Inspiration

This wedding is just all kinds of beautiful. Firstly, there's gorgeous Tygar and her Bridesmaids wearing Grace Loves Lace. I don't think I've ever seen such a good looking Bridal party before! Then there's their incredible Australian Winery venue with it's versatile spaces, allowing the couple to hold their ceremony by the water and their epic party in a gorgeous wine cellar filled with twinkly lights, exposed bricks and huge wooden wine barrels. The cake is an absolute vision, baked by Tygar's very talented Mum. And don't even get me started on those luscious florals! Honestly it's just all so gorgeous that I've gone a bit wild on the images from Heart and Colour as this is definitely one of those weddings where you just want to see more and more...

The Bride

Tygar the Bride: I went shopping with my older sister for wedding dresses in Melbourne a year before the wedding. Store after store I tried on 5 or so dresses and I still felt like the dresses were looking strange on me. I’m petite and a lot of the gowns I was trying on had lots of layers and were made with fabrics that felt more structured and heavy. It honestly felt like every dress was devouring me! So I aimed to find something light while still being elegant. That’s when I saw the Inca from Grace Loves Lace. It was beautiful, elegant and unique from what I had seen. Once I put it on it was so easy to wear, it was like a second skin that I could dance in and move naturally. My veil was also a Grace Loves Lace called the Gabriela, a beautiful long silk-chiffon veil. The Nyssa headpiece by Jennifer Behr this headpiece provided a bit of glamour to the outfit. I chose gold to tie in with the touches of gold throughout the décor. I also wore Dolce and Gabbana gold and green emerald coloured earrings. These matched beautifully with the headpiece and weren’t on show too much because we styled my hair to cover them so as not to draw away from the dress. My mother in law did my hair. Her colleague from work also helped with the bridesmaids (from Whisk Hairdressing Ashgrove). She is a hairdresser with over 30 years experience. Despite this she still felt nervous about doing my hair on the day! She wanted to do a good job and she really did. We’ve been close over the years so it was a lovely experience having her there when I was getting ready.

The Venue

Sirromet Winery, Mt Cotton (ceremony at the Laguna, reception in the Barrel Hall) was chosen because the team has extensive experience in weddings and their venue is surrounded by amazing Australian scenery. What could beat walking through a field with wallabies? Our ceremony was on the laguna so we had the privacy we wanted, while the reception was in the Barrel Hall, a below ground room with exposed brick and real barrels of wine that are being aged. Once the lights go out and the candles are lit, this room is gorgeous, oozing magic and romance.

The Decor

Décor was simple and elegant. We used lots of greenery and ivory combinations with gold accents. Our colour scheme and décor reflected a lot of Italian winery locations we’ve seen where there’s exposed brick and timber and the use of wine barrels, candleabras and urns. We basically wanted to create a sense of nature throughout the day to mirror the beautiful Australian backdrop. We also went with two long tables at the reception instead of having round tables with a bridal table. We did this to create a more intimate night amongst friends and family, like the ultimate dinner party.

The Flowers

Flowers were by stylist/florist Julie Vine. Our bouquets were very rustic, using mostly white roses, ivory, and a number of other luscious green and white additions. Julie also did the bridesmaids’ headpieces, which were done in jasmine vines that have gorgeous little white flowers sprouting through. Julie suggested the jasmine as an alternative to baby’s breath, I felt that baby’s breath had been done so many times before, so this was a nice alternative that also allowed for a ‘fuller’ green look.

The Bridesmaids

I went with 3 different colours for the bridesmaids but in the same style of skirt and top. A lot of people questioned this decision but I’m so happy we did it! The light shades of pink, green, and champagne all come together beautifully to create a really romantic look. They are individuals so I think it’s nice to give them a sense of individuality on the day too.

The Ceremony

We had the groom’s sister read a passage by Anne Morrow Lindbergh from her book Gift from the Sea. “When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern. The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.”

The Entertainment

Entertainment – we booked the services of Radio Club Band. They provided a string quartet for the ceremony, a musician playing acoustic guitar at the canapés, and a 5-piece band at the reception. They were amazing! So professional and talented that we really didn’t have to do anything besides having a quick phone call in the lead up. The string quartet was even able to perform my chosen song for walking down the aisle, ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by The Beatles.

The Food

Sirromet were fantastic. They provided canapés and beautiful meals on the day. We had an alternative drop of 3 for entrée, main, and dessert. I think what was the most amazing for the guests was the canapés, which were a selection of oysters, prawns, dumplings, shanks, tartlets and caviar. Everyone tends to forget about the canapés, so we made a conscious effort of making sure people were fed with beautiful food during this time. The wedding cake was made by my mum, Jo Taylor. She has experience with traditional wedding cake making, so to make a more rustic style cake was a little bit of a new experience for her. I think she did a great job though! She made 3 real layers from the 5 tiers, these flavours were lemon, red velvet, and chocolate.

The Photography & Videography

The Heart and Colour team did an amazing job! Phil, our photographer was hilarious and made the whole experience carefree and enjoyable. I think Phil’s genuine love for photography and his interest in doing a good job really reflected in our wedding album. The video is yet to be released, but I know it will be amazing to watch. Sean is a sweetie and made the day a lot easier for us by effortlessly blending in and getting the shot he needed.

The Stationery

Little Peach Co did our stationery. We went with one of their suites from their portfolio. It was on a beautiful textured paper that went with our rustic vibe. The monogram was also my first initial and the groom’s first initial surround by a wreath. This went with the winery theme and was printed on our menus at the reception.
Fern Godfrey

Written by Fern Godfrey

Bride: Grace Loves Lace | Headpiece: Jennifer Behr | Earrings: Dolce & Gabbana | Make Up: Tanielle Jai | Hair: Whisk Hairdressing | Groom: Wil Valor | Tie: Herringbone | Venue: Sirromet Vinery | Florist: Julie Vine | Bridesmaids: Grace Loves Lace | Flower Girls: Tea Princess | Entertainment: Radio Club Band | Videography: Sean Robert Smith | Stationery: Little Peach

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