Real Wedding – Sarah & Frederick, Coldstream VIC
Sarah and Freddy took a thorough, well-considered approach to planning their dream day, entertaining themselves by browsing wedspo throughout the long covid lockdowns. The result is a stress-free celebration filled with classic details; all accented with chic, contemporary touches.
Sarah was a truly breathtaking bride in her gorgeous gown by our friend Georgia Young Couture. A timeless silhouette of sweeping skirts and off-the-shoulder neckline is made modern in a neoprene style fabric and delicate detailing throughout the back bodice. Together with her new husband, they are a vision of blissed-out style.
Articulating the stunning Stones of the Yarra Valley to perfection are cloud-like arrangements of billowing vanilla blooms and lush, cascading greenery. Simple dark timbers and crisp ivory linens enhanced with masses of candlelight complete the look.
From the perfectly personal ceremony by Marry Me Megan to the cracking dance floor in the hands of Baker Boys Band, this was an event not only maxed out on style but also on fun. Whites and Woods photography and Moon and Back videography were there to capture every fantastic frame.
The meeting.
We’re a real modern day love story – we met on a Tinder date back in 2018.
The ‘one’.
We were living at opposite ends of Melbourne during the initial months of dating and found it annoying to always drive up and down Punt Road to see each other. One day when Freddy was at my place, he saw an open for inspection sign for another apartment in the building. He ended up buying it, under the guise that he’d live in that apartment, and I would stay in mine. A very strategic move… and we of course ended up living together in the one apartment and have been inseparable ever since!
The proposal.
We had planned to take a road trip around Ireland during May 2020, and Freddy had intended to propose during this trip. However, COVID hit, and our trip was cancelled. Freddy planned a surprise trip to Daylesford, where he proposed at our accommodation overlooking a beautiful view at sunset with the fire going.
The planning process.
The week after we got engaged, we went into the first long lockdown in Melbourne, so planning a wedding gave us a welcome distraction from the endless weekends at home.
I was quite methodical in my approach and started with all sorts of 101 guides on how to plan a wedding, as well as listening to podcasts and reading plenty of real wedding blogs.
By the time we were finally allowed to leave the house again, most of the wedding was planned and we could sit back and enjoy the buzz of the approaching day.
Style inspiration.
We wanted to celebrate the gorgeous autumn colours we were lucky enough to have during April and so we chose a monochromatic colour scheme for our bridal party. This helped to make the lushness of our venue’s gardens pop in our photos.
We were careful to choose florals and styling elements that felt timeless and elegant so that we can look back in years to come and not cringe too much (fingers crossed!).
We spent many afternoons watching YouTube videos of other real weddings (I think we just might be Moon & Back’s top subscriber!) and then dissecting what we loved about the ones that we felt matched the vibe we wanted to create.
Instagram, Pinterest and blogs like Ivory Tribe were amazing sources of inspiration – it was always such a relief when suppliers were tagged in photos, and we could follow the trail straight to them.
The ceremony.
We decided to write our own vows and kept these a secret from each other until the day, and it really made it so special to hear these for the first time together with our friends and family.
We also had an absolute legend of a celebrant – Marry Me Megan – who told our love story in a genuine and heartfelt way. She went above and beyond on the day, especially when Freddy and my bridesmaids became very nervous waiting in the chapel for the ceremony to begin. She swooped in and immediately calmed them with her lighthearted and caring words.
The look.
Freddy was straightforward – he’d been going to P.Johnson for his work suits for years and knew he’d be able to trust them to create his perfect velvet dinner suit.
I wanted something that felt like a modern take on a classic and the Daphne dress from Georgia Young Couture fit the bill perfectly. The ball gown skirt was romantic, but the neoprene fabric made it fall with a contemporary sense of structure.
Favourite moment.
Surprisingly, my favourite parts of the day were the moments that I was most nervous about – the ceremony and first dance. We thought long and hard about whether or not we wanted to do a first dance as we are both uncoordinated at the best of times, but we ended up having the best fun learning to waltz! On the day, everyone else just melted away (as cheesy as it sounds) and it was a lovely moment we won’t forget.
Meaning of marriage.
We see marriage as a way of promising your loyalty and love for one another. For us, it isn’t about settling down, but rather as a way of signing up to be each other’s partner for all the things that are still ahead of us: both the good and the bad. We feel that it’s the beginning of an exciting adventure together.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Canon in D, performed by Amati Strings
Signing: Shiny Happy People by REM, performed by Amati Strings
Recessional: Friday I’m in Love by The Cure, performed by Amati Strings
Reception entry: Give it Up by KC & the Sunshine Band, followed by Walk of Life by Dire Straits
First dance: Higher Love by James Vincent McMorrow
Funny stories (or near disasters).
We had no disasters (thankfully!) but a few near misses. The day before the wedding, my hair stylist got COVID and had to pull out. Luckily, she was able to arrange a replacement before anyone got too stressed.
Planning surprises.
How hard it would be to find bridesmaid dresses! My bridal party and I looked around for months but found it impossible to find something that everyone loved and didn’t feel too similar to other weddings at the time.
I felt like I had struck gold when I came across Erika Georg and their range of made-to-measure bridesmaid dresses. My priority was my bridesmaids feeling like themselves on the day, so they each selected a style they loved, and Erika Georg was fabulous about altering hemlines and straps so that they worked best for each bridesmaid.
Words of wisdom.
Take it slow, be as organised as possible beforehand and place trust in your vendors so that on the day you can just relax and soak it up as best you can.
Communicate your vision clearly to your suppliers (I created a lot of mood boards) but allow some wiggle room for them to flex their creativity.
Have a wet weather plan so that you don’t spend the whole week beforehand glued to the rain radar – a planned indoor ceremony was a massive source of relief for me!
The dance floor at any wedding is always a highlight, if you’re seeking the perfect songs to enter your reception and your first dance so you can set the dance floor alight, take a peek at some sensational song choices past couples have made.
SARAH AND FREDERICK’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony & reception location: Stones of the Yarra Valley
Celebrant/Officiant: Marry Me Megan
Photography: Whites & Woods
Videography: Moon & Back
Florist: Sassafras Flower Design
Hair: Tayla Bourke
Make-up: Maddi Nicholls
The dress & veil: Georgia Young Couture
Jewellery: Amelié George
Bride shoes: Bared Footwear
Groom shoes: Loake
Rings: Tiffany & Co and a family overseas supplier
Bridesmaid dresses: Erika Georg
Bridesmaid shoes: Bared Footwear
Bridesmaid robes: Pomme World
Bride pyjamas: Piyama
Suits: P.Johnson
Favours: In lieu of a traditional bonbonniere, we chose to carbon offset our guest’s attendance in conjunction with TreeProject who planted a seedling for each guest.
Cake / Cake topper: Made by Freddy’s sister, Lizke, and decorated by our florist.
Stationery / Signage: Peppermint Press
Entertainment: Amati Strings for ceremony music and Baker Boys Band for our reception
Honeymoon: We went on a mini-moon straight after the wedding to Pumphouse Point in Tasmania, before moving to London three weeks later and having a longer honeymoon in Italy.
