Sarah & Nick - February 15, 2020

For Sarah & Nick, the importance of marriage was at the forefront of their wedding celebrations from as early as the planning stages. If at times things got a little stressful, they reminded themselves of what the day was about - the start of their marriage and the next chapter of their life together. Having decided that Stones of the Yarra Valley was the venue for them even before Nick popped the question, they knew their day would be what dreams are made of, despite the unseasonal February down pour!

How did you meet?

Sarah
We had some mutual friends so we knew of each other, but only officially met when we were on Schoolies in Lorne in 2009. We became friends for a few months before Nick finally asked me out one Friday night at Perseverance.  We always tell people who are nervous about sending their kids to schoolies that there are some great things to come from going... you just might meet your future husband or wife!

Tell us about the proposal

Nick
I surprised Sarah with a random lunch in the Yarra Valley, not far from Stones, she didn’t see it coming and that was the point. She is a little bit of a control freak and would have liked to plan her own proposal.
I proposed at the end of the lunch, perfect timing for photos over the vineyard as the sun set.

Sarah
Nick organised lunch one Saturday in the Yarra Valley. I thought it was just a casual lunch, so I was running super late. I think Nick rescheduled the lunch about three times. At the end of the lunch he proposed, and I was so shocked, I think my first words were “do my parents know!”. He definitely caught me off guard. It was the perfect surprise and a moment I will never forget.

Tell us a little about the planning process

Sarah
Nick is an accountant and I love planning events and parties so, between us, we had all the excel spreadsheets you can imagine for the wedding. We booked Stones first then our videographer, Moon and Back and our photographer, Theodore and Co, because we knew we wanted them and didn’t want to miss out. We then booked in all our other suppliers quite a while out from the wedding. By booking everyone early, it really gave us the opportunity to build some amazing relationships with all the suppliers who by the end genuinely felt like friends - we still keep in touch with quite a few of them!

Nick
Sarah did 98% and I paid the invoices. But really we made all the decisions and met with the vendors together. We made sure that both of us were really comfortable with all the suppliers we picked.

What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?

Sarah
Even before we were engaged, we knew we wanted to have our wedding at Stones. We always loved going there for lunch so it was the easiest decision we made, we didn’t even look at any other venues.

Nick
We had been to Stones many times and so it was an easy decision for us. We always knew we would get married there. 

What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day?

Sarah
It is so hard to pick! We always say our wedding day was the best day of our lives. You just can't explain the feeling of having everyone you love from all the parts of your life in one room. One of my favourite moments of the day that not many people know about was when Nick and I exited to the balcony of The Chapel at the end of the ceremony. Watching all of our loved ones exit the chapel and having a moment to soak in the time on our own, with no cameras or anyone around, was just so special. We shed a tear or two up there and it was the most special moment for just the two of us to enjoy. It was one of the best moments of the day (and my life!). 

Nick
I really can’t pick one favourite thing. The whole day was perfect. I really liked having everything in the one spot; The Chapel, The Dairy, the reception. Our guests didn’t have to travel far and it meant the celebrations just continued all night.

Were there any traditions that were important to incorporate?

As we both come from Catholic upbringings, it was important for us and our families that we had a Catholic Ceremony. Father Mark Reynolds conducted the mass and it was the perfect blend of tradition but at the same time, we were able to realise our dream of having the ceremony in the Stones Chapel.

Are there any funny stories or near disasters?

When we booked our wedding in February, we imagined it to be a very hot summers day, I even organised a gelato cart. It had also been a really hot and dry summer that year too with lots of bushfires. I remember doing our last venue visit and it was so hot and dry at Stones. When the day of our wedding came around, it was the most unseasonably cool and wet February day and it rained the entire day! It made for some beautiful lush and green photos and you really can enjoy gelato in any weather. 

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings

Sarah
Try and enjoy the process. At times, it can get stressful but just remind yourself of what the wedding is about - the start of your marriage and this next chapter of your life together. It is easy to get caught up in the little things but in hindsight, no one remembers the candles you had on the table, they remember the love that they all felt in the room.

Nick
You will never regret picking Stones for your wedding venue!

Any words of wisdom on marriage?

Sarah
I remember my father-in-law saying in his speech “marriage is not always easy” and I think that is really true. It isn’t always easy but we always say that our relationship is number one. No matter how busy we are, how crazy family life is, we always make sure our relationship is rock solid. We also always get through the hard times by making each other laugh, no matter what.

Nick
Treat each day as a new adventure together. No matter if it’s good, bad or ugly, you can get through it all together. 

What does life look like now?

The world (and our lives) have really changed since our wedding day back in 2020. We narrowly managed to have a honeymoon in the US and Mexico in February/March and came back just as the world was changing. Since then we have brought our family home, renovated and this year welcomed our beautiful son, Oscar, into the world. He really is the best thing that has ever happened to us.

We can't wait to take Oscar to Stones someday soon, it will always hold a special place in our family's heart.  

Vendors:

Celebrant: Father Mark Reynolds

Photographer: Theodore and Co

Videographer: Moon & Back Co

Florist: Rita Feldmann Flowers

Band/DJ: Tobi Tobi & Baker boys band

Dress: Suzanne Harward

Morana & Nicholas - 8th November, 2018

Tell us about your proposal…

Nicholas proposed atop a mountain in Queenstown, while heliskiing, and followed by a picnic in the snow. It was just picturesque. I said yes!

What's the best piece of planning advice you can share?

Relax and enjoy the process. Planning one of the happiest days of your life should not be stressful.

What was the inspiration for the look and feel of your day?

Our vision for the day was an intimate celebration with family and friends. Zoe from I Heart Flowers did a spectacular job at creating a lavish, yet natural and effortless, vibe.

We had very few formalities (no MC, no first dance and only 2 speeches, which were given by Nicholas and I). Instead we kicked the night off with a champagne tower, enjoyed a delicious four-course dinner followed by four-courses of dessert, and danced the night away to Tobi Tobi and the very lively Opa! brass brand. 

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

We live in Sydney and wanted to marry interstate to allow for a getaway wedding that was a destination but one not too far from home. Stones of the Yarra Valley was just perfect! Surrounded by vineyards and oak trees, we immediately fell in love with the property and its charming Tuscan-feel chapel. We also loved that it offers accommodation on the property and a stunning (very spacious and deliciously catered!) bridal house to get ready in.

From the available restaurants, we chose the smaller (and more intimate) restaurant, The Stables, which allowed us to have one very long table. There was something so warm and familial about dining at a single long table with all our 35 guests.

Stones of the Yarra Valley was truly the perfect destination.

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

The ceremony, which was held in the charming chapel on the property, was definitely a favourite part of the day. The moment I saw Nicholas and our closest family and friends, while Tobi Tobi played Can’t Help Falling in Love with you, was my highlight.

What did you splurge on? What did you save on?

We splurged on the entire day! My other advice is, when your husband gives you a budget… use the budget as a starting point! ; )

What does marriage mean to you?

Kindness. Friendship. More kindness. And love, of course.  

Where are you now? Living, career, family?

Next week we will be celebrating our son’s 1st birthday! Mark arrived on Remembrance Day 2019, missing our 1-year anniversary by only a few days! His arrival was that moment when everything in the world makes sense.

Vendors:

Photographer: Chloe May

Videographer: Apertura

Flowers & Styling:  I Heart Flowers (Zoe Webb)

Music: Tobi Tobi

Gown:  Monique Lhuillier (Helen Rodrigues).

Rings: Cerrone

Merve & Lucas - January 29th 2022

As wedding photographers themselves, Merve and Lucas took inspiration for their day from many of the past couples whose weddings they had photographed over the years. With a vision of having a wedding that was simple, elegant and warm, Lucas knew Stones of the Yarra Valley was exactly the right place. It was a day filled with beautiful emotion as their culturally and religiously different families came together and with a a tribe of their dream suppliers, there is not a moment of this day you won’t adore.

HOW DID YOU MEET?

We met exactly 6 years ago at the Portsea Hotel on Australia Day weekend. We actually coincidently booked our wedding the same weekend 6 years later. Weird. 

We never exchanged numbers and we didn't really know a lot about each other but the following week, I bumped into him at a club. We never had intentions on being together at the time and jokingly even said "don't fall in love to each other" and here we are. We couldn't have fallen any harder.

WHO PROPOSED AND HOW?

Like everyone else in the year of 19’, we had dreams of travelling to Europe. It was actually my first year of booking international weddings as a wedding photographer, and both of us are super business savvy people where we put our hearts and souls into what we love doing most, so this was going to be the perfect excuse to make a holiday out of it. I had one in Turkey, in Italy, New York and also Bali. Lucas had plans to propose in Notting Hill as it's one of my favourite movies, however due to the pandemic, we didn't have a lot of travelling options. We're not overly romantic people where we over-plan for things and make it an extravagant thing to be honest, and once we realised we weren't getting out of lockdown any time soon, he proposed in our kitchen while I was in my robe when we had 8:00pm curfews. I had just done my nails at the time, and jokingly I was recording and saying to him "I'm ready for that ringgggg" and at the time he said to me “oh are you recording, keep recording" and next thing I knew was he was pulling out a ring and I was yelling "OMG SHUT UP, ARE YOU SERIOUS. NO WAY!!!!!" So technically I still haven't said yes to his proposal. I took the ring and ran for my life.

Tell us a little about the planning and design process...

When we had gotten engaged, we were in lockdown and the last thing I wanted to do was to think about our own wedding so we booked exactly a year and 10 months before the big day, so that I was able to concentrate on our couples weddings, especially with so many postponed weddings at the time. I also booked all of our suppliers roughly a year and 10 months out from our wedding. I knew that if I wanted to book the people I really wanted to work with, I had to get onto it straight away. Fortunately and unfortunately enough, great wedding suppliers tend to book out quite far in advance. Once everything was booked in, I spent that year focusing on our couples and roughly the 10-6 months mark was mainly just sourcing inspiration.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT STONES OF THE YARRA VALLEY THAT MADE YOU CHOOSE US?

From start to finish everything was absolutely seamless. 

Lucas always wanted to get married at Stones and I had heard incredible things about the venue. At this point I hadn't photographed Stones before as we were in lockdown but I trusted his word and everything else I heard from others. I remember once we were out of lockdown and working, a few of our booked weddings were at the venue and I was in complete awe of how everything ran. This made me so much more excited for our wedding. 

I mean, the venue in itself is the most beautiful and picturesque place but the team just makes everything that much better. I remember on our wedding day saying to the staff, 'I knew you guys were good but now seeing everything on the other end, I can't believe how incredible you guys actually are. Vonnie and Steve have put their heart and soul into creating the most magical venue in Victoria and a team of incredible people. This really shines through the team's energy. Aside from being the most picturesque place, everything was just flawless. the food, the staff, the overall environment and they are honestly great people. Everything is genuinely authentic and they genuinely care about your wedding day. 

Thank you again to the beautiful team at Stones for creating the most magical wedding for us! Everything was perfect and we can't wait to come back for weddings we're photographing, lunch/dinner and our friends' weddings too! 

What was the inspiration for the look and feel of the day?

To be completely honest, there was so much inspiration sourced from our very own couples who we photograph. We get to be a part of so many gorgeous weddings that we were able to use towards our inspiration. There was also a lot of Pinterest boards.

I always had a vision of having a wedding that was just simple, elegant and warm. 

When viewing wedding blogs or magazines what did you find most useful? (eg. Inspiration via real weddings, inspiration through styled shoots, articles or information on specific suppliers).

I didn’t read a lot about weddings. I mainly just looked at photographs on Instagram, Pinterest and that was pretty much it for me. Being a wedding photographer of-course helped in so many ways as we’re able to see what works, what doesn’t. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART DURING YOUR CEREMONY?

The most memorable moment of our wedding day was our first look. It was honestly the most heartwarming, most romantic and emotional thing I have ever experienced. Marrying Lucas brought out a whole new love language between us I never knew existed. We're generally full of banter, lots of business meetings over dinners and simply best mates. Those that know us well, know we rarely ever get overly lovey dovey; so this was really different for the both of us. Although we didn't go to Notting Hill, during our first look - we played "she by Elvis Costello" and I literally bawled my eyes out. Usually I see grooms reacting in such a way, but seeing Lucas as a groom from both perspectives of a creative and a bride was the most incredible thing I have ever felt. It was that very moment where I said to myself "he is literally the most handsome groom I have ever seen, I can't wait to photograph him". 

I really wanted to do a first look as seeing each other for the first time was really important for me to keep this moment sacred. This might sound contradicting, but the moment was particularly important for me to feel real emotions and to be completely honest, I was petrified of seeing him for the first time in front of all of our family and friends. I wanted us to enjoy an intimate moment just the two of us with hopes that I would be a little less nervous during our ceremony. 

The whole time during our first look I bawled my eyes out. It was an unexplainable feeling. I think seeing him for the first time, seeing myself on the other end as a bride, seeing our two culturally and religiously different families come together to celebrate us was incredibly emotional. I couldn't stop crying from happiness and we were both in a romance bubble.

Although we had done a first look, during our ceremony, we both teared up. I think we both just felt so happy that we could share that very moment with our nearest and dearest ones.

DID YOU WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS? IF SO, WHAT MADE YOU DO THAT?

We wrote our own vows and couldn't recommend this more. It was a moment for both of us to be truly authentic and raw with one another in front of all of our family & friends. 

What was the best piece of wedding advice you received?

Take in every single moment and truly enjoy it. Because it really does go by so quickly! 

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU DID AT YOUR WEDDING?

Book Stones 100%. Honestly everything about the wedding was incredible. Our vendors, family / friends. Everything was just perfection. 

WHAT DOES MARRIAGE MEAN TO YOU NOW?

Family.

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings?

Don't overthink what could go wrong. Focus on the positives, and whatever is meant to happen will happen. Of-course in saying that, plan for exactly what you envision for your wedding day. We didn't hold back on booking the suppliers we wanted and it was everything we could have asked for on our special day.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE NOW…

Well we're currently in New York writing this in our 19th floor apartment overlooking the beautiful city. We've just finished photographing a wedding in California and now heading to Italy to photograph some more beautiful weddings and enjoy our honeymoon in our motherland. We absolutely can't wait for what the future holds! 

Emily & Ben - August 1st 2021

Celebrating their relationship with the people who helped them grow & blossom from a new couple in the prime of their nerdy teenage years into the gorgeous couple that they are today, was everything Emily & Ben hoped for when they exchanged their vows. It was the smaller moments in the day that they enjoyed the most and throwing tradition to the wind with an immaculately curated playlist instead of a DJ, Emily & Ben made their wedding entirely their own.

How did you meet?

We met in our prime and nerdy teenage years on a Friday night after school volunteering at a tutoring program

Any funny first date stories?

Emily
Ben was 20 minutes late to a very forgettable movie…
He made up for it on the next date when I got a free boost juice from his “buy 10 get 1 free” loyalty card… very romantic

Ben
Directly after the movie, Emily was picked-up by her parents who were suspicious about her new “boy friend”

What's one thing you wish you knew before you started planning your wedding?

Emily
Spreadsheet formatting preferences do not always align

Ben
No matter what goes wrong it will still be a beautiful day, so don’t worry too much about back-up plans

What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?

Beautiful greenery and scenery, delicious food and wine, and the confidence of having everything on the one site with amazing staff behind the scenes

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

Emily
I thought my favourite part was going to be the “big” moments like our first dance and walking down the aisle… but I loved the smaller moments like eating an entire trout together, getting rose petals thrown into our eyes, etc.

Ben
I thought my favourite part was going to be seeing Emily walking down the aisle – I was right!!

Did you scrap any wedding traditions? If so, why?

We didn’t have a DJ or band which we felt was a little unorthodox! We had our beautiful friend Dan hit play on a carefully curated series of immaculate playlists – he even adjusted the volume at crucial heart-tugging moments in the ceremony. Thanks Dan!

What was your first dance song and why?

“Young Hearts Run Free” paradoxically a song about being trapped in a loveless relationship but a certified disco bop nonetheless

Have you managed to go on a honeymoon and if so, where?

We finally got to spend some time in Tassie recently…  almost a year after the wedding (thanks covid!). Very lovely to be able to travel again, and as husband and wife!

What does marriage mean to you?

Getting married hasn’t changed much in our lives (expect for fancy rings!) but for us it meant an opportunity to celebrate our relationship with all our friends and family who have helped us grow and blossom together.

Tell us a little about what life is like now...

We are currently living in the inner north – basically splitting our time between our local bakery and wine bar.

Ben is a palliative care doctor and Emily is an urban designer. For now, our family is us and our treasured house plants.

Celebrant: Sophie Cleary
Photographer: Jeremy Blode Photography
Florist: The Providore
Bridal: Lola Varma
Cake: Miss Ladybird Cakes

Tomas & Brett - January 9th 2020

After an intimate lunch within The Barn, Tomas & Brett looked at each other and were both comforted and overwhelmed, imagining the people they care about all gathered under the one roof, laughing, crying and filling the room with love. A few months later, Tomas and Brett walked down the aisle, together, as a strong symbol of how they are entering this marriage.

HOW DID YOU MEET?

Brett works as a Principal Artist for The Australian Ballet, and tucked around the corner from their headquarters is a little café and grocer. Prior to finishing studying, Tomas used to work at the grocer, sometimes on the late shift. Brett would come in to just buy something small… maybe to see if Tomas was working, and then like a good employee Tomas would upsell Brett into buying one or two extra goodies. Brett was always happy to oblige. This blossomed gently into grabbing little dinners after work, or having coffee beforehand. Quite quickly, we both knew that something beautiful was developing.

WHO PROPOSED AND HOW?

We had always known what we wanted for the rings, and that Tomas would be the one to propose. Once the rings were made, Tomas was supposed to drop them to Brett’s mum and dad for safe keeping. But those rings were burning a metaphorical hole in Tomas’ pocket. So they went to their favourite pub for dinner, and then down to the beach for ice cream. As the sun set, with those rings calling out, Tomas knew that this was the moment, even though it was completely unplanned.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT STONES OF THE YARRA VALLEY THAT MADE YOU CHOOSE US?

We took a trip with our parents to the Yarra Valley to investigate venue options. We booked lunch in The Barn and then were going to hop around the other venues. All six of us sat down at our table, and before we could even pour a glass of wine, we started to get teary, completely aware that Stones was the place for us. As we looked around the space and at each other, we were both comforted and overwhelmed imagining the people we care about all gathered under the one roof, laughing, crying and filling the room with love. We cancelled the rest of our plans for the day – we knew we had found the right place.

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR VIBE OR THEME YOU WERE AIMING FOR ON YOUR WEDDING DAY?

We wanted a relaxed but refined energy. We achieved this through our vendors, and through the help of Stones. Having long communal tables with shared food gave a vibe that we were all coming together, to celebrate and enjoy ourselves. Having the event during the day felt to us that we utilised the natural assets of the space. Being able to see out over the vineyard, having the sun beam in through the glass to just lift everyone up, and being surrounded by incredible native flowers. It was the perfect day.

WHAT TRADITIONS DID YOU INVOLVE IN THE DAY AND WHY?

Our focus was on making our marriage our own. Some traditions felt restrictive and, in a way, not like they were made for us. We wanted to spend as much time together as possible, so we got ready together in the morning, which was one of the greatest decisions of the day. People would pop by our room down at The Farmhouse and send their love and have little moments like that as well that we could experience together. We then walked down the aisle together, as a strong symbol of how we are entering this marriage, together already, here to celebrate what we already have and to step together into our next chapter. One tradition we had was rings. We had rings made of diamonds and gold from each of our families, melted down and placed together with new white gold; symbolic of the uniting of our two families. We really spent every little moment of the day together, which just amplified the beauty in all the little things throughout the day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART DURING YOUR CEREMONY?

Brett
Feeling so ourselves in front of friends and family in such a beautiful space. To be in a room full of loved ones who were there to support us on our journey.

Tomas
I have two! Firstly, the doors opening and seeing a room full of people who love and support us. That was magical. Secondly, the look on Brett’s face when I surprised them by singing part of my vows to them with the song “Songbird” by Eva Cassidy. The most honest and caring smile I have ever seen on anyone’s face.

DID YOU WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS? IF SO, WHAT MADE YOU DO THAT?

Yes we did. We felt it was important for us to be able to fully express ourselves authentically, ensuring that every aspect of the ceremony felt personal to us. We had the greatest time too with our Celebrant, Wendy, who helped guide us if we needed. But we felt like we both knew we wanted to say, and in Tomas’ case, sing too.

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU DID AT YOUR WEDDING?

The best thing was spending all the little moments together, looking each other in the eyes and relishing those gems of time. We made a deal before the wedding that we wouldn’t get swept away or distracted by wanting everything to be perfect - since we knew the team and staff at Stones were on top of that for us. Taking that time together, before the ceremony at Meletos for breakfast, just before the doors opened to the chapel, sitting up in the loft as people exited, a glass of champagne in The Stables after our photos, seeing The Barn before the guests arrived, all through the reception. These moments can get lost in the sea of organisation that you’ve done, but we are so proud that we sat in them to just relish the joy.

WHAT DOES MARRIAGE MEAN TO YOU NOW?

We are very cognisant of the fact that prior to 2017, marriage wasn't a legal option for us. In the past there have been countless queer couples who have had full and loving relationships who never got to see marriage equality passed in Australia. We would never want to devalue the strength and ferocious love shared by these people who weren't able to make that choice. If anything, their enduring legacy is that we witnessed how outside of marriage you can be happier, fuller and richer in life when you are truly committed to those you love. Our marriage has blossomed just like those relationships from the past, but is now legally recognised. And we use our marriage as the foundation of how we propel ourselves forward. We were already making an incredible life together prior to our wedding, and we entered the married chapter of our life ready to make marriage our own, to continue growing together, and to live in our deep and shared understanding of what we willingly entered into on the 9th of January, 2020 at Stones of the Yarra Valley.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE NOW…

Our wedding was only weeks before the pandemic erupted and changed all of our lives forever. We used to say to ourselves, "if we can get through these lockdowns as a newly married couple then we can do anything together." And we were right. We have continued to grow with and for each other, to make the best of our marriage. We have faced challenges that people under 30 never anticipate. Last year, Tomas was diagnosed with cancer and underwent six months of chemotherapy. Luckily, because of marriage equality, Brett was able to spend some time with Tomas in the hospital (which if we weren't married wouldn't have been allowed). Brett continued to work at The Australian Ballet full time, but managed to also be Tomas' full time carer (along with their parents). Since finishing treatment only weeks ago, we have both been working back as artists to our fullest capacity. Brett has opened multiple ballets at The Arts Centre Melbourne. Tomas has written a play that’s being workshopped and composing new works being choreographed to. A whirlwind, but stronger together than ever before.

VENDORS:

Celebrant: @wendydoesweddings
Photographer: Bianca Virtue
Florist: Sugarbee Flowers
Band/DJ: our best friend Manali curated a playlist on spotify!
Cake: our cake was made by Tomas’ cousin Allira Jayne Cakes!

Paige & David - May 15th 2021

During a time when Covid was well and truly a part of our lives, Paige and David were amongst the many couples needing to reschedule their special day, ultimately leading to them losing their original venue. Luckily, Paige’s sister, Rachel, who was married at Stones four years earlier, got in their ear and the stars aligned. In the midst of Covid lockdowns, Paige & David celebrated amongst the beautiful Autumnal surrounds in spectacular style with their nearest and dearest.

HOW DID YOU MEET?

David

Paige and I are teenage sweethearts, meeting 13 years ago at a popular Melbourne nightclub reunion. It was truly ‘love at first sight’ when we were introduced!

Paige

I remember telling my friends at the time I knew he was the ‘one’ and we would get married. After 6 months of awkward dates and a t-shirt catching on fire, we made it official.

HOW DID DAVID PROPOSE?

Both

Paige’s one request was that I asked for permission from both parents and I was to propose in private so we could savour the first moments together. After spending 12 months secretly designing her engagement ring, I whisked Paige away to our favourite place in the world, our own slice of heaven in Far South NSW, Pambula Beach! I had planned a beautiful day on the beach followed by a stroll down the river mouth at low tide to a secluded, isolated beach where I would propose. Unfortunately for me, Paige fell asleep right before I had planned to propose and the tide would soon swallow the river mouth. After waking her from her nap (which I recommend you never do to your partner!), we started walking down to the ‘spot’ just as a family was setting up for a picnic! Quick thinking had us scaling the rock face down a remote path overlooking the river where I got down on one knee and asked the question. After several minutes of tears, Paige finally said yes!

Paige

I was clueless!

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT STONES OF THE YARRA VALLEY THAT MADE YOU CHOOSE US?

Both

3 months before our wedding date, our original venue informed us they were no longer hosting weddings. By this point, we had already rescheduled the wedding twice (thanks COVID) and were ready to go to a registry office. However, Paige’s sister, Rachel had gotten married at Stones four years earlier and had been in our ear about how incredible the team at Stones is and how they really take ownership and put your mind at ease in the lead up to the day. Within 15 minutes of sending an enquiry online, Stones called and had a date tentatively on hold for us allowing us time to align our vendors with the new plans. Thankfully the stars aligned and everyone was available so we proceeded. We were also excited at the thought of being able to return to Stones each year to mark our anniversary, which we celebrated last Sunday 15-May.

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR VIBE OR THEME YOU WERE AIMING FOR ON YOUR WEDDING DAY?

Paige

We wanted to highlight the beautiful autumnal colours of our surrounds and the sweeping vineyard backdrop and to really bring the outdoors inside with our floral arrangement.

David

We wanted our overall vibe to be reflective of us, so it was important that music played an essential role on our wedding day as we are both passionate music lovers. We spent months perfecting the playlist for the day and it’s still our favourite today!

WHAT TRADITIONS DID YOU INVOLVE IN THE DAY AND WHY?

David

I insisted on having first look at the chapel as Paige was adamant on getting the ‘groom crying photo’ when the bride first appears (which she got!). This also added to the suspense and excitement of the ceremony

Paige

I’ve always loved the concept of ‘something new, something old and something blue’ so I made sure to incorporate that on the day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART DURING YOUR CEREMONY?

David

This is going to sound cheesy but it was finally being reunited as husband and wife after spending the past 24 hours apart. We were a bundle of nerves and instantly felt at ease in each other’s company. The joy of putting our wedding bands on is also such a unique feeling which we cherish.

Paige

My favourite part of the ceremony was having instrumental music play as our guests arrived and how ethereal the chapel felt after the rain cleared (literally 20 minutes before I arrived). We were even blessed with a rainbow over the vineyard before our ceremony!

DID YOU WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS? IF SO, WHAT MADE YOU DO THAT?

Both

We opted to go for the traditional wedding vows as we had a Catholic ceremony.

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU DID AT YOUR WEDDING?

Both

Definitely hiring three chandeliers as our centrepiece in The Barn! The chandeliers really elevated the space and added a wow factor to the venue. It was one of the most commented on features at our wedding so we knew it was a hit! We were also really stoked with our bonbonnieres which added a personal flavour to the day, we were lucky enough to be able make custom fragrance candles with Wavertree and London.

Paige

Also our florist – Pomp and Splendour. We gave them creative control to do what they liked and they did not disappoint! They weren’t afraid to embrace colour and texture with our arrangements, which really brought our vision to life. Honourable mention to my bouquet – it was so phenomenal I actually reneged on throwing it over my shoulder for my guests to catch!

WHAT DOES MARRIAGE MEAN TO YOU NOW?

David

After recently recovering from couples COVID, we now have a full appreciation of the vow “through sickness and in health”! It’s really important to continue supporting each other and build one another up, especially in our dark moments. Instilling a sense of self-belief in one another to be the best version of yourself every day.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE NOW…

Both

The past 12 months has been a trip! Two weeks after getting married we were plunged into the longest lockdown of the pandemic. Unfortunately, we were never able to reflect and celebrate being married with our friends and family. But it did award us time together we wouldn’t have otherwise had. It gave us time to focus on ourselves, our relationship and raise our fur baby, Earl. We were also robbed of our overseas honeymoon, so fingers crossed for later this year!

VENDORS:

Celebrant: Catholic Priest

Photographer: Briars Atlas and Corey Wright

Corey has such charisma and talent, he knew exactly what he was doing and his energy was infectious. We had 20 minutes to accomplish portrait shots before we lost sunlight, and Corey knew exactly how to maximise that time. It’s also worth noting he was a huge hit with our guests.

Oli (Briars Atlas) is the bee’s knees! He is genuinely a great human being. He made everything super easy and understood what we wanted from our wedding photos.

Florist: Pomp and Splendour - Incredible florists located in Brunswick.

Band/DJ: Baker Boys and DJ Luke
The Baker Boys are live music experts and party starters! Their set list was amazing, they read the room well and had our guests dancing all night.

Any additional vendors you’d like to mention:

Highly recommend In The Booth for a Photobooth! We loved how it was an actual booth and everything was taken care of. The attendee was engaging with our guests and rounding them up for photos.

Simone & Jason - 13th November, 2010

How did you meet?

We met at work as colleagues in the Emergency Services sector. We are both still working in the same field.

First date?

Our first date was on the hottest days of the year. We had brunch at the Red Shed in Gruyere.

What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?

I was born and raised in the Yarra Valley, so it’s a special place to me. The ‘relaxed sophistication’ of Stones really appealed to us both, along with the amazing food and wine. We couldn’t think of anywhere more perfect to get married.

What was the planning process like?

Once we had booked our wedding with Stones, it made a lot of decisions about the style and vibe of our wedding much clearer. We had Rita from Blooming Brides (now Feld Flowers) work her magic in The Chapel and The Barn. The most important thing for us was to have a wedding where our guests were well taken care of and well fed. We knew that we were in good hands with Stones.

Did you tackle any DIY for the day?

Not so much DIY but we did have some professional dance lessons in the lead up to the wedding which were a lot of fun - though we’re still not sure if it improved our wedding dance!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what made you do that?

We had a Lutheran ceremony, so we exchanged traditional Lutheran wedding vows.

What were some of your favourite moments or details from the day?

Simone – Driving down the tree lined driveway to Stones in a vintage Rolls Royce was a very special and exciting moment. We had my son James carrying our wedding rings which was also a very precious moment.

Jason – The moment Simone arrived at the Chapel and celebrating with our friends and families.

If you had your time again, is there anything you would do differently?

While we can’t control the weather, I do wish it wasn’t such a rainy day! But honestly, the only thing we would change would be to have more time with all our guests – the day just goes so fast when you’re having fun!

Any words or wisdom on marriage?

Appreciate all of life’s moments – the big, the small and everything in between.

Where are you now? Living, career, family?

We are lucky enough to live in the Yarra Valley, raising 3 sons James (17), Charlie (9) and Harry (6).

Vendors:

Celebrant: Pastor Tim Stringer, Outer Eastern Lutheran Church
Photographer: Our photographer was a close friend of ours.
Florist: Feld Flowers
Band/DJ: Citrus (4-piece band)

Annie & Andrew - 29th October, 2017

How did you meet?

The old fashioned way, at a bar on Brunswick Street.  We were both celebrating friend’s birthdays and ended up at the same bar afterwards.  We started chatting and 1 hour turned in to 2 hours, and then 3 hours.  At 3am we decided it would probably be best to continue the conversation over breakfast the following morning. 

Tell us about the proposal

Without me knowing, Andrew had taken the day off work and organised to meet with my parents to ask them for their permission, of course they said yes and Andrew gave my Mum a sneak peek at the ring!  When I arrived home that evening, Andrew was waiting for me and “Will you marry me?” was carefully arranged in rose petals on our bed.  I burst in to tears and somehow managed to say yes!

Tell us a little about the planning process

We knew from the start we wanted our wedding to include everything we love - food, family, friends and gelati!  At this point Andrew would also say ‘Whiskey’ which is why we planned a Gentleman’s bar on the alfresco area outside the barn! We enlisted the services of Ruby and James to help us execute our vision of a romantic, rustic elegant wedding with a dash of fun and sparkle.  I love florals and Youki at Sugarbee Flowers helped us achieve beautiful installations and adorned the dining tables with romantic floral garlands.  One of our guests commented that walking in to the barn that night was like walking through a garden, the scent of flowers floated through the room.  Ultimately, our goal was to give our guests an experience they would always remember. 

What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley? 

My parents property is only 15 minutes from Stones of the Yarra Valley and when we visit Stones, we always comment on the view looking towards the mountain range, for us, it feels like home.  It’s such a beautiful location and we loved that our guests could stay onsite immediately after the ceremony for drinks and canapés.  We wanted everything to be taken care of for our guests and from experience knew we’d be in very good hands at Stones of the Yarra Valley.

What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day?

10 months before our wedding day Andrew lost his best friend suddenly, a Bernese Mountain Dog named Yogi.  He was supposed to be apart of our wedding and as you can imagine Andrew was devastated.  I reached out to his breeder and secretly bought a puppy for him as my gift to him on our wedding day.  Although the puppy wasn’t born until 2 weeks after our wedding, I wrapped up a stuffed Bernese Mountain Dog toy with a collar and lead.  It took Andrew a moment and some suggestions by his brothers once the gift was opened but when he realised his tears said everything.  Watching the video of this moment makes me cry every time!

Of course, walking down the aisle to Andrew’s favourite song Metallica ‘Nothing Else Matters’ was also a highlight for me, but for Andrew, I think I may have been pipped at the post by the puppy!

Were there any traditions that were important to incorporate?

Andrew’s family tradition is that the eldest grandson inherits his grandfather’s wedding ring, and sadly Andrew’s grandpa had recently passed away.  His grandpa wore the ring throughout his 50 years of marriage and engraved on the inside are Andrew’s grandparent’s names and now ours are too. There were many tears on the day when our celebrant described the importance of his ring to our guests.

Following my Ukrainian heritage, wedding bands are worn on the right hand and our jeweller crafted a sapphire ring identical to my wedding band that I wore on my right hand for the ceremony.  It fulfilled my something new and something blue!    

Are there any funny stories or near disasters?

Our team of vendors had planned everything perfectly for us; no detail was forgotten.  However, you can’t control the weather!  Our wedding day was a stunning Spring day but the wind was high and it left our vendors making last minute changes to our original plans. We had created a whiskey bar on the alfresco area outside the barn and at one point the vintage chandelier hanging overhead was swaying side to side, I thought it was going to come crashing down.  Thankfully the wind calmed as the night went on and our guests were none the wiser!

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings?

If the idea of planning a big wedding scares you, if you have so many ideas for your wedding and don’t know what to choose; seek out professional help.  Even if it’s a 1 hour consultation with a professional on where to begin you’ll feel much more at ease!  Wedding planning is a full time job for some so that alone illustrates how much time and skill is involved to planning a wedding.  There are multiple elements to juggle on the day between deliveries and pick ups, and if you’re detail orientated like me, knowing a professional has you covered is a huge relief!       

Any words of wisdom on marriage?

Our vows poked fun at each other, Andrew never puts his washing away and I take too long in the bathroom.  We’re still working on those! We find humour in most situations always puts things in perspective.  

Where are you now? Living, career, family? 

We just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and our traditional celebration is to return to Stones of the Yarra Valley for dinner, which we were able to do this year- just!  Within the months after our wedding we started our own wedding and events business - The Event Merchant Company.  We strive to artfully define the details of your table with charger plates, cutlery, glassware and table décor.  Returning to Stones of the Yarra Valley for deliveries always excites me; I know our couples are about to have the best day of their lives! 

In the quiet from between seasons we’ve travelled to the USA for a holiday and we’ve also added another Bernese Mountain Dog to our family.  We now have three dogs that come with us pretty much everywhere when we’re not working!

Vendors:

Photographer: Lost in Love Photography

Florist: Sugarbee Flowers

Celebrant: Sophie Cleary

Event planner / Stylist: Ruby and James

Food carts: Bianco Latte Gelati

Table linen: Table Art, Event Art, Harry the Hirer

Furniture: Gather Vintage Hire, Whiskey

Bar props: The Event Merchant Company

Bridal gown designer: Anna Campbell

Beverly & Ross – Sunday 28th October, 2018

Tell us about your proposal…

Ross: The lead-up to the proposal started with Beverly going on an extended family holiday; we had been together for several years at this point and while Beverly had been on other trips, this time it felt different. It was especially sad as Beverly was packing, we realised that this would be the last time we would see each other until she got back. Being apart was tough, and chatting with friends during this time planted the seed of talking to Beverly about the future and the possibility of getting married. Not long after Beverly returned, we had the chat and set things in motion. I proposed a few weeks later!

I had booked a nice restaurant (No.35 at the Sofitel Melbourne), met the restaurant team and planned to go traditional with the proposal. But just as we parked up and opened the car doors we could smell the food at our favourite nearby Mexican restaurant, we looked at each other and knew that I had to change the plan. I called the restaurant and adjusted our booking, and headed on in to eat some tasty Mexican! We then went and did the traditional proposal over dessert in the now quiet restaurant with a nighttime view of the CBD, with a discrete drop to the knee to cap off a beautiful night.

Beverly: We thought we'd be traditional but as soon as we smelled that Mexican, it was all over. It felt very us.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started planning?

Beverly: Be prepared to meet and speak to many vendors! It's time consuming but will produce the best results, and you can feel assured that the people you've engaged to help you and your guests celebrate the occasion understand your vision.

Ross: People in the wedding industry and friends/family suggesting that we book our key vendors nearly a full year out from the event date was a bit of a shock, but thanks to this advice we were able to secure almost all of our first preference suppliers and couldn't be happier with our choices.

Was there a particular vibe or theme you were aiming for on your wedding day?

Beverly: Overall, we wanted our celebrations to be relaxed and in gratitude for all the support our family and friends have given us over the years. I wanted to dedicate part of our ceremony to acknowledging both our parents, all still together, for the wonderful example they set and nurturing our relationship from the beginning. My Mum Debra and Ross' Mum Karen were the witnesses for our marriage certificate. Aesthetically, flowing green foliage was our focal feature; I wanted to bring the outside in wherever possible. Out of respect to Ross' allergies, we went minimal in the flowers and built any florals around an albino King Protea, which holds personal significance to me.

Ross: We were looking for a fun and relaxed day, a celebration of our relationship in which we could include our friends and family. We decided to display our parents and grandparents wedding photos to serve as a reminder of what helped lead us to this day and enjoy the fashion of weddings past — especially our parent's photos with plenty of big hair, moustaches and mullets!

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

Beverly: I was thankful to attend previous weddings at Stones, there's no better way to get a feel for a venue by attending an event there! Not to mention it's only 10 minutes from where we live. The rows of trees as you drive up the hill and immaculate lawns framed by the Dandenong Ranges are overwhelming — but I think it was cemented for us when we met the team. We were touched by their genuine desire to help bring our event to life, and allowed us numerous tours as we brought our families through and included them in the process.

Ross: The easygoing attitude of the wedding team, nothing was a problem or too difficult and there was always somebody available to answer questions.

Are there any funny stories or near disasters that surrounded your wedding?

Ross: Getting a face-full of rose petals just after the ceremony and still not knowing exactly who it was that threw them — made for some great photos with us laughing.

Beverly: We were well prepared for the unexpected and to go with the flow regardless of the situation, but thankfully we avoided any disappointments. The closest thing I can even think of was two guests unfortunately unable to attend at the last minute, and the Stones wedding team were on hand to amend the reception seating arrangements with just a few hours to go. I'm still thankful to the poor woman who ran the seating plan over to me in The Farmhouse while I was in the makeup chair.

What was the best thing you did at your wedding?

Beverly: Scheduling a morning ceremony and lunch reception! We were able to dedicate the entire day to celebrating, hosting formalities while everyone is fresh and letting us relax and enjoy the afternoon, evening and night. I think we utilised every space on the Stones property, finally ending up with a drink on the shady lawn of Meletos after the reception to reflect on the day. My Dad Mark generously took the role of our event MC which was perfect; he's very organised and rarely goes off-script, we knew we could rely on him to help our reception run smoothly.

Ross: The small gap between the end of our ceremony and leaving the chapel for the rose-petal toss — it was nice to spend some quiet time with Beverly and take in our ceremony before the celebrations commenced. We also delegated some authority to our key wedding party members during the reception, Maid of Honour (Lauren) and Best Man (Nathan), to make any decisions on our behalf or take care of small tasks which enabled us to stay present with our guests and enjoy the reception.

What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day?

Ross: Finally seeing Beverly as the doors opened, it was a great relief after all of the waiting in the morning to know that it was finally time.

Beverly: When the doors of the chapel opened and I got to see all our guests gathered, smiling, with Ross waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I could feel everyone's positive energy and was hit with their vibrant outfits. The only dress-code we gave was "dress fabulously" and our guests delivered! I was glad that our celebrant Yvonne taught us about "ring warming" where our ring box was passed to every guest prior to our vows to hold and impart their wishes and blessings.

Did you scrap any wedding traditions? If so, why?

Beverly: Instead of tossing the bridal bouquet, I saw it as an opportunity to acknowledge our guests in attendance who were already leading by example with beautiful marriages. During our reception, we asked all married couples to stand and as we moved through the years couples were seated. It was a privilege to present the longest married couple, our dear family friends Sandy & Dion, married for over 50 years with a floral gift to take home.

Ross: We decided to have a small wedding party and keep it simple; it made it easier to keep in touch with everybody and organise the day.

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings?

Ross: Do your research and read as many reviews as possible, it will really show you what you can expect from a vendor.

Beverly: Allow plenty of time and enjoy the process! The wedding itself is only one day in your life, but taking a comfortable length of time to review and meet vendors, consider food (our favourite) etc makes the whole occasion last much longer. When the time comes for the big day, go hands-off and just let everything happen as it will. And don't check the weather twice a day for a week leading up to the wedding like me!

Where are you now? Living, career, family?

We're still living our best life locally, enjoying all the fine foods and beautiful scenery of the Yarra Valley every opportunity we get. We can't imagine leaving this region, the community, views and produce is the best. Thankfully, our careers have kept us busy during the pandemic — we look forward to catching up with our loved ones again soon and supporting some local businesses.

Vendors:

Celebrant: @wedding_celebrant

Photographer: @igotyoubabeandco

Videographer: Nicholas Kerr Media

Flowers & styling: @theprovidore (Ruth is an absolute delight)

Hair: @rae.hairstylist

Makeup: @vbombamakeup

Lucy & Michael – Saturday 19th October, 2019

Tell us about your proposal…

After 5 years together Michael surprised Lucy in April 2018 with a romantic night away in the city and proposed to her that night.

Tell us a little about the planning process

The planning process was something we enjoyed doing. We made most of the decisions together and ensured we were organised to prevent as much stress as possible. We also worked with some amazingly talented suppliers who made the planning process so much easier.

What was the best piece of wedding advice you received?

Keep things simple, go with the flow and let the suppliers do their thing!

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

What a picturesque place for our perfect day! Stones was the first wedding venue we went to and we instantly fell in love with its beauty. We were so happy with our decision to get married at Stones, it was everything we could have asked for and more!

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

We thought the ceremony would be our most favourite part of our day, however finding out we were going to be parents for a second time was definitely the highlight.

What traditions did you involve in the day and why?

We had a fairly traditional ceremony and chose to follow a few old wedding traditions like sharing our first dance, throwing the bouquet and garter and following the rules of “something old, something new” for good luck.

Was there a particular vibe or theme you were aiming for on your wedding day?

We were aiming for a fairly simple and classic wedding with a timeless vibe. We wanted it to be something we would look back on in years to come and love it just as much as we did on the day. 

If you had your time again, is there anything you’d do differently?

We had the most amazing day and wouldn’t change a thing!

Any words of wisdom on marriage?

Learn to love simply, to be supportive and understanding, to educate and be educated by one another and laugh often.

Where are you now? Living, career, family? 

It has been a crazy year with COVID-19 but we were lucky enough to welcome another beautiful boy into our world.

Vendors:

Celebrant: Kate Morgan

Photographer: Kerri - Lovers Narrative

Florist: Kim - Melbourne Flower School

Band/DJ: DJ Steve Kimber

Hair: Shauna Elizabeth Hair

Makeup: Carla Dyson

Lydia & Masson, 20th September 2019

Tell us about your proposal…

It was a complete surprise!  We were on holidays in Arashiyama, Japan. Masson carried the ring with him from Australia, he was so nervous the whole time he couldn't wait any longer and proposed as soon as we checked into the Ryokan. We kept our engagement a secret for the whole trip, and only told everyone when we came back home. It was so magical, a memory shared by just the two of us. 

What's the best piece of planning advice you can share?

Don't overthink it, follow your gut. Wedding planning was no doubt the most stressful 12 months of our relationship. Everyone around us, out of love, were giving us recommendations and their ideas on all aspects of the wedding. Top that with recommendations from suppliers, pinterest boards, insta stories.....it can feel very overwhelming. Just remember that it's your big day, not anyone else's. Pleasing everyone will be impossible, so follow your heart, and people who love you will see how happy you are with your decisions and be happy for you. 

What was the inspiration for the look and feel of your day?

Both born in China originally and growing up in Australia, we wanted our wedding to be the perfect fusion. Traditional tea ceremony was green tea followed by glass of bubbles, bonbonniere was our favourite Godiva chocolate wrapped in red boxes shaped like Chinese Sedan Chairs.... It was absolutely magical to celebrate the day by sharing all aspects of our lives so far with those we love.  

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

Lydia: I knew Stones of the Yarra Valley is where I would be married before I even met Masson! We both loved Stones - beautiful drive in, tuscan style chapel, breathtaking vines and hills in the backdrop, high ceilings in the Barn filled with light.... Stones was the absolute fairytale setting, we knew we simply wouldn't have been happy getting married anywhere else. 

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

Honestly, leading up to the wedding was so stressful, we were so busy planning the last min details, didn't even pause to think what we would look forward to the most! On the day though we both think that the best part of the day was after the ceremony and photos, we decided to sneak back into the chapel, and spent 5 mins there, just the two of us. We took in the beautiful chapel, replayed the ceremony and our wedding vows in our minds, and just hugged without saying anything. It was only 5 mins of alone time, but in that moment we felt like the luckiest couple on earth.

What did you splurge on? What did you save on?

Everything! :) It's honestly scary to think afterwards about the amount you spend on your big day, but everything was so perfect I would not have had it any other way...

I'd say the two things we were most generous on was food and flowers. We added all the extras we could off the Stones menu - freshly shucked oysters, antipasto platters... and ordered a cake that was enough for double our guest numbers! Masson and I are both foodies, so our worst nightmare was if guests left our wedding hungry... Needless to say, the food was absolutely delicious on the day, we were definitely not disappointed! Youki from Sugarbee flowers is the most gifted and lovely person you'll ever meet - she was a true friend throughout the wedding planning process, and our flowers on the day were absolutely stunning! 

One thing I'm very proud of is not spending as much as I thought on my wedding dress. Luv Bridal had a huge selection of dresses, at half the price of the boutique shops in Richmond / Armadale. I couldn't be happier with my dresses, and most importantly I got to fit in an extra reception dress for the same budget, which was the perfect way to transition from the ceremony to party time! 

What was your first dance song and why?

It was 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran. We both love Ed Sheeran, and the lyrics of 'Perfect' resonate strongly with us.

What wedding traditions did you involve and why?

Masson and I wanted a warm, intimate feel to our wedding, so we avoided having too many formalities and traditions on the day. Having said that, the tea ceremony was definitely a highlight, it was so touching to spend a moment with our family, and feel the unity of not just the two of us, but our families coming together as well.  

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage for me means 1+1>2. That’s what I genuinely believe about the relationship between masson and I. We are two independent, capable people, but we choose to bring the best of ourselves together, because all the good times are better with the two of us combined, and all the bad times don’t feel so bad because together we believe we can work through everything. 

Where are you now? Living, career, family? 

What a crazy year it's been since our wedding! We were lucky enough to squeeze in our honeymoon trip to Spain, Portugal and Italy, and a trip back home to China to celebrate our wedding with our wider family. The last few months have been settling into living together, and working together - 24/7 thanks to COVID-19! but honestly, we are secretly grateful that we got this year to treasure our times being together just the two of us, it's been a real treat starting our married life being able to spend so much time together. Having said that, we're definitely getting itchy feet to go on our next adventure once COVID-19 is over!

Vendors:

Celebrant: John McCullough from Right Match Civil Celebrant

Photographer: Wide-Eyedea Studio

Videographer: Wed-deographer

Florist: Sugar Bee Flowers

Band/DJ: The White Tree

Cake: Miss Ladybird Cakes 

Wedding Cars: Always Classic Cars

Wedding Emcee: William Lee 

Wedding Dress: LuvBridal 

Sarah & Rob - 6th September 2019

How did you meet?

Sarah

We met at work almost seven years ago. I had just started a new job and never thought that I would be meeting my future husband as well!

Any funny first date stories?

Rob

As we were working in the same office, we were trying to keep our relationship on the down low, but we got busted when we were caught leaving the office after Friday night drinks together heading to the movies. 

What was it about the venue that made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?

Stones was always our first choice as it ticked all the boxes. Not only is it stunning and picturesque, it also has such a warm feel about it. From the moment you drive up the driveway lined with trees and then have a first glimpse of the beautiful Chapel it's hard not to fall in love with. The Chapel was important to us as we wanted the feeling of tradition while having a more relaxed setting. We loved how the Barn overlooked the spectacular vineyard and reminded us of our time in Tuscany together. Another thing that we really liked about Stones was that our ceremony and reception could be in the one place. We wanted our family and friends to relax and enjoy each moment filled with delicious food, wine and dancing and not have to worry about travelling between venues.

What was the inspiration for the look and feel of the day?

The look and feel of the day was a combination of both of our personalities. Getting married in Spring allowed us to have soft but romantic floral arrangements which worked beautifully with the rustic feeling of Stones. Another great thing about Stones is that it is already so stunning, that you don't need to do a lot with the space. By adding our own touches such as the florals and fairy lights, the space felt unique and captured the mood perfectly. 

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started planning?

Sarah

My career is in Events Management which definitely helped when planning the wedding! However, I didn't realise how busy the week leading up to the wedding would be, even though we were super organised. We were fortunate that all of the suppliers we chose were so professional and worked closely with the team at Stones, taking the pressure and stress off us.

Rob

How good it was having a wife who organises events for a living.

Were there any traditions that were important to incorporate?

Sarah

We are both very close with our parents and it was important to have them included in our ceremony and have our Mum's sign the registry. I also had a lace flower from my Grandma’s veil sewn into my veil - it was special being able to combine the old with the new.

What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day?

Sarah

Standing at the altar in the Chapel saying I do while surrounded by all of our family and friends was probably my favourite moment of the day. It is so surreal having all of your loved ones in the same room together. I also loved seeing all of the elements of the wedding come to life - from the bridesmaid’s dresses and the groomsmen’s suits, to the beautiful bouquets and flowers, to the cake and finally to the tables all set up in the Barn. 

Rob

I stayed in the Yarra Valley with my groomsmen the night before our wedding which meant we could check into Meletos early and have a really nice lunch at the restaurant together before strolling next door to get ready for the day. I really enjoyed having that time with my groomsmen to just relax and chat before the big day started.

If you had your time again, is there anything you’d do differently?

Sarah

It rained on and off all day which was stressful at the time but looking back on the day it didn’t matter. After the ceremony, the most beautiful double rainbow appeared, and we had the most stunning photos taken. I think it's important to realise that not every single detail on the day will go as planned so just relax and go with it because looking back it was the perfect day!

Rob

Our wedding was on a Friday and I worked all the way up to Thursday. That week was quite stressful trying to get the finishing touches organised and working full-time. If I had my time again I would have taken a day or two off leading up to the wedding for those last-minute things, like getting a haircut (which I forgot to do!) 

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage is very special to us. Our marriage symbolises loyalty, trust and the unconditional love that we have for each other. Life can have unexpected challenges and facing these challenges together has only made our marriage stronger.

Where are you now? Living, career, family?

2019 was a very busy year for us! We travelled overseas three times, sold our townhouse and bought our family home. We are loving our new home and have plans to renovate it in the next few years. We have Ellie (our German Pointer fur baby) and we can't wait to expand our little family soon. 

Vendors

Celebrant: Mrs Judy McMaster (Sarah's former School Chaplain)

Photographer: Rick Liston

Videographer: C2 Films

Florist: Say It With Flowers

DJ: Melbourne Entertainment Company

Dress: Maggie Sottero, Raffaele Ciuca Bridal 

Cake: Splendid Servings Cake Design

Rebecca & Chris, 18th August 2018

Tell us about your proposal..

8th October 2016, Chris and I went away for the weekend to our family Tootgarook beach house, Chris sneakily made out that it wasn’t his idea and that he didn’t want to go just to keep it a surprise. We decided to go for a bike ride along the back beach of Diamond Bay, Mornington Peninsula. Stopped in our tracks we walked through the sand and climbed a cliff with the most amazing scenic view of the ocean. We sat here and had a picnic. I decided to start trying to carve out our names and date in the rocks maybe because I knew this was a moment to remember and as I tried this he snuck the ring out from his back pack, sitting right next to me. Chris says he was about to pop the question but I then told him the rocks were no good because it wasn’t flat enough and moved to another spot. So I moved and began carving our names as he crept up behind me and starting saying “I’ve been thinking about our future and how we’re looking for a house…” I casually said Yeah and he then followed with “You know how much I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I knew at that moment to turn around and there he was on one knee with the ring in hand. Just like every girl imagines it to be. I went on my knees with him said yes, I got teary and we kissed. Chris claims he knew he was going to do it on our little weekend getaway but wasn’t sure when or where and that he was just waiting for the right moment. It all worked pretty perfect in the end and is a moment that we will cherish forever. We revisit this spot at least once a year now to relive the moment.

 

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started planning?

Not to stress too much about the little things. I love planning and preparing events but what amazed me was that I had spent over a year planning this one day. During this time, you’re dealing with so many different people and organising so many things such as invitations, flowers, cakes, the photographer, musicians, table décor and the list goes on. Working with flowers myself I was super excited to see what they would look like on the day but when it all came down to it and I walked down the aisle all my eyes were locked on, was Chris. It was almost as though it was only him and I in the room, even though it wasn’t. You imagine this moment for so long and it was not at all what I had expected. But it was perfect. I remember half way through the ceremony I thought: I haven’t even noticed the giant flower stands behind me that I was so looking forward to seeing! I couldn’t believe I didn’t even notice them or the live musicians we had singing. I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s ok to take pride in all that you prepare and plan. It’s ok to enjoy this because I did. But when it comes to the day, don’t worry about what is and isn’t perfect because all that really matters is that you and your partner are there for each other.

Was there a particular vibe or theme you were aiming for on your wedding day?

I wouldn’t say we stuck to one particular theme. We wanted a romantic and whimsical feeling but also a little vintage so maybe alternative. Who says you have to have just one?

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

Chris and I had a friends wedding in our early years of being together. We were not at all ready to get married but we knew one day we would be getting married. So at our friends wedding we both agreed we wanted to come back and get married here and that we did.

Are there any funny stories or near disasters that surrounded your wedding?

Yes, funny and near disaster! During our ceremony we had little candle tea lights on the floor at the ceremony around the flowers. These are super cute but maybe not such a great idea when you have a long veil or dress! While we were standing up at the alter facing all our guests Chris and I started to smell a burning smell. At the corner of his eye he could see my veil in one of the tea light candles burning. My sister who was my maid of honour also noticed this at the same time as the great maid of honour she was she yanked it out quickly. It all happened so fast that I’m pretty sure nobody really noticed but us. It only left a small hole in my veil. We laugh about it still and it definitely could have turned into something worse.

What was the best thing you did at your wedding?

Opening the dance floor as soon as we could! We love to dance and have a good time and we believe this created a great atmosphere and vibe straight away!

What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day?

There were so many and it’s hard to narrow it down so here are a few:

• The moments with your family in morning

• The moment when you’re Dad sees you in your dress for the first time

• The moment your niece and nephews come down the aisle in a little cart and melt everyone’s hearts

• The moment you walk down the aisle and it’s just you and him even though it’s not

• The moment you say I do and you can finally have that kiss

• The moment you walk down the aisle hand in hand

• The moment you have that first dance

• The moment he says his speech and calls you his wife for the first time

• The moment you dance with your father

• The moment you have with your besties

• The moment you sneak outside with the videography with a flare to get some cool shots

• The moment you leave your wedding in a Toyota Hilux

I could go on...

• The moment it’s just you two

Did you scrap any wedding traditions? If so, why?

Not really, our parents may have preferred a Priest marry us but we had Mike Larkin and in the end they really like him and were just happy for us.

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings?

The best advice I could give you is do what makes you both happy and when I say both I mean the bride! Haha!! No really in all seriousness, I would truly recommend meeting with all your vendors. We hadn’t met some of them in person purely due to a lack of time but our videography who was amazing and made sure that we met before and after have met and had our wedding day we understood why. He told us it’s your wedding day and you don’t really want to be meeting new people especially ones like photographers and videographers that you have to work so closely with throughout the day. We didn’t really want ‘stagey’ or ‘posy’ photos but I would recommend writing a list of photos you want for your photographer and be specific: Like a photo with your parents/bridesmaids in the morning, a full shot of the bride in the wedding dress, or photos with certain family members so that there is no miscommunication and your expectations are clearly communicated. We got some beautiful photos but some moments can get missed and because it’s only one day you want to make sure it’s captured as best as possible. So that’s the technical advice. The real advice is just have fun with each other! It’s both your wedding day and usually there is so many people there for you both but what was important to Chris and I is that we both make sure we spend time with each other on our day and dance the night away and that we did.

Where are you now? Living, career, family? 

Happily married and now a family of 3!  We have our sweet baby girl Grace who is about to turn one in a month. She has brought us so much joy and we adore her so much. She is our world!  As new parents Chris and I have become even closer together and learnt new things about each other. She has made us work together in ways we have never before and it’s been a great feeling. We are also in the process of renovating our home and both have career changes. My online florist business The Posy Story has continued to grow and is blossoming. This has led to hiring more staff and establishing new roles whilst managing a good work life balance. Chris too has just recently decided to start his own electrical business after being with the same employer for almost 8 years. So, since getting married some things have changed but what hasn’t changed is our love and support for each other. We feel pretty lucky in love, truly.

Vendors

Celebrant: Mike Larkin

Photographer: I Got You Babe Photography - Lilli Waters

Florist: Feldflowers

DJ: Mercury DJ Hire

MC: Sam Muscat

Dress: Paolo Sebastian

Shoes: Sophia Webster 

Bridesmaids: Viktoria and Woods

Make-up: Monica Gingold

Cake: Boutique Cake Art

Invitations: The Little Press

Bridie & Simon, 29th August 2014

How did you meet? 

We actually lied on our wedding day in the speeches about this answer but I think 6 years later we can come clean we met on Tinder

Tell us about the proposal…

Simon propsed on a beautiful night in Queenstown, New Zealand in our chalet. We had a gorgeous dinner and too much to drink and ended up in a casino where Simon threw his back out rolling dice!!! Cool!

Tell us a little about the planning process 

We had a wedding stylist (Elaine Tiong) who took the majority of the hard work on for us. I was actually 6 months pregnant at the time of our wedding so being able to relax was really important. We are pretty easy going people so were happy to hand over the reigns to Stones and Elaine and we were so happy with the result. Menu and Drinks were important to us and we loved coming down and testing out the food before the big day.

What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley? 

Stones of the Yarra Valley was the only choice for us. It is so beautiful. We wanted a winter wedding so needed somewhere indoors for the ceremony and the little chapel is stunning. Simon is a wedding photographer so he has seen more wedding venues than most and strongly believes Stones is the most beautiful wedding venue.

What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day? 

We felt the whole day was amazing but it was the little things that made the biggest difference for us. The stones staff allowed us after our photos to take some time with our bridal party and enjoy some private cocktails at (I cant remember the name of the other venue, the Stables maybe?) and it was nice to just stop and take note of the day and relive it together before the chaos of the Reception

Were there any traditions that were important to incorporate? 

No not for us we just wanted a chilled out day where everyone enjoyed themselves including us. We wanted to make sure that we spent our time with each other and guests not caught up in other things.

Are there any funny stories or near disasters? 

No everything was pretty seamless!

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings?

Have fun with it, don't get to caught up in the little details and make sure you ask your venue for advice and help - they have done thousands of weddings and usually have a better way of doing things. its not worth getting worked up.

Any words of wisdom on marriage? 

The best thing we did was buy a tv each so we don't have to sit through each others shocking choices

Where are you now? Living, career, family? 

We moved from the inner west of Melbourne about 2 years ago to Geelong and we love it. We have two beautiful sons Patrick is 5 and experiencing a very different first year of school with COVID. George is two and he is car and construction obsessed. We are constantly finding cars in the strangest of places around the house. We also have Barry the labrador, Snickers the mini sausage dog and Wilbert the stray cat who runs the house. Simon is a prep teacher and Bridie works at Worksafe in Stakeholder and Engagement.

Vendors

Celebrant: Steve Mason

Photographer: Tim Coulson

Florist: Flower Temple

Styling: Elaine Tiong

Dress: Gwendolynne

Sarah & Matthew, 12th August 2017

Tell us about your proposal

Sarah

Our proposal was magical. We were living in London at the time and Matt planned a secret getaway to Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The weekend was filled with sun, water, food, wine, and of course a ring! On the night of the actual proposal, Matt organised dinner at a gorgeous restaurant and then took me to the beach to ‘walk off dinner’. It was there in the moonlight and surrounded by the lights of Positano that he got on one knee and popped the question. 

What's the best piece of planning advice you can share?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Planning your wedding and getting married is meant to be a fun time – try not to focus on details that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.

What was the inspiration for the look and feel of your day?

Getting married in Winter, we wanted a warm feel for the day. We also wanted to draw on the beautiful surrounds of the Yarra Valley. Our florist did a stunning job, filling the space with native foliage and deep crimson flowers.

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

The beauty and rustic feel of the venue is what captured our hearts to start. We loved that the Barn was romantic and had a touch of Italy to it – it fitted in perfectly with our Italian engagement! The large dance floor it offered was also a winner in our eyes – we were keen to dance the night away!

As a winter wedding, we wanted the option to be inside for the ceremony, canapes and reception (and all in one spot) – Stones offers it all! The Stones’ staff also gave us the confidence that all we needed to do was show up on the day. They made the whole planning process stress-free and the day ran seamlessly. We knew we were in good hands from the beginning.

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

Matt

I was expecting the reception to be my favourite part of the day. In actual fact, it was when I first caught sight of Sarah walking down the aisle towards me.

Sarah

I’m not sure what I thought would be my favourite part of the day. I loved every part of it, from getting ready with my bridesmaids, mum, sister and soon-to-be mother-in-law in the Day Room, to the special moment I had with my dad before we walked down the aisle together, to exchanging vows with Matt, to getting our photos taken with our bridal party, and then celebrating at the reception. If I had to choose, I’d say it was when Matt and I snuck to a corner of the Barn during the reception and just took a moment to take it all in. It was so wonderful seeing all the people we cared so much for being in the one room celebrating our love. 

What did you splurge on? What did you save on?

We prioritised things that really mattered to us – the venue, band and photographer. We opted not to have a videographer but instead had a video camera set up on the balcony of the chapel to record the ceremony. We made our own place cards and table numbers and arranged polaroid cameras so that guests could take photos of themselves for our DIY wedding guest book. One of Sarah’s girlfriend’s also made our gorgeous 3-tiered cake as a wedding gift!

What was your first dance song and why?

Our first dance was to Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran, which we asked our band to sing. The lyrics to the song resonated with us and it just felt right. We still stop and have a dance together whenever we hear it play. 

What wedding traditions did you involve and why?

Sarah asked her dad to walk her down the aisle, and she wore something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Matt, being a traditionalist at heart, waited until the ceremony to get his first look at Sarah since the day before. 

As a new tradition, we wanted our mums to be part of the ceremony and arranged for an exchange of roses with them to symbolise our families coming together.  

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage is being in a committed relationship and experiencing life’s highs and lows with someone you love and trust. It’s lifting each other up when times are tough and celebrating the other’s achievements no matter how big or small. It’s making memories together and fulfilling what life has to offer as a family.   

Where are you now? Living, career, family?

We are happily living in the suburbs of Melbourne with our busy one-year old boy (Oliver) and groodle (Harvey). We have recently sold our first home and hope to shortly start on the journey of building our forever home!

Vendors

Celebrant: Paul O’Donohue

Photographer: Kas Richards

Florist: Raven & the Rose

Band: The White Tree

Steffanie & Tony, 16th July 2011

Steff and Tony were only young teenagers when they started their sweet romance - she was the girl next doors best friend, and he was the boy next door with the really nice family swimming pool! Today we shine a light on their nine years of marriage.

How did you meet? 

Steff

Tony moved into the house next door to my best friend when we were 12 years old.  It wasn’t until I was 16 and Tony was 17 that we realised we both had a crush on each other. We have been together (aside from a few little detours) ever since!

Tony

Steff was the girl next door, sort of. Technically she was the friend of the girl next door. My family had a really nice pool and this was enough of an excuse for Steff to come over and make the first moves.

Any funny first date stories?

Steff

It’s not really a first date story, but about a month after we started dating, Tony invited me to his sister's wedding. I hadn’t met Tony’s parents or siblings at this point, so to meet them for the first time at a family wedding was pretty intense. Not only did I meet the immediate family but I also met the whole extended family! I must have made a good impression as I made it into his sister's wedding album.

Tony

It was only meant to be a summer fling but has obviously lasted a few more summers. It makes me laugh when I look back.

What's one thing you wish you knew before you started planning?

Steff

I’m an event designer so I was fortunate to know a lot about the process before we started.  All we wanted from the day was a great celebration with all the people we love in the same room and we definitely got that!

What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?

Steff

We grew up in the outer Eastern suburbs and spent lots on weekends exploring the Yarra Valley.  It just felt like the right fit for us as a couple.  We loved the ambience of the property and the Stones team were so lovely to work with.

Tony

We visited other locations but to be honest, we knew that Stones was the place the moment we saw it.

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

Steff

I don’t think I went in with any preconceived thoughts of what would be my favourite part of the day but I do remember being anxious about time flying by like it did at our engagement party.  I think because I was conscious of that I made a huge effort to slow down and enjoy every moment of the day. I can still remember our wedding day like it was yesterday.

Tony

I thought my favourite part of the day was going to be after the wedding but I was too tired.  I think spending time with our closest family and friends before the ceremony was my favourite part. It was relaxing and fun before all the formalities of the wedding.

Did you scrap any wedding traditions? If so, why?

Steff

We definitely did. To us the day was all about making sure we spent as much time with our family and fiends as possible.  So that we didn’t miss out on post ceremony drinks we arranged to have all our photo’s taken prior to our ceremony.  I don’t particularly enjoy having my photo taken and we both weren’t fussed about the tradition of not seeing each other until the alter.  It worked so well for us and meant we were relaxed going into the evening.

Tony

I didn’t actually ask Steff’s Dad for permission to marry her.  It wasn’t intentional, I just forgot because I was so preoccupied with proposing.

What was your first dance song and why?

Steff

Our first dance was to 'Time of my life’ from Dirty Dancing. The first movie we ever watched together was Dirty Dancing, which at the time I thought was incredibly enlightening of Tony to want to watch while hanging out with his best friend and myself. In hindsight, now that I know his taste in film, I’m pretty sure he was just hoping for a Netflix and chill moment!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to Italy and it was amazing! It was our first trip to Italy and we both fell in love with it.  Santa Margherita is still one of our most favourite places on earth.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage means everything to us. I think going into it, we didn’t think it would change anything but it did. We see it as a binding contract that reminds us we are a team. It makes us try harder and reminds us to always show up for one another. I can honestly say we both work at it everyday and are both good at making sure we pull each other up if we are getting a little complacent.

Tell us a little about what life is like now... where do you live, what do you do for work, been on any awesome holidays as a married couple, do you have any children (human or fur babies) etc? 

We are almost a decade in and a lot has happened! We sold our first house, then bought and renovated our second home. We have both had the opportunity to focus on our careers and follow our dream jobs. We’ve both travelled all over the world for work and fun. We now have two children, Oscar (almost 5) and Hugh (6 months old) and our fur baby Senna is almost 11.  We were one of the first of our friends to get married and have since been to many weddings and every time we go to one we feel so excited for the couple as we know how special the day is for them and the awesome things that are to come!

Kristie & Luke, 3rd July 2016

An office romance that quickly turned into a lifelong partnership. Kristie and Luke celebrate four sweet years of marriage today, with their two beautiful children, Sebastian and Gabriel.

How did you meet?

It was an office romances - our eyes met for the first time whilst Luke was having difficulty setting up his laptop, I went over to help and the rest was history.

Any funny first date stories?

Luke took me for a drive in his red leather silver sports car convertible. I was uncontrollably giggling at what was a very ostentatious car that I never thought he would own. Driving up Collins Street Luke stalled as the nerves bubbled up on our way to a bar for a drink at the Grand Hyatt.

What is one thing you wish you knew before planning your wedding?

This was both our second wedding so our ability to focus on what was important was very easy. Safe to say I didn’t spend $13 per invitation this time…

What was it about us that made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?

It was the perfect setting with everything on the one property which made it easy for all our guests as we floated from the ceremony, to the canapés and then the Barn for our reception.

How would you describe your wedding day?

Romantic, intimate and full of love with our closest family and friends around us. We celebrated everything important to us including family and our deep love for each other.

What traditions did you involve on the day and why?

It wasn’t a tradition, but the inclusion of all the nieces and nephews as our bridal party meant the significance of the day was that much greater for us.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what made you do that?

We did write our vows together, it was one set for us both. It captured our love and gratitude for each other’s unconditional love and care.

If you had your time again, is there anything that you would do differently?

No, it really was the perfect day.

Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their wedding?

Concentrate on the things that really matter. Look for the happiness in the smallest things. Don’t plan every detail, let things surprise and delight you.

What does life look like now? Where are you living, what do you do for work, family or fur babies, any epic holidays/experiences?

Well we have been a little busy… on our first anniversary we found out we were having a beautiful baby boy as we drove through Daylesford. Sebastian joined us on January 2018 and 7 months later were were expecting again! Nine months later we welcomed Gabriel. Our little boys are full of life, giggles and lots of ball sports (already!). We had to question each other on what our anniversary date was as for us every day feels like a celebration. Everything we dreamed of and more.

Vendors

Celebrant: Maree Livy

Rings: Mia Chicco

Photographer: Andrew Newman

Videographer: Adrian Newman

Florist: Oollieflora

Band/DJ: Jimmy & Niki

Ashleigh and Darren, 10th June 2017

Ashleigh and Darren’s moody wedding at Stones of the Yarra Valley perfectly captured the colours and ambiance of winter. The entire wedding was a reflector-beam of their bona fide love!

Tell us about your proposal

Darren proposed on a holiday in New York in 2016. We had such a fun day in the hustle of the city, but the proposal was a beautiful private moment in our hotel room, overlooking the city as night fell. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne by the fireplace in the lobby. It was perfect. The next few days were a blur of champagne and teary (but happy!) phone calls to family back home.

What’s the best piece of planning advice you can share?

Choose the few things that are most important to you, and focus on those. There are so many great planning resources, blogs, forums out there, but it can quickly become overwhelming and it’s easy to put unnecessary pressure on yourselves. Write your wish list, and then close Pinterest! We decided what were the most important things for us that would help make the day special and put them on our ‘must have’ list.

What was the inspiration for the look and feel of your day?

We love the colours and ambiance of winter so chose to have our wedding in June. We felt naturally drawn to the Yarra Valley and its rolling vineyards so the aesthetic came together quite quickly. It was important to us that despite the cool temperature the whole day felt warm, and Zoe at I Heart Flowers brought this to life, with stunning greenery, deep crimson roses and what felt like thousands of candles.

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

We wanted a location that could host the whole day, from ceremony through to reception so that narrowed down our list quickly. When we drove up the long, tree-lined drive of Stones on our first visit we instantly felt that it was ‘us’. The setting is beautiful, the aesthetic rustic and romantic, and the food and drinks second to none. But most importantly, the service was second to none – the entire team were so kind and professional and made the process from start to finish so easy for us.

What did you think would be your favourite part of the day? What did it end up being?

We thought dancing the night away with our loved ones would be our favourite part of the day, and it did live up to those expectations! We had so much fun and it was so great to see our family and friends enjoying themselves too, and by keeping our guest list to a reasonable size it meant we were able to spend quality time with everyone. That said, we really cherish the quiet moments we had alone together after the ceremony, before we joined our guests for cocktails. It was so special to take a breather together, and enjoy our first moments as husband and wife.

What did you splurge on? What did you save on?

We decided to do fewer things, and invest in them well. We forewent a lot of elaborate decor & favours – it helped that we had a winter wedding so there was little need to dress outdoor spaces, other than providing blankets for those wanting some fresh air. We invested in create a warm and welcoming atmosphere – the venue, live music, a great menu and drinks list, and our incredible photographer Jai Long of Free The Bird Weddings to capture the amazing memories.

What was your first dance song and why?

Our first dance was to an acoustic version of “Latch” by Disclosure! It’s not your typical love song but if you listen to the words you find that it has a really beautiful message. It was performed by the very talented team at Baker Boys Band who blew us away and made that moment so special.

What wedding traditions did you involve and why?

We aren’t incredibly traditional, we wanted to get most formalities over with so that we could relax! We cut the cake and did our first dance upon entrance to our reception. What was important to us was to make the day as much of a family affair as possible. Our siblings were our small bridal party, and Darren’s sister was our incredible MC. We are very lucky to have a talented brother in law, who played a beautiful playlist for the ceremony. A marriage also symbolises two families coming together, so it felt important to us that the day was not just about the two of us.

What does marriage mean to you?

For us, our marriage symbolises the love, commitment and trust that we have for each other.

Where are you now? Living, career, family?

Shortly after we were married we bought our first house together in Seddon, and have spent the last few years enjoying our new space and working on a few DIY projects and exploring our neighbourhood. Ash grew up in Williamstown, so family are nearby, but we also visit New Zealand each year to visit Darren’s family too. We have been fortunate to travel a lot, both for business and for pleasure, so the last three years have really flown by! In its own way and despite the recent circumstances, it has been nice to keep our feet on the ground these past few months, and we’ve kept ourselves busy finishing a long list of home projects.

VENDORS

Celebrant: Lara Williams

Photographer: Jai Long - Free The Bird Weddings

Florist: I Heart Flowers

Band:  The Baker Boys

Michelle & Con, 4th June 2017

Tell us about your proposal?

Michelle

The night I was proposed to, I was not expecting it at all. For the few weeks beforehand, I had been complaining to Con that we had not gone out for a date night for awhile. So on this day Con had arranged a night out to one of our favourite restaurants, knowing that I would dress up for the occasion. After our beautiful evening out, we headed home and at this point I almost ruined the proposal as I fell asleep in the car on the way home. After being forced awake we arrived home where I walked in and on the table was a box of 12 long stem roses. I was surprised as it wasn’t my birthday or anything special and very odd that roses would just show up. With the roses there was a card. Opening the card, I found nothing written in it, so I asked why the card was empty & when I turned around he was down on one knee asking me to marry him. I was in total and absolute shock at this point and all I could say on constant repeat was “is this real..”. He put the ring on my finger and still all I could do was ask “is this real”, Con at this point had to stop and ask me again as I had forgotten to answer him. Finally he got his yes.

Are there any funny stories or near disasters that surrounded your wedding?

Michelle

We were actually really lucky not to have a disaster before or during our wedding. However, unpacking your overnight bag with all of Con's clothes in it and not your own was probably the funniest! Luckily we had friends staying at the same venue, so that I could borrow their clothes and shoes! 

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us?

Michelle

We saved Stones for our last venue during the search, and to be honest I was a bit worried it was going to go past our budget but I was in love with pictures I had seen and wanted to go. From the moment we arrived, I loved what we saw. When we entered The Barn, it was absolutely beautiful and we imagined what it would be like to have our wedding here.  The vineyard and scenery were so gorgeous, but the moment we walked into The Chapel, we both knew this was the place. There was something so special about The Chapel, we stood where you say your I do's and we just knew we had to have this amazing venue! 

Did you tackle any DIY for the day?

No, we outsourced everything.

Did you scrap any wedding traditions? If so, why?

Con

My side of the family have all had their wedding ceremonies at a church and we broke tradition with that as we loved The Chapel. We did try to get the priest to come out, however that wasn’t able to happen.

What did you expect your favourite part to be? What did it end up being?

Hmm it’s hard to say one thing that stood out. We loved all of it! 

If you had your time again, is there anything you'd do differently?

Con

This is a hard one. We were so happy with everything. I don’t think we would change anything except do it all again.

What was the best thing you did at your wedding?

Michelle

The best thing about our day besides saying I do was celebrating with all our family and friends. It does go quick! One piece of advice someone had told me was as you're sitting at your table with your partner, take a moment and look at where you are and that you have all your loved ones around you. It’ll make you remember your night even more. 

Any words of wisdom on marriage?

Michelle

Always communicate with your partner, whether good, sad or bad. You should always support each other through any of those times. And even if you're mad always say I love you, even after a disagreement. As my husband says "you can be annoyed at me and in love all at the same time." 

Tell us a little about what life is like now... Where do you live (have you bought a house or renting somewhere amazing), what do you do for work, been on any awesome holidays as a married couple, do you have any children (human or fur babies) etc?

It’s been a very happy 3 years! We went on our amazing honeymoon straight after our wedding to LA and Hawaii. (If you can, definitely go straight after your wedding day. It makes it feel like you're celebrating your day everyday!) We definitely recommend Maui- Hawaii, such a beautiful place. Then after a year of having newlywed bliss, enjoying ourselves as a new couple, doing all the fun stuff you get to do before children, we were blessed to fall pregnant and had a healthy beautiful little girl named Keira who is now 14 months old!

Emma & Tim, 26th May 2019

When you get engaged in Florence like Emma and Tim did, it is almost inevitable that you’d want to bring a little bit of Italy into your special day, and what better place to do that than at Stones of the Yarra Valley…

How did you meet?

Emma

We met at work. We couldn’t keep our eyes off each other, and finally one day (after a few weeks of having an eye-contact relationship!), he built up the courage to ask me out. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started planning?

Tim

The hardest thing was probably not realising how many friends and family you actually have, until you need to organise a wedding and work out seating arrangements. I mean, when was the last time you tried to count how many friends and family you have!? I also don’t think we really grasped the amount of work that would need to happen to pull everything together – especially on such short notice. One of the main reasons we decided to have our wedding at Stones of the Yarra Valley was that we could have everything organised in one place - the ceremony, pre-reception drinks, the reception and the after party. We loved how we could stay at their accommodation afterwards too.

What was it about Stones of the Yarra Valley that made you choose us? 

Emma

The beauty of the venue was our first pull. It was everything we were looking for – rustic, chic, stylish, with an Italian touch. We loved how easy it was to work with the team at Stones. Everything was super organised and straight forward. We had a very quick turnaround with our wedding (only about four weeks), and Stones did everything they could to accommodate us and plan the wedding as quickly and as easily as possible. They are true pros! We also loved that we had access to The Providore at Meletos, for our floristry and event styling. They totally understood our vision, and what they ended up creating for us was unbelievably incredible, better than we could have ever dreamed!

Was there a particular vibe or theme you were aiming for on your wedding day?

Emma

Italy holds a very special place in our hearts, as we got engaged in romantic Florence. So, we decided to bring Italy to the Yarra Valley, and Italian chic was our theme. We asked our guests to be inspired by the stylish Italians for their outfits – I’m really into fashion so this was a fun little quirk for me! For our food, we chose the La Familia package. This meant we had big serving plates of food placed in the centre of the tables, and everyone could share and pick what they’d like to eat. This reminded us of how Italian families like to eat - everyone bonding by sharing beautiful food, drinking glorious wine and laughing and chatting away. We really wanted to create the vibe that we’re all one big family and having the food served this way really helped create that intimacy.

What traditions did you involve in the day and why?

Emma

My dad walked me down the aisle, which was a really special and emotional moment for the both of us.

Tim

I don’t think we particularly incorporated any specific traditions on the day. Other than the standard white dress, something “old, new, borrowed and blue”, we kept it very simple. We just wanted everyone to feel the love in the room, enjoy their time with us, and drink and eat plenty!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what made you do that?

Tim

We decided to write part of our vows ourselves and incorporate a few shared words to tie the knot. I think it’s important that on your most special day together, you share a few personal words about why you’re standing in front of each other, ready to commit to yourselves for the rest of your lives.

Did you tackle any DIY for the day?

Tim

Oh plenty! We bought several disposable cameras along with a polaroid camera and designed a little corner booth with our wedding guest book. We encouraged guests to pass around the polaroid throughout the night and stick their favourite shots into the book, writing down their favourite memory spent with us. We also designed and printed the table name cards, each referencing an Italian location we travelled through during our engagement tour. From Florence and Tuscany, to Rome and Cinque Terre, they matched perfectly with the amazing floral arrangements set up by The Providore at Meletos.

What was the best thing you did at your wedding?

Emma

I loved our reception. There was so much love in one room. We had a relatively small wedding, only about 45 people, so it was very intimate and we knew everyone very well. Our family and friends had travelled all over the world to be there, so to just be together and celebrate love, it was magical.

Tim

It’s hard to pick out the best thing – other than of course marrying Emma! But from start to finish, everything was perfect, intimate and had an incredible joy. From the amazing scenery, food and décor, to the hilarious and heartfelt speeches – it was all wonderful. We only wish the day didn’t go so quickly, it was over in a flash!

You mentioned you’re yet to go on your honeymoon. Where are you planning on going and why?

We actually have no idea where we want to go! Although, I would like to go to a tropical island and just relax… I know, your typical honeymoon! We have done quite a lot of travelling over the last few years, lots of city breaks and the kind, but we haven’t had a really relaxing holiday where you don’t do a thing, apart from go to the spa, chill by the pool, eat, drink and sleep! Dreamy!

Tell us a little about what life is like now... Where do you live (renting/bought), what do you do for work, been on any awesome holidays as a married couple, do you have any children (human or fur babies) etc?

Emma

I have gone back to study. I have started studying acting and pilates teacher training - it’s been a very busy time! We went to Noosa together at the end of 2019, which was just beautiful. I think the rest of the year will be spent close to home, but as we lived overseas for a number of years before our wedding, we don’t mind spending more time in gorgeous Victoria. We are excited to explore our own backyard!

Tim

No children yet – but maybe a couple in the near future… As Emma mentioned, now that we’re back in Australia, we’re very keen to start exploring our backyard more, and maybe get out to the west coast. We’ll just have to keep an eye out regarding how the whole Covid-19 situation pans out before we make a move!

Vendors

Celebrant: Georgia Mills

Photographer: Will Hartl, This Day Forward Weddings

Florist: The Providore at Meletos

Band/DJ: Ceremony – Claire Patty, singing and playing the harp. Reception - AstroSoul Band

Cake: Miss Ladybird Cakes

Hair: Andrea Takagi through Tonic Agency

Makeup: Claire Gourlay through Tonic Agency