Elisha & Dylan

If there is one thing I don’t think we feature nearly enough of on Polka Dot Bride, it’s engagement parties. So I beyond thrilled to share all the country charm of Elisha and Dylan’s Mount Macedon Winery engagement party, The horses! The espresso martinis! The caravan bar! What a fun way to celebrate new beginnings with your favourites!

With Valley & Peak behind the camera, Elisha and Dylan chose their dream team stylist and floral designer Flower Dayz, caravan bar Innocent Owl Caravan Bar, caterer Tyrell’s Catering and added extra pieces from  Purple Birdcage to create an engagement party that was, in their words “Relaxed, full of  enjoy great company, food and a few drinks all while taking the time to enjoy the country surrounds as we do.”

Luckily, these two had the beautiful Mount Macedon Winery, owned by their families to use as their setting for their day which made the most of the golden, setting sun.

Elisha tells the story. “Our friends and family started arriving at 3:00 pm and before we knew it, all of our guests had arrived and were enjoying each other’s company, a drink, some food and the views. Gus, our Golden Retriever made sure he was present throughout the whole event and got a lot of love in the process. Being that we decided to host our engagement party outside on our back lawn, guests were able to enjoy the views of the farm, the Black Forest Valley and some unanticipated black storm clouds! Luckily the storm bypassed us and we only endured a light burst of Summer rain which no one was phased by.”

Innocent Owl Caravan Bar served up cocktails all night long to thirsty guests. Elisha telling “Having the amazing furniture and floral arrangements from Flower Dayz, items like the festoon lights, dance floor and lawn games from the Purple Birdcage and suppliers like the Innocent Owl caravan bar and the incredible Valley & Peak duo just added to the vibe of the whole event. We got so many compliments from a lot of our guests saying how great everything looked and how much they were enjoying themselves which was so awesome to hear. We served a local Sparkling and Pinot Grigio and our very own 2016 Pinot Noir Reserve which was a big hit. Beers were kept icy cold and stocked in an antique bathtub and smaller tubs around the lawn so guests could help themselves throughout the night.”

Flower Dayz created the lush florals for the day, the bride to be explaining “We had met with Flower Dayz earlier in the year to discuss the prospects of working together for future events at Mount Macedon Winery and immediately loved the energy and passion Kathleen and Leah showed. Being local and experienced in the industry we were really eager to work with Flower Dayz for our own special event. From our very first meeting and briefing on the day of our engagement party, Flower Dayz was more than happy to go above and beyond and made us feel that no idea was too big or small. Kathleen and Leah had amazing visions for what we could put together and were always so accommodating to all of our requests. Their calming natures and flexibility to make anything work, always made us feel that we were in very capable hands. On the day, they delivered and executed everything so perfectly which made the whole experience extremely enjoyable.

Tells Elisha “Being February we were able to have an outdoor soirée on our back lawn which tied in well with the relaxed feel we were aiming for. Keeping with the theme, we kept all styling items neutral (except for our florals) and scattered wine barrels, blankets, cushions, chairs, stools and small tables around to make sure our guests felt they could lounge around and relax.”

 

Elisha continues “After guests helped themselves to a spread of salads, vegetables and slow-cooked meats from Tyrell’s Catering, speeches were made in a short and sweet manner. The rest of the night was all about spending time with our favourite people, carving up the dance floor and helping ourselves to a pop-up cocktail bar and dessert station.”

 

“The best part of hosting our engagement party at home was to see all of our favourite people enjoying themselves, in a place that is so special to us.”