Real Wedding – Taylah & Daniel, Willung South VIC
Daniel and Taylah didn’t wait until they said ‘I do’ to make memories that would last a lifetime – they knew the planning process and pre-wedding celebrations were as special and significant as the day itself.
So, they gave themselves the gift of time – a longer engagement spent steadily, mindfully curating an occasion that felt true to their laid-back nature.
The joyful, easy energy that underpinned the entire day was artfully captured by the king of candid yet cohesive storytelling, Motta Weddings.
And for an additional, personality-infused archive of the guests who cheered them into their new chapter as husband and wife, Daniel and Taylah had them record a message of love and luck via an Off The Hook audio guestbook.
Scroll on for stories and snaps of all the darling details – including the moment the bride arrived at the ceremony in one of her Dad’s trucks, listening to country music, just as they had done during her childhood.
The meeting.
We were actually sat at the same table during our sibling’s debutant ball many years back. Daniel would say that Taylah had her eyes on him since then (Taylah would say otherwise). A few years later, Daniel spotted Taylah at a restaurant on Chapel Street and was instantly drawn to her. Lucky for him, she was out with a mutual friend, which gave him an excuse to go up to the table to say hello. A follow-on Instagram and a Facebook friend request later, Daniel slid into Taylah’s DMs, and here we are today.
‘The one’.
We knew from day one. It’s a classic cliché, but when you know, you know.
The proposal.
We went away for a weekend at the beautiful Mitchelton Winery. Taylah had no idea, as she assumed she was there to celebrate her birthday, so she was taken by complete surprise when Daniel popped the question. We then celebrated all weekend with lots of food and wine.
Planning process.
Both of us knew from the get-go that we wanted to enjoy the entire planning process. We are naturally both very laid-back people, which definitely helped. We didn’t want to rush the engagement period, so we opted for a slightly longer wedding turnaround, and I think this really allowed us to be super present through it all.
The week leading up to our wedding are some of our fondest memories – it was filled with so much love, all of our nearest and dearest helping with the set up, so many laughs and quality time spent with family and friends. The night before was a highlight of the entire weekend, a night spent with our families and bridal party at our venue on a balmy summer night with a few drinks and pizza.
Style inspiration.
The inspiration for our wedding came from a recent trip to Europe. We wanted something simple and classic with pops of vibrancy. We curated a mood board with all of our favourite styles/designs, and the beauty of the social media algorithm definitely helped. Our florals were a take on modern European style, and we opted for a cocktail style wedding as we wanted it to feel super relaxed, fun and social – something that replicated both our personalities. We wanted our guests to be able to mingle and dance all night with us.
The ceremony.
Taylah arrived to the ceremony in one of her Dad’s trucks – listening to country music – which was a fond memory of Taylah’s growing up. It was really important to us that we involved both families and parents in our ceremony, so Daniel’s parents walked down the aisle first, followed by Taylah and her parents. Our celebrant, Kellie Eddy, set the scene – she had known Daniel since he was a young teenager, so there was a special personal connection which helped settle the nerves. We wanted our ceremony to be lighthearted so we kept our vows genuine, fun, a little silly (nothing too mushy) but still filled with so much love.
The outfits.
Daniel and his groomsmen’s suits were based on our European inspiration. We love natural earthy tones and felt it tied in well with the landscape of the winery and complemented the bridesmaids’ dresses well. My dress was a custom Mariana Hardwick gown. I knew I wanted something simple, classic and timeless. The choosing of our outfits was surprisingly very seamless.
Daniel was a first try and buy situation, and I had tried one other designer before landing on my dress. Overall, it was a beautiful and fun experience.
Favourite moments.
We can’t pick one as there were so many! A few that come to mind – Taylah’s solo performance with the band to Man I Feel Like A Woman by Shania Twain, being in the same place with our very own handpicked people, and lastly, our ceremony – it set the tone for the night and was perfectly ‘us’.
Meaning of marriage.
A commitment beyond words. A love that is built from trust, commitment, family and respect.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle Song: Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s
Reception entry: Just The Way You Are – Milky
First Dance: Betting On Us – Miles Smith
Funny stories or near disasters.
The bus driver bringing all of our guests to the venue took a wrong turn, got lost and arrived 5-10 minutes before the wedding kicked off – so we nearly had a wedding with no guests! Haha.
Planning surprises.
How quickly everything comes together in the final six weeks. All the decisions and communications happen around the final month so it’s a very busy time.
Words of wisdom.
Enjoy it! Don’t take yourselves too seriously, you want to look back at this entire stage of your life and remember it as a joyful and special time in your life, not stressful and unenjoyable. Remember to spend quality time with each other throughout the whole journey because it is such a special moment in time.
TAYLAH & DANIEL’S SUPPLIERS:
Instagram and word of mouth were how we picked our A Team – we couldn’t have picked a better team, they all worked seamlessly together to bring our special day to life. They truly are all the best in the biz, and we could not recommend them enough!
Ceremony & reception venue: Carrajung Estate
Celebrant/Officiant: Kellie Eddy Celebrant
Photography: Motta Weddings
Videography: MIM Media
Styling: Emerald Thompson
Florist: Victoria Hall Co
Hair: Bonita Salon
Make-up: Latu MUA
The dress & veil: Mariana Hardwick
Shoes: Scanlan Theodore (Taylah), R.M Williams (Daniel)
Rings: The Jewel of Ivanhoe
Suits: Peter Jackson
Ties: M.J Bale
Cake: Matilda Ingravalle (Close family friend)
Stationery & Signage: Etsy
Entertainment: Like This Entertainment
Transport: Latrobe Valley Bus Lines
Hire: Bluebird Vintage Hire/ Off The Hook Audio Guest Book
Honeymoon: Port Douglas
