Real Wedding – Tara & Phil, Coldstream VIC
A wedding of elevated elegance was guaranteed when Tara and Phil decided on Coombe Yarra Valley as their venue.
The luxe industry leader ticked all their priority planning boxes; stunning scenery, a memorable culinary experience and exemplary service.
Tara found the task of dress shopping her least favourite on the to-do list until she encountered the brilliant team at d’Italia who took one look at her collection of inspiration photos and instantly identified the commonalities.
What resulted was the design of a classic gown featuring a strapless bodice and full-bodied skirt, perfectly tailored to Tara.
When it was time for the reception, the couple made up-tempo music selections to set the tone for a care-free celebration and the entertainment experts at Hey Jack read the energy of the crowd to keep the dancefloor full all night long.
Journey through the highs and lows of the planning stages before rejoicing in Tara and Phil’s glorious gallery by Ashleigh Haase below.
The meeting.
We met through a mutual friend almost 11 years ago at university.
‘The one’.
I knew the minute I met Phil there was something special about him, and he thought the same about me. We had three initial dates, then a three-year break, but we found our way back to each other through the same mutual friend who introduced us. We always knew we were each other’s forever, we just needed to find our way back to each other, and after eight official years, we finally tied the knot.
The proposal.
We were off on our daily walk with our kelpie Arney at Torquay dog beach, which leads to the nude beach near Breamlea. Phil was as sweaty as ever, and I was being stubborn, doing the opposite of everything he said. We finally hit the sign that said, “nude beach”, and no one else was around… just tricking, it was there that Phil (fully clothed) dropped to one knee and proposed while Prince’s song The Most Beautiful Girl In The World played. I obviously said a big YES!
Planning process.
I’m an A-grade procrastinator, but I knew what I wanted. It was always about convincing Phil to agree with the vision. Firstly, I wined and dined his parents at Coombe Yarra Valley, and they fell in love with it. I then wined and dined my parents and Phil together, and my parents loved it too. Phil took some convincing, but with the five of us ganging up on him, he couldn’t really disagree. It took me nearly two years to bring my ideas to life and ensure I could secure all the vendors I wanted to book.
Style inspiration.
I wanted a classic and sophisticated one-stop shop so that guests didn’t need to travel between venues. I was after beautiful scenery that I could enhance with minimal effort, beautiful food and wines and a venue that I knew could offer exceptional service.
I truly looked at Ivory Tribe and went through all of the real-life weddings to get a feel for vendors whose style aligned with how I wanted the day to feel or be captured. Ivory Tribe real weddings showcase so many vendors and varying styles, so it was the perfect way to build a list of vendors I could enquire with. It also helped me a lot with music choices, as this was surprisingly difficult.
Our gorgeous photographer Ash had captured an old friend from high school’s wedding a few years ago, and I could not stop looking at her photos, so I knew I needed to lock her down. She was the first vendor we booked in. Our videographer, Josue, was also a vendor I needed to lock down, as he had captured some close friends’ weddings, and I loved his style.
The ceremony.
It was just the most perfect day. Not a single cloud in the sky. All Phil could say when I walked down the aisle to him was “wowza”, and he could not stop talking about how unbelievable everything was and that it was finally our day. This is heavily reflected in our ceremony wedding video! It was also my gorgeous grandmother’s 96th birthday, so she got a very special shout-out during the ceremony, and all the guests went up to her post-ceremony to wish her a happy birthday. A memory I am sure she will never forget – she couldn’t stop smiling!
The outfits.
I genuinely hated wedding dress shopping. I found it really difficult to get into the mood of trying on long white dresses. I only went to two bridal boutiques before deciding I wanted something that was custom-built for my body. I went to d’Italia and sat down with the ladies there, who looked at some of my dress inspiration photos, and we designed a gown together. They then got me in contact with an atelier, Vicky from Vassi Bridal Couture, who brought the design to life over a few visits.
Favourite moment.
It is hard to pinpoint an exact moment. Our ceremony was so surreal. Seeing Phil waiting at the end of the aisle was just the best feeling.
Meaning of marriage.
For both Phil and I it is a commitment to one another, to support each other’s dreams and to reach our individual goals as well as couple goals. To grow a strong family unit, to create memories and to have fun along the way.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Simply the Best (acoustic version) sung by our acoustic artist Tj Alcaniz
Reception entry: Our bridal party had their own songs to come out to in pairs to get the party started:
Freed from Desire – Gala
100% Pure Love – Crystal Waters vs Christian Marchi (Clint Morgan Bootleg)
Let Me Think About It – Ida Corr, Fedde Le Grand
Saving Up – Dom Dolla
Bride and Groom entry: Sweet Lovin’ (radio edit) Sigala, Bryn Christopher
First Dance: The Power of Love by Celine Dion
Planning surprises.
How many people had opinions! And just how difficult that pesky seating chart was. I will never do a seating chart again.
Words of wisdom.
If you hire great vendors, everything will come together perfectly, and you will be staring at your dreams come to life. Also, Phil’s famous saying is ‘you can plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the weather’. What will be will be. Once the day is there, just soak it all in. It’s absolutely true what they say, the day is finished as quickly as it began!
TARA & PHIL’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Coombe Yarra Valley
Celebrant: Lisa Brown
Photography: Ashleigh Haase
Videography: TW Films
Styling: Bride’s own with the help of Gemma at Coombe who put everything together on the day
Florist: Friend and florist Ally Day of Queens of Blossom
Hair: Darian Brazier at A Hairstylist Secret
Make-up: Natalie Santilli MUA
The dresses: Designed by d’Italia and made by Vicky from Vassi Bridal Couture / Second dress from AJE
Veil: Vassi Bridal Couture
Shoes: Mi Piaci for ceremony and Billini for reception
Rings: Lili Fine Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Reformation, AJE, Hexie
Suit & ties: Eddy Elias Menswear
Favours: Wilde Little Bloom
Cake: Scrumdiddely
Stationery & signage: Jem & I
Entertainment: Tj Alcaniz for the ceremony and cocktail hour and Hey Jack for the reception
Transport: Melbourne Mustang Car Hire
Honeymoon: Fiji
