Annie & Andrew - 29th October, 2017
How did you meet?
The old fashioned way, at a bar on Brunswick Street. We were both celebrating friend’s birthdays and ended up at the same bar afterwards. We started chatting and 1 hour turned in to 2 hours, and then 3 hours. At 3am we decided it would probably be best to continue the conversation over breakfast the following morning.
Tell us about the proposal
Without me knowing, Andrew had taken the day off work and organised to meet with my parents to ask them for their permission, of course they said yes and Andrew gave my Mum a sneak peek at the ring! When I arrived home that evening, Andrew was waiting for me and “Will you marry me?” was carefully arranged in rose petals on our bed. I burst in to tears and somehow managed to say yes!
Tell us a little about the planning process
We knew from the start we wanted our wedding to include everything we love - food, family, friends and gelati! At this point Andrew would also say ‘Whiskey’ which is why we planned a Gentleman’s bar on the alfresco area outside the barn! We enlisted the services of Ruby and James to help us execute our vision of a romantic, rustic elegant wedding with a dash of fun and sparkle. I love florals and Youki at Sugarbee Flowers helped us achieve beautiful installations and adorned the dining tables with romantic floral garlands. One of our guests commented that walking in to the barn that night was like walking through a garden, the scent of flowers floated through the room. Ultimately, our goal was to give our guests an experience they would always remember.
What made you choose Stones of the Yarra Valley?
My parents property is only 15 minutes from Stones of the Yarra Valley and when we visit Stones, we always comment on the view looking towards the mountain range, for us, it feels like home. It’s such a beautiful location and we loved that our guests could stay onsite immediately after the ceremony for drinks and canapés. We wanted everything to be taken care of for our guests and from experience knew we’d be in very good hands at Stones of the Yarra Valley.
What were some of your favourite moments/details on the day?
10 months before our wedding day Andrew lost his best friend suddenly, a Bernese Mountain Dog named Yogi. He was supposed to be apart of our wedding and as you can imagine Andrew was devastated. I reached out to his breeder and secretly bought a puppy for him as my gift to him on our wedding day. Although the puppy wasn’t born until 2 weeks after our wedding, I wrapped up a stuffed Bernese Mountain Dog toy with a collar and lead. It took Andrew a moment and some suggestions by his brothers once the gift was opened but when he realised his tears said everything. Watching the video of this moment makes me cry every time!
Of course, walking down the aisle to Andrew’s favourite song Metallica ‘Nothing Else Matters’ was also a highlight for me, but for Andrew, I think I may have been pipped at the post by the puppy!
Were there any traditions that were important to incorporate?
Andrew’s family tradition is that the eldest grandson inherits his grandfather’s wedding ring, and sadly Andrew’s grandpa had recently passed away. His grandpa wore the ring throughout his 50 years of marriage and engraved on the inside are Andrew’s grandparent’s names and now ours are too. There were many tears on the day when our celebrant described the importance of his ring to our guests.
Following my Ukrainian heritage, wedding bands are worn on the right hand and our jeweller crafted a sapphire ring identical to my wedding band that I wore on my right hand for the ceremony. It fulfilled my something new and something blue!
Are there any funny stories or near disasters?
Our team of vendors had planned everything perfectly for us; no detail was forgotten. However, you can’t control the weather! Our wedding day was a stunning Spring day but the wind was high and it left our vendors making last minute changes to our original plans. We had created a whiskey bar on the alfresco area outside the barn and at one point the vintage chandelier hanging overhead was swaying side to side, I thought it was going to come crashing down. Thankfully the wind calmed as the night went on and our guests were none the wiser!
Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their weddings?
If the idea of planning a big wedding scares you, if you have so many ideas for your wedding and don’t know what to choose; seek out professional help. Even if it’s a 1 hour consultation with a professional on where to begin you’ll feel much more at ease! Wedding planning is a full time job for some so that alone illustrates how much time and skill is involved to planning a wedding. There are multiple elements to juggle on the day between deliveries and pick ups, and if you’re detail orientated like me, knowing a professional has you covered is a huge relief!
Any words of wisdom on marriage?
Our vows poked fun at each other, Andrew never puts his washing away and I take too long in the bathroom. We’re still working on those! We find humour in most situations always puts things in perspective.
Where are you now? Living, career, family?
We just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and our traditional celebration is to return to Stones of the Yarra Valley for dinner, which we were able to do this year- just! Within the months after our wedding we started our own wedding and events business - The Event Merchant Company. We strive to artfully define the details of your table with charger plates, cutlery, glassware and table décor. Returning to Stones of the Yarra Valley for deliveries always excites me; I know our couples are about to have the best day of their lives!
In the quiet from between seasons we’ve travelled to the USA for a holiday and we’ve also added another Bernese Mountain Dog to our family. We now have three dogs that come with us pretty much everywhere when we’re not working!
Vendors:
Photographer: Lost in Love Photography
Florist: Sugarbee Flowers
Celebrant: Sophie Cleary
Event planner / Stylist: Ruby and James
Food carts: Bianco Latte Gelati
Table linen: Table Art, Event Art, Harry the Hirer
Furniture: Gather Vintage Hire, Whiskey
Bar props: The Event Merchant Company
Bridal gown designer: Anna Campbell