High school sweethearts Nicole and Jayden tied the knot in a romantic and timeless celebration at Acacia Ridge Winery in the Yarra Valley. Their wedding was a heartfelt tribute to their 12-and-a-half-year journey together, filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories. As bride, Nicole shares, their special day was full of modern yet playful touches, perfectly reflecting their relationship. Enjoy reading more about their elegant Spring wedding today on Polka Dot You!

We met at a friend’s 16th birthday dress up party in April 2012. We were both in Year 10 at High School – I was 15 years old, and Jayden was 16. Jayden was dressed as a hot tradie, and I was a sexy maid. We didn’t go to the same high school, but I was friends with the birthday girl who went to Jayden’s high school. We were so lucky to have found each other at such a young age, I count my lucky stars! It was pretty much love at first sight when we first passed each other in the hallway of this house party.

The weekend after we met at the dress up party, we organized our first date! We went for dinner at Nandos at Knox Shopping Centre and then went and watched “American Pie” at Village Cinemas after. I remember feeling so excited and nervous at the same time.

After our first date at Nandos we then saw each other for the next 5 weekends on more dates until he finally asked me to be his girlfriend. On the 2nd of June 2012, we were just chilling watching a movie. He pulled out his phone and pretended to text his friend Lane. Knowing full well I could see his phone he typed out “will you be my girlfriend?” I felt so happy and immediately said yes! When my dad picked me up that night, I got in the car and told him I now had a boyfriend, but “not to worry, I am sure this won’t last long.” Little did I know, 12 and a half years later I would be marrying my soul mate.

We got married on the 23rd of November 2024 at Acacia Ridge Winery in the Yarra Valley. Our wedding was modern, timeless, romantic, loving, and playful. We had a relaxed feel to our wedding and our ceremony and reception was filled with so much love and memories, as we celebrated our journey together as “high school sweethearts.”

Jayden proposed to me on the 25th of June 2022. It was our 10 year anniversary on the 2nd of June 2022, and we both wanted to celebrate with a little getaway. Jayden had told me he had booked a getaway for the weekend of the 25th, so I just assumed we were going away to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. The thought of him popping the question didn’t even cross my mind as we were meant to travel to Bali at the end of 2022 so I had assumed he would probably do it while we were away – although we never booked the Bali trip (can’t recall why).

The night before we were meant to leave on Friday the 24th I had gone shopping with my sister. After we finished shopping, I was driving home and assumed Jayden would be getting all his house chores done for us to leave the following day i.e. like taking the bins out, doing the dishes – but, when I rocked up home, the bins were all full, dishes were everywhere in the sink, the footy was on and there was a half-eaten meat pie on the couch. I actually cracked it as I had assumed he was sitting watching the footy and left everything for me to do. I found out after the fact that Jayden had in fact set up his proposal red carpet in our apartment and was practicing the set up for the next day – but quickly hid all this away to look like he was just watching the footy – he really fooled me!

Then comes the Saturday we were meant to leave. Jayden had told me we were going to leave at 1pm as he was going down to the football club in the morning to watch his friends play. My sister had also asked me to get my nails done with her in the morning. Again, I didn’t think getting my nails done was of significance as I promised to go with my sister because I bailed on her a few weeks before. This normally would seem suss as I don’t get my nails done at all, but she played it very cool. I also found out later that Jayden had a backup plan if I refused to get my nails done or my sister couldn’t convince me – he had bought a fake nail packet from Target – he literally thought of it all!

When Jayden left, I went to go and get my nails done and I was back before he got home from the footy. When he got back at 1pm we left for our getaway. I found out later that he didn’t go to the footy, but he had actually driven to the Yarra Valley in the morning to drop off all the proposal stuff to the owner of Araluen Boutique Accommodation – the place Jayden had booked!

We arrived at the place, and it was a little private hillside villa that overlooked the lake on the property. Jayden had told me we were going out for drinks before dinner so to get ready. I had done my hair and makeup, put on my maxi black dress and was about to put on some heels, when he said probably best to change into white runners for more of a comfy vibe and I could put my heels on before dinner – he did this so when I walked down the proposal carpet my heels wouldn’t sink into the grass/mud – again he thought of everything!

Just as I was finishing getting ready, Jayden looked really nervous and had actually shut the main blinds – he said he wanted to put the lamps on for when we got back from drinks but he actually just wanted to shut the blinds as the owner and her daughter of the accommodation, were starting to set up the proposal down by the lake and didn’t want me to see. He then grabbed a bottle of champagne and two glasses and said, “wait here I will come back” and left the room – THEN IT HIT ME – I was like OMG I think it’s happening!!!! He came back to the room 15 minutes later and had me shut my eyes and led me outside our cabin. We walked down to the lake, and he told me to open my eyes and there was a massive red carpet over the boardwalk with a photo of us from every year we had been together. I was in tears and speechless and could not believe it, then I walked down to Jayden standing at the end of the boardwalk and he proposed).

He had asked the owner of the accommodation to capture it all on film as well! It was honestly the best moment of my life. We were on such a high after that and went to a beautiful Italian restaurant that night for dinner. Then on Sunday he said we were going for lunch to celebrate, and yet another surprise was waiting for me. I assumed it was just the two of us and kept saying I can’t wait to show my family the ring when we get home on Tuesday, but when I walked into the restaurant, Jayden had organised for both our families to be there and we got to celebrate all together – It was honestly MAGICAL! To top it off, Jayden booked in a hot air balloon and champagne breakfast for the Monday, and it was the perfect end to the most beautiful weekend I have ever had.

A few things I found out after the fact were that one night when I thought he was seeing the boys after footy training on a Thursday, he had gone to my parents’ house to ask my dad for permission which was so beautiful to hear. All my family and Jayden were in tears apparently! Jayden and I had never spoken about engagement rings or what I might like, but he went on several visits to jewellery shops with my mum, his mum and my sister and ultimately decided on my beautiful engagement ring – which is EXACTLY what I wanted. He knows me THAT well. It was just the most beautiful engagement and created memories I will cherish forever.

Jayden wore a beautiful suit from Soho at Chadstone. He originally went suit shopping with his mum and picked out a black suit with peaked lapels. I then went back with Jayden to see how the suit looked and fit, and when we were in the store, I saw another groom trying on a suit with satin, rounded lapels and I preferred this look so much better! Jayden then tried on the Soho suit with satin lapels, paired with a bow tie, and he looked perfect! It was exactly what I had envisioned him to be wearing when I walked down the aisle. He ended up going with my favourite choice of the stain lapels, and it was great that he stood out from the rest of the groomsmen as they had plain black suits with peaked lapels.

I started my bridal dress journey in February 2023 – 1 year and 9 months in advance. I would have visited around 12 different stores. Each store I went into I found dresses that I liked but they had elements I disliked, and I never got that feeling that I had found “the one.” I went back to numerous bridal stores even on multiple occasions, but something just didn’t feel right. Then, in November 2023, I visited D’Italia Couture and met with the lovely Pala and Shuchi. When I walked into the store, I felt so warm and welcome and speaking to these ladies, we sketched out the dress of my dreams. Based on all the bridal appointments I had been too, I knew exactly what elements I wanted for my dream dress – A line gown, built in corsetry, a draped bodice, a leg split, fabric buttons down the length of my train and sleeve details that were detachable. Once we had our sketch drawn, I chose my beautiful Mikado Silk Fabric that I had my heart set on from the get-go.

The ladies at D’Italia then got me into contact with my amazing dress maker – Mary. I met with the beautiful Mary in January 2024, and I felt an instant connection with her. I could tell she understood my vision perfectly and I knew I was in good hands. We then booked in my measurement appointment for July 2024 and then bit by bit she started making the dress of my dreams. In total, I visited Mary around 8 times and as my dress started coming to life, I had to hold back tears. My mum and sister came with me to each appointment, and they could see the vision coming to life and it was truly a magical experience being able to share it with them.

On my final appointment, when I put my dress on for the last time before I walked down the aisle, I cried of happiness, and I got that feeling that I had put on “the one.” It was the best dress making experience I could have ever imagined.
I received so many compliments on the day of my beautiful gown, and people were blown away that I designed my own dress and had it custom made for such a reasonable price!

My favourite part of the whole wedding planning was honestly the custom dress making journey! I had so much fun with my dress maker Mary, and she created the dress of my dreams. I always looked forward to my dress appointments as I could see my whole vision coming to life. Another part that I really enjoyed was writing my wedding vows. I couldn’t wait to share them with Jayden on the day, and I felt like they encapsulated our beautiful love story.

Our wedding party wore beautiful mushroom coloured dresses from Billy J. The groomsmen wore sleek black suits from Mens Suit Warehouse.

I always knew I wanted to get married at a winery, in amongst the lush greenery of the vineyards. When we first visited Acacia Ridge in February 2023 we fell in love with the place and felt like we were in a real life fairy tale. We ended up booking in on the same day and cancelled all our other venue inspections. Acacia Ride was also a 5 min drive from the place that Jayden proposed to me, so it just felt so fitting for the day! We loved the outdoor ceremony option with the walk down the red brick lane. Even the indoor option was beautiful with the floor to ceiling weddings opening to the vineyards, the beautiful clear marquee draped with a chandelier and fairy lights for the reception, and an added dance floor space to the side of the marquee.

All our vendors went above and beyond for us, and we were so happy with EVERY single one of them! But, I would like to call out the Acacia Ridge team, in particular, Suzie, who was our on the day wedding coordinator. She felt like a second mum for me on the day and made sure our whole day ran as smooth as possible. She calmed my nerves, made our bridal party laugh and coordinated our vendors and the day so perfectly. Will be forever grateful for Suzie!

Given the modern and timeless feel I wanted for our wedding, I had my heart set on a white and green colour palette. I created a Pinterest board with my vision and knew I wanted statement pillar ceremony features, bridal table features, simple white rose bouquets, and bud vases/small arrangements for our guest tables. When I met with Brittany from Floss & Fleur over an initial enquiry call, I knew I had found my flower vendor. Brittany captured my vision perfectly in her design brief and beautifully executed the florals of my dreams.

I walked down the aisle with my Dad, Jim. We walked down to our beautiful acoustic singer Isaac singing “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley.

Our ceremony was relaxed, loving and playful. I wanted guests to feel comfortable and be drawn into the fairy tale of our love story, as it spanned over 12 years by the time we got married. Our celebrant, Keyorra, captured our love story so perfectly and spoke so eloquently about our love, she nailed the brief!

We had chosen Chamore Creations for our wedding photography and videography and it was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! We had the lovely Charlotte as our photographer for the day and Aaron as our videographer and they went above and beyond to capture our special day and all the emotions that went with it. From looking at their portfolio on social media, they encapsulated the timeless, modern, and editorial feel I was looking for and all of the communication and lead up to our big day was so smooth and seamless. Having Charlotte and Aaron there on the day was like having another bridesmaid and groomsmen on our bridal party, they felt more like friends than vendors and we had an absolute ball with them on the day!

The morning after our wedding day, we received around 130 sneak peek photos and I was blown away with the beautiful editing and speed at which they were sent through! Then when we got access to our full gallery, I was in tears. Every image was captured so perfectly. The videos were out of this world and captured all of the special moments and speeches from our day, and they even used our first dance song as one of their choices which was such a nice touch. I couldn’t be happier with the photos and videos of our special day!

Our favourite photograph of the day was the dip kiss we did while walking back down the aisle at the end of the ceremony.

I made our wedding welcome sign, seating chart and guest menus with name place cards. My sister, Paula, also made her beautiful shortbread cookies that were stamped “Mr and Mrs Sturley, 23.11.2024” for the bonbonnieres.

One thing that I will cherish forever, is my Dad, Jim, dedicating a song to sing to me at the wedding. This was a complete surprise and not included in my run sheet for the day. He had asked Jayden a week before our wedding who our musician was, and my dad got in touch with Isaac without me knowing. They worked together to have the song “I Loved Her First” by Heartland, included to be played on the night and dad got up and came over to sing this to Jayden and I at the bridal table. At first, I was completely shocked, because I knew my run sheet back to front and something was happening that I hadn’t planned for, but when I heard the song playing and Dad came over, it bought tears to my eyes – it’s a moment I will cherish forever.

I had my heart set on learning and choreographing our own first dance! Earlier on in 2024 we went to a Ziggy Alberts concert (he is one of our favourite artists) and during the pre-acts, we heard a few songs from artist Nathan Ball. We fell in love with his voice and the words to the song “Just Say Something.” We ended up choosing this song for our first dance and spent a few months choreographing a simple dance routine to this in our lounge room! On the wedding night, this song and our dance bought the room to tears. It was such a magical moment.

I personally have a few favourite details of the day:

  1. Jayden’s heartfelt vows.
  2. The time we got to spend alone doing our couple photo shoot – I felt like we were in our own little world.
  3. The dance I did with my Dad.
  4. The first dance I did with Jayden.

Other special details that stood out from our wedding included,

  • Having our living grandmothers sign our wedding certificate (my Mum’s Mum and Jayden’s Dad’s Mum)
  • The first dance.
  • Mother and son dance.
  • The father-daughter dance.
  • Dad surprising me with a song dedication – “I Loved Her First by Heartland” which he organised with Isaac (our acoustic performer/DJ) without me knowing.
  • Having the Ace Donuts hot jam donut truck arrive when the dance floor opened up for guests to snack on the best donuts in Melbourne.
  • Having my sister’s partner, Will as our MC for the day – it was his first wedding and he absolutely smashed it!

My biggest piece of advice would be to stay by your partners side throughout the whole wedding day! It goes by in the blink of an eye, so soak up as much love with your forever person as you chat to your family and friends, as you bougie on the dance floor and everything in between! Everyone always told me how fast the day would go, and I didn’t realise how fast it would fly!!

Jayden adds:

I have three distinct memories from the night that stand out for me.

  1. Seeing my beautiful partner walk down the aisle with a big smile on her face.
  2. Sitting on the bridal table and taking in the atmosphere – it was such a euphoric feeling having all your favourite people in one room celebrating us.
  3. Being on the shoulders of our best mates on the dance floor and taking it all in together.

A heartfelt thank you to Nicole and Jayden for sharing your beautiful love story and stunning wedding day with us. We absolutely love all your photographs and video too! Thanks to Chamore Creations for sharing with us.