R O B E R T & M I C H E L L E
A Hunter Valley celebration filled with good food, great company and personality marked the start of a new chapter for these long distance lovebirds.
F R O M T H E B R I D E . . .
We first met…
We met at the University of Southern Cross in Lismore, NSW. I was on a study abroad exchange from Minnesota. It was St. Patricks day and we were both celebrating with friends at a house party. I needed to get to Ballina, the next town over, the next day to meet up with my visiting mother and sister. Rob, being the gentleman that he was offered. Unfortunately, due to several St. Patty’s day drinks, his name didn’t stick so I put him in my phone as hot, ride, tall…. my best description at the time. He was attractive, giving me a lift, and very tall, descriptive I know. When Rob came around the next morning to pick me up, I was shouting to my roommate “what was the name of that hot, tall guy from last night?!” As it would turn out, he was standing right behind me an responded, “ughhhh… if it’s me you’re speaking of, it’s Rob.” Mortified! The awkwardness wore away quickly and we got to know each other well over the next couple of months. My study exchanged turned into beach days with Rob and we became inseparable.
I knew it was love…
I knew it was love the first time we went away together. We spent a week at Coffs Harbour going to the beach, drinking wine, playing cards, and going for drives in the sunshine. Rob’s affections came a bit later when we traveled back to Sydney to meet his family. This particular weekend is also the first time we said “I love you.” Over the course of our 4 year long distance relationship, our trips to see one another were so important. We had to make the most of our time together, and make even more of an effort to be active in each others lives when we were apart. After the first year of our relationship, we had realised that we had well and truly fallen in love and that it was the real thing. Therefore, trips every 6 months were a must, phone bills were outrageously expensive, and we applied for every visa available. After 4 years I got residency in Australia and we haven’t spent more than a week apart since.
The proposal…
We got engaged August 29, 2014. My parents were visiting us in Sydney from Minnesota for a couple of weeks. Rob’s parents joined us all for an overnight stay at Taronga Zoo. It’s one of my favourite spots in Sydney, is an amazing zoo and has the best view of the Sydney skyline. We spent the night together with our families under the stars and city lights, listening to the sounds of the lions roaring and elephants trumpeting. The next morning we all woke up to watch the sunrise together and Rob got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He opened a box to reveal the most beautiful specially made marquise diamond ring. We spent the rest of the day with the biggest smiles on our faces with our incredibly proud parents. It was incredibly important to us that both of our families were present and able to celebrate, so we couldn’t have been happier!
Pre-wedding celebrations…
We rented out Riverflats Estate in Broke for our families and wedding party for a long weekend of pre-wedding fun. It was the country escape we were looking for. The hosts were absolutely wonderful! There are all kinds of farm animals that roam the grounds, the rolling hills that surround it are stunning, the dam and bush have kangaroos roaming around, the place is quiet and perfect for spending time with loved ones. The hosts recommended we go to Nightingale Wines and Restaurant for dinner and they were absolutely fantastic. Amazing food, wine, and service! We hosted our own rehearsal dinner and had a make your own pizza night, as Riverflats has an amazing entertaining area and a outdoor pizza oven.
The bridal party…
My maid of honour was my younger sister and my three bridesmaids were my best friends from high school. I also had a maidsman, who is the college best friend that I studied abroad in Australia with when Rob and I first met. Rob’s best man was his brother, and his groomsmen were his brother and three of his best friends and former work mates from Sydney.
They wore…
Coordinating the same dress would have been difficult as they are all in different parts of the states, so I let them choose their own navy dresses. My bridesmaids were all different heights and shapes so I wanted them to feel comfortable, happy, and be able to show off their own style.
T H E W E D D I N G
The wedding of my dreams…
Growing up I would always plant sunflowers in our garden with my parents and I have loved them for as long as I can remember. It also happened to be the first flower Rob brought home for me. Therefore, sunflowers with a rustic country feel was my theme. Navy paired with the vibrant yellow of sunflower theme so perfectly. After spending many hours on instagram and pinterest, I was able to get ideas for flowers, table settings, decorations and theming. Simple, understated, and natural was my aim. I wanted the sunflowers to stand out on their own without looking cluttered with too many other decorations.
Ceremony location…
We had our reception on the lawn of the Peterson House. I have always loved the idea of having my wedding at a vineyard. After a visit to the Hunter Valley we knew that it was where we wanted to get married. The Hunter Valley had so many venues to offer, but we fell in love with the Peterson House right away. Lisa and Naomi, the wedding planners, are absolute superstars. Naomi sat down with us the day we chose Peterson House and made it very clear they were up for anything! Lisa took over when the planning commenced and was on top of every email and phone call. On the day Lisa was everywhere you needed her to be, when you needed her, and prepared for anything. I have joked with her that I’m not actually convinced she hasn’t got Lisa clones running around helping on the day.
Reception location…
Peterson House has several options for the reception. Lisa, the Peterson House team, and Valley Fresh Flowers transformed their restaurant into our dream venue in no time. We had our ceremony outside in front of the building; canapes served on the lawn and on the deck overlooking the vineyard; dinner took place in the restaurant; and the dancing was in the extended restaurant area on the sandstone room.
The Wedding Photographer…
We chose Hunter Valley Images because we were after both traditional posed photos, but mostly the casual, intimate moments between a group of friends or Rob and myself. We wanted the feeling of the day to be captured. I love that our wedding photos capture the emotions of the day. From the nervous excitement of the pre-ceremony and first look, to the processional when the sun finally came out, and throughout the reception. The wedding party, guests, bride and groom, venue, and grounds were captured perfectly.
The groom wore…
Cambridge Navy Suit- Jacket, Vest, and Pant, off-white shirt from Jeff Banks, a linen sunflower spot bow tie and a Chocolate brown belt and shoes.
The dress…
I wanted a traditional, fitted, all lace dress with a keyhole back, and I found it at The Wedding Shoppe in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was so important for me to find “the dress” with my mum and sister. We had a girls day of pedicures, lunch, and cocktails before heading out dress shopping. We were at the The Wedding Shoppe working with the most beautiful consultant and we found the perfect dress. A Kennedy Blue dress with lace fabric, a sweetheart neckline, beaded skinny belt, with a chapel length train, fit and flare silhouette, and a keyhole back. My inspiration was my mothers wedding dress, which was all lace. I wanted something that was timeless, classic, and the keyhole back added a bit of personality.
Wedding hair & makeup…
My bridesmaid Kelly is a senior hair stylist in Minnesota, so she did all of our hair. Again, I wanted to stay as natural as possible so loose curls for the girls and a fishtail braid added for me. Our makeup was beautifully done by Kylie Edwards based in the Hunter Valley. She was absolutely amazing. My bridesmaids looked gorgeous and my makeup was exactly what I wanted. Kylie was fantastic in communicating, as we are living in Hobart, Tasmania. She was professional, had a great variety of products to choose from. She was incredibly prepared (even though we were unable to do a trial). She was even kind enough to drop a couple of guests off at the venue for us! I don’t know what I would have done without her.
Wedding bouquet…
I kept the sunflower theme in my bouquet and my bridesmaids. I saw a stunning bridal bouquet on pinterest and asked our florist at Valley Fresh Flowers to recreate it. It had several large sunflowers, white snap dragons, and some green fillers, again keeping it crisp and simple.
Reception decor…
The decorations were floral based. The centrepieces on the tables were sunflowers and green ferns and vines wrapped around the handmade frames (by my father in law) with tea light candles suspended in clear vases. The desserts table was decorated with the clear vases that were also used with shepherd hooks to make the aisle during our ceremony. The head table was beautifully done by Valley Fresh using loose sunflowers, ferns, vines, and greenery to create a simple organic flower bed look.
Wedding cake…
I had been to several weddings in the last year and it seemed as if no one was eating the cake. My mother in law and I had collaborated for months on what we could to instead. She is a wonderful cook and baker, so she trialled several recipes on her work colleagues and asked them to rate them on a scale of taste, transportability, and appearance. By having two very important pieces of our wedding be created by our family made it that much more special to us!
On the menu…
We had a sit down meal consisting of our Entree Roasted pork belly with caramelised apple puree, and house made muscat jus and Roasted field mushroom filled with crusty bread, Persian fetta and basil pesto on a rocket salad. Our mains alternate drop was 250g Angus sirloin served on a bed of sweet potato mash, wilted baby spinach topped with house made béarnaise and Pan fried chicken supreme on a pumpkin pinenut risotto cake drizzled with parsley oil. Both entrees and mains were absolutely mouth watering. Several of our guests commented on how perfect the steaks had been cooked and how delicious the chicken supreme was. There is wedding food and then there is Peterson House Restaurant Cuvee food. Our many compliments and praise goes to the chef!
Memorable moments…
The most amazing part of the night for Rob and I was when we looked around as we were seated at dinner, and saw all of the family and friends that had traveled great distances to be there (different states in the US, Nepal, and all around Australia). Seeing everyone eat, drink, mingle and make new friends. Watching our parents laugh around the same table. Seeing everyone else around us so happy to celebrate our day. It was absolutely magical.
Wedding Soundtrack
XYDJ was in charge of the music on our special day. Our DJ Joe was outstanding. Rob and I enjoy a good boogie and Joe delivered. He timed our entrance song perfectly, captured our music taste perfectly throughout dinner and into the night, and got everyone up onto the dance floor all night!
M A R R I E D L I F E . . .
The honeymoon…
Japan- Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto. What an absolute whirlwind. Japan is a wonderful, friendly, amazing place full of history. It was not your typical relax on the beach with a cocktail honeymoon. If you and your hubby are prepared for an adventure out of your comfort zone, Japan is the way to go.
What are your plans for the future?
We have spent two years just outside of Hobart in Tasmania. We absolutely love it here and are looking to settle in, buy a house, travel, start a family, and continue making life as adventurous as we can.
In 40 years you hope to…
Be happy and as in love as we are now. Keep doing the little things every day that make one another feel special. We would love to travel the world, all while having a little home in Tassie as a base, and watch our family grow.
W E D D I N G W I S D O M . . .
Advice for how to enjoy the engagement…
Don’t be afraid to have a long engagement. Enjoy the bliss of being an engaged couple! Be giddy, blush, and flash that ring around like you just got it yesterday. Guys, there is no one happier than a girl that is about to marry her prince charming. Soak it in.
Planning advice…
Plan together. Girls, get your guy involved. It’s his day too. Guys, get involved. You may not always have the right answer or idea, but your wife to be will appreciate your efforts. Celebrate together when you tick things off your list. Go out and have a celebratory drink for making progress towards your big day. One of my favourite things was having a wedding date day with Rob where we would book something or buy something on our wedding to do list. Spending the day together was fun, we shared the load of responsibility, and went to a spot where we had a cocktail and a view. Not all planning is fun, and I won’t pretend for a second we didn’t get frustrated, but I promise when the day arrives its worth it!
Tips for enjoying the wedding day…
Everything will fall into place. No matter what. We forgot so many things on our wedding day: the wishing well, my bridesmaids gifts, and oh yeah…. we need a cake to cut (since my mother in law did all the desserts). My maidsman’s outfit was 2 sizes too small and we were in the middle of no where to fix it! Nothing is actually wrong on your wedding day. It’s your day and if something is missing or doesn’t go to plan, it just adds to the story later on. Just look around and remember what its all about.
Photography Hunter Valley Images Venue Peterson House Flowers Valley Fresh Flowers Wedding Dress The Wedding Shoppe Hair Bridesmaid Makeup Kylie Edwards Music XYDJ
