After six years together, Laura came home to Rob’s surprise proposal. Think candlelight, yellow roses and ring in hand – it was the beginning of their next big adventure. A shared love of wine and cheese made their venue choice simple, and so too was their planning recipe: combining the things they loved to create a beautiful and fun experience for themselves and their guests at their lavender winery wedding.
The Planning Experience
“I work in events, so planning was natural for me. I had a spreadsheet for everything! I loved sitting with my florist, Bridget and organising the styling for the ceremony and reception. Making the chilli chutney for bonbonnieres with my mum, maid of honour and her mum was great fun and we were really glad to gift something that was personal from us.”
Finding The Dress
“My maid of honour was living in London when I got engaged, so I was reluctant to try anything on until I could experience it with her, as it was something we used to talk about as little girls. She surprised everyone by flying home for our engagement party and didn’t tell anyone…not even her parents! While she was home I tried on some dresses. It was great we had that special moment. Later in the year, I picked my wedding dress at Samantha Wynne bridal. My other bridesmaids and my mum were there and their expressions made me decide it was the one.”
Ceremony Styling
“Our florist and her crew exceeded our expectations. From the initial meeting to our wedding day, Bridget went above and beyond with it all. Our ceremony arbour was breathtakingly beautiful! I wish we could have kept it forever in our backyard.”
Favourite Moments
“Rob’s was seeing me the first time and the ceremony. Mine was the whole ceremony and listening to his vows. During the ceremony, some ants thought it would be fun to climb up my dress. My maid of honour was nervously trying to dust them off without disrupting things, which made us laugh. Our maid of honour and best man also decided to swap outfits for the reception entrance, which was hilarious to watch! And lastly all the speeches – they were so funny and beautiful.”
The Playlist
‘Bloom’, by The Paper Kites – Down the aisle
‘Kiss Me’, by The Cranberries – During signing
‘All I Do Is Win’, by DJ Khalid – Reception entrance song
‘Everything’, by Michael Buble – First dance
Bridal Party Styling
“We both already knew the look we wanted for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, but kept an open mind when we were looking. The bow-ties were made from material Rob had picked out. He organised the boys and I have never seen them look so good! Our bridesmaids all looked absolutely stunning and it was a pleasure having them by my side.”
Entertaining Guests
“We used a mobile drinks caravan and hired garden games for our guests to use in between the ceremony and reception. Our beautiful flower arbour also got moved near the reception so our guests could have photos with it.”
Personal Touches
“We love wine and cheese, so it was an easy decision to get married at a winery. Having cheese as our wedding cake was a hit – five different types accompanied with lavosh, crackers, muscatels and quince paste. It got demolished in a matter of an hour! We liked the beautiful, stylish look of Sandalford Winery and included an element of fun with it all. We wrote our own vows to incorporate our personalities. Funnily enough, we wrote nearly the same line in our vows without knowing! Rob said I am his yin to my yang and I said I am his yang to my yin.”
Reception Styling
“The floral installation behind our bridal table was so gorgeous that I couldn’t stop turning around and looking at it! Everywhere you looked at our ceremony and reception, there were blooms. We had lavender wrapped around our menus, beautiful lace table runners, cork place card holders and menus designed by our stationer. There was a flower wrapping station so guests could take the flowers home, and they certainly did! We were sent pictures the following day from friends and family who had put them all up in their house, which we were stoked to see.”
Best Advice
1. Be organised and write a list. It will help and not make it overwhelming.
2. Figure out what the key elements are for your wedding and focus on that.
3. Don’t stress on the day. Just relax and enjoy it and if anything goes wrong, laugh and move on.
4. Don’t drink red wine and champagne the night before. My maid of honour and I started celebrating one day early, which meant we needed an extra sleep in and some headache pills!
Location: Western Australia | Photography: LoveHer Photography | Venue: Sandalford Winery | Celebrant: Maggie, Marriages and More | Styling & Flowers: Poppy & Willow | Stationery: Kate Hollis | Cheese Tower: Say Cheese Towers | Gown: Samantha Wynne | Bridesmaids: Review | Makeup: Pure Perfection Makeup by Katie | Hair: Total Brides | Wedding Bands: Ross Ezekiel Jewellers | Suits: Tony Barlow | Transport: Events Chauffeur Services | Mobile Drinks: Velvet Betty | Candle Bonbonnieres: Sweet Esscentials | DJ: Da Doo Ron Ron