Zoe & Toby

If chic elegance was a wedding, then the celebration of Zoe and Toby would be it. This elegant Hopewood House wedding with its beautifully manicured gardens and stunning setting held the most beautifully sacred space for the stories that were to unfold. It was, as Zoe says “such a magical day, a big party for all!” Alma Photography was there to capture it all.

Of how their love story began, Zoe tells “We met when Toby was just 13 and I had only just turned 12. Toby’s friend asked for my number and shortly after (literally 1 min after) I had little curly haired Toby texting me. The pre-teen romance lasted only 6 months before we went our separate ways. I was in a long term relationship throughout high-school, and as awful as it sounds I would always find myself wondering about the curly-haired boy from the park. I later found out from Toby’s friends that he would always talk about me, and they would joke that I was the “one that got away”. Clearly, Toby had other plans, he really wasn’t letting me get away!

Once I broke it off with my long term boyfriend, Toby quickly came back into the picture and the rest is history! He swept me off my feet, loved me and my family hard from the get go, and after 5 years together we fell pregnant with our darling daughter, Heidi Rae, and soon after that we were engaged and then married not even a year later on the 19 November 2016. It was the most magical of days – second to only Heidi’s birthday!

I thank my lucky stars every day for having such an incredibly generous and giving life partner. What I did to deserve such a magical man, is beyond me. I fall more and more in love with him every day.”

Inbal Dror designed Zoe’s long sleeve gown, she tells “My dress was INCREDIBLE! It was an Inbal Dror, and I really did feel like a princess on the day. A real life princess! I went to the first dress fitting with my Mum, Dad, two sisters and my newborn baby girl. They all thought I picked another dress than the one I chose. My Dad and Mum cried with every dress I tried on so I knew any of the dresses I picked would be perfect. I chose the dress I did, as I just felt at ease, I felt entirely me in the dress. The experience was all it’s cracked up to be – highly emotional!!!”

“I wore my mother’s bracelet that my Dad gifted her on their wedding day. That was pretty special!”

Zoe and Toby chose Hopewood House for their celebration, noting “We chose Hopewood as it’s not an overly popular wedding destination. The venue only takes on a select few weddings each year to keep it quite sacred. We loved the historical feeling the estate gave, its powerful presence and simplistic elegance. I felt like I had stepped into a magical fairy world when we inspected the venue – I then knew it was where I wanted to be married.”

“My darling father walked me down the aisle and boy, was that special. I have always been a Daddy’s girl. We walked down to Canon by Pachelbel.”

Alexandra Lollback officiated the ceremony, Zoe tells “The ceremony wasn’t overly religious as neither Toby or I are. We kept it short and sweet, however, both wrote our own vows. Our celebrant was amazing, she had everyone laughing!”

“I put my trust in so many people around me. My amazing Mother planned most of the day, and we really did just trust the suppliers! I wanted the day to be as stress-free as possible – for everyone!! I really do believe that if you pick your vendors correctly then you don’t have to do too much work!”

“I loved that our sweet baby girl was able to be a part of the entire day. Although she was so very young, just having her there made the day that much more special.”

Emma Blake Floral created the beautiful white floral arrangements for the day, Zoe remarking “We went extremely simple – white orchids, white David Austin roses, and pale pink peonies. Emma Blake Floral is an INCREDIBLE florist and would you believe I put my entire trust in her hands and never ever actually met with her prior to the day. I had seen her work and knew she would bring to life the most magical florals and she did!”

Of their photographer, Zoe notes “Alma was so amazing. I run some of the biggest events in Australia and have worked with hundreds of photographers and Alma is by far the best. You didn’t even know he was there! He captured the day perfectly. You can look at the photos and get a feel for the overall day – that’s not an easy feat. Alma, you are beyond words!”

“There is one photo I love, and it’s Toby and I looking into each other’s eyes. We had no idea the photo was being taken – a very candid moment.”

Guests took home custom candles from Hunter Candles, the bride noting “Toby and I handpicked a scent, that we turned into a candle and gifted to every guest. Each candle had the guest’s name on it, along with a little message from Toby and I.”

“We had lost Toby’s father quite suddenly in 2015 so we were sure we paid tribute to his life. He loved a drink, so plenty of cheers were had!”

Of their first dance, Zoe remembers “Toby is the music master! He had always envisioned our first dance would be to Our Love by Gary Clark Jr, and it was!!”

Congratulations on your marriage Zoe and Toby! Thank you for telling us the stories of your day! Thank you to Alma Photography for sharing the photos of the day.