Candice & Jonathan

The Mornington Peninsula is one of my favourite Australian wine regions- from the deep rolling hills, the amazing produce and spectacular backdrops it’s simply a beautiful place for a winery wedding. Candice and Jonathan’s wedding day was simply elegant and a great showcase of the region and it’s beauty.

Candice remembers how she and Jonathan met. “We were graduate nurses together, you notice the male nurses as there’s not many of them! I never EVER thought I would date another nurse, but it turned out that we had so much in common and so much fun together that I could not let him go!”

Photographs today are by Stewart Leishman. Stewart’s elegant, beautiful captures are purely beautiful.

Candice’s friendsKhia Humbles & Shannon Gibson styled her and her bridesmaid’s makeup for the wedding day.

Candice and her bridesmaids wore gowns designed by Anna Campbell.

Candice and Jonathan chose the Mornington Peninsula for their wedding with their ceremony at Dalywaters Rose Farm. Candice explains “The Mornington Peninsula was a special place to us before the wedding, but now it really holds a special place in our hearts. We had some much fun touring around the Mornington Peninsula wineries choosing the perfect one for us. After spending the winter in the UK, Dalywaters Rose Farm was our reminder of the beautiful English gardens. It’s such a romantic location for a ceremony and we could not speak more highly of owners Anne and Daryl, what a lovely couple and what a spectacular garden!”

A family friend played the ceremony music. Candice recalls “We had a family friend play Train’s ‘Marry Me’, just him and his guitar, stunning! Even more beautiful, he wrote us a song for the signing, titled ‘For the rest of our lives’, what a dream!”

The celebrant the couple chose played a big part in the couple’s wedding plans. Candice remarks “Di Klienert, our celebrant is the most delightful person you could wish to officiate your wedding. A true gem, Di doubled as a wedding planner, giving us many recommendations. She made us feel at ease and shared many words of wisdom that we will always remember.”

Candice & Jonathan hired a car from Fleetwood Chauffeured Limousines (03 9764 2276) for their transport. Candice remarks “The car we used had a special story. It was a rust bucket found in a graveyard of derelict cars in country Victoria. When the history of the car was traced through the Armstrong Siddeley car club, it was discovered that is had been used by Prince Phillip when he opened the Olympic games in 1956. He also rode in the car in 1963 when he came with Queen Elizabeth on a visit to Melbourne. We didn’t need to look at any other cars!”

Candice describes the wedding as “An absolute dream, it exceeded all our expectations!”

Of their photographer, Candice says “Stewart, he’s the best! Luckily we heard about him through a friend of a friend. He was the first photographer we met and we knew we didn’t need to meet anyone else. We felt comfortable from the moment we met him, and as a result our photos are relaxed and natural. He’s an amazing artist!”

The gorgeous bouquets were styled by Flowers by Entwine ((03) 9489 8651).

Stillwater at Crittenden was the chosen location for the reception festivities. The guests received lemon butter made by Candice’s mother as wedding favors.

Although there was plenty of handmade elements, Candice’s family helped her make wise DIY choices to ensure she was relaxed in the lead up to the wedding day, Candice explains ” I love DIY, so everything I could DIY I did! Invitations, favours, centrepieces and guest book. I had to be realistic and hand the cupcakes over to my Aunty! They were just delicious! I was also banned from making the bouquets, but found Lisa at the Local Shop in Northcote (my favourite little shop Flowers by Entwine ((03) 9489 8651).), she did such an amazing job.”

The guests made the day special for the couple. Candice remarks “We had guests travel from interstate and overseas to attend our wedding. It was the first time our families had all been together in the same room, luckily everyone liked each other! A truly memorable and special day for us!”

The first dance started off a little slowly. Candice remembers “It was awkward, Jono hates dancing and almost refused but was persuaded at the last moment by the band! No planned routine, just us sharing a candid moment together, lovely in the end!”

The Peter Miller Band kept the festive atmosphere of the reception going all night long. Candice remarks “Once the band started playing there was not a single person left seated! It was amazing! We felt like everyone was really ready to party and make sure we had the best night ever!”

 Congratulations Candice and Jonathan! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us! Thank you also to Stewart Leishman for sharing today’s wedding with us!