C L A I R E + S T E V E N
Claire and Steven’s Autumn wedding in the Yarra Valley was every bit as romantic as you can imagine. The vibrant orange of turning leaves made the perfect backdrop for their wine country wedding.
F R O M T H E B R I D E
We first met…
We first met at Left Bank bar whilst out with friends.
We knew it was love…
I knew pretty quickly it was love, he had all the qualities I was looking in for a partner. I also liked his English accent!
The proposal…
We got engaged whilst on Christmas holidays back in the UK, December 23rd.
Before we left Melbourne we discussed getting engaged and how it would be fitting to back in Steve’s hometown of Newcastle, UK. Steve suggested we look for a ring at Reid & Sons, a beautiful old jeweller. A few days before Christmas we decided to look at rings and quickly I decided exactly what I wanted. And the ring was ready and the jeweller ask me if I want to wear the ring now, I said of course! But at this stage Steve had not proposed to me, so he had to propose in the shop!!
(I didn’t realise Steve had plans to propose after Christmas whilst we were in London!!)
But it worked out perfectly as we could celebrate the engagement before Christmas!
Our wedding photographer…
We selected White Shutter Photography. I went to lots of wedding expos looking for inspiration and to meet potential photographers. I was told by some photographers that were not interested in doing an autumn wedding due to the light. But then I found Anne, from White Shutter!
I was looking for a photographer who was modern, creative and most importantly be someone on the day that I was relaxed with and was happy to see!
We love that our photos capture the entire day, from getting ready until the end of the night when everyone is in party mode. Not many photographers stay for the entire wedding and we loved that White Shutter did! Our photos are beautiful and capture our day and the amazing venue so well.
Pre-wedding celebrations…
I had a hens party in Melbourne a few weeks prior to the wedding and also a high tea when our UK guests arrived.
Steve had his bucks/stag day a week before the wedding on a brewery/winery tour on the Mornington Peninsula.
T H E W E D D I N G
Our dream wedding…
We wanted a wedding that reflected the two of us. Early on we knew we wanted our wedding to be at a winery and wanted our UK guests experience an Australian wedding.
Our colours were black and white and had amazing Autumn flowers providing our splash of colour.
Ceremony location…
The Chapel, Stones of the Yarra Valley
Reception venue…
The Barn, Stones of the Yarra Valley
The bridal party…
We had three bridesmaids and three groomsmen.
The bridesmaids were my closest friends and they wore Alannah Hill. Steven’s groomsmen were two of his friends and my brother. They wore Calvin Klein suits.
The groom wore…
Steven wore a Calvin Klein suit with a bow tie as a point of difference from the groomsmen.
The wedding dress…
My wedding gown was from Wishbone & Ivy Prahran. I wanted a lace dress, vintage and something that would suit a winery wedding.
Wedding flowers…
As our bridal party were black and white we wanted a splash of colour. Our florist from Dandelion put together amazing arrangements of Autumn coloured flowers.
Reception décor…
Our tables were decorated with various sized jars and flowers and heaps of candles. We had fairy lights on the beams of the barn, they looked beautiful and really effective as the guests entered when it was dark outside.
On the menu…
We had a sit down menu for entrée and main course and a rooming dessert.
The guests had a choice of duck or kingfish , main was pork belly or eye fillet steak and a range of mini desserts
Wedding soundtrack…
Ceremony entrance: Cannon D
Signing paperwork: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Reception entrance: Heroes, David Bowie
First dance: Stand by Me, John Lennon version
Memorial moments…
Overall the whole day was memorable and it all went to plan! It is so special to have all your family and friends in one room to celebrate you as a couple. The ceremony was personal and very special. I loved the speeches, my dad, best man and the grooms speech were brilliant and to this day, guests still rave about them! The band (a White Tree) was also a highlight and had everyone up and dancing!
M A R R I E D L I F E
Our honeymoon…
We flew to Perth then drove down the West Coast to Margaret River. Beautiful part of the world, with amazing food and wine too!
Future plans…
We want to be settled in Melbourne. With regular trips back to the UK to see family and friends
W E D D I N G W I S D O M
The engagement…
It’s really important to just enjoy your engagement and not to get too stressed with the day and planning.
The planning process…
Be organised and keep lists of what you need to do and cross them off as completed. Spread the tasks out and don’t leave everything to the last minute! Don’t need any additional stress. At the end of the day, remember it’s your special day to celebrate with all your loved ones & have fun!
Wedding photographer: White Shutter Photography / Venue: Stones of the Yarra Valley / Ceremony Priest: Father Barry Ryan / Dress: Wishbone and Ivy / Bridesmaids: Alannah Hill / Groomsman & Groom: Calvin Klein / Flowers: Dandelion Floral and Foliage / Invites: Custom Printz / Band: The White Tree / London Cabs: London Taxi Weddings / London Bus: Dee Decker / Makeup: Nikki Domm / Hair: Sarah Gillhoff / Engagement ring: Reid & Sons Newcastle, UK / Wedding bands: Matt Wynne