Leea and Robert’s Vintage Style Barn Wedding

Robert and Leea

Robert proposed on our 3 year anniversary in April 2013. I had suspected it was coming but was surprised all the same! We both wanted to get married in Autumn so we set a date for the following April. We knew that we wanted the day to be relaxed and informal so we wanted a venue that could cater both ceremony and reception. I had always wanted a rustic/vintage style wedding and Robert wanted somewhere with great scenery. We could not believe our luck when we found Gum Gully Farm! Not only did it tick all the boxes, it was in the Dandenong Ranges, one of our favourite weekend spots.

I chose a dress from Karen Willis Holmes in Armadale. It was the first store I visited and could have chosen six gowns from the one store! The whole experience was great and I was constantly at ease, the customer service and advice was wonderful. Unlike other stores they only required 6 months notice and the workmanship was excellent, the seamstress took great care in the fittings and the dress fit perfectly.

I ordered my shoes online from Rachael Simpson in the UK. They were so comfortable and I will certainly get more than one wear from them.

I chose the girls from Melbourne Bridal Make Up for both my hair and make up. I could not have been happier! They captured the look I was after perfectly.  I had a trial for my own style, however my bridesmaids decided on their styles on the day. It was amazing what the stylists could whip up at such little notice! For my “something old” I made my own birdcage veil out of an antique brooch.  It was in the shape of a Scottish thistle, a tribute to my Scottish heritage. My beautiful bridesmaids wore tulle dresses by BHLDN. They were a shade of lavender tulle over a blush lining when combined made a lovely antique rose colour. Bridal jewelry was from Bauble bar and Bridesmaids jewelry from Fletcher and Grace.

We chose to hire suits for the groomsmen from Formal Red. It was a very simple process considering two of the groomsmen had to travel from NZ. We stayed at Loft in The Mill, Olinda both before and after the wedding, which had lots of great photo spots for the pre wedding photos.

Our ceremony was in the Windmill Chapel at Gum Gully Farm. We hired a Piper to play as guests arrived and also for the processional.

Susan from Soul Mate Ceremonies performed the ceremony. Susan was a great help in writing our ceremony with lots of examples and options. She was very flexible and was able to include a “handfasting” which was a great way to include our parents in the ceremony.

We could not have been happier with our photographer Jessica Tremp from Brown Paper Parcel. I discovered her through another post on Polka Dot Bride. Jessica’s style of photography captured the day perfectly. Not one detail was missed in the 1000+ photos that were taken. Her use of the surroundings and animals resulted in such beautiful and unique shots that we will treasure forever.

While we were having our photos taken our guests enjoyed cocktail hour outside the barn. We were able to provide our own alcohol which gave us great flexibility in our drinks choices. We even made our own signature cocktails which were served from gorgeous glass urns.

Our guests then moved into the barn for the reception. We did not want to hire a wedding planner so we decided to decorate the venue ourselves. I really enjoyed the planning process and spent months searching online at Ebay and Etsy and collecting all sorts of vintage style props from markets and op shops. We designed our own seating chart and place cards and I made the wishing well out of an old suitcase.

Sue, the wedding co-ordinator at Gum Gully allowed us to access to the venue the day prior to the wedding so that we could set everything up. It was great fun styling the tables and bunching flowers, with assistance from the wedding party and family. I handmade over 150 metres of  fabric and lace bunting to decorate the venue and made lace runners for the table tops. I had so many compliments that I decided to open my own shop LeeLoves on Etsy!

The flowers were provided form Australian Roses, a local grower in Silvan. They had a great selection of colours to choose from and I was able to order directly from them. I picked the flowers up two days prior to the wedding and spent a few hours bunching them, ready to go to set up the venue the next day. I collected over 150 vases and mason jars to decorate the tables. I made the bouquets myself the night before the wedding over champagne with my bridesmaids. At the end of the night guests took bunches home, I’m told they lasted for two weeks after the wedding!

Yarra Valley catering provided Canapes, Entree and Dinner. We were able to provide our own dessert, and thanks again to the flexibility at Gum Gully we were allowed to set up our own dessert buffet.

As well as a wedding cake (which was made by the grooms mother and decorated by a friend) we also provided a selection of cakes, slices and cupcakes, most of which were homemade by friends and family. I have a wonderful collection of vintage plates and tea sets which I wanted to incorporate in the display. I found some vintage crates on ebay and was able to make a beautiful display with the theme of “HighTea” which suited the venue perfectly.

We hired a band for the reception as we are both music lovers and wanted the atmosphere that only a band can provide. We chose a six piece band The Baker Boys who were fabulous. They even allowed one of my guests to get up and serenade us as a surprise! The evening was spent dancing, laughing and having great fun. We had a lot of people travel from overseas so it was a great opportunity for a family reunion on both sides.

Our wedding was everything that we had hoped for and could not have been more perfect. What a wonderful day it was!

Photography by Brown Paper Parcel

Ms Gingham says: What a beautiful wedding Leea! You are very talented! Thanks for the wonderful inspiration.

Leea says: “I’m Leea! I was married in April 2014 to my lovely husband Robert. I had so much fun planning our vintage style barn wedding and used Polka Dot Bride for much inspiration.”