Wedding | Tylah & Austin

Tell us a little about yourselves! 

We’re high school sweet hearts, and have been dating for longer than what we can remember. Tylah was new to the school, and found ourselves in the same music class and catching the bus together. Fast forward over a decade and we have just purchased our own house together, and have a little doggo called Bowie. Throwing back even further, our mums worked together when they were teenagers, when they were about thirteen at the same fast food restaurant. Now, Tylah is a teacher, and Austin is a semi-pro skateboarder and has a band called Speyer.

Why did you decide to get married where you did? 

We knew almost instantly that Le Mas in the beautiful Barossa Valley wine region was our venue - we fell in love with it each and every time we visited over our year and a half engagement. They are a boutique luxury hotel that exudes elegance, and we were so well taken care of in the lead up of and for the duration of our wedding weekend. 

We had two non-negotiables when venue hunting. Firstly, that there was some accommodation on site to minimise bridal party travel where possible, and secondly, that the entire day could be hosted in the one location. We also landed on the idea of an outdoor reception very early on in the planning process. Le Mas ticked all of these boxes. 

My bridesmaids and I checked in on the Friday afternoon, while the boys stayed close by in a beautiful AirBnB. Being able to watch the day come together before our eyes while getting ready on Saturday was so special. Our stay was truly the epitome of luxury. 

We actually ended up buying our house 10 minutes from Le Mas a few months prior to the wedding, so we love being able to drive past and reminisce on the magic of the day. We also intend to make a tradition of staying on our anniversaries to come.

How many guests did you have? 

We had around 85 guests and it was perfect. We have been so lucky over the years to have had our family and friends celebrate many milestone events together, so now, every event feels like a reunion. We felt so lucky in love surrounded by our people on the day.

What was your budget? 

We went into wedding planning without a budget, which goes firmly against all the advice we received in the lead up to planning. We were very fortunate to have support from our families in making the day happen, which we are eternally grateful for.

Tell us about your outfits. 

Both Austin and I ended up with custom designs for the day. 

I tried on a few dresses before deciding to go custom, and honestly loved so many different styles. I felt really overwhelmed and truly got a bit of fomo - I wanted them all. For my dress, I wanted to prioritise comfort. I knew I would regret committing to 10+ hours in a potentially itchy or heavy dress on the day. I met with Cristina from Couture Love Madness about a year before the wedding and we instantly clicked - she just saw the vision. The return of the basque-waist over the last couple of years was heavy on my mind, but I also took inspiration from small design features of the dress I wore to Austin’s 21st years ago. It looks nothing like my wedding dress (in fact it was a grey and black, puffy sleeve, off the shoulder mini dress), but I have never felt more comfortable or flattered in a dress than I did in that. That would be my biggest advice to brides when looking for their dresses - to think about what features in other pieces make you feel your best, and see how you can incorporate that into your look. Everything about my dress felt so authentically me and I wish I could wear it every day! My two-tiered lace trim veil was one of my favourite elements, and I loved being able to replace this with the chiffon neck scarf for the reception. And the shoes… what else can I say about the shoes?! 

Austin was set on going custom from the beginning, and wanted a classic look on the day. He spent many weeks scouring the internet looking at different style tuxedos leading up to his first appointment at La Milago. He knew he wanted black and white, and wanted his look to have a vintage flair. He actually watched an old film during this time, which inspired him to think ‘what tux would Marlon Brando wear?’. He landed on a photo of Brando from the Oscars in 1953, which is what inspired the shawl collared jacket over the ivory dress shirt to match the colour of my dress. Our initials and wedding date are embroidered on the inside of his jacket and cuffs of his shirt. Classic took the backseat when it came to his Slayer socks though.

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

We wanted to prioritise everybody’s experience on the day, as well as our own. Every decision we made was with our guests in mind. We know weddings are a big commitment in many different aspects, and wanted to make sure everybody had the best day.

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

We knew quite early in the planning process that we wanted an outdoor wedding. This came with quite a few weather considerations, particularly in the middle of the Australian summer, but we were lucky to have an incredible team of vendors that made sure all bases were covered. 

On a smaller scale, we knew we absolutely did not want a wedding cake. One of the first planning decisions we made was to replace cake with a round of espresso martinis.

Any tips for couples getting married? 

Firstly, there is nothing you have to do. It sounds plainly obvious but it is entirely your day. Make it yours! 

Start planning as early as you can. We are notoriously disorganised people and there were a few bits and pieces we left until the months prior. I ordered our audio guest book three days before the wedding. Unnecessary, avoidable stress! 

If you can make room in your budget for a stylist or coordinator, we couldn’t recommend it enough. Generally speaking, people planning a wedding have never done it before. Expert advice from people in the field is invaluable. 

On the day, trust yourself and the months of planning that you have put in. With the right people there with you, and the effort you have gone to, everything will fall into place.

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

Our stylist and on the day coordinator, Kelly from Found Collective, was our saving grace. Choosing a dry-hire venue was a bigger job than we understood at the time, and truthfully would have been impossible to plan without Kelly’s support. 

Our photographer, Stacey McLean, is truly one of the best in the business and our entire bridal party could not speak highly enough of her. You spend so much time with your photographers and videographers on the day, and Stacey made every step so fun and relaxed. 

Our florist, Evie from Evebud, is just magic. It ended up being 36+ degrees on the day which are obviously challenging conditions for flowers outdoors. Evie and her team moved mountains repeatedly to deliver the most incredible set up. 

Our caterer and service team, Indulgence Food Design and Are You Being Served?, were divine. They were a dream to work with in the lead up and generously provided valuable advice - they are experts in their field. The service team were all legends on the day and we still talk about the incredible food on the regular. 

I have to give a special mention to Christina and Helen from Couture Love Madness. Not only did they create the most beautiful gown but they were such wonderful people to be around in the weeks leading up to the day. They were both so genuinely excited and went above and beyond to make sure every element of my look was perfect.

Photographer & Videographer: Stacey McLean @staceymcleanphoto | Styling & Coordination: Found Collective @foundcollectiveevents | Flora, Concrete Urns, & Mirror Plinths: Evebud @evebud |Ceremony & Reception Location: Le Mas @lemasbarossa | Celebrant: Melebrant @melabrant | Hire: Found Event Hire @foundeventhire, Festival Hire @festivalhire, White Marquee @whitemarquee, La Simplicite

@lasimpliciteevents & Hire By Memory Lane @hirebymemorylane | Lighting: Venue Productions

@venue.productions | Makeup Artist: Kylan Rhianna Makeup @kylanrhianna.makeup | Hair Stylist: 

Chelsea Louise Hair @chelsealouise.hair | Catering: Indulgence Food Design @indulgencefooddesign |Beverages: Are You Being Served @areyoubeingservedadl | Stationery: Lines on Linen | Entertainment: Him and Her Music @himandhermusic & Behind The Veil Music @behindtheveil music | Dress & Veil: Couture Love Madness @couturelovemadness_ | Suit:  Lamilago @lamilago | Engagement Ring: La Her @laherdesign | Wedding Rings: Utopian Creations @utopiancreations &  Michael Hill @michaelhillj | Shoes:  Gucci @gucci & Brando | Groomsmen: Joseph Uzumcu @josephuzumcu | Bridesmaids Dresses: Shona Joy @shonajoy