Real Wedding – Tom & Lauren, Warrandyte South VIC

For Lauren and Tom, top of their priority list was creating a celebration that felt truly fun-filled. With a super talented team of vendors around them, their nearest and dearest enthusiastically supporting them, and a colour palette of vibrant summer hues elevating their style choices to infectiously effervescent, they absolutely nailed the brief.

Underpinning it all was the sweet, effortless romance that comes from an already enduring love story, echoing from every stunning frame by laid-back legends Caity and Duncan. The Farm Yarra Valley provided a lush backdrop for the glowing portrait session, where the newlyweds absolutely cannot hide their blissed-out vibe.

There to provide the perfect soundtrack, oscillating between an epic dance floor and sweet ceremony soundscape, were superstars We Are Paper Hearts. Nothing makes a day drama-free and more effortlessly memorable than working with a cohesive, upbeat and super-skilled team, so full points to Lauren and Tom for ticking these boxes so beautifully.

Scroll on for a dreamy dive into this sun-drenched vision of a day.

The meeting.

We met in year ten at our high school ballroom dancing class. Looking back, we were both quite drawn to each other, but it was a bit hard to have a chat whilst (attempting) to waltz, so we really only had our first proper conversation on the final night!

The ‘one’.

It’s a bit hard to pick one moment, but we have both loved learning more and more about each other every day throughout our relationship. We’ve both learned to love each other’s little quirks, habits, and humour (including the constant puns) and feel like we can be our authentic selves with each other.

The proposal.

Tom took me out for lunch at Jackalope on the Mornington Peninsula and then took me to a nearby secluded beach. Once we were there, he shared some photos from the many years we’ve been together and expressed how much I meant to him. Tom then led me further down the beach to where he’d set up a camera on the tripod (subtle) and bent down on one knee! The weather then started to pick up; the wind was blowing, and it was raining, but as luck would have it, that’s my favourite weather at the beach. It was perfect.

Planning process.

The planning process was a bit of a roller coaster, to be honest. We put a lot of hard work in initially to choose our venue and vendors. The process from there was pretty relaxed until the last month or so when all of the last details were being finalised.

Style inspiration. 

We didn’t really have a specific style in mind; we just wanted to ensure it reflected us! We wanted the day to be fun, so we had lots of bright colours (both in the beautiful bouquets from Yarra Valley Blooms and the attire), and a well-used dance floor was important as well. We included music that spanned across the generations for everyone to enjoy. We wanted our family and friends to know how much we love them and how thrilled we were for them to be a part of our special day.

We used a variety of sources throughout the planning process, including blogs like Ivory Tribe. We looked at videos and galleries of our shortlisted venues to paint a picture of what our day could look like (plus get a feel for the photo opportunities on-site). We also found the galleries useful when we were picking our vendors, particularly the florist and the photographer/videographer, so we could get a better understanding of their unique styles.

The ceremony.

There wasn’t just one part; it was all the little details throughout that made it so special. It was important to us to have our families involved with the ceremony; our mum’s dried petals from their gardens for the confetti, our siblings were all involved in the ceremony in one way or another, and our nieces and nephews were our official wedding helpers. Everything just came together, from the flowers to the music – even the weather was perfect! Being able to share such a precious moment with our nearest and dearest was all we could have hoped for.

The look. 

Lauren: I only wore one dress for the day; I really wanted to make the most of it! It was important to me that I felt like myself in the dress and that it would complement my mum’s veil (props to Mum being on trend with the pearl veil she made herself!). I went to a few places to try on a few different styles until I ultimately came across my dress! The added bonus was it had pockets!

Tom: Unfortunately, I’m not really one for fashion, but I managed to pull something together with a bit of inspiration from online galleries. Highlights were definitely the trusty old R.M. Williams boots and the patterned bowtie matching my groomsmen’s ties.

Favourite moments.

The whole day, from start to finish, was an incredible whirlwind; we know it’s cliché to say it went fast, but it really did! It’s hard to choose just one, but we really enjoyed the quick moments we had alone; it was really special to be able to take a pause and just soak it all in.

Meaning of marriage.

Doing life with your best friend! Marriage is knowing that you’re going into the hills and valleys that life throws at you as a team and that you’ll always support each other, no matter what.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Can’t help falling in love with you by Kina Grannis

Reception entry: Walk of Life by Dire Straits

First dance: Love is in the Air by John Paul Young

Funny stories or near disasters.

Luckily for us, the day went really smoothly. As someone who has a tendency to be a bit late on the odd occasion, I actually arrived with plenty of time on the day and had a bit of fun watching our guests who arrived after me rush into the venue. I also know our guests had a bit of a laugh when Tom almost tripped over my dress during our first dance!

Planning surprises.

The decision fatigue! Particularly in the last few weeks. We really saw the benefit of being intentional with choosing all of our vendors at the start, as their support made all of those final decisions so much easier! A special mention is needed for Elysia of The Farm Yarra Valley; she was always very helpful (and very prompt!) with the multiple emails and calls we made in the lead-up to the day.

Words of wisdom.

Take the time to research the elements of the day that mean the most to you, both together and individually. It will make all the difference, as your wedding day is about you two, so take the time to invest in yourself!

Good vendors book up quickly, so once you find the ones you like, run (don’t walk) and lock them in!

It is so important to have a positive rapport with your vendors, particularly those you spend a lot of time with (like your photographer and videographer). Take the time to meet with the vendors you’re interested in to see how well you gel; it’ll pay off on the day. Caity and Duncan (our photographer and videographer) were incredible; they made us feel so relaxed in an environment that was totally foreign to us – the proof is in the beautiful photos and videos they captured!!

It can be daunting to know where to begin when choosing your dream day team. A perfect place to begin (and end!) is our vendor directory, listing some of the absolute best in the biz. So get browsing, get booking, and watch your vision be beautifully realised!

TOM & LAUREN’S VENDORS

As a starting point, we looked at other weddings that had taken place at The Farm and the vendors they had used. We did this using blogs such as Ivory Tribe and Instagram. Once we found a few vendors we were interested in, we took a closer look at all the work and made sure it matched the style we were looking for. We also used Facebook groups to hear about other couple’s experiences with the vendors we were interested in.

Ceremony and reception venue: The Farm Yarra Valley. We knew from the first time we visited it was everything we were looking for. Whenever we went to visit (which I’ll admit was a few times), they made us feel so welcome. Elysia and Nick, along with the rest of the team at The Farm, made the whole experience so fun and memorable!

Photography and videography: Caity and Duncan. These two are so passionate about what they do; they really go above and beyond to ensure you have the most memorable day! We had so much fun with them, and they have gifted us with so many beautiful moments of our wedding that we can happily look back on for years to come.

Florist: Yarra Valley Blooms. Renee knew better what we wanted than we did! We sent her a few photos for inspiration, and she came back with the most incredible bouquets, arbour and centrepieces – she is so talented! The flowers were an important feature for us, and Renee certainly delivered.

Make-up: Vanessa Bomba. She really took the time to make sure every detail was perfect and that I still felt like myself with the final look she produced. Vanessa has a wonderful presence, and I could not recommend her enough!

The dress: Raffaele Ciuca

Veil: My mum’s beautiful pearl veil

Shoes: Frankie4

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Chancery

Suits: James Harper

Bow ties / ties: Peggy and Finn

Cake: Provided by the Farm Yarra Valley

Stationery / Signage: Tom designed the invitations and signage, and we just printed them ourselves. The envelopes, wax and stamp were from Zetta Florence.

Entertainment: Live music from Jess an Chris of We Are Paper Hearts

Transport: All About Class