Meet Kate + Matt: the lovely couple who tied the knot at the beautifully rustic Inglewood Estate in Yarra Valley. Here, they share their adventures as a couple and their forthcoming nuptials, so scroll down to read their story and to see stunning images captured by Brown Paper Parcel.
How did you meet and how did you know you’d found ‘the one’?
We met at a now defunct new years eve music festival (Pyramid Rock) through mutual friends. It took some time to start properly dating, but there was always something strong there from the first day we met. We eventually crossed paths while we were both travelling through Europe in 2012, and we have been together ever since.
Tell us a little bit about the proposal.
In September last year, while at our favourite beach – Whisky Bay in Wilson’s Prom – Matt, after waiting patiently for me to finish my ice cream and death staring some small children who were playing around the picnic rug he’d so carefully laid out, surprised me with a beautiful ring made up of his grandmother’s diamonds. I was completely stunned and said ‘yes’ after momentarily forgetting how to talk!
What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme?
We liked that Inglewood Estate reflected our ‘country-kids-at heart’ vibe. It was a little bit rural, a little bit rustic and very charming. We also loved the idea of having a cosy winter wedding, and there was a gorgeous fire place in the middle of the venue, which fitted with our theme beautifully.
What was your favourite detail from the day?
The whole day had a magical feel to it, it was cloudy and rainy but that just added to the romance. The cake was as gorgeous as it was delicious, and our loved ones went above and beyond with the homemade desserts table. We had cheesecake, gingerbread men, profiteroles, trifle, just to name a few! There was no one favourite, just many beautiful details.
Did you undertake any DIY projects?
We threaded stems of lavender from my mum’s garden through the place cards that my sister had designed. I also glue gunned hundreds of fake flowers to a board to create a flower wall for a photo backdrop. I underestimated how long this would take and accidentally hot glue gunned my hand a few days before the wedding while I was rushing to finish it!
Favourite moment from the day?
Walking arm in arm with my beautiful parents and seeing Matt’s smiling face at the end of the isle was the most incredible feeling and one that I will never forget.
What does marriage mean to you?
We see marriage as a public way of validating what we already had. To us, a good marriage needs to be based on unconditional love, support, honesty, kindness and lots of belly laughs.
Any stand out vendors from your wedding?
Sarah Dobson our celebrant was absolutely fantastic. Her laid back, lovely approach was perfect for our day and our nature as a couple. Our Cake Me cake was delicious and Liz was an absolute treasure to work with! Brown Paper Parcel was amazing and made us feel so comfortable. For two people who do not like getting their photo taken, she did a great job of making us feel relaxed in front of the camera. And Debbie O’Neil did such a gorgeous job with our flowers.
Do you have any words of wisdom for couples planning their big day?
Enjoy the creative process that planning a wedding is, and don’t sweat on the little things. Sharing your special day with your favourite people is the most amazing feeling, so try to take it all in. The day goes way too fast!
Anything else you’d like to add?
I walked down the isle to the Ben Folds song ‘The Luckiest’ and we definitely felt like the luckiest people in the world that day.
