Tell us a little about yourselves!
Charlie- I run my own farming business, Sterling Pastoral, in South-West Victoria. We farm premium, pasture-raised prime lambs in the hinterland of the 12-Apostles!
Chloe- I work for my family’s wine business, Red Hill Vineyard. We’re a family-owned regenerative vineyard located in Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula producing premium cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
We’ve been together for 10 years already. It’s hard to believe! We got engaged in June 2021 so not super long. We were lucky that we didn’t have endure a long engagement or covid postponements.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Given that we live in the country and adore it we both knew we wanted to get married somewhere in the country. We also knew we wanted a garden party style wedding and we both agreed that the perfect garden party wedding location was a private country estate in Stockyard Hill that we were both familiar with. Thankfully, my family (Chloe) knows the owner who very generously agreed to let us host our wedding in the grounds of his beautiful property!
A funny story… The beautiful private property where had been invited to have our wedding was being renovated and was undergoing external painting works. We knew we wouldn’t have access to the homestead for the reception, but we were told that the painting of the homestead façade would be completed in time for our wedding (pretty important as our marquee was to be erected directly in front of the homestead!). Two days before the wedding, the façade was still covered in ugly scaffolding eeek! But we pulled some strings and managed to convince the builder to pull down the scaffolding just in time for the wedding!
How many guests did you have?
80.
Tell us about your outfits.
Chloe - My dress was made by the incredibly talented Claire Home of Claire Home Designs. Claire happens to be the Aunty of a very good friend and makes the most beautiful custom dresses and gowns from her home in Geelong. She has years of experience in bridal and is an absolute wealth of knowledge! I went to Claire with a photo of a SS18 collection pink Roksanda dress, which I loved however, was no longer able to purchase. I wanted her expertise on how to recreate a dress inspired by the Roksanda design, in a form that was more flattering to my body shape. The whole experience was so relaxed and natural I loved it from beginning to end!
Charlie - My jacket and all the groomsmen jackets were from MJ Bale. I knew I wanted us all in a light blue but it took a while to find the perfect jacket and colour! I also knew I wanted to wear my trusty RM Williams craftsmen boots- turns out all the groomsmen did too!
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We wanted it to feel like a Garden Party! Imagine a beautiful long lunch in the garden to celebrate the end of summer! I’m also obsessed with period dramas such as Bridgerton so had visions of a romantic, regency-style garden soiree complete with a self service gin bar and lawn games! We opted for a late lunch “Linner” which worked really well with the daylight hours and the fact that most guests were staying in Ballarat (50 mins away).
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Our favourite details from the day were…
Floral- Rosie McCann owner of Rosa Rose Flor is a close friend of my sister and an absolute talent! I gave her the garden party brief and requested lots of colour and left the rest up to her! I knew she would do an incredible job and she absolutely nailed it. When I first saw the tablescape I nearly teared up because it was just so beautiful and on theme!
The Gin Bar- we opted for a self-serve Gin Bar (separate to the main bar) where guests could select from a range of our favourite gins (think Hendricks, Four Pillars, Great Ocean Gin etc) combined with a selection of tonic water from Fever Tree and Capi and then finish their drink with a choice of garnish including the quintessential cucumber and lemon but also fresh garden herbs and dehydrated fruit. It turned out to be an absolute hit and everyone drank it dry!
Any tips for couples getting married?
Sounds obvious but do it your way! If you don’t want to wear white, don’t! If you don’t want a big fuss then just have a small wedding with your nearest and dearest! Don’t get sucked into doing what everyone else is doing just for the sake of it. The best weddings that we have been to are the ones that are a true reflection of the bride and groom- who they are as people and what they value in life!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We were so lucky to work with the best people- some of which we are also lucky enough to call our friends. Camilla Loughnan owner of Smith + Co Foods is a dear friend of Charlie and I and she is an unbelievable caterer. Her food is absolutely stunning- elegant yet wholesome and always an abundance of it! She does the most incredible grazing tables with glazed ham, local cheeses and hand rolled grissini. I think once the ham came out towards the end of the evening it was devoured in 2 minutes flat! Rosie McCann from Rosa Rose Flor (see comment about floral above) Ginnie Hope-Johnstone from VC Events. Ginnie specialises in regional and remote rural events (think the Birdsville Races) so absolutely nothing phases her! If you’re having a marquee wedding in a remote location (where you have to bump literally everything in) then Ginnie is the Event Manager for you! She has incredible knowledge (including how to wire in a marquee) and is also so relaxed on the day. Couldn’t have done it without her.
Lei Lei Clavey Photography I stumbled on Lei’s beautiful work via Instagram and knew immediately that she had to photograph our wedding. I adore her aesthetic which is luxurious and romantic and she has an incredible eye for detail and fashion (hailing from her fashion background). She captured the most beautiful photos of us, photos that really spoke to us as a couple and our unique personalities. She is also the loveliest person and was so easy to work with she made everything a breeze! We cannot wait to get some of our prints framed so we can remember our dreamy day whenever we walk past them!
Photographer : Lei Lei Clavey Photography @leileiclaveyphotography | Ceremony + Reception Location :‘Mawallok’- Private Country Estate in Stockyard Hill | Celebrant : A friend | Entertainment : The Daedels @the_daedels | Styling : by the Bride - Chloe. | Planner : VC Events @vceventsco | Hire : Tent Society, Memphis Hire + Place Settings @tent_society, @tablearteventhire | Flora : Rosa Rose Flor @rosarose_flor | HMUA : Blondie Geelong @blondie.weddings | Catering + Beverages : Smith + Co Foods @smithandcofoods | Cake : Millstone Patisserie @millstonepatisserie | Stationery : Charlotte Matthews Design @charlottematthews_ | Lawn Games : A Day to Remember Event Hire @a_day_to_remember_event_hire | Getting Ready Location (Bride) : Orchards at Springvale Farm
@orchards_springvalefarm | Chloe's Dress : Claire Home Designs @clairehomedesigns | Groom's Outfit : MJ Bale @mjbale Suit Jacket, @countryroad Country Road Pants, RM Williams @rmwiliams Shoes + Hugo Boss @hugoboss Watch | Engagement Ring : Olivia Bond Diamonds @oliviabonddiamonds | Wedding Rings : John Stanley Jewellery | Chloe's Shoes : Loeffler Randall @loefflerrandall | Bracelet + Earrings : Vintage from Chloe’s grandmother | Wedding Party Attire : Dresses chosen by Wedding Party in 'cornflower' blue.