Patience is a virtue and in Kristie and Daniels case it was their happily ever after. A love story that has us all warm and fuzzy for this #RCREALBRIDE. Married on a rustic farm in the Yarra Valley with warm tones and a beautiful backdrop to compliment this Winter Wedding. Kristie wore Dances by Pronovias, a Mermaid dress, fitted at the waist with a large train in lace and bodice with V neckline. Just like the sensual deep V back which was a feature of this stunning gown.
Photography: The White Tree Photography
THE FIRST SIGHT
Daniel and myself met through a mutual friend, 12 months before we got together and I instantly swooned over him! It turned out that Dan wasn’t single and so when we went our separate ways, we didn’t see each other for a year – until it was our friend’s birthday again. The stars had aligned and we were both single and completely fell for each other. We fell in love within a matter of weeks and knew early on in our relationship that we would one day get married – the feelings that we had for each other were unlike anything else we’d ever felt – it was true, it was real and it was completely meant to be.
THE PROPOSAL
We’d been dating for 2.5 years when Dan proposed, and it was absolutely perfect. We were living Northside at the time, and 6 weeks prior had bought our beautiful home, out in the Yarra Valley. Dan had booked a gorgeous weekend away in Daylesford which has always been our special place, (we absolutely adore it there), and so I wasn’t really too suspicious of the reason to book because we had so much to celebrate! Little did I know that he had organised the most incredibly thought out, romantic weekend, everything down to the decor of the house was so perfect, and so us. We were staying in a French inspired cottage near the botanical gardens and after breakfast on the Saturday went for a walk and that’s where Dan proposed, down on one knee, up the top of a tower that overlooks the valley. My engagement ring is absolutely breathtaking – a stunning Art Deco design that Dan created with our jeweller, and it’s safe to say that ALL of Daylesford heard my joyous tears and screaming from the tower!
THE VENUE
Through frequenting the area, we’d heard of The Farm Yarra Valley, so when we got engaged, we quickly booked an appointment to go see them. We knew we wanted a short engagement (it was less than 9 months) and that the Farm was perfect for us. We were lucky enough to have it available the weekend we wanted, and were booked in a week after we got engaged! Anthea Hall, their AMAZING wedding coordinator was so supportive and genuinely excited for us through the whole journey.
I’ve styled a wedding before, and so when it came to our day and the fact that I couldn’t do it myself, I felt so comfortable and trusting in Anthea and her team that they would help take our vision and deliver. The food and wine were unbelievable, and it was so nice to have our guests say how blown away they were by everything. We had an intimate wedding (56 in total) and it was an incredible feeling to look around the room at our closest friends and family and see everyone just so happy. Picture a feasting style menu, beautiful winter floral tones, flowing wine and bubbles and an amazing band & photographer – all brought together in a rustic, picturesque setting.
FAVOURITE MOMENT
We have so many favourite parts to our wedding! Can I say everything? From starting our day by getting ready with our best friends and family, to walking down the aisle to my soul mate and seeing his gorgeous face – my heart completely melted. We wrote our own vows which was so special and made the ceremony so completely ‘us’. Standing up there in front of your loved ones and making your promises to each other is honestly unlike any other feeling in life. Matt from The White Tree was our incredible photographer who was seriously so much fun and so talented, we loved doing our bridal party photos and couldn’t be happier with the results! Dan and I did our own speeches too and it was so gorgeous to be able to tell each other, and our loved ones just how much they mean to us.
THE DRESS
Having a winter wedding, I’d researched long sleeve dresses and had a picture in my mind of what I wanted. Raffaele Ciuca had the exact dress I was after – even down to the detail of the covered buttons on the sleeves. I called and made an appointment at the Armadale store, and as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one for me! Being such a big decision, I thought I should do my due diligence and keep the next appointment I had booked elsewhere for that day, but I’d said to Jo “Don’t worry, I’ll be calling you Monday to come back!’ and I did.
FINDING THE ONE
Jo was heaven to deal with, and was genuinely so happy that I’d found ‘the one’. She delivered the experience that every bride should have – supportive, caring, sensitive – and honestly, someone who emulates what it is to love your job!
ADVICE FOR OTHER BRIDES
Have the wedding that YOU want! This is your day, so do exactly what you both envision and is meaningful to you and your relationship. If that means having a small wedding, or not doing some of the ‘traditional’ stuff, that’s ok. This is about the two of you, and the beginning of the incredible life journey that you’re about to start.
You’ll look back on this day for the rest of your life, so savour every moment, it goes SO fast! Take time together throughout the day/night to reflect, just the two of you. Find a quiet spot, sneak off for a glass of bubbles and enjoy the moment together.
Be organised and have a budget in mind. Granted you’ll probably need to double the budget, but there are ways to reduce costs, if you’re crafty or creative, DIY always helps in this space!
Don’t sweat the small stuff. We had a gorgeous first dance routine choreographed to Angus and Julia Stone’s ‘Chateau’ but when we got on the dance floor we quickly realised that I wasn’t able to do it properly in my dress! You can’t control everything that happens in the lead up, or the day, but don’t worry – everything happens as it’s meant to and as it will, so just enjoy the ride, roll up your sleeves (and hitch up that dress) if you need.
Also, can you give us a tip on how to keep a happy relationship?
Love passionately, be honest and respect each other, and have clear communication. Don’t forget to do the things you did before you got married – have regular date nights, weekends away and holidays. This is just the start of your adventure, so go out there and enjoy it together.
VENDORS
Photographer: The White Tree
IG account thewhitetree
Venue: The Farm Yarra Valley
IG account thefarmyarravalley
Flowers: Wedding Flowers by Deb Cree
Cake: The Farm Yarra Valley
IG account thefarmyarravalley
Hair: My incredible MOH Amelia Buick!
Makeup Tuuli Bridal
IG account: tuulibridal
Music: Tom Buick Music
IG account: tombuickmusic
Music: The White Tree
IG account thewhitetree
