Real Wedding - Tori & Josh, Monbulk VIC

December 5, 2022 In Country, Outdoor, Pastel, Pink, Real Weddings, Rustic, Wedding Styles By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Tori & Josh, Monbulk VIC

Tori and Josh’s love story is something out of a fairytale, and their wedding day couldn’t have epitomised the sweet nature of their pairing any better.

Meeting in primary school and forming the most gorgeous of friendships, perhaps they somehow always knew that one day they’d be writing love notes of a different kind, in those of their heartfelt wedding vows.

Their firm focus was on how the day felt, and from their laid-back location of Log Cabin Ranch, to getting ready side-by-side, then taking to the aisle as a team, their celebration was dotted with blissful moments that represented them beautifully.

Involving family and friends in a calming and heartfelt ceremony led by stellar celebrant, Shannon Jeans, set the tone for their sun-soaked day filled with warmth and natural beauty at every turn.

We love Tori and Josh’s approach to planning, the way they chose and trusted their impeccable A-Team of suppliers, and how perfectly it’s all been documented by the dream team that is Michael Briggs Photography and Director’s Edge.

The meeting.

We met in grade two when I moved primary school. From there brewed a childhood romance where Josh would write me notes and letters and get them delivered by friends or slide them under my cabin door at camp. I always liked him, though I wasn’t ready to date and suggested we be “special friends” instead. I once turned him down as he wanted to kiss me behind the rock climbing wall at lunch, but I wasn’t ready for that kind of thing.

Highschool, we moved in the same social circles, both having our first boyfriend/girlfriend, but deep down, I always had Josh in the back of my mind. In year 11, we were both single, so it wasn’t long before we became an item – and never looked back.

The ‘one’.

Tori: I always knew. He just always made me feel so myself. His laugh and energy for seizing each moment and diving into life have created such magical times for us. He’s the best.

Josh: Tori has always made me feel calm and grounded. I’ve always known. Living life together is just the best.

The proposal.

By the river in Warrandyte on an overcast day. We had decided on a spontaneous drive and day out. We sat by the river, no picnic packed or anything, just having nice chats when it started to drizzle. I looked at Josh and said I was starting to get a bit bored and cold and we should head home.

As I turned around, he said he had a question to ask me before we left, and he was on his knee with a ring he had borrowed from my jewellery box. It was the easiest YES for me, and we hugged and held each other and cried, and I proceeded to go through every emotion possible (after first apologising for saying I was bored!), looping around between tears, laughter, elation, and gratitude. It was perfect, low-key, and very us. We proceeded to buy bottles of champagne on the drive home and do house visits to our loved ones on the way – so many epic memories from this day.

Planning process.

Honestly, everything just fell into place for us. Josh found Shannon Jeans (our celebrant) on Instagram, and after finding her and getting amazing vibes, we decided our choice of all vendors would be made by vibes only! We feel the universe helped to plonk the best vendors on our path; it honestly all just fell together. Speaking to our key vendors about their recommended suppliers was a game changer.

Style inspiration.

The main thing we cared about was the feeling of the day rather than simply the way everything looked. We wanted our wedding to be a representation of who we are. Therefore, choosing Log Cabin Ranch as our venue was key to our laid-back and casual garden wedding. For us, it was always about low stress and carefree vibes, and in a natural bush setting, as this is the kind of life we love.

The ceremony.

For us, walking down the aisle together (and having spent the morning together getting ready) was special because we chose to do things our way. We got to have so many beautiful and funny moments in the morning and upon arrival at our wedding that the day felt blissfully slow.

Changing tradition and walking down together was significant for us, as marriage is a choice we are both making, and the idea of being given away didn’t resonate with me.

Other special bits: our close friend played our ceremony, and that meant a lot to us. Given the sunny arvo, some people were sitting on the lawn and mostly in chairs; the feeling was so calm and relaxed.

The look.

Josh found his outfit by looking online, and YSG Tailors also came highly recommended. He knew he wanted a more relaxed look for the day and something more summery.

My dress was the first and only one I tried, and I just loved it. I was mailed a sample to try at home; I loved that it was made from re-purposed 100-year-old silk fabric.

Favourite moments.

How do we choose only one!

Waking up together, getting dressed up and having our first look in the garden.

A moment just the two of us between the ceremony and reception to be present and enjoy.

Dancing and feeling the most in love, and loved, by everyone there to celebrate us.

Meaning of marriage.

An opportunity for our love story to deepen and to commit to our growth together as a couple. To choose each other and continue to support each other in all seasons of life.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Crazy Love by Van Morrison

Reception entry: Wild Thing

Funny stories or near disasters.

My 1964 beetle was our transport to our ceremony. Despite her beauty, on the day the gearbox decided to have issues. This meant Josh rolling up the sleeves of his suit and everyone taking off heels to roll the car out the drive, given only a few gears were working. I then swapped with my mum (our driver) and drove us to our wedding with Josh in the back, giving me praise for my driving. It was the most intense yet funny moment of the day. We had planned to have cans tinkling behind our car to the wedding, but all this got forgotten (including my veil!) in the heat of the moment. Wouldn’t change a thing, though.

Planning surprises.

The cost of a wedding.

The amount of admin and planning involved.

The unknowns of having a wedding in COVID times.

That weddings are a point of difference for many people.

Words of wisdom.

Advice would be to have a wedding within your means to limit stress and refocus your energy on the fact you are getting to marry the person you love. Decide what aspects of the day are important to you and stay true to those. In other aspects, being flexible and open to things changing and rolling with all of it will ensure you have the most relaxed and most fun day.

Get ready together! It meant so many hours of memories and connection before we even stepped down the aisle. This was key in the day feeling long and not rushed too – would recommend!

Compiling the guest list for your dream day can seem fun to begin with, but can soon cause a headache when you need to look at cutting the numbers down. Need some handy hints on how to do this? You’ve come to the right place, see our top tips here.

TORI & JOSH’S VENDORS

After doing some initial research and learning a bit about vendors and the industry, we limited the amount of info we read and instead turned to our vendors for support and advice around the plan of the day, who to book first and finding our other suppliers. They were so amazingly helpful, and we felt less overwhelmed doing things this way (thanks, Briggsy, Glen and Shannon).

Ceremony & reception venue: Log Cabin Ranch, Monbulk Vic

Celebrant: Shannon Jeans

Photography: Michael Briggs Photography

Videography: Glen, Directors Edge

Styling: Gather Round Events, Boutique Hire Co

Florist: Lakeside Flowers

Hair & make-up: Tiarna Robertson HMU

The dress: Lost In Paris

Shoes: Mi Piaci

Rings: Josh’s – Cort Jewellery, Tori’s – Vintage find/Etsy

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Miss Bella Bridal

Suits & bow ties / ties: YSG Tailors