Melinda and Shaun

There is something about Autumn weddings with their beautiful colours that gets me every time. Add that to a beautiful winery setting which is so beautiful in Autumn and you have a beautiful day!

Melinda and Shaun explain how they met. “We met 7 years ago at a music gig that Shaun was playing at, 2 weeks before Shaun was due to leave for 8 months of overseas duties for the Royal Australian Navy. We kept in touch and got to know each other via emails, letters and postcards. Upon his return 8 months later we were inseparable.”

Milk and Honey Photography captured the photos with all the warmth and love shown with the couple’s happiness.

Melinda wore a gown from Sottero and Midgely while her bridesmaids wore sage green gowns made by Nicole Michelle Couture. The bouquets were styled by Nats Flowerlicious. Melinda explains ” We specifically chose the bouquets to be bright and colourful, which are a standout in our photos.”

There was one little funny hiccup on the day, Melinda explains. “An hour before the ceremony, a huge storm hit the Hunter Valley and we lost power to all rooms in the accommodation where the guests and bridal party were getting ready. This resulted some imaginative solutions for people getting ready, and the groomsmen were stuck with half ironed shirts. Female guests were also using the wild winds to blow-dry their hair so they could get to the chapel on time. Thankfully the storm blew over and we had gorgeous weather for the both the ceremony and the photo shoot.”

Melinda and Shaun held their ceremony at Peppers Creek Chapel.

One of Shaun’s favourite memories was, “The look on both of our faces when we saw each other for the first time as Mel was about to walk down the aisle.”

Melinda describes the day as,  “A big fun party! Our wedding day was a relaxing day full of fun, friends and a lot of laughter and joy, exactly what we had hoped for.”

Of their photographer, the newlyweds recall, “Mel’s older sister used Milk and Honey for her wedding in 2005, and we had always admired their wedding photos and album.  When we met with Milk and Honey we knew they would be just as spectacular for our wedding. Our photos tell our story, and really reflect the fun we had on the day. We literally had half the usual time for our official shoot due to the way the venue was run, and Matt and Laura directed us really well and made sure we were happy and had the photos we wanted every step of the way. Despite the lack of time, we have ended up with such gorgeous images to keep forever.”

The reception continued in Peppers Creek Barrel Room.

For favors, Melinda explains ” I made these with my mum. Mum baked over 600 biscuits from a favourite and traditional family recipe from the 1940’s. We then put a portion of biscuits into a white paper bag with the story of how the recipe has come to fame in our family over the generations.”

The cake was made by a friend, Melinda explains, “Our cake was a surprise, in her previous careers, Mel and Jen worked together as chefs, and Jen offered to make our wedding cake.  Exactly what the cake was going to be was kept a secret from us and we had no idea what it would be like. As the photos show it was beautiful (and delicious!)”

For the first dance, the couple recall “This to Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a very optimistic and fun version. This was a special moment for us as this song was performed by our groomsmen Carl Riseley and Ashley Lewis, whom Shaun grew up playing and performing music with.”

Congratulations on your marriage Melina and Shaun! Thank you for sharing your story with us! Thank you also to Milk and Honey Photography for today’s photographs!