After a romantic holiday proposal atop a snow covered mountain, Meghan and Sam knew exactly what they wanted for their modern rustic winery wedding. Set against a stunning natural backdrop and with a fresh green and white palette, they merged their love of Scandi style with a country feel to create their relaxed celebration.
Most Important
“Keeping it simple. We didn’t want anything over the top that we wouldn’t be comfortable with on the day.”
Planning Timeline
“Having a marquee wedding entailed a lot of preparation and planning. We started with a giant list, prioritizing what needed to be organised early, but many things couldn’t happen until much closer to the date.
The countdown was really on from two weeks out, with us ticking off multiple items each day – it was busy but lots of fun! We had everything set up on the Thursday before our Saturday wedding, so we could spend time with our family and friends as they arrived for the weekend.”
Favourite Moments
“Our favorite moment was the ceremony, especially when I got to the end of the aisle and we held hands with the biggest smiles on our faces and we whispered, ‘I love you’ to each other. We loved looking around at our nearest and dearest family and friends who were overjoyed with love and happiness for us!”
Bridal Party Styling
“I found it hard picking a colour for the bridesmaids – so many people had said, ‘Your bridesmaids can’t wear black’. I ended up leaving it until really late to get dresses and it was luck that I went into Witchery one day and found them – something the girls would be comfortable in and wear again. The black suited all different skin tones and the girls looked amazing.”
Finding The Dress
“When I first set out looking for the perfect dress with my Mum and sister, I found many dresses which were absolutely beautiful but far too traditional for me. I had the idea of a backless dress in my mind and it was hard to stray from that. My dress was ivory lace with thin straps, a low back and a slight train, which I found with help from the lovely Amy at The Bridal Atelier.”
Meaningful Music
Processional: “I’m Gonna Be”, by Sleeping at Last
Reception Entry: “King and Lionheart”, by Of Monsters and Men
First Dance: “Thinking Out Loud”, by Ed Sheeran
Venue Styling
“Our venue was so beautiful, it meant we didn’t need to do too much in terms of styling. We love the Scandinavian look that we have in our house and the rustic look as well, so we decided to tie them both together with exposed woods, green and white flowers and our palm leaf plates.”
The Food
“We’ve experienced both cocktail and formal weddings and there were parts of each that we really liked. We wanted a casual feel with a sit-down aspect, so we went for a seated shared entrée plate, and a buffet for mains and dessert.”
DIY Projects
“Sam’s a qualified builder, so he put together the ladder archway for our ceremony, the bar and other bits and pieces we needed. My Pa and Dad have bees, so we jarred honey from our farm as wedding favours – it was both delicious and close to our hearts! We also made the menus, table settings and seating plan, as these were simple and cost effective.”
Best Advice
1. Book the big things first and early! Like photography, the celebrant and venue.
2. There’s no need to stress, really there isn’t – everything will work out one way or another. So many people joked to me about bridezillas they have known and warned me not to be one – there was no way I was going to be one!
3. Accept help – if you can’t have something or something hasn’t gone your way then stop, breath and think. You have so many people who will want to help, accept their offers if you need!
Location: Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria | Photography: Jenna Fahey-White | Venue: Baie Wines | Celebrant: Deb Stallard | Styling: Meghan Bell | Flowers: Judy Chirnside Flowers | Stationery & Signage: The Print Fairy | Gown: Katie May Collection, The Bridal Atelier | Bridesmaids: Witchery | Hair: Rebeccah Vivian | Makeup: Tess McFadden | Rings: Charles Rose | Suits: Peter Jackson | Catering: Paella Pan | Entertainment: Shaun Brown