Stuart & Emma in the Oceania Gown
Emma and Stuart tied the knot at the ever-so classic Stones of The Yarra Valley, VIC. All the spaces at the venue are divine, so the two had minimal florals and a sprinkle of candles. Marrying in the chapel before canape hour at the dairy followed by a sit down reception in the stables.
What does it mean to you, to be a GRACE bride?
A GRACE bride is someone a little left of centre but who values timeless elegance.
Which GRACE dress did you wear and how did you know it was 'The One'?
I chose Oceania, and my goodness she was beautiful! I actually had a bit of a miss-hap with my original dress and one of my girlfriends recommended GRACE to me as you stock ready to wear dresses that I didn’t have to order 12+ months in advance! (and I only had about three weeks until the wedding!) I had an amazing experience with Rhiannon at the Sydney store.
From the moment she answered my panicked call about making an appointment she was so warm and helpful. She helped me find a dress that honoured my original one and I just knew once I saw myself in Oceania (and felt how incredibly divine the silk was) that it was the one.
Tell us about your experience when you found your dress.
What drew you to your gown from Grace Loves Lace?
I called and made my appointment in the Sydney boutique and had a look online to narrow down what I would like to try on.
I started with a rose tea and then a glass of champagne. I didn’t have my mum with me as she lives down in Albury or any girlfriends, but Rhiannon absolutely filled the space of a supportive friend and took the best care of me. I think from memory Oceania was the second or third dress I tried on. I FaceTimed mum and booked an app to come back the next day to try it on with my shoes and veil just to make sure it all went together. It was perfect!
How did you and your husband meet?
We went to a small Japanese restaurant in Albert Park (VIC) called Misuzu’s! We ended up going for a (slightly drunken) walk along Albert Park Lake afterwards and it was so lovely. In the process of writing our wedding ceremony and answering questions for our beautiful celebrant Sonia, we both realised this was the moment we each knew there was something really special between us.
We went to a small Japanese restaurant in Albert Park (VIC) called Misuzu’s! We ended up going for a (slightly drunken) walk along Albert Park Lake afterwards and it was so lovely. In the process of writing our wedding ceremony and answering questions for our beautiful celebrant Sonia, we both realised this was the moment we each knew there was something really special between us.
Did you DIY anything?
As a wedding planner myself, I developed our run sheet.
We took Polaroids of photos we already had of all our guests and used these as place cards, then on the day we greeted each guest and gave them a big cuddle as they entered the reception space.
We let them know roughly where their table was and told them to go and find their photo, I guess we were a live seating chart haha this was really fun and ensured we had a moment with all of our best mates and family. We left everything else in the hands of the vendors we had booked!
As a wedding planner myself, I developed our run sheet.
We took Polaroid photos of photos we already had of all our guests and used these as place cards (I’m not sure if this counts as DIY) Then on the day we greeted each guest and gave them a big cuddle as they entered the reception space.
We let them know roughly where their table was and told them to go and find their photo, I guess we were a live seating chart haha this was really fun and ensured we had a moment with all of our best mates and family. We left everything else in the hands of the vendors we had booked!
What was the funniest moment or the highlight of your wedding day?
I was totally surprised by how calm I felt all day. We stayed together in the beautiful on site accommodation (highly recommend, it’s like you're away in Tuscany!) the night before, had dinner with my family and then breakfast together the morning of the wedding. We had a first look which I absolutely loved and would highly recommend to all couples, and trust me, it absolutely does not make walking down the aisle any less special. Stu still cried (lucky!) and I got to really enjoy the moment with dad instead of being nervous.
I was really surprised by just how fast the day goes. We took moments just the two of us to try and really soak it in. We had an intimate day with 60 of our closest friends and family and we greeted each guest on arrival to the stables and told them which table they were seated at - we tried to add in all these moments to really help us stay grounded and present, but it still went by so, so fast!
Where did you get married? Tell us about the location & the style of your wedding.
We were married at Stones of The Yarra Valley, VIC. It was my absolute dream wedding venue and I had always imagined I would marry Stuart there - I fell in love with it from the first time Stuart took me there while we were dating, so it was so special to actually be married there. Our style was classic and elegant. All the spaces at the venue are simply as divine as they come, so we had minimal florals and a sprinkle of candles. We were married in the chapel before canape hour at the dairy, followed by a sit down reception in the stables.
Any last advice you would give other GRACE bride's?
No matter what, the only thing that really, truly matters is that you are marrying the love of your life.
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