Real Wedding – Shelley & Nick, Drysdale VIC
Shelley and Nick’s dreamy, sun-dappled day is the kind of charming, romance-filled bliss fest we all love.
Letting their venue provide the foundation for their styling choices lead them to create a softly chic garden party gathering, with lashings of elegance and fun.
We love the shades of soft blush and warm peach against the oak finishings of Scotchman’s Hill, finished with delightful charm through the inclusion of the sweetest little flower pots, a nod to the French Provincial feel of the venue.
Shelley was a picture of modern elegance in her divine outfit by fashion-forward favourite Soho Bride. As the dance floor heated up thanks to the mastery of Geelong Entertainment stars Test Pilot Molly, Shelley shed her organza overshirt to reveal a stunning cropped bodice, perfect to dance the night away alongside her new husband and forever bestie, Nick.
Fern and Stone photography were there to capture every stunning second from behind the lens in beautiful style.
The meeting.
We met at a university house party in 2013.
The ‘one’.
When Nick became my best friend, and I couldn’t imagine him not being a part of my life.
The proposal.
Nick popped the question at Hepburn Springs on my birthday weekend away. Completely oblivious to the situation, he proposed when my hair was wet in a towel, dressing gown on. I thought I was getting a new pair of runners for my birthday, not a ring…not complaining!
Planning process.
Originally, we had planned to have our wedding in Moama, so a lot of the planning was utilizing local wedding magazines, Instagram and venue recommendations to help with this.
However, when Covid hit and border restrictions came into play, we made the call to move our wedding locally. In hindsight, this was a lot easier to plan in already knowing local suppliers. I had already booked my Photographer (Fern & Stone) for my original date in Moama on the 12th of March, so I had to keep this date as I really loved Jess’ photography.
Once we had booked a venue and a celebrant, I then used local vendors with who I had previously had a relationship with. This made the planning process a lot easier.
In the lead up to the wedding, delegating or off-loading tasks (flower cones, painting pots, signage, arbour making) was key! You will find that family members and friends are happy to put up their hand in helping bring together your big day.
Style inspiration.
The venue itself was my inspiration; the character and French provincial charm spoke for itself, so I really wanted to compliment this without taking away from its features. Minimalist, romantic and intimate was what I was hoping to achieve. Which I think we nailed!
Colour theme wise, I had no idea what I would do; however, once we found the bridesmaids dresses, the theme of soft subtle pinks and blush were a big feature, which looked beautiful against the oak tables in the reception area.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was intimate and loved up!! We scored beautiful weather, which really made the ceremony area come to life with the sweeping views across to Swan Bay. It was so special to have our 14-month-old son involved in our wedding (even if he did need to be palmed off to a friend). The anticipation and lead up to the day with having covid in the mix really made us appreciate and absorb the day, thinking how lucky we were to be getting married.
The outfit.
Given covid lockdowns and the uncertainty of being able to travel to Melbourne, I sourced local businesses in Geelong. I really did not know what I wanted for my dress; however, I knew I wanted to feel like a modern bride and to wear something that felt like me, simple yet elegant. Soho Bridal (Jessie) really captured this and brought my dream dress to life.
My dress was designed to appear like a two-piece (skirt and top). The top part of the dress had a cross over design over my bust, with a slight gap to reveal some midriff. What I loved about my dress was the beautiful organza wrap jacket, which really brought the dress to life and created elegance. After the formalities of the night, the jacket came off, and the “party mode” dress was in action. It really was a universal dress. I cannot thank Jessie enough for helping me design and create my custom dress!
Favourite moments.
So many moments, really. But going off for our sunset pictures was amazing to catch our breath and take a moment to reflect that we are married!! Nick and I also walked away during the reception and looked back at our wedding from afar. Seeing everyone dancing and having a great time under the festoon lighting was so good to see.
Meaning of marriage.
It means to further signify our love, devotion and commitment to one another.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Your Song by Ellie Goulding
Reception Entry: The Wire by Haim
First Dance song: Adore by Amy Shark
Funny stories or near disasters.
My son Oscar did not really understand that it was our big day, and his separation anxiety had peaked! Luckily, I had an amazing friend who came and saved the day and distracted him during our ceremony. But apart from this, it was smooth sailing.
Planning surprises.
The number of small details that are required that you don’t think of and just the amount of time you will spend researching and searching for inspiration (guest book, etc.).
Words of wisdom.
Take it all in and enjoy every moment. Everyone says it, but the day is done and dusted before you know it. Take some time during the night where just the two of you look back at your wedding. If you have a sit-down wedding, look around at all your guests who are there to celebrate YOU!! Lap it up; you will never have a party like this again.
We were umming and ahhing if we were to elope as we could not be bothered with the fuss. But I can honestly say that I am so glad we chose to have a wedding. Sixty-four guests was perfect for us in still providing the intimate feel that we were hoping for. It was a day we will never forget.
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SHELLEY & NICK’S VENDORS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Scotchmans Hill Winery. Perfect for smaller sized weddings. Ruth, our wedding coordinator, went above and beyond for Nick and me. All our guests raved about the service, wine (of course) and sensational food. The ambience was everything we could have asked for. It really was the perfect venue for our dream day. The winery is just gorgeous, let alone the surrounding views. We were spoilt for choice.
Celebrant: Jess Hills. Brought our love story to life. A thoughtful, caring and relaxed celebrant. We just loved working with Jess.
Photography: Jess from Fern & Stone Photography. Ahhhhmazingggggg. I mean, look at her pictures?!! This girl has talent. Jess makes you feel so comfortable, and a lot of the time, you did not even know she was clicking away taking pictures. This is what drew me towards Jess in the first place; her pictures always show beautiful, candid, in the moment shots. So so happy that we had Jess capture our day.
Styling: Team effort of Scotchmans Hill Winery & Charlie & Co
Florist: Charlie & Co Flowers. Charlie is so talented and creative. I felt confident to leave him to work his magic, and I was not disappointed. He really captured the brief in what I was going for. Everything was perfect.
Hair: Hair by Milly Grace. Milly is my hairdresser, so I was already confident with her work. Milly did such a beautiful job on all our hair ups. So talented, and she really listens to the brief.
Make-up: Mila by Cosmetic MD. Best makeup I have had by far, and it stayed on for the whole day/ night. Mila made everyone feel and look beautiful and confident.
The dress: Jessie from Soho Bridal
Veil: The veil was something borrowed from my sister Alysia (this was a Jane Hill veil from her wedding).
Shoes: Aloha sandals from The Iconic.
Rings: Duffs Jewellers
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec + Bridge
Groomsmen’s suits and bow ties / ties: Peter Jackson
Catering: Scotchmans Hill Winery/ The RK Group
Favours: The Laser Cutting Studio (luggage tags).
Cake: Beat it Frost it. Amazing, delicious cake. Everyone raved about Kate’s cake.
Stationery / Signage: The Laser Cutting Studio. These guys were so great to work with in creating our Welcome Sign, ring holder and luggage tags. Quick efficient and really worked with the brief.
Entertainment: Geelong Entertainment– Test Pilot Molly. These guys sure knew how to get the dance floor rocking! They were so accommodating in playing acoustic style music for the reception, and then once meals were done, they had set up outside under the festoon lighting for the dancefloor. Perfect balmy warm night with awesome music to dance the night away.
Bridal house: Bombora House Point Lonsdale
Honeymoon: Noosa
