Wedding | Holly & Bradley

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met through mutual friends in 2017, both originally from Gippsland, however spent the first year dating doing long distance with Holly living in Melbourne at the time.  Both now living back in Gippsland with our two gorgeous dogs.  We are always up for any adventure, love to travel, love anything outdoors and all things camping. 

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Our wedding venue was defiantly one of our favourite parts of the day. It was essentially everything we were looking for, it was intimate, romantic, had a country nod to it and offered a gorgeous courtyard/gravel area that was a highlight for us as we knew we wanted a courtyard style wedding. 

We loved how every inch of the property oozed with beauty and character and did most of the styling for us, meaning we didn’t need to fuss over filling a space with too many styling elements.  We also loved how intimate and homely the property felt, it didn’t feel like a venue, instead felt like you were being welcomed into someone’s home. 

Woolbrook felt really special to us and was so much more than just a venue!

How many guests did you have?

86.

What was your budget? 

We had a rough budget in mind when we started planning, however did go over. That said, we were comfortable with where we landed because we made really intentional choices.  Whilst conscious of a budget, we also didn’t want to have any regrets and did have a bit of a mindset that you only get to do it once!

Tell us about your outfits.

Holly wore the most gorgeous gown by Lola Varma.  I wanted to stay true to my style and knew I didn’t want anything to big or over the top - rather something more simple and effortless, but still super chic and elegant.  My gown was as simple as a silk slip with a delicate chiffon overlay. To me, it was really different and a style I hadn’t seen before which I really loved. It was a dress that really didn’t need much else, I paired it with a long veil, some simple sling back heels and finished the look off with a classic blow waved hairstyle that tied the whole look together. 

Brad similarly wanted a look that was really classic, formal and polished.  I wore a classic black tuxedo, white shirt and black bowtie!

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We just really wanted the day to feel like us.  We wanted to create a day that felt warm, intimate and thoughtful.  So much of the planning came back to this feeling, how the space would look and feel, how our guests would experience it and how we could create something really beautiful. 

We weren’t really concerned with trends or traditions, we just wanted everything to reflect us as a couple, whether it was the venue, music, food or the styling, we were drawn to things that felt really relaxed and refined, and we worked with incredible vendors who really understood that vision.  It was about creating an atmosphere that felt really personal, warm and special.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Choosing quality vendors!  To us, our vendors were so, so important and played a massive part in our day.  We wanted to work with vendors who we could trust and who made us feel really calm and relaxed both on the day and throughout the whole planning process.

Any tips for couples getting married?

We definitely recommend an on the day coordinator.  It was so helpful having a “go to” person on the day who can communicate with and coordinate all your vendors and smooth out any bumps that may pop up!  

And the vendors you choose matters – take time in finding vendors that are passionate, reliable and align with your vibe, those who care about the little details and take pride in their work make all the difference!

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We could not speak more highly of Olivia from By Plush our on the day coordinator/stylist. She took the stress out of everything and was always going above and beyond. Even a month out from the wedding, she had taken over all communication with our vendors so we didn’t have to stress, and could enjoy the lead up. She was across every detail, managed the day so seamlessly and styled the space beautifully.  She was so attentive to every detail and in making sure our vision was brought to life.  Olivia made the day feel so calm and seamless, creating absolute magic on the day. 

Our acoustic duo Lachie and Josh from Haybax were incredible.  Luckily for us, we had heard them play at one of our best friends wedding, so choosing our music was really easy. Their vibe was relaxed, fun and super talented. They had an effortless way of reading the room and creating a really warm and energetic experience. We loved how down to earth they both were and it really just felt like hanging out with some friends. Our guests could also not stop complimenting them! 

Our photographers Mandy and Scott from Mandy Wood Studio in our opinion are the absolute best in the business! Their work speaks for itself, however they have a unique way in capturing photos that are super soft, romantic and delicate.  We love how they captured all the in-between moments, making our photos all that more special. They were super relaxed, easy to work with and made us feel really comfortable.

Ruth and Sally from Pepperberry Florist were amazing to work with. We changed our minds quite a few times along the way, going back and forth with mood boards and colour schemes, but they were so patient and reassuring the whole time. Nothing was ever too much trouble, reminding us it was all part of the process. They really took time to understand what we were going for and created the most beautiful floral arrangements for the day. 

Photographer: Mandy Wood Studio @mandywood.studio | Coordination & Styling: By Plush @byplush_ | Flora: Pepperberry Flora @pepperberryflora | Videographer: Rachael Mary Films @rachaelmaryfilms | Ceremony & Reception Location: Woolbrook Homestead @woolbrookhomestead | Celebrant: Kate Adkins Celebrant @Kateadkinscelebrant | Hire: Elderberry Events @Elderberryevents_, Simply Seated @Simply.seated, Peppersprout hire @peppersprouthire & (Linen) Ell Events @Ell.events_ | Makeup: Finlea Ryan Makeup @muafjryan | Hair: Emma Claire Bridal @emmaclaire.hair | Catering: Soft Catering Geelong @softcateringgeelong | Beverages: Havana Caravan Bar @Havanacaravanbar | Cake: Colour me cake @colourmecake_geelong | Stationery: Atelier creative @Ateliercreative | Entertainment: Hay Bax @Hay_bax | Dress & Veil: Lola Varma @Lola.Varma | Suit: Soho Workshop @sohoworkshop

_official | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Michael Hill @Michaelhillj | Shoes: Wittner @Wittnershoes | Jewellery: Bianc @Bianc_Jewellery