Summer Historic Mansion Wedding

Liz & Josh

I love that Liz and Josh chose a Summer Historic mansion wedding for their big day. As a nod to Josh’s Italian heritage they filled their day with a rustic Italian vibe – fresh herbs, cumquats and apricots featured heavily throughout the wedding decor which was only complemented by the majestic Werribee Mansion on a hot summer’s day. They chose Goldsmith & Co. to capture their day.

The newlyweds tell the tale of how they met. “Liz was living with her sister, when Josh bought the apartment downstairs…They were introduced by Josh’s dad, who was changing the locks, and started chatting to Liz in the stairwell. In the beginning, whilst they were getting to know each other, Liz referred to Josh, as ‘the good-looking guy from downstairs’. That same good-looking guy, had a fondness for hanging out on his balcony and taking in the view, particularly around the time that Liz got home from work. Their evening catch-ups soon became part of their daily routine, and by the time Josh eventually asked Liz out on a date, not only had they met many of each other’s friends, but he had also seen her in her gym gear – all this and they hadn’t even exited the apartment block together. It seemed as if their lives had fallen into sync, and love grew swiftly.”

Liz chose a beaded gown from Raffaele Ciuca, she added a very special piece to her hair, noting, “Josh’s mum made me an intricate beaded brooch out of material from my mum’s wedding dress that I wore in my hair. It was very special for me to have a part of her with me of the day.”

Liz and Josh chose Formal gardens at Werribee Mansion for their wedding ceremony, noting, “The ceremony was held in the formal gardens at Werribee Park. It was a beautiful location with the view of the historic Mansion behind us, amongst stunning Oak trees. It was a very warm and sunny day and we surprised our guests with a gelato cart turning up after the ceremony, for them to enjoy in the gardens, while we had our photos.”

Foxy Evergreen created the rustic Italian inspired floral arrangements for the day while One Wedding Wish styled the ceremony and reception.

Liz walked down the aisle to “Two Hearts Are Better Than One” By Katie Herzig.

Liz remembers, “We were so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by our closest friends and family. We couldn’t stop smiling surrounded by so much love. Everything was actually perfect.” The couple chose Simone Cresp to perform their marriage ceremony.

“We loved acknowledging both our cultural heritages as family is so important to us. We included breaking of the glass in our civil ceremony as a Jewish tradition to symbolise the fragility of life and love. At the reception, Josh’s family shared an Italian tradition of tapping on a glass at any time, which meant that we had to stop and share a kiss no matter where we were.”

Bianco Latte had a surprise for guests post ceremony, Liz explains. “We had a gelato cart for guests to enjoy after the ceremony along with bocce and croquet. It was important for us that our family and friends were able to get away for a relaxing and fun weekend.”

“Our bridesmaids and groomsmen have been such amazing support to both of us over the years, it was very special to have them be part of everything with us. We really enjoyed getting our photos taken as used that as some quality time with our bridal party, relaxed and enjoyed a moment to take in the fact we had just got married.”

Of their photographers, Liz remarks, “We went with Goldsmith & Co. Jane and Brett are an incredible husband-wife duo. They were incredibly professional, fun with amazing attention to detail. They captured the day beautifully and really listened to what we wanted to capture.”

The reception continued inside at The Pavilion, Mansion Hotel & Spa The bride noting, “The reception was at The Pavilion, Mansion Hotel & Spa, a 10 minute walk away. Guests were served outdoor canapés, overlooking the polo field and then seated for a delicious three-course meal. The night was balmy and perfect so we had an outdoor band and dance-floor to dance the night away. The Mansion Hotel & Spa has 5 star accommodation that enabled our guests to stay the night. It was fabulous, as it meant we could have breakfast with everyone the next day.”

“The flowers were one of the bride’s favourite features of the reception, she recalls, “The bridal table had a stunning custom built canopy with flowers, herbs and greenery. We wanted our overall theme to be rustic Italian, to acknowledge Josh’s heritage. Each table had a variety of terracotta flower pots of recycled timber boxes filled with David Austin roses, peony roses, herbs and fresh apricots.”

There were plenty of personal touches dotted throughout the day. “Liz’s mum passed away when she was twelve, so it was very important for us to include her memory in some way. We did this by having a special table of wedding photo’s of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days. A friend made us a delicious three-tiered cake with each tier including chocolate mud, choc-chip and vanilla, with beautiful rustic flowers.”

Herbs featured heavily – including in the seating chart! Liz tells, “We wanted to make our wedding really personal and intimate. So instead of a normal seating chart, there was a beautiful display of herb pots with guests’ names. The tables were then named according to streets that were important to us, such as “Alma Road” where we had first met in the apartment block.”

One Wedding Wish created personalised jams as guest favours which also doubled as place cards.

Liz notes, “Josh was really involved every step of the way planning and organising the wedding. It really felt like we had achieved such a great day together as a team…a great way to start married life!”

Of the first dance, Liz remembers, “We performed an ambitious and fast paced dance to, ‘I’m Shakin’’ by Jack White. We managed to pull off our jump move, phew! ”