found that using Instagram and Pinterest to get inspiration from what other people have done was the most helpful. We also made an effort to look at photos from other people who used the same venue as us to see how they had best used the space.
Style inspiration.
We looked at a few different places but ultimately loved the idea of the winery setting because it only needed a few touches to look great – the venue at Zonzo was so special on its own. We wanted minimal and timeless but with a pop of colour.
The ceremony.
We had our ceremony in the beautiful Capella at Zonzo Estate. On top of the venue being perfect, we found the most special aspect to be the personalisation – a lovely intro speech from two close friends, our celebrant being a family member, and most of all, the vows we wrote for each other.
The outfit.
For Michael, we always were thinking classic; black suit with bow tie and suspenders for him and the boys – just a few minor touches on the jacket to make the groom stand out.
For Rachel, after visiting a few stores, we decided to work with a couturist to deliver something sleek and minimal. However, after trying a dress with a giant bow at an earlier dress consultation, she knew it needed to be part of her look!
Favourite moments.
There are too many to choose from! As beautiful as the ceremony was, and how great our reception speeches were, it was great once the formalities were done, and we could really start to celebrate with our friends and family, especially on the dance floor.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to us is a life of committed love, support and growing together in all circumstances. It’s making a commitment and honouring it at all times. It’s about looking out for each other and always having each other’s backs.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Bloom by the Paper Kites & Ho Hey by the Lumineers
Recessional: Everlasting Love by Carl Carlton
Reception entry: You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall and Oates
First dance: ily (I love you baby) by Surf Mesa ft. Emilee
Funny stories or near disasters.
None, really; things mostly went without any issues! We almost didn’t get picked up at the end of our night due to the floods, we had to stay at the venue longer than planned, but our driver came in the end!
Planning surprises.
Probably just how much time it actually takes to decide on every touch! We had a great time planning, but you want the day to be perfect, so there ends up being a lot of energy that goes into all the details, definitely more than we expected!
Words of wisdom.
It’s easy to get caught up in trying to emulate all the cool stuff you’ve seen at other weddings or during research, but the best thing you can do is to work out a few important things to focus on and not get carried away with all the possibilities.
For us, the day was perfect, and we’re sad we won’t be able to do it again!
Freshly engaged, but unsure of what the next steps really are? Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially at the beginning- but don’t despair; we’ve put together our top tips for the newly engaged – so you can get super organised, and have more time to admire that stunning new ring!
MICHAEL & RACHEL’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Zonzo Estate. Phenomenal team and venue! We can fully understand why they are such a popular wedding venue. Not only is the estate beautiful, but the team is attentive and thoughtful and made sure the day went perfectly. They’ve got so much experience that we didn’t need to worry about a thing.
Celebrant/Officiant: Family member. It was great to have someone that knew us and our story.
Photography: Fern & Stone – Jess. We were beyond lucky to have Jess from Fern & Stone and Claire from Claire Broatch Photography as a second shooter. From the beginning, we knew getting amazing photos was a priority and therefore allocated whatever budget was necessary to get their expertise.
Jess exceeded our expectations. From day one, she was so responsive, generous with her time and knowledge, and her expertise shone through in every interaction. We can’t thank her enough. Hands down, the best decision we made was locking her in as our photographer. She captured all the joy and special moments of the day and left us with so many beautiful photos that we’ll get to cherish forever.
Styling / florist / stationery / signage / décor: We went super DIY for all things décor. From buying silk flowers online to making our own bouquets and table arrangements, to hand making our flower stands, welcome sign, seating chart and menu. It was one of the highlights of the whole experience, getting to be creative and saving some $, while not compromising on our vision!
Hair: Blow Waves by Kristina. Rachel changed her mind about her hairstyle three or four times, but on the day, Kristina executed the final brief flawlessly! We understand where she gets her name; she really is the queen of the blow wave!
Make-up: Christina La Rocca. Christina was just the best. From our first encounter, she was an angel; her attention to detail and the time she took to really understand what each girl needed was amazing. Our makeup stayed fresh after several sweaty hours on the dancefloor, and we all felt amazing all day and night. The girls all loved her, and we can’t recommend her highly enough.
The dress & veil: Eva Tomala Couture. Eva’s knowledge and craftsmanship were exemplary. The care she put towards every inch of the dress was remarkable; she is a true perfectionist and made certain that every little detail was executed flawlessly.
Shoes: Forever Soles. Rachel loved (and still loves) her shoes!! She originally bought the gold pleated knot mules from Loeffler Randall that a lot of brides wear; however, when she saw the Forever Soles, she returned the LR’s immediately. Not only were they super comfy, with a low and chunky heel, but they were also the perfect statement against her minimalistic dress.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy – nothing beats classic SJ.
Cake: Anukshi from The Cake Vine. We met Anukshi through a friend, and she delivered with two beautiful cakes, a vintage cake with glitter cherries and a cutting cake for dietaries.
Entertainment: We hired Con Ouliaris as our DJ and MC for the night, and he was amazing. We met Con at Rachel’s sister’s wedding a few years ago and thought he had a great vibe. Con was awesome value – a real pro who knows how to run a reception. He worked the room perfectly and kept all our guests entertained with great crowd interaction and some fun surprises.
Transport: We hired Affinity Limousines for the bridal party, and the service Adrian provided on the day really exceeded expectations. He was so accommodating, and at every opportunity was thoughtful and considerate, and made sure we had whatever we needed.
Honeymoon: We stayed a couple of nights up in the Yarra Valley after the wedding to unwind before heading off to Western Australia for a week. We’re planning a belated international honeymoon next year, so we were more than happy with a shorter getaway to relax after the craziness of the wedding!
