Rebecca & Daniel

There is sometimes an intimacy that is lost in a wedding, lost behind growing guest lists, dreams and plans. But for today’s happy newlyweds Rebecca and Daniel, there could be nothing more than  the focus on each other. They kept their guest list intimate, and planned a day that was beautifully simple, but utterly them.

The couple, who chose the beautiful moodiness of Autumn for their day, celebrated in a modern, jazz-filled (thanks to jazz crooners Orlando Combo) day at the beautiful century-old winery, Yering Station. With Free The Bird Photography behind the camera, it’s a day that is utter magic.

Rebecca shares the story of how these two came to be. “We met in December 2016, but didn’t have our first date until March 2017 as I wasn’t sure it would work. Dan said he felt something really profound on our first date, and that he fell in love with me that night. We have been inseparable ever since.” Daniel proposed on a weekend on Mount Dandenong, down on one knee. “We had a lovely dinner in a converted church and then went to look at the stars at the SkyHigh Gardens in Mount Dandenong. Then Dan got down on one knee and proposed. And I said yes (obviously)” remembers the bride.

Rebecca and Daniel chose just one venue for their wedding – the historic Yering Station. “Dan booked Yering Station the week after we got engaged after I suggested we elope. It was a fantastic choice and we had a wonderful day” remembers Rebecca. “We had the ceremony in the historic barn at Yering Station. We had drinks and canapés served while we had photos taken. Then we had our reception in the wine bar/restaurant. Yering looked so gorgeous with all the beautiful autumn colours and the food and wine were amazing. It was really nice having the entire wedding on one location with so many beautiful locations for photos.”

The couple wanted their day to embrace its Autumn season, working with florist Kate Hill Flowers on the floral details of the day. “We had the most amazing flowers prepared and styled by Kate Hill. We wanted dark reds to reflect the autumn colours and contrast with the navy silk dress of my bridesmaid. The bouquets were stunning and Kate came up with the fantastic idea of having an asymmetrical flower arch at the ceremony.”

“My Dad walked me down the aisle to ‘Everything’ by Lifehouse. The song is really special to Dan and I and really reflects how we feel about one another” reminisces the bride.

Rebecca and Daniel wanted the intimate feel to start with their ceremony, choosing Bill Brown to lead them. The bride remembering “The ceremony was really heartfelt. Dan’s sisters Bec and Kylie each read a passage from the Bible (Romans 12:9-18 and Jeremiah 29:11-13). Dan’s son Jack (age 7) also read an excerpt from ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go’ by Dr Seuss. He did such a good job and it was a really special moment. He was very proud of himself.”

The couple made sure to include their children. “Having Jack and Sienna play a role in our wedding was so lovely and a great way to solidify our family bond.”

Rebecca and Daniel chose jazz band Orlando Combo to set the scene for the day, the band crooning during the ceremony and performing all night long to fill the air with live jazz tunes.

Rebecca’s simply elegant gown was designed and made by Luci Di Bella. She tells “I wore a fitted dress custom made by Luci di Bella, with lace and sheer panels. I wanted something quite modern, simple and elegant. The dress fittings and process was a really fun and interesting experience. The attention to detail and the fit of the dress was amazing. It was great to see my ideas come to life.”

Of their chosen photographer, Rebecca says “Jai from Free the Bird was brilliant and the photos are better than we could have ever imagined.”

Cake tasting was one of Rebecca and Daniel’s favourite parts of wedding planning, the couple chose a semi-naked cake topped with fresh flowers by  Miss Ladybird Cakes.

Guests gathered in the restaurant for a private sit down dinner, Rebecca remembers “Everyone had such a good time and really enjoyed the food and wine, and amazing music. It was a real celebration and such a happy day.”

 

Shares the bride “The entire day was amazing, but the speeches were really lovely and moving. I had to try really hard not to ugly cry, especially during my speech. Dan’s speech was really funny and sweet – definitely the crowd favourite.”

The newlyweds took to the dance floor to an old favourite, telling “Our first dance was to Van Morrison’s ‘Someone Like You’. It’s a gorgeous song and suits us perfectly. We had a few lessons, which was fun.”

Orlando Combo kicked off an evening filled to the brim with dancing.

A big congratulations to you both Rebecca and Daniel! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thank you also to  Free The Bird Photography and Orlando Combo for sending this wedding our way.