You know how much we love an autumn wedding, but when you experience autumn at a winery, it is truly, utterly something special. Michelle and Steven wanted their day to be  “intimate, cosy and simple”. They wed under autumn trees, vineyards in the background, they took photos under fire red tinged backdrops, they celebrated their newlywed status in that stunning golden Autumn light. If there was ever a wedding to convince you marrying at a country winery is for you, this is it.

The Winery Issue has many special stories in its pages, and this one embodies all the beauty of its winery setting. Settle in for the story, told through images by White Shutter Photography.

After meeting through a dating app six years ago, “We started talking and both deleted the app after that” Michelle admits. Steven popped the question on Michelle’s 33rd birthday. “He took me to the top of Corowa Japanese Garden where we can overlook the whole place. He bent in one knee and proposed!”

Opting for classic wedding tailoring, Steven found his black three piece suit at Ferrari Formal. Says Michelle “Steven wanted a classic groom look with a black suit and crisp white shirt underneath for our wedding and we got it from Ferrari Bridal in Albury.”

Michelle’s stunning, fitted gown was a Rachel Rose design she found at Penrith Bridal Centre. “I chose Rachel Rose’s Forrest Wedding dress and I added custom sleeves to make it my style. It was romantic, flattering and modern. I got the dress during the surge of the pandemic so Penrith Bridal Centre had to do my fitting over the phone. They did a same day fitting and alteration for me which was so nice since we were living 5 hrs from Sydney then.”

The couple chose Milawa venue Brown Brothers Winery for their wedding, Michelle explaining “We, (or should I say “I”) chose Brown Brothers. When we visited the place the first time I just fell in love with it and told Steven that it’s where I want to get married. It’s a win-win too since it’s close to Steven’s family. The venue is absolutely beautiful and the food and wine are spectacular!”

Of her walk down the aisle, Michelle chose to go it alone “I walked down the aisle myself as I don’t have my Dad here in Australia. I only wanted him to walk me so I opted to walk alone.”

“Our ceremony was quick, sincere but fun. Our celebrant made it lively whilst telling our guests our “love story”. We were under the Oak Trees during our ceremony and that was just gorgeous!”

Bloom wise, Michelle and Steven worked with Flower Mill Jindera. “Our colour theme were autumn colours and gem tones. There were scarcity of flowers before our wedding because of Mother’s Day so the florist used fake flowers for the arrangements. It was good so the guests can take the flower arrangements home, it’ll last and no allergies! Win-win!”

An intimate reception followed the ceremony, with Michelle and Steven enlisting the help of wedding stylists Enhance Styling & Events to bring their wedding to life, Michelle noting “The whole process with the wedding planning was definitely gruesome but fun! I was a pandemic bride so it made things a bit more stressful for the planning. Good thing Brown Brothers have a wonderful Wedding Coordinator, Kate, and we hired an Events Planner, Tracey, from Enhance Styling in Wodonga to help me with coordinating and styling our wedding since Steven and I were living in Forbes, NSW which is 4 hours away from VIC. I have been hands-on to all details and we’ve been exchanging emails and calls during the preparations.

The whole process of wedding planning is definitely stressful but worth it! At the end of the day, you’ll be marrying the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Have fun and just go with what you envision your special day will be. (Within your budget, of course).”

Even the menu was personalised to the newlyweds – the couple ate steak! “Steven is a very picky eater and is not a fan of the “fancy” meals. So Brown Brothers got Steven’s preferred meal for our wedding day. It was a well-cooked steak, chips and BBQ sauce.”

Michelle has all the praise for their photographer Anne. “Anne is just so easy and fun! She made us feel relaxed whilst taking our photos and she made sure that she captured special and beautiful moments during our wedding day.”

A big congratulations you both Michelle and Steven! Thank you for taking the time t share the stories of your fay with us. Thank you to White Shutter Photography for sharing today’s celebration.