Meet the couple
We have known each other since we were 13 but at the age of 28 we both found ourselves semi-homeless and looking for a new abode, so ended up as housemates! Our friendship blossomed pretty quickly but it took us a while to cross the line. Two years and few dodgy relationships later, well housemates became roommates. Two weeks later we bought a Gordon Setter together (that’s a dog) and the rest is history really! Lyndon proposed in March 2019 and then we had our little daughter Frankie Dallas in July 2020. She was 7 months old on our wedding day (and sick with gastro!). We managed to squeeze the wedding in before conceiving number two, who is due in December.
Lyndon works in the hospitality industry. Lyndon has a couple of small wine shops and wine bars in Melbourne (Toorak Cellars, The Alps, Milton, The Hills, The Moon) as well as a wine import company (Foreign Fruits) and online wine store (DITC). He gets pretty excited about wine….and snowboarding. I am a neuropsychologist and work in brain injury rehabilitation.
Who proposed?
Lyndon. We were snowboarding in Gulmarg, Kashmir and he whipped out the ring from a snaplock bag at the top of 4440m high Mt Apharwat. I had no idea, neither did the four strangers standing next to me who we’d been snowboarding with all day. He didn’t even tell my mum!
Why did you choose the Yarra Valley as your wedding location?
We had some pretty non-negotiable criteria that made most venues not work. We wanted somewhere within 1.5 hours from Melbourne and that had plenty of on-site accommodation options to give the feel of a destination wedding but also be close to home for the oldies and grandparents. We wanted to offer lots of accommodation options for people; free, pitch a tent, go luxury, or go back to the comfort of your own bed. Another key thing for us was that we wanted to be able to bring in all our own food and alcohol and not be locked into any food/beverage packages. We also ideally wanted somewhere with the infrastructure to support this, such as a commercial kitchen and cool room to save us bringing it all in. Kinglake forest adventures pretty much TICKED EVERY BOX. It sleeps 120 people in dorm-style bunks and they were happy for our guests to pitch tents, sleep in their car, go luxe in a glamping tent, or catch the bus home so we loved providing guests with all those options. It had all the amenities such as bathrooms, commercial kitchen, cool rooms and lots of parking. They were so accommodating to our requests and essentially gave us a blank canvas to work with and to make the day however we wanted. It was the first and only venue we looked at, so we were lucky in that way. I found them on a DIY wedding venue website, can’t even remember the name of it!
How did you choose your ceremony and reception venue?
We chose the Ferny Glade ceremony site within the venue for our ceremony, it was so ethereal, and the afternoon light trickled through the trees so beautifully. Guests had to meander through the forest for 200m before coming to the clearing, so we liked the mystery and adventure that it brought to the start of the day. They also have some other beautiful ceremony sites at the venue to choose from. Our reception was outside under the large Hanger space. We had 170 seated, which was tight but with a bit of table tetris was achievable!
What was your wedding theme?
Wedding Camp.
What made your wedding unique?
We don’t feel there was anything particularly unique about it but felt it was a true representation of who we were as a couple. We wanted it to feel like the reception was an extension of our living room where our closest friends and family could enjoy some delicious food and open and share bottles of wine in a no fuss and relaxed way. Dance, sit, or go for a quick lie down, chose your own adventure was the theme of the night!
What were the highlights?
There were many, but dancing in a Congo line to 90’s African music before we sat down for dinner definitely got the blood pumping and set the tone for the night. Our celebrant stealing the mic and singing acapella to Amy Winehouse ‘Valerie’ was a close second.
Is there a story behind your dress?
Not really. I didn’t spend a long time looking for a dress and only went to two different designers. It wasn’t a big focus for me. All I knew is that I wanted a two-piece (top and skirt/pants) and something quite simple but structured that I could accessorize as much as I liked! I paired the dress with excellent fake Gucci’s and incredible custom-made earrings from my very talented friend Georgia Bonsema from ByGeorgia jewellery.
Tell us about the groomswear, who chose the colour?
We’re both a bit obsessed with green, so Lyndon couldn’t go past wearing a green suit on his wedding day. He made the groomsmen also wear green suits so they looked like a line-up of tram conductors– not sure they’ll wear them again! Lyndon paired his suit with some Christian Kimber sneakers.
What type of entertainment did you have?
At our ceremony site which was held in a clearing of the Kinglake Forest, we had a solo Peruvian pan flute player playing Andean music (Beto). We had grown up listening to him busking on Bourke St and when we saw the ceremony site we knew he’d be the perfect fit. He didn’t have a website or wasn’t searchable on google. My mum ended up tracking him down by calling the Melbourne City Council! Anyway he does play weddings and I could not recommend him more highly – his music is so ethereal.
During the reception, we had a line up of different DJ’s, most of them our friends playing their own music for an hour or so. For the main segment, though, we had DJ Edd Fisher (one half of Waxo Paradiso) who is an old friend of both of ours. We wanted it to feel relaxed and intimate, where people could jump on if they wanted and knew what to do! In fact at about 10pm our celebrant Paris Wells (who also happens to be quite a well known singer) jumped on the mic and belted out the lyrics to Valerie, Amy Winehouse. One of the highlights of the night!
What was your wedding menu for the day? Did you have any special drinks for your guests?
We didn’t use a caterer. We just wanted to design a simple menu that felt like we were sitting in our living room with 170 friends. Most of the food was cooked over an open fire in front of the guests by an incredibly talented chef and friend Charlie Sneddon-Wilson.
All drinks were supplied by Diggin in the Cellars (DITC). We kicked off the afternoon with some fizzy wine called Casa Caterina (Franciacorta) and a Spritz bar with choices of Bizzaro (Like Aperol, but better…and local), Stellacello (Grapefruit Goodness), and Yuzushu (Japanese Limencollo) with a large selection of wines. Bottles were plonked in large buckets at the end of each table and the guests helped themselves. Lyndon had hand-selected bottles for each table that he thought they would enjoy and spark conversation about the wine. There was other non-wine options such as craft beers and Strangelove soda’s.
Was there any wedding vendor that particularly stood out on the day? If so, why?
We were so lucky – they were all bloody fantastic.
Advice for couples thinking of getting married in the Yarra Valley?
If you can rent a house nearby for 1-2 days before the wedding to get away with your nearest and dearest!
What makes your marriage amazing?
We were best friends first 😊
What’s your best advice for planning the perfect wedding?
Just do it how you want it! Don’t worry about doing things the way you’re ‘meant to’ or how others expect you to, have fun with it. A little bit of stress is of course normal in the lead up, but planning a wedding should be fun so try not to lose sight of what’s important and have a good time on the journey!
Anything else you’d love to share?
For couples getting married who have children and want them included on the day but also totally out of the way (haha) I could not recommend Event Nannies more highly. Melissa seriously took one for the team by looking after our sick baby all morning as I tried to get ready and finish my speech! She brought her to the ceremony and for photos, then took her back to a house we’d rented for a bath, bottle and bed and looked after her so well until midday the following day.
Vendor Credits
Photographer: Charlie Hawks
Florist: Melissa from Vagary Events
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Kinglake Forest Adventures
Catering/ Cake & kind: Chef Charlie Sneddon-Wilson (did not use a caterer), Dessert from Milstone
Stationery: Sodaa
Celebrant: Paris Wells
Entertainment: Beto (Pan Flute), Edd Fisher from Waxo Paradiso (DJ)
Engagement ring: Cushla Whiting
Wedding bands: Cushla Whiting
Glamping: Happy Glamper
DJ Equipment: Bounce Audio
Babysitting agency: Event Nannies
Styling support/Event Management (on the day): Steph Hagan
Bride Credits
Bridal gown designer: One Day Bridal
Earrings: ByGeorgia (custom)
Bridesmaid dresses: Mix
Groom Credits
Groom team: Trunk Tailors
