Emily married the man of her dreams in a stunning regional Victorian wedding in the country. This #RCREALBRIDE wore the stunning Sottero and Midgey ‘Hadley’ gown. Photography : Sarah Godenzi THE FIRST SIGHT Almost seven years ago at a brewery / bar called Mountain Goat in Richmond. It was a Friday night and we were both out for after-work drinks with friends. I was standing at the bar ordering something with lime in and he was ordering a round next to me. I remember he was wearing a black and red checked shirt and looked pretty handsome. We got talking and he asked for my number – I told him he didn’t need to be polite and ask! He insisted though and messaged me the next morning. Our first date was three days after that, and the rest is history! THE PROPOSAL On the last day of a lovely mini-holiday to Launceston in March last year. We’d booked the trip a few months prior as a bit of a treat / escape before I started a new work contract the following week. After spending around nine days driving around and exploring the area – from galleries to wineries, markets and cheese shops -we were packing up to leave on the last morning when he told me he had one last surprise. Frankly I thought he was going to say he bought an extra bottle of wine on a tour without me noticing! Instead I got a little blue box with a perfect gold & diamond ring in it. I was so speechless and didn’t see it coming at all. Who keeps a ring in their luggage for 9 days and doesn’t act weird the whole time? The rest of the day was then pretty surreal. We had eight hours to kill until our plane left, so decided to fill it with a brewery tour! I was so nervous my new ring would fall off I couldn’t stop staring at it the whole time! THE VENUE Being real foodies, we knew anywhere we picked needed to have great meal and drink options. We also wanted somewhere that had a classic Australian ‘feel’ – as Colin’s Scottish and we wanted his family and overseas guests to experience where we live. After a bit of web research The Farm was the first and only venue we looked at. The setting – all rolling hills, gums, a lake, vineyard and kitchen garden was just stunning, as was their romantic yet modern barn style dining room. Anthea, our wedding coordinator, was so fabulous too – answering all our questions and encouraging us to try out the cellar door and food at an upcoming event (which we did – delicious!). Weddings can be so stressful, but it was so easy to work with The Farm team to make our day come to life. And when it did it was amazing. They even made our beautiful wedding cake for us. I’d recommend them to anyone! FAVOURITE MOMENT When the speeches were over and we could both just relax and let loose with our guests. Needless to say, the heels came off and Havianas were ON! There are quite a few pictures from the d-floor that may (hopefully) never see the light of day! THE DRESS So many things. I probably tried on about 30 dresses at five different stores before I found ‘the one’. I was still tossing up between a fit and flare and A-line style when I walked in the doors at RC on a bright Saturday morning into Francesca’s capable hands. But this dress just blew me away – I loved that it was a soft blush rather than white, the intricate lace detailing and the way it wrapped around to form the perfect silhouette. It made me feel elegant, strong and feminine. To make sure I wasn’t ‘love blind’ I did bring a friend with me to see it before I said ‘yes to the dress’ too. She loved it too, so we all enjoyed a little bit of champagne and a few tears! FINDING THE ONE Francesca from the Brunswick store was my consultant and God was she great through the process. Francesca was very funny, straightforward (which is important!) and warm. She really wanted me to walk away feeling my best self and I wasn’t disappointed. ADVICE FOR OTHER BRIDES As easy as it sounds to say, try not to stress about the details. Everything will come together on the day and you’ll have a fabulous time no matter what. Take some time out throughout the day to just to stand back quietly and look around. It honestly goes by so fast it’s those little moments that you’ll remember most. VENDORS Photographer: Sarah Godenzi Link: https://www.sarahgodenzi.com/ Venue: The Farm Yarra Valley Link: https://thefarmyarravalley.com.au/ Flowers: Dayne Tyler Floriart Link: https://www.instagram.com/_florist_/?hl=en Cake: The Farm Yarra Valley Link: https://thefarmyarravalley.com.au/ Hair & Makeup: Jessica Woods Link: www.jessicawoodsmakeup.com.au/