Elise & Nick
It gives us great pleasure to introduce newlyweds Elise and Nick. The beautiful story below details their ‘rustic’ style wedding as written by the lovely bride herself.
“We were introduced by mutual friends on a night out and have been inseparable since. We had plans for a European summer, but thanks to Covid, we cancelled our plans. So, Nick turned to plan B. He popped the question just short of 3 years into our relationship by surprising me with a huge sign he had made saying “Marry me?” in our back paddock with our alpacas surrounding him. He also had a big bunch of flowers. It was the sweetest thing ever!
We had an 18-month long engagement as it was during the peak of the pandemic. I knew exactly which suppliers I wanted for our wedding, and as we had a long engagement everyone I wanted was available. Once the suppliers were secured, the lead up to the wedding was super cruisy”.
In addition to being the perfect fit for their chosen 'rustic' theme, for the venue the couple chose Glendale Vineyard, and its gorgeously restored timber barn style Orchard Shed. Situated in the heart of the northern Tasmania's Tamar Valley, renown to be the world's premier cool- climate wine regions.
“The wedding was very much DIY. I spent 12 months collecting bits and pieces for the wedding from chairs, cushions, vases and wine barrels. I had invested many many hours on Pinterest so I had a clear vision for our big day. Then the day before the wedding, my amazing bridesmaids helped my rustic vision come to life (with the help from the groom and groomsmen for the heavy lifting). I was lucky enough to have one of my bridesmaids have a styling company, Oma Nelle Designs, who guided my set-up and added the finishing touches.
My florist then came in with bulk foliage and beautiful natives, perfecting the space. I made our wedding favours on my own in the days approaching the wedding. They were tiny honey pots with mini honey dispensers tied on with brown string. I was stoked with how they turned out and received many compliments.
My husband worked for a signage company, so we were fortunate. Basically, we could have whatever we wanted from the invites, stickers for our wedding favours, welcome sign, drinks list, big light-up lettering and acrylic table tops for the wine barrels with our initials and wedding date. My clever husband even built our arbour from old recycled Tasmanian oak.
Surprisingly, I found my dress very easily. I always thought I’d go to Melbourne to look, but as we were in lockdown, I had no choice but to go local. It was the first and only time I had looked.
Venue / Glendale Vineyard
Photographer / Clint and Bethanie
Videographer / Awkward Soul Films
Caterer / Hubert and Dan
Florist / The Olive Tree Florist
Makeup / Sarah Alexandra MUA
Hair / Chloe Rose Hairstylist
Dress / Zavana Couture from Timeless Elegance
Shoes / Valentino
Rings / Watsons Jewellers
Bridesmaid dresses / Shona Joy
Suits / Bell and Barnett
Signage / The Flying Colours Group
Music / Will Templeton and Gypsy Rose
Celebrant / Sonia Morganti Life Celebrant
Both were here on a trunk show from Melbourne and were soon to be returned, so I had to make my decision quickly. I chose the one with the material I liked but had alterations to the design in areas to somewhat look like the other dress.
Getting ready at the luxury accommodation Deviot Boat House with my amazing bridesmaids and mum was a blast. Both my makeup artist and hairstylist were old friends of mine, which made the process even more fun. We were all so relaxed, and I feel like that alone set the vibe for the day.
The whole day was just perfect and so much fun. My favourite part of the day would have to be walking down the aisle seeing my very tough and usually reserved ‘husband to-be’ in tears when he saw me. Also, when I heard Nick’s vows, which were so beautiful and hilarious at the same time.
Another memorable/funny moment was when our celebrant asked the best man, Drew, for our rings. He had replaced mine with a burger ring which he then ate. We laughed our way through the entire ceremony.
My photographer Clint went above and beyond to get ‘the shot.’ We wanted photos amongst the vines, but unfortunately, the gate to access them was locked. Rest assured that this was no barrier. Clint picked me up, threw me over the fence for my husband to catch me on the other side. Thank goodness as we are delighted with these photos!
Nick’s favourite part of the day was getting back to the reception and having some fun with our guests, especially as it was his birthday. Everyone was in fits of laughter the entire day.
Our Master of Ceremony, Patty, was amazing and had the day/ night flow effortlessly. He added his special touches, such as the telegrams he asked guests to write throughout the day, and later announced. It was hysterical. The dance floor was pumping all night, and there was even a conga line at one stage. My dad ended up shirtless on someone’s shoulders, which he then fell off and knocked my poor mother-in-law down with him. Luckily no one was hurt, and only added to our hilarious stories and memories of the night”.