Real Wedding – Natasha & Brandon, Yarra Glen VIC
Imagine a beautiful summer celebration in the sweeping fields of the Yarra Valley, with florals in a warm kaleidoscope of hues enhancing the chic minimalist backdrop of Zonzo. This is Natasha and Brandon’s effervescent wedding, a culmination of a high school romance and a community that has been a part of their love story for many years.
Natasha’s exquisitely unique gown by Holly Butler epitomises modern style, with perfectly on-point off-shoulder lace sleeves and elegant bodice detail, overshone only by her truly infectious, megawatt smile. The look on Brandon’s face as she steps up the aisle toward him is everything.
Brandon and Natasha share some excellently practical and insightful tips and lessons learnt through their planning process, sure to be useful to any couple planning their dream day.
Captured by superstar Maegan Brown Moments, this darling day is an endorphin hit in visual form and one we think you’ll adore!
The meeting.
We met back in our teen years, first forming a friendship, which we knew was something a bit more. We both had a crush on one another, but we were too scared to say I love you; now we tell each other we love one another every day.
The one.
Although we were so young when we first met, we knew we were each other’s person as we both felt so at ease with one another. We have shared so many moments over the years that have drawn us closer together
We both value spontaneity and travel. We have always been transparent about what we both value and how to meet these values in our relationship.
The proposal.
Brandon arranged a cute city getaway.
We had brekky together in the morning at a cafe nearby, and then Brandon mentioned he had planned a surprise activity at lunchtime. We arrived at a car park; I initially had no idea where I was. Brandon then showed me where we were going, and we walked up to the Essendon airport together
At this stage, as obvious as it was, I still didn’t really know what we were doing. For some reason, I thought we were going go-karting! We walked through some glass doors to meet a man who asked us to follow him. It didn’t click until I saw a helicopter on the launch pad that Brandon had arranged a helicopter trip
When we were flying, I was just talking in the sights as it was a beautiful sunny day; we were so lucky. Mid-flight the pilot said he needed to contact a radio tower, so took himself off our headsets; after this, Brandon asked me to marry him.
As a little funny moment, when I answered yes, Brandon didn’t hear me in his headset as the microphone on my headset wasn’t near my mouth. Our heads set, and then both clashed when we tried to share a kiss!
Style inspiration.
We both envisioned a fun, vibrant and playful day. This meant adding beautiful pops of colour, and making sure our DJ had some songs that we both loved in our teens.
We also wanted a classic and minimal style which was reflected in what we wore on the day.
Personally, we found Instagram to be the most useful for style inspiration as we were able to see real weddings and their suppliers.
The ceremony.
The first time we visited Zonzo Estate, we were shown the Cappella, and Brandon and I just looked at one another and knew this was exactly what we wanted for our ceremony. We envisioned the seats filled with our family and friends cheering us both on and laughing together. This was exactly how our ceremony played out, and it was really all that we had envisioned.
Our celebrant beautifully captured our love story and it was an emotional and beautiful moment in time for the both of us. It felt surreal to be standing there with my teenage sweetheart; it felt like time stood still in that very moment. From our first kiss all those many years ago to sharing our first kiss as a married couple, this was one of the most significant moments for us.
The outfits.
For the wedding gown, I put full trust in my atelier to create a dress that suited my body shape. Throughout the process, I did not try on one wedding dress, and I had no regrets about this. It was truly beautiful to see a gown come to life from an initial drawing.
Favourite moments.
I had so many favourite moments! I honestly felt like I had the most magical entry to the ceremony – while I was waiting to go inside, the wind was blowing to the left, and my veil was blowing beautifully in the wind; it felt as if all my loved ones that have passed were with me. Then, after a few minutes, when the doors opened, we saw each other at the end of the aisle, and it was a moment that we will never forget. To see all my family and friends there for us was truly so heartwarming and emotional. After we walked out of the Cappella as a married couple, we were met with seeing our pup, Lola. Our photographer beautifully captured the first moment we saw her; we were both so happy!
Meaning of marriage.
To us, marriage didn’t change any personal values of ours, rather, solidified them in a celebration with our much loved family and friends. Marriage to us means trust and commitment to one another for a lifetime, and more. These values mean being able to be patient, heard and respected by each other. An eternal love that we never take for granted.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Anchor by Novo Amor
Reception: Saving Up by Dom Dolla
First dance: Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay
What we both personally loved is that after our reception entrance, we went straight into our first dance.
Funny stories (or near disasters).
We had a few little funny stories:
We had one of the hottest days in February, 37 degrees, and we lost power in the morning while getting ready. We knew at the time we couldn’t do anything to change this but rather, we had to pivot as best as we could. Our hair stylist and make-up artist were so amazing in going with the flow, which settled us a lot! One of my wonderful friends was trying to find us a separate location for us to get ready in, and just as I made the decision to pack up and go, the power literally came straight back on after two hours.
A classic one – my father stepped on my veil as I walked up to meet Brandon; I felt like I had whiplash. When I tried to walk further, he then stepped on my dress.
Planning surprises.
I think this is true for anyone, but the cost of some suppliers I enquired with. I didn’t really know how much wedding suppliers charged. I knew that the cost often reflected the quality of the service and their reputation in the industry. In the planning process we enquired with one wedding venue, enquired with about three – five celebrants, florists, makeup artists, photographers, videographers and cake makers.
Words of wisdom.
I’m not amazing at using excel spreadsheets, but they were helpful in keeping track of budgeting and invoices paid/outstanding. There are many free templates online. I personally used this one.
Planning can be tedious and following up/ replying to emails can be easy to put off. It can be helpful to add events in your phone’s calendar for specific times to contact a supplier or reply to an email. Also, note the time this will take to hopefully make it seem more achievable.
Be transparent with your partner about how much everything costs, and prioritise spending the most money on things that are both special and significant. We spent the most on our venue, florist, photographer, videographer and outfits.
If you have time, make your own invitations and personalised stamps. We had our beautiful pup, Lola, as a stamp on our wedding invitations.
If you have pets, try to incorporate them into your ceremony, and if possible, have them there on the day.
Only invite those that you truly want present. Know that times have changed, and while this may come as a shock to parents and grandparents, wedding celebrations now are rarely for hundreds of guests.
If possible, have a longer engagement; there is no rush to get married and enjoy your time as an engaged couple! This also means you can contact all vendors 18 – 24 months out to secure your top picks.
Love Natasha’s chic sleeve situation? It’s a trend we’ll continue to see more of over the 2025 wedding season, and we can’t get enough. For more stunning sleeve and elegant bridal glove inspiration, enjoy a round-up of our faves so far this sesason.
NATASHA & BRANDON’S VENDORS
We mostly used Instagram to find the below as we could see each vendor’s work.
Ceremony & reception venue: Zonzo Estate Yarra Valley. Our wedding coordinator and team at Zonzo were really incredible. The day ran smoothly as they were so across everything! Brandon and I were just wowed and had SO MUCH FUN on the day! Brandon and I were busy for most of the day, which meant we didn’t really eat. Before leaving, the kitchen staff packed a food bag for us to take home, which was so sweet!
Celebrant: Lisa Brown. We could not recommend Lisa enough! After talking to Lisa on the phone, I knew we had to book with her! She is so bubbly, relatable and kind-hearted. Lisa took the time to get to know my partner and I, and truly captured a wonderful love story between my partner and I which was read out during the ceremony (we opted for a surprise on the day, hearing it for the first time, it truly was so special!) She has always been so prompt with her communication and helped us to understand what to expect throughout the whole process. Thank you so much Lisa! We wish we could relive the ceremony again; it will forever be in our hearts.
Photography: Maegan Brown Moments. Maegan was an absolute dream to have and truly made our day so magical and so, so special! She was very helpful during the lead-up, and during the day, she made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera. She captured so many beautiful memories that we will have forever; we are just so grateful! We received our photos so quickly, it was so beautiful to see these the day after! We felt like we were reliving the day again and were just in awe of all the beautiful moments captured. Outside of her photography, Maegan’s personality and positivity were just so infectious! If we could do it all over again, we would have Maegan again in a heartbeat!
Videography: Chamore Creations. The team at Chamore Creations were so helpful and took the time to understand our personal visions for the video. When we received the video, we were so happy! It was fun, playful and emotional. It captured some playful times and intimate moments. It was like we were reliving the day again.
Florist: Michelle Bloomfield. Michelle is very creative and thoughtful and has such a refined attention to detail that is truly invaluable. She created so many beautiful pieces of artwork that we will forever look back on in our photos. Not only did Michelle create something so beautiful, but her personality also shines. In the lead-up, Michelle took the time to understand the vision for our wedding day and also guided us as to what our options were. She was always so communicative, having several phone calls together, and prompt with her replies. Michelle, we really cannot thank you and your team enough!
Hair: Harlen Hair. Sharah was an absolute dream to have, we had a few hiccups in the morning resulting in losing power at our property for a few hours, but Sharah was so calm! As the hairstyles we wanted required heat, Sharah was so adaptable in creating a heartless hairstyle that was really beautiful. We loved what she created for us. They also stayed put the whole day despite the heat!
Make-up: LD Makeup Artistry. Laura is truly talented and created a natural look that complimented each person so well. She took the time to understand what each of us hoped for and gave her suggestions as to what would best suit our face shape and eyes. I didn’t have a trial with Laura as I completely trusted her.
The dress & veil: Holly Butler. Prior to meeting Holly, I had not tried on any wedding dresses and had completely trusted her judgement in what would suit my body shape. She made a beautiful gown that complemented my body in the style I had envisioned (timeless, classic and flow). The dress has beautiful subtle details of floral lacing and came in perfectly at my waist and leg area, which I’m a bit self-conscious about. I felt so confident and comfortable on the day; it was truly perfect.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy.
Suits and bow ties: YSG Tailors. From when we met Ryan and the team at YSG, they were very welcoming and made the process so easy. They delivered exactly what the groom and groomsmen hoped for.
Cake: Four Twenty Bake It. We still can’t get over the cake! We chose the vanilla and biscoff buttercream frosting, and my goodness – it was delicious! I’m not a massive fan of cake, but do yourself a favour and book with Vanessa; she will not disappoint! Our guests ate all of the cake offered!
Entertainment: Front Row Entertainment. Nathan was wonderful! Always so prompt with his communication and took the time to understand what we envisioned for our day. The music on the night was exactly what we hoped for and more!
Favours: DIY $2 scratchies
Honeymoon: London, Paris & Italy.
