Simone & Jack

I, without a doubt, am a big fan of a detailed, embellished wedding veil, but it’s not that (which Simone wore beautifully) that drew me to today’s stunning wedding at Mount Macedon Winery. It was the way these two look at one another, the way umbrellas popped out during a rain-filled ceremony (causing extra dreamy romance), and the sunset appearing with the most golden of light. This story, evocatively captured by Rachel May Photography is an utter delight.

After meeting at high school, where friendship blossomed, it took the wisdom of graduation before Jack started to really pursue Simone. His interest paid off and he blindsided Simone with a “renovation chat” proposal. Simone shares their story: “It was just a normal Friday at work when Jack asked me to quickly pop home on my lunch break to meet with our builder. So I came home – not to our builder – but to Jack waiting out the front…dressed way too schmick for a reno chat!
He covered my eyes and led me inside. There was a beautiful song playing (‘Save Yourself’ by Kaleo). When he uncovered my eyes I saw that our home had been transformed. Jack had hung photos of us and all of our adventures on a string throughout the house. In between some of the photos he had written some beautiful words about our relationship and his feelings for me. As he lead me through the photo maze – I was crying (which never happens!) because I had a fair idea of what was coming. At the end of the string was a box, which is when Jack got down on one knee and asked me to marry him with my dream ring. He also organised for us to go stay in the city that night and already spoke to my boss so I didn’t have to go back to work. Win, win!”

In keeping with the bride’s elegant look for the day, the groom opted for a classic black tuxedo from Lidis Tailors.

There was a very special accessory that has been passed through Jack’s family and, of course, had to be included in their day. “Jack’s nan’s wedding rings were an heirloom we included in our day. Her rings are sewn onto a garter and it’s a tradition for her grandchildren or the bride-to-be, to wear the garter. My wedding dress, unfortunately, didn’t allow me to wear it, so Jack had the garter in his pocket during the ceremony. I was able to get some special photos with it while I was getting ready,” tells Simone.

Simone found her beautiful Rachel Gilbert gown at Still White, noting, “It was a very simple and classic off-the-shoulder dress made from neoprene fabrication. I loved it but one thing I was worried about was that I wouldn’t be able to dance the night away because the off-the-shoulder feature was quite restricting. So I also chose a reception dress! ”

Simone and Jack chose to meet before the ceremony for photographs. “Jack and I opted for a ‘first look’ moment before the ceremony started. During this time we had our bridal party photos as well and we loved it,” explains Simone. “This allowed us to join in the reception straight away and we didn’t miss out on anything. I also found that it made me feel more relaxed before walking down the aisle. Our first look was a really special moment that Jack and I got to share without the distraction of a crowd of people.”

Of their chosen photographer, Simone shares, “Rachel was amazing. So relaxed and very easy to work with. We are so happy with all the photos she took. Such precious memories!”

An embellished veil from Theia Couture was the finishing touch of Simone’s wedding day look. “I also chose a pretty epic veil to wear with my ceremony dress. The ‘Christie’ veil from Theia Couture. It had silk petals hand-stitched into it, finished with micro-pearl beads. The detail was just beautiful and it made me feel like a real bride! I finished my look with two different pairs of Isabella May pearl earrings.”

The beautiful blooms on the day were by Fig The Fox. Simone telling “I met with the lovely Emily from Fig the Fox and shared with her some images of what I was interested in. I wanted whites and greens with a touch of blush. Simple, yet beautiful. I also wanted my flowers to compliment my veil. Emily nailed it. I was so happy with the gorgeous blooms she put together!”

The serene Mount Macedon Winery set the scene for the day’s events. “Mount Macedon Winery is just stunning! We knew as soon as we first saw it that it was the perfect location for our wedding. It is such a beautiful property. It has a gorgeous lush green garden (which is where we held our ceremony), a beautiful vineyard, epic countryside views and the reception room has a lovely rustic feel about it. They also have the cutest Golden Retriever ‘Gus’ who joined us as a wedding guest for the night!”

Simone walked down the aisle with her father to ‘Wedding Song’ by Angus and Julia Stone.

And while the rain created many nerves for the day, the actual act of Mother Nature opening the heavens led to one of the bride’s favourite moments. “It rained the whole day leading up to our ceremony. As we were having an outdoor wedding – I was extremely nervous and contemplating getting ready for plan B. The rain did start to subside so we thought we would be fine. However, it did start raining during our ceremony. We were lucky that it was just light rain but the ceremony did stop for a moment while everyone got out their umbrellas. My father-in-law kindly stood up to shelter me with his umbrella. It was actually a really sweet moment. Rachel our photographer got some gorgeous photos. You would think it would be every bride’s worst nightmare for it to rain during the ceremony but it’s actually one of our fondest memories.”

Despite the rain, the ceremony, performed by Erin McMahon was everything Jack and Simone wanted. “We wanted our ceremony to be romantic and relaxed – nothing too formal. We had a wonderful celebrant, Erin from Sweet Wonderful You. She created the perfect ceremony for us.
Jack’s sister Rochelle presented a beautiful reading for us which was one she personally wrote herself. That was pretty special.”

Simone opted for a beaded off-the-shoulder gown, also by Rachel Gilbert from Still White for the reception; not able to resist! She shares, “I decided to look for a second dress for my reception. I ended up finding another Rachel Gilbert gown – which was just as stunning. This was another off-the-shoulder dress but with much more movement. It was fully beaded with long bell sleeves – the perfect dance floor dress.”

Guests gathered inside for a cocktail reception, tells the bride. “We had a cocktail reception and were so glad that we did. It got people up and about and felt like more of a party. The main things we wanted were a grazing table, lolly bar, band and photo booth – which were all details we included.”

And while Simone and Jack opted out of many traditions, one they did include was the first dance. “We danced to ‘Home’ by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros. We wanted a more upbeat and fun song to dance to; one that our guests could come and dance to as well. It definitely got the party started!”

After the rain, always comes the sun, and the cinematic sunset on the day led to some of Simone’s very favourite photos. “We had a beautiful sunset on our wedding day. One of my favourite photos is of Jack holding me in his arms and kissing me with the sun setting in the background.”

Simone and Jack have one last story to share with us – their stunningly shot wedding film captured by Artistic Films.

Congratulations to you both Simone and Jack! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us. Thank you also to Rachel May Photography for sharing today’s celebration.