Real Wedding - Shane & Simone, Coldstream VIC

June 12, 2019 In Black and White, Classic, Garden, Uncategorized By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Shane & Simone, Coldstream VIC

From the moment they met, Shane and Simone were fairly certain they had each come across somebody special. Fast-forward seven years, and the pair made it official in the most gorgeous of settings at the glorious Coombe Yarra Valley.

The estate’s famed oak tree was their chosen spot, ensuring their ceremony felt sweet and intimate, just as they had hoped.

A combination of classic elegance, with an abundance of flowers and candlelight setting the mood, Shane and Simone had the time of their lives, and Tess Follett was by their side to capture it all.

In Simone’s words…

The meeting.

We met at a Sunday session at the Geebung Hotel in 2009 for a mutual friend’s birthday and we both had a perfect round of footy tipping. We were both on the hunt for someone to high-five to celebrate and connected instantly. After a month of Facebook stalking each other and me asking every one of our mutual friends about Shane and if he was a nice guy, we managed to finally go on our first date and the rest is history

The ‘one’.

On our first date. We just laughed the entire time .

We also talked about his brother who was about to get married and I could see how much he looked up to him and loved his family which is so important to me. After that I realised I had found someone special.

The proposal.

We went to the Mornington Peninsula for our 7-year anniversary that I thought we both had organised. We started at Hickenbotham Winery/Brewery, then spent the afternoon at Bass and Flinders Gin Distillery where we sipped on gin, then made our way back to our B&B. As we were getting ready to head out for dinner, I handed Shane his anniversary gift – a watch – but didn’t think anything of it when he didn’t give me anything in return. We finished the perfect day with an amazing dinner at Montalto. When it came time to order dessert, I ordered the cheese platter. Instead of my cheese platter arriving, a plate with a purple gift box came out. Shane loves telling people that the look on my face was “where’s my cheese”? I opened the box and saw the most beautiful ring. Shane got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Neither of us can remember if I said yes!

Style inspiration.

Our ceremony was under the Oak tree because we wanted that part of the day to feel intimate and almost every one of our guests said that is was.

As soon as we locked in Coombe we decided we wanted the style to really compliment the venue so we added lots of greenery and candles which gave it a really relaxed and romantic feel. We were able to incorporate some of the existing furniture including the vintage workbench for our wedding cake and the old garage door that was converted into a beautiful table that we used as our bridal table. We loved putting a modern twist on the styling with the signage and personalised menus which made it personal for our guests and really made the room feel like ‘us’.

The dress.

I had already decided that I wanted a Luci Di Bella dress but thought that I needed to keep an open mind and visit other boutiques before going to see Luci. From the moment I walked into her boutique I knew I was going to be married in one of her beautiful dresses. Luci and her team were so welcoming and held my hand throughout the whole process. They made the dress of my dreams and I still looked and felt like myself and I cannot thank them enough for making it so stress free and fun.

Favourite moments.

My favorite moments are seeing Shane for the first time when I walked down the aisle, having our photos taken with our family and bridal party with a staff member from Coombe following us around with gin and canapes, seeing friends and family that came from interstate that we hadn’t seen for a while. Another moment was when Shane and I were getting our photos taken around the grounds after dinner. We loved having that time to ourselves after the formalities to reflect on the day and to see all of our guests having the best time and would recommend this to everyone who is getting married. Another highlight was when Shane’s Aunty Kath stood up and made a hilarious impromptu speech about the strawberries she used in the jam she made for our bonbonnieres.

Traditions.

We both have a brother which we asked to do readings that they chose. They were so heartfelt and moving and we will always remember the beautiful words they said on our wedding day.

Meaning of marriage.

After seven years together and living and owining a house together for two years, we knew that marriage really wasn’t going to change us much. Now that we are married it and it’s official we love calling each other husband and wife. We are excited to start a family. It so nice to have the feeling of security, unconditional love and knowing that we will be there for each other no matter what life throws at us.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: XO by John Mayer

Reception entry: Praise You by Fatboy Slim

First dance: Born to be Yours by Daniel Robinson

Funny stories (or near disasters).

The only thing that really stands out is I put a deposit on one of the first wedding dresses I tried on then later realised it definitely wasn’t the dress for me which resulted in a mini meltdown. The store was very understanding and I was able to get the money back.

Another couple of near disasters were ordering two of the bridesmaids dresses online and was sent the wrong colour and only receiving two of the three clutches for the bridesmaids I had purchased online then having to make a mad dash to Chadstone (two days before the wedding!).

I’m glad we can laugh about it now.

Planning surprises.

Finding the most amazing group of vendors who we now consider friends. We decided to go with people we call The A Team who had worked together previously and knew each other as friends. They were so helpful and caring and made the whole process so easy and stress free and gave us the wedding of our dreams

Also, realising how lucky we are to have the most amazing friends and family supporting us especially our parents and bridal party. We couldn’t have done it without them.

Words of wisdom.

We absolutely loved that our our bridesmaids were wearing dresses they chose themseleves. Two of them had just had babies and I wanted them to feel comfortable on the day. They looked gorgeous!

Remember that your wedding is a reflection of you as a couple, your goal is not to try and please everyone on your guest list. Everyone at your wedding loves and respects you and will have an amazing time simply because they are partying with you and included in the biggest day of your lives.

Get vendors you know you can trust and a venue you know will keep your guests full. Our guests are still talking about how good the food was at our wedding!

Relax. If things get overwhelming and stressful remind your selfves why you’re getting married.

Plan to have some time alone together during the reception to take it all in.

Last words.

Simone’s boss surprised us with a helicopter flight over the Great Ocean Road because we were going to Torquay for a mini-moon. It was the most amazing experience and we will never forget it.

A Yarra Valley wedding is sure to delight your guests and set the tone for the most magic day. See more of the regions’ venues that we love by click here.

SIMONE & SHANE’S TRIBE

Ceremony and reception location: Coombe Yarra Valley

Celebrant/Officiant: Koren Harvey Civil Celebrant

Photography: Tess Follett Photography

Videography: Ryan Lee Adams

Styling: Storytime Weddings

Florist: Floral Architecture

Photobooth: Oh My Booth!

Hair and Make-up: Studio 2 Make Up and Kaleigh Codrea Hair Studio

The dress: Luci Di Bella

Veil / head wear: Borrowed from my Maid of Honor

Jewellery/Accessories: Bride’s earings – Stephanie Browne