Whimsical Winter Wedding at Lancemore Macedon Ranges

What happens when two teenage sweethearts turned soulmates decide to tie the knot? Well they they plan a whimsical winter wedding! Gemma and Daniel created their own magical world at Lancemore Macedon Ranges, complete with blankets for everyone, their two beautiful dogs by their sides and a frosty end to the night. Captured by Michael Briggs and Directors Edge, their wedding was one big party that lasted all night long.

These high school sweethearts have made the 7th of June their special day. The day Daniel asked Gemma to be his girlfriend? The 7th of June. When he asked her to marry him as they walked through the picturesque Central Park? The 7th of June! And you’ll never guess what date they finally tied the knot on…? Their special (and lucky) day: the 7th of June.

Their first big international trip together was sealed with an almost ruined surprise proposal in beautiful Central Park, New York. “After almost slipping up with sending me a Snapchat that wasn’t meant for me, he was possibly carrying a ring with him when we were at the airport, about to leave for our trip! I (being me) went searching for this supposed ring, and to my luck, failed in my searches! He still pulled off the biggest surprise 2 weeks later in New York. Unknowingly to me, I was carrying the ring in my backpack the whole time!”

Gemma and Daniel pulled together a beautiful, glamorous colour palette of bold navy tones with a sprinkle of blush throughout. Working with their planner, stylist and creative director, Mellyrain, to bring their winter party wedding to life.

Working within the colour palette, Daniel picked out a sleek navy suit from Mens Suit Warehouse. His groomsmen wore matching navy suits with the same silver bow tie.

For Gemma, the most important thing for her was to feel like a whimsical princess – and she delivered just that! Her stunning gown from Raffaele Ciuca Bridal had the perfect amount of whimsy to turn her into the ruler of the day. “I had a beautiful, flowy gown that shimmered through the rain on the day and topped it off with a beautiful tiara, which made the look!”

Lancemore Macedon Ranges was the perfect venue for this winter wedding. Not only was it just around the corner from their home, but with its breathtaking grounds, it was a winner from the moment they laid eyes on it. “It was unbelievably beautiful and sophisticated all whilst keeping with the country scenery that we will so much,” Gemma explained.

Gemma’s favourite flowers are a pretty peony; however, they aren’t a winter flower, so she worked with their florist, Vogue Nature, to find an alternative. “I wanted lots and lots of beautiful florals. Our florist nailed the brief on this!”

One element that Gemma was super proud of when it came to their setup was the 160 blankets set around the ceremony space for guests to keep the cold at bay. “Being a winter wedding, everyone loved this as their wedding favours!”

With her stepdad, Phil, on her arm, Gemma made her way down the aisle to a string quartet version of “Big Jet Plane” by Angus & Julia Stone. “Seeing Gemma for the first time as she walked down the aisle. She took my breath away,” Daniel recalled.

Their ceremony was kept short and sweet, led by Pete the Celebrant. Sticking to the basics, while still professing their love for each other through their vows. “It felt so deep and emotional with not a dry tear in sight when Daniel read his vows,” Gemma shared.

“We had our two dogs, Rusty and Bandit, walk down the aisle by Daniel’s brothers. It was important we had our fur babies there.”

Even though the rain changed a lot of their plans, Gemma and Daniel think the wet weather was one of their favourite parts of their wedding. “It became the best part with the unbelievable photos that we took.”

And when it came to their favourite photos, the glittering rain shots took the cake! “There are too many to choose from! It would have to be one in the rain, holding umbrellas and looking into each other’s eyes. Our photos with our dogs, our mob-style photo with our bridal party, and definitely our pool jump photos!”

The top five things that really stood out to Daniel and Gemma about their winter wedding were:

“1. The date of our wedding: the 7th of June.

2. Spending it with our closest friends and family.

3. Our fur babies being involved.

4. Our fireworks.

5. Our pool jump!”

There is no one more deserving to capture Gemma and Daniel’s wedding than Michael Briggs! And thanks to his incredible work, they now have a magical gallery to look back on for many years to come. “Briggsy is unbelievable at his job!! He brings so many laughs and crazy fun vibes to the day. It honestly would not have been the same without him. He is one bloody talented legend!”

This winter wedding couldn’t have happened without all of the blood, sweat, and (happy) tears put in by their vendor dream team – and Gemma and Daniel couldn’t be more grateful for their work. “All of our vendors are so amazing, professional, kind and talented! We had Mellyrain as our wedding planner and we would have been absolutely lost without her! She brought our dream to reality, and we had no stress leading up to our day because of Mel. She had everything under control and gave us the day of our dreams.”

For their first dance, the couple picked “Little Wonder” by Rob Thomas. “We are by no means professional dancers! Daniels’ sister helped us with a couple of moves so that we could shake off the nerves and look like we half knew what we were doing!”

The advice Gemma and Daniel want to leave for future married couples is this: “Don’t separate on the day. You can get caught up in the chaos of the day, but being with each other grounds you and ensures you’re both taking in every single moment.”