Summer Garden Wedding at Cloudehill Gardens

Kyra and Sam’s story is proof that timing really is everything. What began as a not-so-promising teenage meeting turned into a deep, undeniable connection years later, and eventually, a vibrant summer wedding set amongst the gardens of Cloudehill. With Simon Pickering behind the lens, every moment was documented with warmth and care.

First impressions aren’t always the be-all end-all. Kyra and Sam are a perfect example of that. From 16-year-old Kyra’s perspective, Sam was annoying. And for 16-year-old Sam, Kyra was boring. But when they met again five years later, they saw each other in a different, fresher light. “It was an immediate magnetic connection, and they’ve been together since then!”

To usher in the next steps of their relationship, Sam whisked Kyra away for a weekend trip in the Grampians. “I hustled her up to the Pinnacle Lookout first thing in the morning. She was quite grumpy without her morning tea, but I’d chosen a beautiful vista away from the crowds, and the moment was spectacular. It was captured by Kyra’s best friend and MOH, Ange, who had hidden in some gorse bushes and also brought a picnic along to celebrate,” they explained.

Sam chose a maroon suit from Soho Workshop in Chadstone, paired with a custom vest made from gold paisley silk, straight from India, and an orange pocket square made from the same material as Kyra’s incredible dress. “He had a light gold tie to match, gold cufflinks and tie clip, and oxblood loafers for the summer affair,” Kyra explained.

Kyra herself wore this incredible burnt orange gown made by Sharon Koenig from Made by Maisie, using her mother’s own wedding saree! “The dressmaking process was incredibly involved and detailed, with Kyra able to select every aspect of the design – the waist train (which her mother had hand-embroidered through a friend in India), wide neckline, slit in the skirt, gauzy and gathered sleeves, and a neck choker as well. It fit like an absolute glove, and the waist train was detachable for the reception.”

The couple shared a first look before having their pre-ceremony portraits taken. “The smiles were definitely the most memorable for me. First and foremost, the gorgeous smile on my wife’s face for the entirety of the day, I will never forget how amazing she looked when I first saw her in her dress. But also seeing all of our family and friends so happy to celebrate the special day with us,” Sam shared.

In their wedding party, Kyra and Sam had their closest friends by their side. “They were all encouraged to wear suits and dresses that they loved and felt most comfortable in, as there was no set colour scheme. The boys were given paisley ties in their favourite colour-ways from the groom, and the girls were given silver-white shawls from the bride to tie in Kyra’s Indian heritage.”

For Sam and Kyra, their wedding party was one of the best things about their summer garden wedding. “Our wedding party were the absolute MVPs, everywhere all at once and looking fabulous as they helped keep everything organised. Family was a huge help too – we’d organised most of the day to reduce the family load, so our loved ones could have absolutely no stress and just enjoy the moment. But the small additions that they all contributed to were incredibly meaningful,” they explained.

Working with a local Melbourne plastic-free florist, Bush Flowers, Kyra brought her native bloom florals to life. “They were a dream to work with – we simply let them know what the wedding party was wearing, asked them to mix in a bit of white to tie in with existing decor at the reception, and then told them they had free rein on the design. The bouquets, boutonnieres and bud vases were impeccable and tied everything together so beautifully. Couldn’t have been happier!” Kyra gushed.

Planning to spend most of the day together and with their guests, Sam and Kyra had their portraits taken with photographer Simon Pickering before the ceremony. “Our photographer, Simon, was an absolute legend. All our guests raved about him. He was somehow in multiple places at once, capturing every angle of the whole day. His work really tells the story of the evening – the sunshine and flowers and laughter of it all,” Kyra shared.

“He was a dream to work with – so incredibly positive and uplifting, who put everyone at instant ease. There are images he’s captured – the quieter, softer moments, like our niece colouring on the deck of the reception – that will stay with us for years to come. We are so incredibly grateful for all his efforts, especially on such an incredibly hot day!!”

The ceremony took place at Cloudehill Gardens, nestled in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria. Chosen for its beautifully curated foliage and relaxed atmosphere. Their reception was just across the road at Olinda Tea House, where the couple was won over by the wooden decor, lush trees, and a largely vegan/vegetarian all-you-can-eat menu!

These beautiful parasols were a last-minute addition to their ceremony when they realised just how hot the summer day was about to be. “The wedding party problem-solved to get everything in place and in keeping with the aesthetic of the ceremony. At the reception, we had a lovely big deck to play with and knew there would be a lot of young people, so we also brought over a cornhole set for guests. We ran speeches as people ate and split them into two lots so guests weren’t bombarded – our speakers also had a 3-minute time limit to keep everything short and sweet, and the consequence for going over was tequila shots, which guests loved!

Sam and Kyra walked into the ceremony hand-in-hand, as equals. “Kyra’s brother Zane and Sam’s sister Sinead played live acoustic music as they did so, an original by Zane on the guitar with Sinead singing.”

Their celebrant, Hilary Baxter of Ceremonia, was an ex-teacher that Kyra used to work with, who worked perfectly in tandem with Kyra’s Uncle Gabe, who flew over from California to help officiate! “We very much wanted the ceremony not to drag, and to take 30-40 minutes tops, including the lovely sentiments from both speakers, our personal vows, the placing of garlands on our heads from our parents as a blessing, and the breaking of a glass at the end to acknowledge our Jewish connection, with Kyra’s Oma having escaped Germany during WW2. Everything ran to time; it was incredibly relaxed, with rugs up the front for children to lie on, and white parasols and water provided to guests as it was a scorcher of a day. People seemed to love our personalised vows the most.”

This shot of Sam and Kyra catching up after the ceremony is one of their absolute favourites – and we can see why! “There’s a shot after the ceremony where Kyra and Sam are just relaxing in an archway in the Gardens, reminiscing on having just gotten married and soaking in that high. That candid shot means the world.”

The most important piece of advice Kyra wants to share with couples planning their own special days is this: “Stick close to each other through the day and night! We were given this advice, and it really helped us stay grounded in each other as we also interacted with all our guests. It allowed us to have quiet, restful moments where we could soak it all in,” she explained.

Their summer garden wedding was full to the brim with DIY elements, from Kyra and Sam as well as their friends and family. Pieces like:

“1. Kyra designed all the signage through Canva, and hand-lettered other little signs like the antique welcome mirror for guests to take pictures with.

2. The three cakes were baked and decorated by Sam’s mother, Zena, and sister, Xanthia, and featured various citrus fruits and almond meal.

3. For wedding favours, Kyra’s mother, Meher, created handmade soaps – 5 custom blends that referenced the Simon and Garfunkel song ‘Scarborough Fair’.

4. Kyra and Sam also collaborated on the other wedding favours, 120 limited-edition lino prints. As an artist, Kyra designed and hand-carved the four flower motifs – a tulip and edelweiss for Sam’s Dutch and German heritage, a flame lily for Kyra’s Indian heritage, and a sun orchid for their love of Australia. Sam helped to hand-press these designs onto handmade paper by a local Melbourne shop, Dodgy Paper.”

Aside from their incredible photographer, Simon Pickering, three other vendors stood out to Kyra and Sam:

“1. Our celebrant, Hilary Baxter of Ceremonia, was a dream, with such loving insight provided during her speech. She was so wonderfully supportive and flexible with all the little tweaks we made to the run-sheet.

2. Our DJ and MC, Andrew Velli, was a gem, taking our shortlist and turning it into a full set that had everyone on their feet dancing by the end of the night – he was so accommodating with requests and hilarious in orchestrating the tequila shots.

3. Finally, Adi Smith, the manager at Olinda Tea House, was a powerhouse – everything operated to a tee. Food and drink service was impeccable, and people loved the organisation and ambience of the venue.”

Their first dance was fun and quick, to Lime Cordiale’s “Robbery”! “We wanted something that could get people onto the dance floor, so we self-choreographed a 30-second playful story. People weren’t expecting it, found it super fun, and as we got the wedding party involved, it meant that it was a great transition into opening up the dance floor!”