Niamh and Darren’s story reads like a modern fairytale – two Irish hearts who found each other in Melbourne, fell in love, and built a beautiful life with their two daughters by their side. When it came time to say “I do,” they chose intimacy over extravagance, exchanging vows at the serene and scenic Frog’s Pond Winery in Red Hill. Captured with emotion and artistry by the brilliant Liam Quinn, every stolen glance and tender touch from this elopement tells the story of a family not just formed, but deeply celebrated!

While they both hail from Ireland originally, Niamh and Darren actually met here in Melbourne! Ironically, they bumped into each other on St Patrick’s Day eight years ago, and shortly after moved in together. Flash forward to now, they live happily together with their two wonderful daughters!

Some messages were always meant to find us, and thanks to Darren’s thoughtful planning, Niamh found the message left just for her – in a glass bottle on the beach! “Darren proposed to me at our favourite spot on the beach in Brighton. He placed a proposal letter (Will you marry me?!!!) inside a glass bottle and discreetly hid it in the sand. He then guided me to find the bottle,” she shared. “When I looked up after reading the letter, Darren was on one knee, holding the ring in one hand and our little daughter Bella in the other. Of course, I said yes! We celebrated on the beach with some bubbly, sharing the joy of the moment afterwards!”

Frog’s Pond Vineyard in Red Hill was the perfect location for their intimate elopement, with its charming guesthouses and boutique winery charm. “We visited Frog’s Pond spontaneously and inquired with the owners about the possibility of hosting our wedding there. They kindly agreed, and since they had never hosted a wedding on the property before, we were their first!”

Darren chose a classic black suit with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie to complement the winery’s elegant surroundings and match Niamh’s simple yet classic look.

When Niamh began looking for her attire, she knew she wanted something simple yet elegant for their winery elopement. “Since it was a small wedding, I chose a style that was simple and sophisticated without being overly elaborate. I bought the first dress I tried on and never looked back! I was super happy with how it turned out on the day!”

Seaford Flower Studio created all of the beautiful florals for this intimate elopement. Elegant white roses combined with baby’s breath made up Niamh’s bouquet, while a tiny bouquet of baby’s breath sat on Darren’s lapel. Their two beautiful daughters had matching woven baskets full of baby’s breath to match Niamh’s bouquet.

Niamh walked from the guest house across the winery with their two little girls hanging onto either hand to meet Darren under the lavender arch.

When planning their ceremony with their celebrant Jess from Stan By Me Ceremonies, Niamh and Darren opted for the legal ceremony package. Short and sweet, just how they dreamed! “Darren and I also incorporated personal vows to make the experience even more special for us. Reading our personal vows to each other made the moment especially meaningful and heartfelt. Emotions ran high, and tears were shed. Spending the day with my family celebrating our marriage was truly the highlight,” Niamh shared.

Originally, Darren and Niamh were planning a large wedding back in Ireland with all of their family, but had to cut their trip short and return to Melbourne before they could finalise anything. Despite this, both Niamh and Darren still wanted to get married and make their family unit official. Instead of waiting more, they decided their intimate family-focused elopement was the way to go! “We were fortunate to have the support of our talented photographer Liam, his apprentice photographer Mia and our lovely celebrant Jess,” they explained.

One of the biggest highlights of the day for Niamh was being able to call her and Darren’s family back home in Ireland and surprise them with the news! Sharing the joy of their intimate elopement made it all the more real and exciting.

Tania, owner of Frog’s Pond Vineyard, was extremely helpful to Niamh and Darren throughout the whole process – going above and beyond for their day! “She organised the setup of our signing table among the vines. I shared some images of the table style we desired, and she brought those ideas to life. Tania also arranged the villa with a beautiful charcuterie board, candles, and flowers.”

With so many incredible photos and moments captured by Liam, it wasn’t easy for Niamh to pick her favourites. But any of the candid shots with their daughters take the cake! “It is hard to choose one!! We also love the photos of Darren and me walking together in the front driveway of the venue. The photo of Darren and me standing at the end of the pool is also a big favourite of ours!”

Liam Quinn was the perfect photographer for this intimate, family-focused elopement. Capturing every candid, laughter-filled moment as it happened. “Liam was an absolute pleasure to have capture our wedding day! Liam was attentive to our photo style requests and took his time to ensure that every candid moment was captured. He arrived early to get plenty of photos of the venue and the pre-ceremony moments,” Niamh shared. “He was professional, making the entire experience easy, comfortable, and enjoyable for us. We felt completely at ease throughout the day. We got the entire wedding gallery back within weeks of the wedding which was such a lovely surprise! Liam is a great guy! We really enjoyed his company on the day.”

A piece of advice Niamh and Darren want to share for future couples planning their own weddings is this: “Enjoy every moment. It goes by too fast!”

The five things that made their family elopement so special were:

“1. My two daughters walking with me to meet my future husband for our first look before the ceremony began,

2. The venue,

3. Beautiful photos and lasting family memories,

4. Our personal wedding vows,

5. The relaxed and effortless atmosphere of the elopement. The entire day reflected our personalities and what we envisioned.”

This couple handpicked their vendor dream team with extreme care, and they couldn’t have been happier with the team they pulled together to help celebrate their day. “All vendors were exceptional. We particularly appreciated our photographer Liam, our wonderful celebrant Jess from Stand by Me Ceremonies, and Tania, the owner of Frogs Pond Vineyard, who was amazing.”

To continue their celebrations, Niamh and Darren hired a babysitter to take care of their girls while they went out for dinner at Pt Leo. “We enjoyed some (lots!!) of wine/bubbles and had a dance when we returned to the winery, where we stayed for two nights and enjoyed the beautiful villa, swimming pool, surrounding gardens, vines, and scenic views of the bay, making for a very enjoyable weekend.”

Congratulations, Niamh and Darren, on this beautiful family elopement! And thanks to Liam for capturing and sharing these beautiful moments with us.