In 40+ degree heat, smoke haze and a devastating drought, stunning local couple Emily and Zac tied the knot. Despite the disastrous conditions, Em and Zac were cool, calm and collected whilst looking effortless and beautiful. Located on Em's family property and award winning winery, Heifer Station their wedding was spectacular and enjoyed by their closest friends and family. Here's a little insight into their dream day...
How long have you and Zac been together?
Zac and I had been together for 4 years before he popped the question but had known of each other for a long time before that. We grew up together in Orange and went to the same High School and started studying the same course at University. We then conveniently both had friends who needed some rooms filled in a share house so became housemates and the rest as they say is history.
Tell us about the proposal?
The proposal was in Mykonos at a beautiful restaurant at the highest point on the island with the most magical views. I had a slight suspicion that it may have been on the cards but didn’t expect it on our first day there. I think he was nervous carrying it around and wanted to get it out of the way.
You turned your wedding around super quickly from proposal to wedding day, any advice for future brides on how to manage a short turn around?
We are so glad that we did it very quickly. It makes it a lot easier when you have people who are willing to help and the number one tip is if possible GET A WEDDING PLANNER! Zac and I actually didn’t do too much, but decided on a few key things such as colours of napkins, glasses and chairs that we liked and then the team at The White Place Events took it from there. The team were so helpful, realistic and creative. We really enjoyed that the planning and wedding prep didn’t drag on for too long, it also forced us to make quicker decisions and go with our gut feelings on a lot of things rather than umming and ahhing. The end result was our absolute dream and the best day/night of our lives.
Where did you draw your inspiration from?
Like all little girls I think I have had a Pinterest board labelled “dream wedding” since I was 12 so I had a lot of pictures of inspiration on there. Our wedding was on my family farm and we tried to keep it in the theme of our surroundings and what was available at the time, for example being in a drought we were limited to the type of flowers available etc, but our main focus was just to be surrounded by all our family and friends.
It was so hot on your wedding day and there was a lot of smoke haze around, how did you remain so calm and collected?
Leading up to the day, knowing we were in the middle of a heat wave was concerning but on the day we just embraced it and had an ‘it is what it is’ attitude. We made sure the bars were fully stocked with cold beer and had plenty of water available and tried to take advantage of the shade as much as possible. It will definitely be a day to remember for so many reasons...
We absolutely loved your dress and especially your two veils, where did you get them?
My dress was labelled ‘Stella’ which was an exclusive design from Made With Love bridal. I loved the idea of a veil but wanted to do something different so went with the ‘wings’ and the 'cape' for a bit of fun at the reception which were both from Made With Love also.
Zac and his groomsmen looked great, especially in the heat, where did they get their suits from?
The boys suits were all from MJ BALE. They were linen fabric so very light and cool considering the heat, they looked great!
What were the highlights for you and Zac from the day?
For Zac and I, surprisingly the ceremony was the highlight of our day. Our celebrant Nat Shillington comprised a personalized ceremony that was so special and we loved every minute of it. We also received so many beautiful comments about how unique and special it was so were ecstatic that it was enjoyable for our guests as well, despite the heat!
Our photographer Jimmy Raper was also extremely comforting on our day. We were both a little nervous that the farm was so dry and thought that our photos wouldn’t be as great as they could be. Jimmy has a real natural eye for photography and most of our pictures were taken in a paddock with dead trees, dry grass and rocks that we have never noticed before and the drought ended up having its own sort of beauty which really added to our photography and made for some unreal shots.
One of our absolute favourite memories from the day is having our good friend Robbie Mortimer and the band perform all night. These guys set the scene and really knew how to get the party going. There track list was perfect and they really made the night for us and our guests. It was so much FUN!
The fact that Zac and I didn’t have to worry about anything on the day and the days leading into the wedding, thanks to the amazing White Place team, meant that we could really, really enjoy ourselves and not worry about small things.
If you could change anything from the day what would it be?
Obviously, the heatwave wasn’t ideal but it actually made for a beautiful night but possibly we could have pushed the ceremony back half an hour or so to make it more comfortable for guests.
Any other advice for couples organising a wedding?
As mentioned above, where possible a wedding planner, such as White Place Events really saved us a lot of time, stress and energy and made our visions come to life, making it really our dream day!
One of our favourite take away items from the day was our video from our videographer Tom from Marksman Media. It allowed us to see special little moments from the day and seeing everyone having such a great time. Every time we watch it, it’s like we are re-living the day.
Set a budget and as a couple decide on what are the important elements to you and then make try to put more emphasis on locking these in and then all the other elements can come after. For example, the food, band, photography and flowers were important to us so we really wanted to put more into these elements of the wedding so we allocated most of our budget to ensure we could have our ideal vendors.
Finally, during the wedding take time out with your partner to look around and enjoy the fact that everyone is there for you both. Take a step back and see what you have both put together to celebrate your day with all your closest friends and family - you'll never be able to recreate that day or moment.
Suppliers + Vendors
Location: Heifer Station Wines Orange
Events + Styling: The White Place Events
Stationary: Oh Dear Design
Catering: Micheal Manners
Photography: Jimmy Raper and David Rouse
Celebrant: Nat Shillington - Shillobrations
Band: Robbie Mortimer Young and Wild
Wedding Dress: Made with Love Bridal
Groomsmen's Suits: MJ Bale
Florist: Botanica Flora Orange