J E N + P E T E
Jen and Pete’s vineyard wedding in Pokolbin was especially meaningful. Pete had proposed to Jen in the region and now they would return to say their vows. Flowers in bright raspberry and apricot tones filled the sandstone chapel and Jen’s 1920’s-inspired wedding dress set the tone for an elegant affair.
F R O M T H E B R I D E
We first met…
We were next door neighbours! I went and introduced myself when Pete bought the house next to my parents – we got to know each other very quickly, living next door to each other.
We knew it was love…
I lived in the UK for a year and Pete went to work in QLD – being apart made us certain we loved each other.
The proposal…
Pete proposed on Valentine’s Day in the Hunter Valley. We already loved going to the Hunter region together, so it was and is a special place. He set up a camera to film the whole proposal, so the whole family got to see it in the end!
T H E W E D D I N G
Our dream wedding…
We wanted a stylish event – combining the elements of a Hunter Valley vineyard and barrel room with the elegance of a formal wedding. We both love bright colours, so we wanted flowers that would stand out in the bouquets and floral arrangements. Peonies Boutique Weddings came up with the colour theme of bright raspberry tones with lots of greenery, combined with apricot hues. There were lots of draping florals that made the sandstone look lovely.
Ceremony location…
Pepper’s Creek Chapel, Pokolbin.
Reception venue…
Pepper’s Creek Barrel Room, Pokolbin
Pre-wedding celebrations…
We held a friends & family get-together the night before at Goldfish bar in Pokolbin, before the bridal party went to spend time together in the houses on-site.
The bridal party…
We had five each. My girls were my sister, my cousin, and three very close friends. Pete also had one of my cousins and four close friends.
The bridesmaids wore…
The bridesmaids wore the dress ‘Allegra’ which were purchased through the store Bridesmaids Only in Sydney. The girls wore different colours in the same dress design.
The groomsmen wore…
The men wore suits from Peter Jackson in Sydney.
The groom wore…
Pete wore a black suit, the same as the groomsmen with a black bow tie.
The dress…
I was so happy with my gown! It was the ‘Allure’ style from Dress Sense, in Sydney. It was completely beaded, right to the end of the train with a keyhole back. I love the look of the 1920s – I had a 1920s-themed hens party – and I knew that I wanted something in that style. At night under the lights, it was super sparkly. I just adore it.
Wedding flowers…
We liked the look of unstructured bouquets, with greenery, bright colours and ribbons. Peonies had free range to create whatever they thought would look good and they did an amazing job.
Our photographer…
Popcorn Photography photographed our wedding. We chose them because their photos are a mix of fun, candid shots and sweepingly beautiful scenic shots. Mere & Laura from Popcorn were awesome; our photos are stunning!
Our videographer…
Tim from Lighthouse Cinematic Productions filmed our wedding, and he was also fantastic. He got some amazing shots of the surrounding landscape as well as the special moments of our ceremony and reception.
Reception décor…
We worked with Peonies to decorate the barrel room, and once again, they came up with such great ideas. The napkins and menus had apricot colours and the bright florals on the tables balanced out the white furniture. There were lots of candles spread throughout the tables.
Flowers and decorations were done by Peonies Boutique Weddings. The furniture, chandelier and mirrors in the reception hall were by Decorating Dreams (part of Peppers Creek). The cake was by All Things Sweet by Carissa.
On the menu…
We had a sit down-down meal. Canapés were served outside first, then entrees of braised pork belly or zucchini flowers stuffed with blue swimmer crab; mains of crispy-skinned salmon or marinated lamb fillet; desserts of Hunter Valley cheeseboards or fromage blanc with Persian fairy floss. Wedding cake was served with tea & coffee.
Bomboniere…
Instead of bomboniere for the guests, their gift was door-to-door bus transport to and from the wedding!
Memorable moments…
The ceremony was perfect; Pete started crying and this made people in the audience start crying. We had our mothers walked down the aisle by Pete and the best man, and my grandmother walked down the aisle with my cousin. That was special.
At the reception, we had the Hot Potato Band arrive after the cutting of the cake – this was a memorable moment! They are a 10 piece brass band with lots of energy and they really entertained the guests.
Wedding soundtrack…
While guests were arriving at the chapel, we had 1920s-style jazz music playing.
The girls walked down the aisle to ‘Cicadas and Gulls’ by Feist; I walked down to ‘Sea of Love’ by Cat Power. Pete and I danced to ‘My Girl’. The Hot Potato Band revved up the tempo after that.
M A R R I E D L I F E
The honeymoon…
We went to the Cook Islands and stayed mostly on Aitutaki, which was beautiful.
Future plans…
We plan to keep on having fun together, adventuring, travelling, challenging each other, living life and being there for one another.
In 40 years we hope to…
Be doing the same together!
W E D D I N G W I S D O M
The engagement…
Don’t rush; enjoy the process.
Planning…
Try not to get bogged down by other people’s expectations of how a wedding should be.
On the day…
Make sure you have some go-to people on the day; our celebrant, Lillian Lyon was excellent – we knew she’d sort out any issues that might arise on the day. Same goes with the venue – have a floor manager or someone to rely on so that it’s not the bride and groom having to sort things out during the event.
Venue: Pepper’s Creek chapel & barrel room / Florist & stylist: Peonies Boutique Weddings / Photographer: Popcorn Photography / Videographer: Lighthouse Cinematic Productions / Wedding Cake: All Things Sweet by Carissa / Hair & makeup: The Loaded Brush / Wedding dress: Dress Sense / Bride’s shoes: Panache Bridal Shoes / Bridesmaids dresses: Bridesmaids Only / Suits: Peter Jackson / Celebrant: Lillian Lyon / Band: Hot Potato Band