Real Wedding – Rebecca & Matthew, Red Hill VIC

Rebecca and Matt’s wedding day feels like a breath of fresh summer air, filled with softly stunning styling, effervescent energy and underpinned with effortless romance. And with their gorgeous gold retriever present for the big moments, this was bound to be a day as laid back as it is fun-filled.

Set to the soundtrack of the ever-talented Tillee Music and Divine Audio, against the beautiful rolling bushland and sun-drenched surrounds of Red Hill; the newlyweds look relaxed and at ease in every dreamy frame by superstar Tess Follett.

We love the choice to accentuate the day with warm hues and a styling palette of striking decor against soft dove grey and flushed pastel florals by Wild Flos, making for a seamless transition between the ceremony and reception venues. Stationery by Rebel Reflect adds a personal touch through individual letters to each guest done in understated style.

For a super sweet day filled with aesthetic impact and loved-up emotion, scroll on.

The meeting.

We met ten years ago at a hostel in Krakow, Poland. We were both backpacking around Europe, I saw Matt in the lounge of the hostel and initiated the first conversation by asking for the Wi-Fi password, and the rest is history!

The ‘one’.

After spending a few days in Poland, Matt asked if I wanted to join him on the next part of his journey to Prague. I had just come from there and was planning on continuing to Budapest, so I declined, and we parted ways. The next day, I was at the train station, about to board my train, when I decided at the last minute to change my ticket and hop on an eight-hour overnight train to Prague in the hope of seeing Matt again. I knew there was something special between us pretty early on. We kept in contact throughout the rest of our trip, which turned into a three-year long-distance relationship (Matt was working in WA) until Matt decided to move to Melbourne.

The proposal.

We were staying in Port Fairy to celebrate my birthday. Matt suggested we go out in the pouring rain for a walk. We were wrapped up in our rain jackets near the lighthouse, watching the surf, when he dropped to one knee. It was so uniquely us!

Planning process.

I would say, all in all, it was relatively smooth! We had the most epic team of suppliers who understood our vision and provided guidance along the way. Also, having a great venue that took care of the food and wine made the process a lot easier!

Style inspiration. 

We wanted our wedding to be intimate, relaxed, and chic.  We are both easy-going and fun people, and we wanted our wedding to emulate this. We took lots of inspiration from wedding blogs and magazines, including the Real Weddings section on Ivory Tribe, where we found our awesome vendors. The team from Wild Flo’s put together the most incredible floral arrangements, and our photographer, Tess Follett, and videographer, Ryan Lee, were amazing, capturing all the candid and special moments of our day.

The ceremony.

Our ceremony was one of our favourite parts of the day. We held it at the most gorgeous little chapel in Red Hill, which had floor-ceiling windows overlooking the bush and the room was adorned with florals. Matt’s dad was our celebrant, our Golden Retriever Murphy was the ring bearer, and my grandparents were the witnesses, making it all so special! Maisy and Josh from Tillie Music performed the most beautiful rendition of Songbird by Eva Cassidy as I walked down the aisle with my dad. My mum had tied a little locket with images of my late grandparents to my bouquet, so they were with me in spirit.  Matt and I shared the most beautiful, raw and personal vows whilst we were surrounded by all of our favourite people. The whole ceremony was relaxed and intimate.

The outfit. 

Matt and his groomsmen all wore classic black suits tailored by Formal Red. The whole process for him was super seamless.

I took a little longer to find what style I liked, but I knew I wanted something elegant, minimalist, and comfortable. Lola Varma ticked all those boxes and more. The whole experience was incredibly personal, and her garments are beautiful. My fabulous bridesmaids all wore dresses by Bec + Bridge in the same colour but in different styles.

Favourite moments.

Ah, this is tough, as we loved the whole day.

One special moment was the ten minutes we got to spend alone during the car ride between the ceremony and the reception. We were on such a high after the ceremony, and to have that intimate time, where it was just the two of us, to reflect on the morning was so lovely.

Secondly, I loved the speeches; they were all unique, personal, and beautiful reflections of us as individuals and as a couple.

Meaning of marriage.

A commitment to navigate life as a team and be each other’s biggest cheerleaders.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Songbird by Eva Cassidy

First dance: Beyond by Leon Bridges

Final song: Sorrento Moon by Tina Arena

Funny stories or near disasters.

Our ice cream truck didn’t turn up to the ceremony, but what’s a wedding without a surprise or two?

Planning surprises.

Wow, weddings are expensive, and there are a lot of things you don’t think about beforehand, so the cost definitely took us by surprise. We were also surprised at how quickly suppliers can book out, so make sure to lock in all your key suppliers at least 12-18 months in advance.

Words of wisdom.

Whilst planning is important, ensure you allow for the quirks of who you are as a couple and as individuals to shine through the day. If you have two left feet, like we do, take the pressure off rehearsing for a dance and just lean into being goofy and having fun on the d-floor. Don’t over-rehearse things, and allow for some spontaneity!

Last words.

We worked with Jo from Rebel Reflect to create personalised notes for all our guests inside their place cards. We wanted everyone to know why they were so special and how they had made an impact on our lives.

For another real wedding filled with effortless style and sweet personality, hop on over to Stevie and Paolo’s magical Melbourne soiree, here on the blog.

REBECCA & MATTHEW’S VENDORS

Ceremony venue: The Old Church Red Hill

Reception venue: Polperro Winery

Celebrant/Officiant: Matt’s Dad – Nige.

Photography: Tess Follett

Videography: Ryan Adams

Florist: Wild Flos

Hair & make-up: Tonic Agency

The dresses: Lola Varma and Shona Joy (d-floor attire)

Veil: Madame Tulle

Shoes: Bared + Golden Goose sneakers. I have really wide feet, and both these options were very comfortable.

Rings: Sarah and Sebastian

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec + Bridge

Suits: Formal Red

Favours: Personal notes to all guests as place cards

Cake: Fig & Salt

Stationery / Signage: Rebel Reflect

Entertainment: Tillee Music (Ceremony) and Divine Audio (DJ and Sax)

Transport: The Nuptial Collective

Hire: Table Cloths from Table Art and The Small Things Co for signage stands.

Honeymoon: We are currently planning a trip to Kenya and Uganda to go Gorilla trekking and on Safari! It’s been on our bucket list since we first met but has required a lot of saving. We’re nearly there!