amy & tom

{ 10 NOVEMBER }

PRIVATE RESIDENCE, DIXONS CREEK, VIC

photos captured by: The Nook by Kate Disher-Quill

WHY I LOVE AMY | “I love her character, her spirit and her nature. She is a good person, a caring person and a loyal person. She enjoys life and that enjoyment is infectious; when you're around her you can't help but feel it. She's just lovely.”

WHY I LOVE TOM | “Tom is a real salt of the earth kind of guy who truly values family. He treats everyone with dignity and respect and is an old-fashioned gentleman at heart. He always lets me walk through a door first, holds my hand when we walk, takes the path closest to the road to protect me, and makes me a tea every morning and night, the list goes on! He’s one of a kind and he’s living proof that chivalry isn’t dead. He accepts me for me.”

OUR STORY | Amy and Tom first met at an engagement party. “Tom knew the groom and I knew the bride. We were seated across from each other at the table and got chatting over dinner. When the night’s festivities came to an end, Tom offered to walk me home. He gave me his business card, so I thought I’d send him a message the next day. He responded pretty quickly and before we knew it 3 weeks later we were official!”

NOTED, MY LOVE | Since the early stages of their relationship Amy and Tom would leave each other Post-it notes as little surprises. “Tom’s proposal caught me completely off guard. I was cooking dinner when I noticed a sticky note on the bench. This isn’t uncommon so I didn’t think much of it. However it turned into a whole trail of sticky notes around the house. The last note told me to head to the lounge room, where Tom was on one knee with his grandmother’s engagement ring in hand. Everything else after that is a blur, but apparently I said ‘Yes!’ pretty quickly. We spent the rest of the evening calling everyone to share the exciting news. The proposal was quite timely, as we had a long weekend full of catch-ups with close family and friends planned, which turned in a three-day celebration of our exciting news.”

SINCE FOREVER | Walking down the aisle arm in arm with her father was a very special moment for Amy that she had dreamt of since she was a little girl. “Dad and I are both quite closed book people with our emotions, but throughout the day he told me how proud he was of me and how stunning I looked. It meant the world to me. Pausing at the end of the aisle to take everything in with Dad before walking towards Tom is a moment I will never forget. Never again will we have all our close family and friends in the one place, and I wanted to make sure I’d remember that moment forever.”

PLANNING OUR DREAM DAY | Working in events, Amy was right in her element when it came to planning the wedding. “Tom liked to tell people he was the wedding ‘consultant’! He was an incredible sounding board for almost every decision, as well as my beautiful sister Brittany, who was also my maid of honour.”

Amy and Tom had a clear picture in mind for their wedding. “It wasn’t so much about deciding what we wanted, it was more about sourcing great suppliers and trusting them to pull together our vision. As Tom’s family are quite involved with the Yarra Glen community, we made a conscious effort to engage local suppliers that we already knew. There was certainly an element of trust already present and we had a great team of vendors.”

THE GOWN | Amy’s wedding gown caught her eye at Bluebell Bridal in Flinders Lane. “Apparently it had just arrived the day before. I didn’t think it would suit me but I wanted to try it on and I’m so glad I did. I walked out of the change room and my mother, sister and mother-in-law started getting teary. I’d found the one! I went back to try it on again a few weeks later, loved it just as much as the first time and locked it in. It was a stunning pure silk ivory gown by Savannah Miller. I’ve been told I’m the first bride in Australia to wear a Savannah Miller! I wanted something elegant, classic and timeless and this dress was exactly that. The cut and feel was truly stunning and the low back created the wow factor I was looking for.”

THE ‘LUCKIEST’ COUPLE | “Everyone had told me to be prepared for something to not quite go to plan, but surprisingly it all went smoothly and I can honestly say the day was everything we had dreamed of. There was so much love in the air; everyone seemed to be having fun and the weather was absolutely perfect. We were so lucky and I still pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t all a dream!”

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS | The couple had always pictured getting married on Tom’s family property in Dixons Creek. “It’s a special place that holds a lot of sentimental value to us and we wanted to share it with everyone at the wedding.” Using a private residence meant little stress for the couple in terms of availability and spending time visiting multiple venues. “We selected our wedding date based off our favourite time of year in the Yarra Valley. Everything is so green and picturesque in spring.”

“As the property is stunning, we knew we didn’t need to go overboard with decorations. Simplicity was the key with touches of rustic décor and accents of Australian native flowers and foliage. Credit must be given to Tom’s parents, as they went over and above to ensure that the property was well maintained and looking its best.”

“The farm also has a drove of miniature donkeys that are basically part of the family. They had bows and bow ties on for the special event and everyone would go and pat them throughout the day. They were a hit! Having part of our day outside meant we could incorporate lawn games to keep our guests entertained during what we called ‘happy hour’. Drinks and canapés were served on the deck of the main house before guests were escorted to the reception marquee.”

 Something old A family heirloom. “Tom’s grandmother’s engagement ring that he proposed to me with.”

Something new “My mum gave me a classic George Jenson bangle to start a new tradition and create our own family heirloom that I can hopefully one day pass on to my daughter.”

Something borrowed “For my sister’s 21st I gifted to Brittany her very first Chanel Chance perfume and she’s worn it ever since. I read somewhere that you should have a unique perfume on your wedding day, so this became my something borrowed.”

Something blue “My sister surprised me with a blue clutch engraved with my new married initials.”

RECEPTION STYLE | Amy’s favourite flowers are Australian natives. “This became an easy decision for our décor. We had lots of greenery lining the tables which also suited our dinner format of shared plates.” Personalised cookies doubled as place settings. “I loved this idea as it meant people could either take them home or eat them as a midnight snack. Organically over time a blue theme started to develop, so we embraced that and chose subtle pops of blue to break up the neutral tones. For us it was more about complementing the setting, rather than creating a specific theme.”

NATURE’S BEAUTY | Amy and Tom’s florist is local to the area and a close family friend. “She was quite familiar with the property so I just let her run with it. There’s never been anything she’s created that I haven’t liked, so I knew what she would create would be magical.” Ironically Amy had saved a picture of a bouquet that she loved from Pinterest, “When I showed it to our florist I discovered it was actually from a wedding she had done about a year prior so it was meant to be!”

“I barely slept the night before the wedding. I wasn’t anxious or nervous, I felt really calm, but I think the excitement of it all kept me up. The bridal party and our immediate families all spent the evening at the property for our rehearsal dinner before parting ways ahead of the big day. It was the first time we had had everyone together, as two of our close friends live overseas, and it was the perfect way to start the celebrations.”

A highlight of the day for Amy and Tom was the speeches. “Our close friend, Lucy was our celebrant and MC. She was actually at the same engagement party the night Tom and I met so she has witnessed the last 5 years of our relationship unfold. She was hilariously entertaining and was the perfect host for the day, setting the tone for the speeches. You never know what to expect with speeches, but they absolutely blew us away – all funny and sentimental in their own way. Most importantly though, they highlighted to us how lucky we are to have such supportive family and friends in our life.”

credits

gown: Savannah Miller from Bluebell Bridal, www.bluebellbridal.com

shoes: Mollini, www.mollini.com.au

photographer: The Nook by Kate Disher-Quill, www.insidethenook.com

wedding venue: Private residence, Dixons Creek, Victoria

caterer: Hudon’s Famous Catering, www.hudsonsfamous.com.au

flowers & floral decorations: Flowers of Yarra Glen, www.flowersofyarraglen.com.au

cake: Renate Elise Designer Cakes, 0430545991

groom & groomsmen: Briggins, www.briggins.com.au

bridesmaids: Shona Joy, www.shonajoy.com.au

celebrant: Married by Lucy, www.lucygransbury.com.au

music: The White Tree, www.thewhitetree.com.au

wedding rings: Paul Bram, www.paulbram.com.au

hair: Fiona Watkins, @hairandmakeup_fionanicole

makeup: Glamour Makeup Artistry by Emma, www.glamourmakeupartistry.webs.com

additional suppliers: Stephanie Brown Australia, www.stephaniebrowne.com.au, Marquee Monkeys Party Hire, www.marqueemonkeys.com.au, Kapture Booth, www.kapturebooth.com.au, Jenjo Games, www.jenjoes.com & Sweet Bites by Michelle, www.facebook.com/sweetbitesbm