Meet the couple
Brendan, 32, self employed IT project manager. Enjoys everything sport, grew up playing basketball and football. Values family and friends and spending time with his kids on the weekend. He is a loving, warm and friendly personality who is always looking out for others and putting others needs ahead of his own. He is the best dad in the world to Paddy (2.5 years and Eden 6 months).
Mel, 31, Hematology and Oncology Nurse. Loves Medicine and being able to help those in need. Enjoys time spent outdoors in the fresh air, taking weekend adventures and spending time with loved ones and friends. Loves being a Mum to our 2 kids and would do anything in the world for them!
We love our little family 4, and of course our 2 french bulldogs Ginny and George. We have just purchased a caravan and intend to spend the second half of 2022 traveling around Australia with our little ones.
Who proposed?
Brendan. In August 2018 in Paris. He was extremely romantic. In June we took off on a Europe adventure together to Italy and France. One day whilst strolling the streets of Sorrento we came across a boutique jeweler. They had some gorgeous items on display so Brendan insisted we enter and have a look, needless to say I fell in love with the most gorgeous ring, it was then and there together that we decided it would be my engagement ring. Marriage was something we had always talked about and I knew from the moment I had met him that he was the one. He insisted that I couldn’t have the ring until his chosen time.
Later on in the trip Brendan called my parents (at 4am Australian time) to ask for the permission to take my hand in marriage. Needless to say they were thrilled! So on the last day of our European adventure, Brendan took me on a paddle boat on a quaint little lake in Paris surrounding by beautiful gardens. Despite the rocking boat and a high chance of us both falling into the lake. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry Him. It is truly a moment I will never forget .
Why did you choose the Yarra Valley/Dandenong Ranges as your wedding location?
We were looking for something unique but rustic that we could add our own character too. Something that we could make into our own. The Log Cabin Ranch was the first venue we looked at. And we fell in love immediately. Courtney and Mark are the most loving, accommodating and down to earth people we have ever met and ensured that everything we had hoped for was able to happen. We had large tables set up on the lawn for our guests, a beautiful wedding in the garden, spit roast meets and a Greek feast for our guests to enjoy for dinner and a dance floor to die for. Given the accommodation on-site we had many friends stay with us and join us for a coffee and breakfast the next morning. It was truly so special!
What was your wedding theme?
Rustic & vintage inspired by autumn colors of oranges , greens and burgundies.
What made your wedding unique?
I think the venue itself was a big part of what helped us to keep our wedding unique. Because it is a complete blank canvas you can literally make the day what you want it to be, which is exactly what we were able to do with the help and support of Courtney and Mark. Because everything is done your way there is never another wedding like it which I feel is so special and exactly why Brendan and I fell in love with at the Log cabin Ranch. We wanted our wedding to feel more like a big party where people could interact, relax and have a dance! We gave guests a table number and let them choose their own seats. Our Greek feast was a help yourself feast which everyone raved about.
What were the highlights?
Everything. We had the most beautiful day. It was 23 sunny, crisp blue skies. Our ceremony in the garden could not have been more private and beautiful. We had 150 of our family and friends present which we felt was extremely lucky given the pandemic circumstances. We had tables and chairs set up on the lawn with no cover and the fairy lights providing light come dusk. Literally everything about the day was a highlight. Beautiful shots for photos, a relaxed morning getting ready onsite with my mum and bridesmaids and of course once the wedding was over, Brendan and I got to spend our first night as a married couple in the beautiful on-site glamping tent just a short walk away from the dance floor!
Is there a story behind your dress?
It was actually my third dress!! We were due to get married in Feb 2019 (when I was 30 weeks pregnant) at a different venue however sadly my father passed away suddenly the night before our wedding so we made the decision to postpone. We wanted a fresh start at a new venue and a new date and the log cabin ranch was exactly what we needed. Courtney and mark welcomed us with open arms from the moment we walked in! I purchased a new dress and We planned to re marry in April 2020 however the pandemic hit and we had to cancel for a second time. Given the uncertainty we decided to postpone by a further 12 months and planned to marry for the third time in March 2021, however I fell pregnant with our second child, Eden so needed to again purchase a gown for my ever growing stomach. I completely fell in love with the peaches gown from Grace loves lace, it had no boning, was an easy slip on and was made of a stretch material that made it extremely comfortable to wear On the day! It also had the rustic vintage boho vibe I was seeking. It was not my dream dress, but it was my dream dress for pregnant me!
Tell us about the grooms wear, who chose the color?
We wanted our wedding to be more like s big party without all the formalities so we kept the groomsmen very casual. They wore black chinos with brown leather boots and a white linen shirt. I managed to find some gorgeous floral burgundy ties and bow ties that tied in beautifully with my bridesmaids burgundy dresses. They even had a matching boys bow tie for our son who was almost 2 at the time. He wore the exact same outfit as Brendan. They looked adorable.
What type of entertainment did you have?
We had an acoustic musician for our ceremony, cocktail hour and into dinner. And once dinner was complete with had our good friend Adam DJ for us into the night. Both did such a fantastic job and really helped set the atmosphere for the day.
What was your wedding menu for the day? Did you have any special drinks for your guests?
We had an open bar of beer, wine and champagne served from a gorgeous vintage van. Come 9pm we opened the bar with spirits and cocktails for all which went down a treat!
Was there any wedding vendor that particularly stood out on the day? If so, why?
Not just one, literally all of them! We do not have one single complaint about any of our vendors. They were all amazing and extremely accommodating. They truly helped to make our day exactly what we wanted.
Advice for couples thinking of getting married in the Yarra Valley/Dandenong Ranges?
Do it!!! You will never regret it. The scenery is beautiful and at the log cabin ranch there is so many opportunities to make your day unique and exactly what you dream of. Our video and photos are incredible! Brendan and I still look at them both all the time in complete ore.
What makes your marriage amazing?
I would say us together as a team. Marriage is a real team effort which relies on lots of love trust and sacrifice. And I think so far we are doing pretty well at all of those things!
What’s your best advice for planning the perfect wedding?
Write a list. Save lots of Pinterest pics and do lots of research. For Brendan and I we based our decisions on our gut feels. it was all about the people we were working with and the vibe they gave us as we wanted our day to be filled with positivity and love. Every vendor we worked with gave us that. And we will be forever grateful!
Vendor Credits
Photographer: Brendan Creaser
He is honestly the coolest most down to earth photographer you will ever meet and is literally one of the best guys! He kept me so calm on the day and made everything fun! He stayed with us throughout our three year journey and made sure we had everything we had hoped for! Our photos, our album and our Video are all beyond incredible. He puts so much love and happiness into what he does and it truly shows in his work. He has also taken many family shoots of us and our babies. I couldn’t not recommend him more.
Videographer: Brendan Creaser
Florist: Ivy Meets rose and a good friend of ours Esther.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Log Cabin Ranch
Catering/ Cake & kind: Vinkas cakes made our cake and The Grecian Kitchen served dinner – boy do they do an amazing feast!! And Mel was so incredibly warm and easy to work with. She was so accommodating and helped us tweak the menu several times till we were happy. Our grazing board was beautifully decorated and got some many compliments! She too went above and beyond.
Celebrant: Peter Jones
Entertainment: Chris Heskett (acoustic) and Adam Green (DJ)
Wedding bands: Ralph Fisch
Glamping: on site
DJ Equipment: Adam Green
Styling support/Event Management (on the day): Betta event hire assisted us with our table, chair and fairy lights set up on the lawn.
Bride Credits
Bridal gown designer: Grace loves Lace
Veil: Grace loves lace
Earrings: I wore a pair of my mum’s earrings
