Real Wedding – Tory & Jimmy, Tinamba VIC
Tory and Jimmy’s dream day echoed with country cool, welcoming, relaxed vibes and just a hint of boho bliss. This is a celebration overflowing with everything we love about a wedding – a community coming together in an incredible experience filled with super-special moments and raw, authentic emotion.
Selecting Mewburn Park as the backdrop to this sweet celebration was an inspired choice. Providing a rustically beautifully backdrop for the ceremony, stunningly lush bushland for photos and an epic marquee set-up meant that the newlyweds and their guests made the most of every moment. Styling choices, including garlands of festoon lights, crisply contemporary signage in arched shapes, and a sweet sunflower yellow food truck, elevated the fun.
Tory looks a chic boho beauty in her Grace Loves Lace Orla gown, with a stunningly low back detail in leaf lace fabric. Alongside her bridesmaids in dresses of burnt coral, all carrying bouquets of soft pink, terra cotta and pops of peach, they are a vision of effortless style.
There to capture all the emotion in artful authenticity is one of our fave photographers, Kinship by Kirsty.
The meeting.
We actually met on Tinder when we were living in Melbourne but originally grew up in close-by towns in Gippsland. We would have crossed paths through our local netball and football teams.
The ‘one’.
I don’t think there was ever a moment, necessarily, but from about the third date, I couldn’t imagine my life without Jimmy in it.
The proposal.
We were holidaying in Jarvis Bay and went out for dinner to celebrate New Year. After dinner, we watched the sunset on the beach when Jimmy asked me to marry him.
Planning process.
I found using wedding blogs useful to get inspiration, especially as we were doing everything ourselves. It helped to see how tables were decorated and what we may have needed to decorate the venue. It also helps to find suppliers and see how other couples may have celebrated their days.
Style inspiration.
We wanted to have a really relaxed, slightly boho vibe. I’m obsessed with neutrals, with the adding of earthy pinks, terracotta and orange tones, so I was really drawn to anything along those lines. I knew the florals I was wanting, so everything was to complement that.
The ceremony.
I think because we didn’t necessarily do the traditional ceremony and really made it more ‘us’, it was highly emotional, and many of our guests commented on how it showed so much love and brought a tear to their eyes. It also involved our son, which is special in itself.
The look.
Mine was a Grace Loves Lace dress. I had loved two other dresses of theirs, so I immediately booked an appointment. I tried on those dresses, but it was the Orla that stood out and made me feel my absolute best.
With Jimmy’s outfit, we knew that we wanted it to be quite simple and had looked around online before going shopping with his groomsmen. Gazman had the better fit and great quality.
Favourite moments.
I don’t think I can necessarily pinpoint a moment, but meeting Jimmy at the end of the alter was up there. I think, though, we really just tried to lap up the entire day. After having to replan because of COVID then another scare that we would have to cancel again, we both felt so grateful to have the amazing day that we did and that we were able to enjoy it with our loved ones.
Meaning of marriage.
It’s choosing your person, your teammate, your family to do life with. It’s committing to work together and support each other no matter the situation.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Cinema by Benny Benassi (acoustic version)
Reception entry: Cake by the Ocean by DNCE
Funny stories or near disasters.
There were a couple on the day. When Jimmy was asked to take me as his lawful wife, he accidentally said awful wife. I also may have accidentally set my flowers on fire during the reception, but luckily they were saved (somewhat) by one of the groomsmen.
Planning surprises.
I have worked in events, so not a lot was a surprise, but a pandemic was definitely a big one (just when I thought things were going so easily)
Words of wisdom.
Try to enjoy the process and block out all the external noise from family/friends that comes with it. At the end of the day, it is all about you; try to remember that. Also, once the day arrives, there’s nothing you can do anymore, so sit back and enjoy all that you have planned.
Love a romance filled reception? So do we. So much so, we’ve collated some of our favourite spaces, from farms to elegant inner-city soirees, here on the blog.
TORY & JIMMY’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Mewburn Park, Tinamba. We always had discussed finding a farm or some land to get married and have a marquee for the reception. However, one night decided to search what venues were around. I downloaded the Easy Weddings app to see what it was like, and Mewburn Park was one of the first venues to pop up. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the place I wanted to get married – it was absolutely beautiful. I reached out to Julia and Adam, and from day one to our wedding day, they were incredible. Always quick to answer our questions, queries and help find vendors, and when we had to reschedule due to COVID, they were a breeze to work with. During the day of our wedding, they made sure everything ran smoothly, and by the end, it felt like they were friends with us on the day. I could not recommend them more if I tried!
Celebrant: Rhiannon from Two Sisters Celebrants. We found Rhiannon through a friend (one of my bridesmaids). As soon as I reached out and had a chat on the phone, we were more than happy for her to be our celebrant on the day. We didn’t want a super traditional ceremony, we just wanted it to be very us, and she delivered in every way. She was so easy to deal with, even when Jimmy sent her his vows, and they were in dot point form!
Photography: Kinship by Kristy. Kristy is one of my sisters’ best friends, so I’ve known her for over 20 years. Our relationship aside, she is such an incredible talent with the most beautiful portfolio. She has also captured big moments in our life, and this was just another that we loved for her to be a part of. Kristy is a bright, bubbly and positive energy to have around and added so much to our day. We all felt at complete ease with her, even those who didn’t know her, and our photos are WOW! Words can’t express how lucky we are that she captured every special moment.
Florist: Katie from Pollen and Patina. I discovered Katie’s work by stalking the previous weddings that had been at Mewburn Park. No matter the style of wedding, Katie absolutely nailed it and added her own spin. All I gave Katie was a Pinterest board of what I liked and the colours I was heading towards, and once again, she absolutely nailed it. Also, she was heavily pregnant during the installation, and she stuck around after the ceremony to recycle the ceremony flowers for our reception, enabling us to save on costs.
Hair: Jacinta Hower. Cint is not only my trusted hairdresser for many years but also my cousin. Again, like Kristy, there was no one that I trusted more. Cint is so good at what she does, and I knew whatever style I threw at her, she would perfect – and she was. It was also so nice to have a friendly face whilst we got ready and to join in on all the fun of the day’s festivities.
Make-up: Juana Jose. I’ve known Juana for a few years as she’s done my make-up a handful of times. There was no question as to who I wanted to do my make-up as she is ridiculous at what she does. She knows exactly what suits your face and took on board my requests. We went with a natural make-up look, and she nailed it.
The dress: Grace Loves Lace. I’ve never been one to imagine what my future wedding would look like, but I remember even before meeting Jimmy discovering Grace Loves Lace on Instagram and being captivated by the beauty of their dresses. Luckily for me, they had recently opened up a store in Melbourne, just before I started seriously planning. My experience there was amazing. Tara, who took me through the dresses, made the whole experience so comfortable and enjoyable. Funnily enough, there were two that I absolutely loved, and so I went in there thinking I would decide between the two. After trying them on, I just didn’t feel that amazing in them. Tara asked if she could pick a couple of dresses based on what I liked and my body shape – and I instantly fell in love with the Orla. The lace detail and the back absolutely sold me. Throughout the day and the night of our wedding, I had so many of the vendors and guests continuously complimenting me on the dress and quite a few even asking to take a photo of the dress (mostly of the back) to show other brides to be. My experience with Grace Loves Lace was so easy, with even my dress arriving at my front door.
Shoes: Novo
Rings: Jimmy – Mazzucchellis. Tory – custom by Seahorse Boutique. I’ve known Jordy from Seahorse Boutique for years, and he is such an artist and amazing craftsman. After searching high and low for the ring I wanted, I told him my idea of what I would like. He designed something there and then and within about a week delivered. From the moment I received the ring I couldn’t stop trying it on.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Hazel and Folk. Surprisingly, the choosing of the bridesmaid dresses was so easy, especially considering one of my bridesmaids was interstate, and we were in lockdown – so we couldn’t go shopping. So, I sent a few images of dresses that I liked and had discovered through Instagram. Instantly all four bridesmaids loved and decided on the Hazel and Folk dress, and then eventually the colour. The dress was so beautiful and suited all of the girls. They all felt incredibly comfortable and looked absolutely stunning.
Suits & bow ties / ties: Gazman. The groomsmen went shopping and knew roughly what they were wanting. After trying on suits from a few stores, it seemed Gazman was the best fit. All their clothes were beautifully made and suited all of the guys.
Catering: Duart Homestead. Duart Homestead was one of the recommendations from Mewburn Park. We knew that we wanted Mexican food, and as soon as I stalked their Instagram, the first post I clicked on was a special Mexican themed wedding they did. We thought it was going to be hard to find somewhere who would cater to what we were wanting but, within moments, we found them. They were super easy to deal with, and everyone still raves about how good the food was and loved that they were allowed to go back for more.
Bar: Mewburn Park
Favours: cookies by sweet rebel bakes. I met Amy through my mother’s group and had been lucky enough to taste many of her treats. She is a brilliant pastry chef and delivered the most delicious cookies for our guests. Again, so many say that they were some of the best that they have tried.
Cake: Cake by Sharan. Sharan is a family friend of ours, and she makes the most incredible creations. I gave her an image that I loved and got Katie from Pollen and Patina to add some florals, and the cake was absolutely stunning. This was our dessert for the night, and so many went back for more; it was so delicious.
Stationery / Signage: Designed by the bride, and some made by my husband. Having a marketing background, I knew that I would be able to save costs in some of the design aspects. I used Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration.
Entertainment: Singer during the ceremony Sophie Jepson & DJ Hotkatz for the reception. Sophie is actually my sister-in-law and has an amazing voice. When I asked if she would be comfortable to sing whilst I went down the aisle, she was more than happy to. She even produced her own beautiful rendition of the song. The DJ had actually worked at my brother’s wedding a bit over 12 months before and had been recommended.
Honeymoon: We stayed in the area for a few days after the wedding and will have a honeymoon once we have some more clarity over covid and travel.
