Chic green styling, a weekend wedding and a dachshund that steals the show
With Marty hailing from country Victoria and Bonnie a self-confessed city girl turned country lover, Lancemore Milawa was the perfect place to become husband and wife.
Wanting a celebration that felt effortless, classic and fun, the couple fell in love with Lancemore Milawa’s relaxed country charm, beautiful gardens and accommodation, allowing guests to settle in and enjoy an entire weekend of celebrations. Embracing an understated chic aesthetic, they let the natural beauty of the surroundings shine, complemented by elegant green and white florals that added a timeless touch.
Beneath the shade of a magnificent oak tree, Bonnie and Marty exchanged vows in a deeply personal ceremony surrounded by family, friends and their beloved dog, Daphne. Thoughtful touches were woven throughout the day, from a best friend stepping into the role of celebrant to close friends performing an acoustic version of their aisle song.
Bonnie looked effortlessly elegant in a custom silk gown by By Kinsman, inspired by the iconic Vivienne Westwood aesthetic, while Marty kept things classic in a tailored black tuxedo.
Filled with heartfelt moments, plenty of laughter and a packed dance floor, this beautiful Lancemore Milawa wedding was the perfect blend of country charm and timeless sophistication, shot to perfection by Mandy Wood Studio.
The meeting.
Marty and I met at the American Hotel in Echuca (regional Victoria) over the long weekend in January 2020.
I wasn’t supposed to be there that weekend, but after my plans were cancelled in Melbourne, I ended up driving to Echuca to spend the weekend with my sister and some friends on the river. Marty, originally from Leitchville (not too far from Echuca), had just finished his first season playing AFL and had the weekend off from pre-season, so he was letting his hair down with some friends and camping nearby for the weekend.
Marty says I smiled at him as we walked into the venue, but I don’t remember even seeing him. He came up to me straight away, trying to dance with me on the dance floor. After noticing his persistence, I turned around and saw this tall, dark and handsome man. We spent the rest of the night hanging out (with a few sneaky kisses on the dance floor) before going our separate ways. After weeks of messaging, we finally went on our first date and, as they say, “the rest was history”.
The one.
I (Bonnie) knew on our first date that he was the one, he was so nervous and sweet. Everything just flowed easily, and I just knew he was the one. Suddenly there was no doubt, it was just a feeling. Marty says he knew as soon as we met that night in Echuca. He had never felt that way about anyone and he couldn’t wait to see me again. There was a sense of certainty that we would always be together.
The proposal.
It was a couple of years before we actually got married! My family were coming over for dinner for Marty’s birthday when he insisted we go for a quick walk with our Dachshund Daphne. Despite needing to organise everything for dinner, I agreed, reminding him it had to be fast!
We lived right near the Maribyrnong River, so we would usually walk down the trail and along the water. During the walk, he threw the ball for Daphne, who conveniently dropped it behind a bush. Marty chased after her, and when he came back, I thought nothing of it.
As she ran towards us, he pointed out something “glistening” on Daphne’s collar. As I looked closer and realised what it was, Marty got down on one knee, took the ring off her collar, and proposed. Through happy tears, I said yes, it was just perfect. So simple and so us. We then headed home and celebrated with all my family, it was so special.
Planning process.
As a graphic designer, I had worked across a few weddings as a vendor in the lead up to planning my own – it’s a little side hustle from my full-time job. It was so fun to design, create and plan our own wedding, we found the process really enjoyable! We initially nailed down the ins and outs we wanted (based on our budget of course) and built out the planning process from there. Both Marty and I had some non-negotiables, for both our venue and the style – we wanted accommodation for guests, sit down dinner, outdoor ceremony, regional Vic etc. Once these were decided we booked the main vendors around a year out from our wedding date – venue, photographer, videographer, florist, dress, makeup etc.
Working in weddings and creating stationary for other brides, it was definitely hard not to want to incorporate different trends and styles within our own wedding. To help with this, I created a style guide which really supported our vision and also helped vendors understand what our perfect day looked like.
Style inspiration.
Marty, being from country Victoria, and myself, a city girl turned country lover, wanted something that felt effortless, classic and fun. We love being outdoors and wanted somewhere our guests could stay and enjoy the celebrations, not just on the wedding day.
The overall vibe was understated chic, where nature’s beauty seamlessly complemented the classic elegance of the occasion.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was really romantic and personal. The flowers were wrapped around us in the shade beneath the big oak tree in the garden. We had our chairs placed in a curved formation facing the ‘altar’, which we felt was a lovely way to create a sense of softness in the warm summer air.
We had one of our best friends, Harry, be our ‘celebrant’. He was there the night we first met, so it was very fitting that he be the one to share our story with our favourite people. Our close friends, Tahlia and Brad, also sang us down the aisle, customising our song request into a soft, acoustic version.
We loved that there was so much personalisation within our ceremony. Our siblings were part of our bridal parties, both of our parents walked down the aisle, and, of course, our dog Daphne made an appearance too.
The outfits.
I knew for a while that I wanted a simple and understated dress. I’ve always loved the Vivienne Westwood Bridal collection and took inspiration from there. We customised the dress to include a large removable skirt for the ceremony, which could then be taken off to create two different looks within the one dress.
I loved the corset bodice paired with a simple A-line skirt. Stephanie from By Kinsman, who designed my dress, is an amazing dressmaker and creator. She also designed my sister’s wedding dress, so I knew she would be able to capture my vision perfectly. Stephanie recommended we use 100% duchess silk, which ensured the dress was structured yet soft, while still being breathable for a warm summer day.
It was so special seeing her sketch the initial design and then being part of the dressmaking process, fittings and alterations. Watching it all come together from a roll of fabric was incredible.
Marty is a classic kind of guy – no fuss and easy-going. All he wanted was a simple black tuxedo that would be a wardrobe staple for years to come. In his words, “No one will be looking at me!”
MJ Bale seemed to be the perfect fit and, after some tailoring, he and the groomsmen were sorted.
Favourite moment.
The ceremony was my favourite part of the wedding. It felt like, in that moment, everything else faded away and it was just the two of us. Nothing can prepare you for what it’s like standing in front of the love of your life and hearing vows they have carefully written just for you. Making a promise to spend the rest of your lives together and sharing that moment with all the people you love most is incredibly special.
Not to mention, our little dog Daphne spent the majority of the ceremony lying on the train of my skirt, which was absolutely adorable and also hilarious. I’m so grateful she was part of our day.
For Marty, it was hard to choose just one moment, but the ceremony was a real standout. Standing at the altar and officially becoming husband and wife felt incredibly special — the beginning of our next chapter together. Then spending the night on the dance floor with all our favourite people and soaking up the celebrations was the perfect way to end a perfect day.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage has always been something I thought about from a young age. I was always excited about getting dressed up and becoming a bride, but as I’ve gotten older and since meeting Marty, I’ve realised just how special it truly is. Meeting the person you want to spend your future with, someone you can create a life with and build a family alongside, is incredibly meaningful.
Marriage is so much more than a wedding or a piece of paper. For me, it’s a promise to always be there for each other and to build a future together as one.
For Marty, it means being together through the good and the bad, the highs and the lows of life. It’s about always supporting each other and being one another’s biggest cheerleaders. It’s about loyalty and commitment, and choosing each other every day, no matter what.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle song: Next to Me – Rufus Du Sol (acoustic version sung by our beautiful friends Tahlia & Bad Green)
Reception entrance song: Freed From Desire – Gala
First dance song: You Were Right – Rufus Du Sol (acoustic by Ryan Harris)
Official dance floor starter: No Broke Boys – Disco Lines, Tinashe
Cake cutting song: All My Love – Noah Kahan
Funny stories (or near disasters).
On the day our Dachshund Daphne stole the show – running up and down the aisle and sitting on my dress throughout the ceremony, roaming around the reception and making multiple appearances on the dancefloor!
Marty actually built the dancefloor so there was an ongoing joke that it might fall apart but he did an amazing job and it held up all night!
A guest also spilled red wine all over the side of my silk wedding dress on the dancefloor – unfortunately it didn’t come out after dry cleaning but luckily it happened after all the formalities were over!
Planning surprises.
The amount of logistics involved in the lead up I don’t think is mentioned as much as it could be – lots of time/planning and run sheets involved!
Words of wisdom.
- Try to decide on a vision/style of your wedding that means something to you and your partner (if that’s important to you) and stick with it, so many trends come and go and at least you can look back and know you represented yourselves throughout the day, not just what was on trend!
- Spend money on the elements of the day that mean the most to you, e.g. food, drinks, music etc.
- Try not to sweat the small stuff, as someone who fixates on the details especially in the lead up, on the day I was so consumed with the love and in the moment that I didn’t care about the little things like I thought I would.
- If you can, definitely try to get away with your partner for a day or two after the wedding. Doesn’t have to be a honeymoon but just takes some time to unwind, debrief and decompress after the big day. You are on such a high on the wedding day and in the lead up, you can feel a bit lost afterwards so take some time to process it all.
Bonnie and Marty’s Vendors
Ceremony and reception venue: Lancemore, Milawa
Reception venue / location: Lancemore Milawa. It was really important to Marty and I had a venue where the majority of our guests could stay. We loved the idea of a private estate but often it only sleeps 15-20 people. We found Lancemore Milawa online around 18 months before our wedding day and went for a tour. We loved that we had the whole venue to ourselves on the night of our wedding with our guests all staying on site. It was so special being able to wake up and have breakfast with everyone and spend more time together than you could on the wedding day. Venue, food, drink and staff were all amazing and very accommodating.
Coordinator/Wedding Venue Contact: Curated by Olivia. Liv was a great support at Lancemore Milawa, helping us create the wedding we had always dreamed of. Everything went off without a hitch due to her organisation/coordination. No task was too big or small, she was a fabulous addition to our special day.
Celebrant/Officiant: Harry Graham & Lesley Sanderson. It was so special having one of our best friends Harry ‘marry us’ at our ceremony in front of all our friends and family. We wanted to be legally married on the 12/12 so Lesley, a lovely local celebrant, married us after our first look during the day. We found Lesley online after our initial celebrant cancelled 4 months from our wedding date (stress). But it was honestly for the best! Lesley was so kind and patient, we are so grateful to have her as part of our day.
Photography: Mandy Wood Studio. We found Mandy & Scott after I had saved multiple wedding images they had taken on socials. We found out they weren’t available for our date (I was low key devo) but when Mandy got back to us to say something opened up so we booked straight away. As a husband and wife duo, these two are the absolute best at what they do. So experienced and professional, they brought such great vibes to the day. We would have been lost without their artistic direction!
Videography: Allure Productions. Another husband and wife duo! I got in contact with Ange and Michael through my sister who had them at her wedding. As I was in the bridal party, I had met Ange years before and saw the amazing work she and Michael created. It was so lovely working with them again. We loved how they captured our day and the venue so perfectly.
Styling: Brit Grantham – Forever Socials. Brit was our literal arms and legs for the day! As I had created all the stationery/many of the styling elements for the wedding, I needed someone with a keen eye and style to set everything up on the day. Brit did an absolutely incredible job at bringing my vision to life. Brit is actually a wedding content creator (an amazing one at that) but I knew her through a friend of a friend and she has always had amazing style. Brit was someone I could trust on the day to create something truly special.
Florist: Lowevly. Brianna and Courtney absolutely nailed the brief! I was initially introduced to the girls through another client I was doing wedding stationery for. Once I spoke to Brianna I knew it was a perfect fit. The whites and greens provide a fresh, natural feel, while the subtle pink added a soft, romantic touch, perfectly capturing our special day.
Content Creation: MTL Socials. Molly is such a gem and a trailblazer when it comes to wedding content creation! We booked Molly after she did a friend’s wedding almost a year out from our big day. It was so amazing to see her work in Ivory Tribe, The Wed and Vogue in the lead up to our own wedding – recognising the amazing work she creates day in and day out.
Hair: Jade Hair. I found Charlotte on Instagram and then was also recommended her for wedding hair by some of the wives/partners at Melbourne Football Club as she does a lot of the Brownlow/event hair! Charlotte was amazing and so accommodating to all our trials and requests, she is so good at what she does!
Make-up: Clara Campbell. Clara was the first vendor I booked for our wedding! We had Clara do our makeup for my sister Ruby’s wedding two years prior. I absolutely love her work (I got sprayed in the face with champagne at my sister’s wedding and my makeup didn’t budge!!), she enhances natural beauty and is an artist with her brushes!
The dress: By Kinsman. As mentioned above, I found Steph through a friend and she also designed my sister’s wedding dress. She captured everything I was looking for in the design, simplicity, texture and structure. I absolutely loved working with Steph in creating my dream dress.
Veil: Khya. Would you believe I found my veil on Depop! This was a second hand Kyha veil which was just perfect for my day. I wanted something simple and timeless. I can also say I have now sold the veil again on Depop so hopefully she gets another life!
Shoes: Sam Elderman – Revolve. I was struggling to find lace sling backs that weren’t super high, I ended up finding these really cute Ivory Lace heels on revolve after hours of internet sleuthing.
Rings: Valoren Jewellery. We got our rings designed and made by a local Jeweller Dimiti, he was incredible at crafting the most beautiful rings and so grateful to be able to support a local business.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy. We wore Shona Joy dresses for my sister’s wedding and they were great length, super flattering and had great colours. It was an easy decision to do the same again!
Suit& Ties: M.J Bale. We were after a classic, tailored tux for the boys and M.J Bale Nailed it!
Stationery/Signage: Complete Collective Design. It was honestly so special to curate and create all my own wedding signage and stationery. I worked on the designs for months and would spend hours after my full time job creating, sewing, gluing and cutting. Seeing it all on show and seeing the joy it brought people made it all worthwhile.
Cake: Coolabah Kitchen. Janine baked the most delicious two tiered cake! We were referred to Janine from Liv at Lancemore as we were looking for someone local. White chocolate & raspberry and orange and poppy seed with vanilla filling – delicious!
Entertainment: DJ Tommy O. Tommy was such a highlight of our day! He brought all the vibes and we partied into the early hours of the morning because everything was just having the best time on the dance floor! I also found Tommy on socials and he had so many amazing reviews. Legend of a guy and we had so many guests wanting his contact information!
Recovery: Sam Miranda Milawa. A recovery day was non-negotiable for us. We were so excited to continue the wedding celebrations at Sam Miranda King Valley, a venue we found when we went to Lancemore Milawa for our initial venue tour. The team at Sam Miranda were amazing and we had a stunning prosecco cart and tasting plates for our guests to enjoy and debrief on the wedding. Everyone had a lovely time and it was so nice spending more time with everyone post wedding.
