Real Wedding – Nikki & Jayden, Yarra Valley VIC
Nikki and Jayden’s wedding day was a heartfelt affair, held at Fondata 1872 in beautiful Kangaroo Ground.
With a talented tribe in tow, they pulled this stunning celebration together in six short months. The warm, autumnal tones and fabulous florals complimented this stunning venue and it’s incredible vistas perfectly.
This crafty couple took much of the styling and signage design upon themselves, and the results are simply breathtaking. Dream team, Corinna and Dylan, snapped up a storm to document all the fun. See more of these heavinly happy snaps below.
In Nikki’s words…
The meeting.
We met at work. I had recently moved to Melbourne from the Sunshine Coast in QLD for university and got a job in a little art store. A month or so later Jayden transferred from another store. To be honest, I was kind of annoyed as he took my very well-paying Sunday shift… it is fair to say my annoyance did not last long as we instantly hit it off. Here we are both in very different careers and married!
The ‘one’.
We knew pretty early on. Jayden says it is when I said I’m not a Nick Cave fan. But I think we both knew on our first date. Yes, I know… ridiculous! We went to the winter night market, walked about 5 meters in, grabbed each others hands and looked at each other. We both strongly disliked the insane amount of people there and opted for the tiny wine and meatball restaurant on Flinders Lane instead. It was a perfect night full of laughs.
The proposal.
We went for an impromptu night camping at Jayden’s families block of land on the hills outside Mansfield. It was 40+ degrees and we spent most of the afternoon painting and reading under the trees. The sun started to go down and we decided to go into Mansfield for dinner. Jayden helped me pack up and then put on this winter jacket. As I went to question him on this very odd fashion choice for a 40+ degree day he pulled me close, looked into my eyes and asked if I would like to marry him. The jacket made complete sense when he pulled the most beautiful engagement ring out of his pocket.
The planning.
We both found the planning process really easy! I am lucky enough to have a little bit of event planning knowledge and put everything I know to use. We discussed everything and made all the decisions together.
Style inspiration.
We really like autumn colours and tones, natural surfaces and nothing too shiny or over the top. It was really just a reflection of us.
The outfits.
My dress was a two-piece made from 100% Italian silk. I designed it myself and worked with a dressmaker to execute it. My only criteria was to have sleeves (I get very cold) and pockets. Jayden’s suit was a combination of a few items from his favourite local and international stores.
Favorite moments.
If we both had to pick only one it would be pre-planning with the venue to set aside some food in a small room so we could sneak away and have some alone time to reflect on the day and appreciate that moment. Plus, being a canapé reception, it made sure we got something to eat. We both also liked the first look. This was a great idea for us and we had such a special moment all to ourselves, away from the ceremony. It took a lot of pressure off waiting and walking down the aisle as we both don’t like being the center of attention.
The meaning of marriage.
Endless amounts of adventures, laughs, support and love. Marriage doesn’t change anything; we would have all that regardless, however, we are proud of each other and incredibly proud of our relationship. It is so lovely to share that with our family and friends.
Wedding soundtrack.
Before ceremony: Like Someone In Love by Chet Baker and It’s Always You by Chet Baker
Bride walk: Embraceable You by Sarah Vaughn
Signing songs: My Baby Just Cares For Me by Nina Simone, It Had To Be You by Harry Connick Jr and You Send Me by Sam Cooke.
After ceremony: What A Difference A Day Makes by Dinah Washington
First dance: Hold Me by The Beatles
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Yes! My dress was a total disaster! I virtually had to get it completely re-made 48 hours before the day. I had it made and the dressmaker kept pushing back the pick-up day. I ended up picking it up and didn’t get a chance to try it on until a few days later. When I did, I discovered a 10 cm hole in the pocket. I flipped it inside out to see if I could fix it myself and discovered numerous other faults.
I took it to another dressmaker, and she managed to fix most of it including taking it in four dress sizes! I learnt a lot from that experience as I had never had anything made from scratch for me before. I put a lot of trust in the dressmaker’s expertise. I knew something wasn’t right but I let it play out. Anyway, the dress was perfect on the day and nobody knew a thing! I do not recommend getting a dress made from scratch with less than 6 months to the wedding day.
Planning surprises.
How easy it was! Everything went our way! Our first pick of venue was free on the day we wanted, ALL our 1st choice venders and suppliers were all free and ultra-keen. Jayden and I didn’t even have a single fight or disagreement. It was so much fun! We only had a 6-month engagement, so considering that we were extra lucky everything went our way.
Words of wisdom.
Talk everything out. Decide what is most important to you both in terms of larger ticket items (for us it was the photographer, food and drink) and find solutions/compromise on the less important things if needed.
Last words.
Enjoy every minute of every aspect. It’s a once in a lifetime event and you have so much to be proud of.
Nikki and Jayden had some seriously swanky signage at their celebration. For more stationery inspiration, read and see the top trends from our stellar team of stationers here.
NIKKI & JAYDEN’S TRIBE
Ceremony venue / location: Fondata 1872, Kangaroo Ground.
Reception venue / location: Fondata 1872, Kangaroo Ground.
Celebrant/Officiant: Claire Sprunt – Marry Me Claire. We both can not recommend Claire enough! She is incredibly lovely. Meeting her felt like catching up with an old friend. She is so personal and supportive, helping and guiding us every step of the way. We had so many compliments on Claire from our wedding guests, a few asking for her details.
Photography: Corinna & Dylan. We met this husband and wife duo a few months earlier when they photographed my brother’s wedding. They were great! So much fun and such amazing talent. They are Canberra based and were so excited when we contacted them they said they were going to be in Melbourne that week! A huge bonus that there are two of them so both of us getting ready was covered as well as every other aspect of the day.
Styling: Us – Pleysier Creative. And Taylor Cardillo. We designed, created and manufactured all our stying props and elements. I am lucky enough to know some very talented stylists and visual merchandisers and got Taylor Cardillo to assist and execute on the day.
Florist: Kim from Melbourne Flower School/ Melbourne Flower Studio. Kim is amazing! She listened to all our likes and dislikes as well as tying in with our colour pallet. She knows her stuff and far exceeded our expectations. Many of our guests are still talking to us about the flowers and asking for Kims details.
Hair: Sharnae Brienna. This girl has skill! Mamma to an almost 2-year-old and 8 months pregnant, Sharnae did an outstanding job! We all couldn’t be happier with the styles she did for us!
Make Up: Brit Basil. Brit was lovely, she listened to everything I wanted and nailed it.
The Dress(es): D’italia Couture. Besides a few hiccups, they were great! The staff were very helpful and assisted me in finding a second dressmaker. The fabric quality is beautiful and I was very happy with the final outcome.
Groom’s suit: Jacket – Henry Bucks, shirt and tie – Drake’s, Pants – Urban Lupe
Veil / headwear: N/A
Shoes: Hers – Jacquemus. His – Church’s.
Rings: Paul Bram. For Jayden, this was the only choice for both the engagement ring and wedding bands as his parents also purchased their rings from here more than 30 years prior.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Petal & Pup.
Groomsmen’s suits: Country Road.
Bow ties / ties: Drake’s.
Catering: Fondata 1872, Kangaroo Ground.
Bar: Fondata 1872, Kangaroo Ground.
Favors: Pleysier Creative. We designed and created all the branding and packaging ourselves.
Cake / Cake topper: Cake – Georgina from The Botanical Baker. Flowers – Kim from Melbourne Flower School/ Studio.
Stationery / Signage: Pleysier Creative. We designed and created all of the stationary ourselves, including the invitations, arbour, welcome signs (board and vinyl decal) and interior props.
Entertainment: Ceremony – Kate Lucas from Perfect Day Music. Such a beautiful style and was very accomodating to our requests. We had lot of compliments on Kate. Reception – Logan Jeffs from The Knave. Logan is so much fun! We met up prior to the wedding and talked about all things music, our likes and dislikes and we nailed our vibe!
Transport: My Dad’s hotrod.
Décor: Pleysier Creative. We designed, created and manufactured all our stying props and elements ourselves
Honeymoon: Japan!
