Real Wedding – Olivia & Lachlan, Wollombi NSW
Not only a vibrant viral sensation, Olivia & Lachlan’s dream day is a lux vision of contemporary styling with an exquisitely timeless tone. With nothing short of six stunning bridal looks, two bridesmaid fits, and an abundance of captivatingly curated details, this is one utopia you simply can’t miss.
Every elegant element contributes to the overall aesthetic of European summer, focused through textural touches, a crisp white palette and night time glam-up to opulent la Dolce Vita vibes.
Cloud-like masses of iconic rose blooms interspersed with ethereal babies’ breath and accented with cascading orchid stems by Ellebore bring continuity to the ceremony and reception styling while artful touches of soft sand tableware and decor lift the tablescapes to on-point perfection.
With our friends Wanderlust at the helm, it’s giving seamless sensation, classic contemporary and the softest undertone of epic romance.
Scroll on to see every detail of this dreamy day captured through the lens of Mervé Togan and Lost in Love.
The meeting.
We met as seventeen-year old’s in 2011 on Olivia’s parents’ driveway and went from teenage best friends to each other’s first loves in a matter of months.
The proposal.
In 2020, Lachlan proposed to Olivia exactly where they met on Olivia’s parents’ driveway, and they celebrated with family and friends that evening. It was one of the only times in Olivia’s life that she was genuinely surprised. She always wanted the moment to be intimate and sentimental, and it was simply perfect.
Wedding style.
The setting.
Redleaf is a Tuscan-inspired private estate that showcases two beautiful properties on flawlessly manicured grounds. Located in the heart of the Hunter Valley, the surroundings are seas of green with peaceful sounds of nature.
As we chose to have an interstate wedding, we prioritised creating a specific ambience that allowed our guests to feel relaxed and in “holiday mode” throughout the entire duration of our wedding weekend.
Aesthetic.
It was important to us for our wedding to have a European summer vacation feel.
In terms of aesthetics, we hoped to achieve a timeless, textural, and elegant feel with a nod to Italian artistry. The wedding property itself is colourful with hues of rendered pink and blues, and so we wanted every other piece of styling to be classic, white and minimal to allow the venue to shine.
We then planned for there to be a shift to a sophisticated night-luxe / glitz-and-glam aesthetic in the evening.
Accommodation.
Whilst our parents and other family members stayed at Redleaf during the weekend, we resided with our wedding party and their partners at Iron Gate Estate.
This luxury villa is located behind the Iron Gate Estate Cellar Door, which is where we hosted our rehearsal dinner and wine tasting. This villa appears to have been transported straight from the rolling hills of Tuscany with grand wooden features, hues of terracotta and blue with a mosaic staircase enclosed by pillars.
Preparation.
The evening prior, we hosted a rehearsal dinner and wine tasting at the Iron Gate Estate Cellar Door before parting ways. Lachlan and the groomsmen prepared for the wedding at the Stable and Vines Villa located five minutes away from Iron Gate Estate, whilst Olivia and the bridesmaids had a morning filled with mimosas, music, and dancing amongst the villa grounds as they finessed their hair and makeup.
Ceremony décor.
The venue truly speaks for itself, and so I wanted to let it shine. With large white floral arrangements at either end of the aisle, ghost chairs, white umbrellas and white bar furniture, the decor truly let the property take centre stage. Our ceremony took place in front of the archway at the front of the property, which is not the usual positioning. We chose this location as I wanted the backdrop to focus on the texture of the building whilst having the view through the archway visible. This allowed our florals to really pop against the building.
Reception décor.
A Hampton sailcloth marquee cascaded over the raised brick floor, which is adjacent to the ceremony location. A whitewashed dancefloor surrounded by rows of white linen, orchids and candles formed the overall aesthetic for the reception space, keeping it consistent with the ceremony.
Wedding planner & stylist.
I decided to take on the role of wedding planner, however we did enlist the help of the wonderful Laura from Wanderlust Creative for the styling, and Alanah from Two Lovers assisted with the coordination on the day.
Flowers.
Since I can remember, I have always obsessed over orchids. The elegance of the silhouette and simplicity of the flower are captivating, and I have always known that it would be the primary focus in any floral arrangement for my wedding. With the venue being so vibrant, I wanted to use the florals to create a light and airy bridal aesthetic with bright shades of white. I asked our florist, Maddy from Ellebore, for arrangements with no foliage and minimal greenery, with white orchids and roses making up the bulk of the pieces. Maddy was incredible and executed my vision perfectly.
Cake, food and beverages.
Our cake was quite possibly one of the most difficult components to source. We had our hearts set on a large, Italian-inspired wedding cake; however, finding a vendor with the ability to create and transport something so large was challenging. Luckily, Two Lovers helped us find a vendor, and it was absolutely delicious.
Our menu brief for the weekend was European, homey and colourful, which included everything from pasta, seafood, open souvlakis, salads, and pizzas with late-night sliders and hot chips.
Fashion and beauty details.
Bride’s Dress & Shoes
Throughout the weekend, I wore six looks. The first was a Philosophy by Di Lorenzo Serafini slip maxi dress with lace detailing paired with the Opyum sandals by Yves Saint Laurent.
My morning robe was a custom couture piece by Amanda Barden which was a silk two-piece with a tulle off-the-shoulder robe.
The ceremony dress was a custom design by Shehzarin Batha Couture and Tanya Grig, which I paired with the Follies Strass by Christian Louboutin.
My reception look was a custom two-piece made from duchesse silk and Swarovski crystals by Oglia-Loro Couture.
I then surprised my mother by redesigning her 80s San Martin wedding dress for my after-party look. I redesigned the dress myself, which included cutting the skirt and removing embellishments, and Olivia Waters Couture brought it to life.
My final look was the Pearl Mini Dress by Kim Kassas Couture for our Recovery Day the following day which I paired with a custom couture feather robe by Amanda Barden and the Zoe Pumps by Yves Saint Laurent.
Bridesmaids dresses and shoes.
For their ceremony look, the bridesmaids wore a natural linen two-piece set by Dissh with cream pointed toe slingbacks and gold hoop earrings.
For their reception look, they each chose three pieces, which included a mini dress from the Shona Joy La Lune Cream collection, a pair of sparkly Tony Bianco stilettos and crystal earrings.
Wedding rings, jewellery and accessories.
As my engagement ring was a marquise solitaire diamond, I was struggling to find a wedding band I truly loved. Whilst searching, I stumbled across a Toi et Moi ring with the combination of a marquise diamond and pear-shaped diamond. It was love at first sight, however, I still liked the look of two bands. Lockie and I decided that instead of choosing a separate band, I would melt my current band and reshape it to look as though it is two separate bands from the front (connected at the back), and add a pear-shaped diamond to the ring, giving it the same appearance as a Toi et Moi ring.
My gold, diamond earrings are extremely sentimental as they are a gift from my parents and include the pearls from my mother’s wedding dress. She never thought I would wear her dress, so this was her way of having her dress be a part of our wedding day… little did she know!
Groomsmen.
Lockie and the groomsmen all wore custom-tailored suits from YSG Tailors who added personalised touches with the groomsmen’s choice of lining and embroidery.
Hair and makeup.
My hair stylist was Shelbie from Linea of the Yarra Valley, and my makeup artist was Chelsea from CJD Makeup Artistry. Both are who I go to for all of my events.
Wedding Soundtrack.
Aisle (bridesmaids): Roses by Chainsmokers (covered by our friend and musician, Lachlan Glennie)
Aisle (bride): Wherever You Will Go by Charlene Soraia
Recessional: Spring by Vivaldi
First dance: If I Lose Myself by Alesso vs One Republic (custom Violin Cover by Joel Sunny with vocals by our good friend and musician, Bonnie Anderson)
Our guests were greeted by both classical and contemporary pieces played by a string quartet who continued to play throughout the ceremony. We then had a DJ play for our reception.
Photography and videography.
We worked with two incredible photography teams. Lost in Love Photography captured all of the light and dreamy moments throughout our wedding day, and Mervé Togan was our editorial photographer capturing all of the looks across the entire weekend.
Sam Evans was our videographer who created a film that perfectly portrays the day in four parts. We worked together on the concept, and he completely understood my vision from the very beginning.
Celebrant.
Our celebrant, Josh Schille Marriages was one of my first school friends when I moved to Australia from the UK in 2009, which was extremely special. He had seen our relationship blossom from high school into adulthood and shared many memories and witty jokes throughout our ceremony. It really was magical.
Favourite moment/s.
There are so many, but other than the obvious aisle moments, I would have to say re-entering the reception in our second looks. We walked in carrying two bottles of champagne with sparklers as all our guests were singing to Calvin Harris, which then seamlessly transitioned into our self-choreographed first dance and then the party began. As a qualified dancer, that series of events was something I had envisioned for years, and it was, without a doubt, the most electric part of the entire day.
Words of wisdom.
To be completely confident in your wedding choices. You often second guess yourself a lot during the planning process but often, your first decision is usually the best option.
Be the energy you want to attract on your wedding day. Your bridal party and guests will emulate your emotions, and they will naturally be drawn to you throughout the day. So if you want your guests to be stress-free, try to relax, enjoy yourself and leave your worries behind. If you want a packed dance floor, ensure you and your partner are centre stage. No one will leave the newlyweds dancing on their own on the dance floor. Be the party.
For a stunningly sophisticated day with lashings of glam, check out Chantelle and Tanner’s dreamily lux Bellarine wedding, here on the blog.
