Basking in the warmth of the summer sun, Stephanie and Victor came together and married at their love-filled wedding. Wearing a gown made by her aunty and carrying flowers grown in her garden, Stephanie was a vision to behold. Their wedding was bright, laid-back and family-oriented – exactly as they had dreamed! After falling in love with Redbook Studios at their engagement shoot, they knew they’d found THE photographers to capture their big day.

Victor and Stephanie met when their mutual friend set them up on a blind date – and they’ve been inseparable ever since! When it was time to propose, Victor took Stephanie to their favourite back beach and proposed with a beautiful emerald engagement ring on the cliffs at sunset.

Knowing his bride was wearing a custom gown; Victor didn’t want to miss out on all the fun of a bespoke outfit. So he had his suit made at YSG tailors. Wanting a classic silhouette with a splash of uniqueness, he went for a white jacket. “A big fashion statement for Victor, who only ever wears black! Victor enjoyed customising his suit and even had the bride and groom’s names stitched into his suit jacket.”

Stephanie wore a handmade gown her aunty Carmen had created in her home studio in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. “It was a very sentimental process as I went fabric shopping with my aunty, designed and drafted the dress on paper with her, did multiple fittings, and got to customise the dress along the way. The inspiration for the dress was an ode to my Spanish heritage, with flowy flamenco sleeves and pleated tulle.”

Within their wedding party, Victor and Stephanie had both friends and family. The groomsmen wore classic black suits from Ferrari Formal that helped Victor stand out in his white blazer. The bridesmaids wore a mismatched collection of sage green dresses from Asos and The Iconic, with a pair of bright melon-coloured heels to finish off their looks.

They found their perfect venue at Emu Bottom Homestead in Victoria, allowing them to create their dream garden ceremony and outdoor dining reception. “We loved the privacy of the venue, the rolling hills, the private gardens and the beautiful native gums that lined the reception area.”

As guests entered the love-filled ceremony space, signage from Villa Studio guided them. To keep the warm sun off their backs, delicate parasols were provided. To begin the ceremony, Stephanie walked down the aisle with her dad to Adele’s “Feel My Love.”

There’s always one thing that doesn’t go to plan for any event, and unfortunately for Stephanie and Victor, it was their original florist mixing up their wedding date. Without flowers the morning of the wedding, Stephanie’s wedding party flung into action! Calling family members to run to local florists and buy as many flowers as they could, turning the kitchen into a florist shop. “I was worried about the bouquets, so another bridesmaid contacted her connections at Victoria Whitelaw Flowers, and Victoria created the bouquets and ceremony pieces on very short notice. Victoria saved the day alongside the bridesmaids & family!”

Another minor hiccup in the day happened when Victor got locked in the bathroom just before the ceremony. Luckily for him, their Pastor was there to save the day and had an extra pair of cufflinks to use once Victor realised he had forgotten his.

Stephanie and Victor wanted their ceremony to be outdoors, in a private garden setting, and Emu Bottom provided exactly that! Surrounded by their incredible last-minute floral pieces, luscious greenery and the summer sun, it was as they dreamed – relaxed and personal.

Their Christian faith is very important to both of them as a couple, so they wanted a focus on readings from the Bible to help guide their ceremony. They also included worship songs and prayer around their personal vows to each other.

Stephanie and Victor wanted their ceremony to be outdoors, in a private garden setting, and Emu Bottom provided exactly that! Surrounded by their incredible last-minute floral pieces, luscious greenery and the summer sun, it was as they dreamed – relaxed and personal.

Kat and Cristian from Redbook Studios were the photographers for this couple. Victor and Stephanie fell in love with their work when they shot their engagement; they instantly knew they HAD to have them capture the wedding! “They photographed us in Digital and Film and really listened to the important moments/emotions & people we wanted captured for our wedding day. They felt like family on the day and completely blended in; they made it so easy for us!”

The beautiful poppies you see here in Stephanie’s bouquet were actually grown in her own garden! Another special touch to their day was the choice of bonbonnieres. “We really wanted a bonbonniere that wouldn’t go to waste, so we made donations on behalf of our guests to a fantastic Youth Mentoring Program based here in Melbourne. As both of us work with young people day to day.”

Both Victor and Stephanie are big vinyl record lovers, so they had the genius idea of having an audio guestbook from GuestBook Hotline that they later turned into a record with all the well wishes and advice from their wedding.

After they finished their wedding portrait session, the couple headed back to the reception space to enjoy dinner and speeches with their guests. Tears were shed, and laughter was shared.

They didn’t want to stage their first dance, so as “Ribbon In The Sky” by Stevie Wonder played, they danced un-choreographed and authentically.

One of both Victor and Stephanie’s favourite parts of wedding planning was choosing their playlist for the day! “We wanted a mix of Latino, Afrobeats, Rnb, 90’s pop and some ballads; it was so fun! Victor loves jazz, bossa nova and soul, and he had a blast choosing our background music for the drinks hour and reception.”

Please join us in congratulating Victor and Stephanie on their incredible, love-filled wedding! Thanks to Redbook Studios for capturing the day and letting us share it.