Textural & Romantic Wedding at Stones of the Yarra Valley

Textural & Romantic Wedding
at Stones of the Yarra Valley

All written content by Ivory Tribe
Featuring The Small Things Co

Kylie and Jarrod’s love story has spanned nine years, with their fate being sealed by a simple notion from a dear friend suggesting there was great potential between the two of them. And how right she was. It brought them to this day where after two years in the making, they were finally able to stand beside one another, surrounded by those they love most in the world.

They went about planning the day by firstly enlisting the help of seasoned experts, Paula and Annie from The Small Things Co who took charge and practically read Kylie and Jarrod’s minds when it came to creating the timeless and romantic aesthetic they were after. Think dashes of creams and latte roses and fairy floss pink orchids with the most superb floral scape and installations created by Wild Flos. The whole evening was topped off with a literal bang, fireworks signalled the culmination of the most loving, heart-filled, elegant day and we’re so glad Shot from the Heart was able to capture it all on camera.

The meeting

Kylie – We met when we were sixteen at year 11 formal in 2011. My best friend Charlotte introduced us, Jarrod was her formal partner. A couple years later Charlotte moved to England and one of her final remarks before leaving was “the two of you should date!” The both of us were very close with Charlotte but never had really spent much time with each other. The void of Charlotte moving overseas brought us closer together. We started as friends and before long our connection turned into something more. We never would have thought all those years ago that we were the perfect fit, but we’re so grateful to Charlotte (or our cupid as we call her) for seeing the potential long before we ever could.

The 'one'

Kylie – For me, it was never a lightbulb moment of realisation that Jarrod was the one, but rather a collection of moments which are ongoing to this day. It’s the unconditional love and the deep care and sensitivity that Jarrod shows me that reminds me every day how lucky we are that we found each other. The way he talks for hours to my Mum and the way he helps me care for my Dad post his stroke is a reflection of Jarrod’s consistent warm-hearted nature and dependability. The way he had my back and was my isolation best friend during Covid times only reinforced how compatible we are. Jarrod’s unconditional love and support and the way he is my cheerleader through life reminds me every day why he is the love of my life.

Jarrod – I knew Kylie was the one when one day I came home from having a terrible day, it would have been within the first year of us dating. As soon as I came through the door and saw her face, it was as if I had forgotten everything. My whole world was Kylie, and she would make everything better. She knew what to say and how to say it to me. I have seen Kylie take on challenges with her father at the age of 22 that my Mum takes on at 64 years with her father. I saw the warmth in Kylie’s kind nature, the care she puts into not only her family but her work as well. She is independently her own boss as well as an incredible partner to me. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

The proposal

Jarrod – I always knew that I wanted to surprise Kylie when I proposed. Queenstown is one of our favourite places in the world, and on a visit there with friends in 2018, we stopped off near a picnic area that had an amazing backdrop of a lake with snow-capped mountains. Ever since I left that place I had always thought of returning there to propose because of the incredible scenery and joyful memories we shared there.

In July 2019 I had the ring ready at my parents’ house, it had been sitting there since March that year, waiting for just the right time to make its reveal. Kylie was already in New Zealand with her girlfriends and I was on my way with my two mates. I told them both “as soon as we get there, we need to get it done! I’m way too nervous for this!” We got off the plane, met the girls at our accommodation and jumped in the car on the way to the lake. It looked exactly how I pictured it, clear skies, ducks swimming in the lake and the snow-capped mountains in the background. My heart was racing so fast, not because I thought Kylie may say no, but because it was a moment that needed to be perfect! With the help of Kylie’s girlfriends, she was looking great and completely oblivious as to what was about to happen. As our friend Bianca gripped the camera, making sure to have the right settings, I got on one knee and asked her to marry me! Kylie was surprised and the moment was incredibly captured, the criteria was met. It was just as I envisioned. I couldn’t have done it without them. It was really enjoyable as well to have our friends there to celebrate with.

Planning process

We set the date for our wedding two years out as we were right at the start of Covid and we wanted to make sure our wedding date was long after the pandemic ended. Unfortunately, we got married during peak Omicron times as the start of 2022 which whilst frustrating and scary, was a turn in the pandemic where we were trying to normalise living with Covid. Back in 2020, we booked our venue, photographer and videographer and then took our time with the rest of the details. We both become paralysed when facing any tough questions about styling or decor (it took us years to decide how to decorate our house when we first moved in) so we knew we wanted to get some professionals in! We had a meeting with Paula and Annie from The Small Things Co and immediately knew our vision was in the right hands!

They made us feel so at ease and we loved how amazing they were with communication and execution of everything we needed. We vaguely had ideas about what colours and styles we liked, and it’s like Paula and Annie knew us better than we knew ourselves! They connected us with so many amazing, local suppliers who all did such amazing jobs. We were always asked for our input and they were constantly on the ball – it definitely got to a stage where we had complete trust in any decision Annie & Paula made and we knew they would nail whatever they delivered on the day.

They had this vision of using this beautiful tulle fabric in the barn for our reception – we hadn’t seen it done before but were completely happy for them to create! We didn’t know what to expect with the final design of the tulle but seeing the barn on the day with all the elements come together was breathtaking and so special. It really felt like it was our own unique wedding and so perfectly us.

Style inspiration

We have always loved a neutral colour palette and we tend to stay away from making bold colour choices. This is a reflection of how we style most things in our lives, including our house and even what we wear. Our preference has always been for a timeless look, and we wanted our wedding styling to hopefully not date too much. The colours used for our wedding created a clean and bright look. We love reflexed roses and orchids and our florist did a stunning job of creating the most breathtaking arrangements for the bouquets, chapel and tablescape. We knew we definitely didn’t want the long running tables at our reception because we wanted to group guests with their friends and family to make our wedding feel more intimate. We also didn’t want to have an overly obvious bridal table, and instead we put the bridal table in the middle of the room and it was distinguished by the canopy of tulle above. The tulle was a clever recommendation by The Small Things Co and we found it such a unique, beautiful element of the styling. We wouldn’t have thought of it ourselves, and we loved that it was a different approach to what might usually be done in the barn.

We found photos and detailed blogs extremely useful. Looking through photos allowed Jarrod and I to get on the same page regarding styling. We would view the creative choices done in other weddings and could then take inspiration from that and make sure we both agreed on what we liked. We also loved reading about different couple’s experiences, the ups and downs and all their advice.

The ceremony

The ceremony was the most important part of the day for the both of us. For us, we think the music, alter styling and our celebrant, Kate Mac, all combined to really make our ceremony perfect. We love the chapel at Stones of the Yarra Valley, but we really wanted to bring our own classical romantic feel to the space. The chapel at Stones has a grand piano, and as music lovers, we really wanted it played for our ceremony. We had a trio of strings accompany the piano and the classical music really created a special, romantic atmosphere.

The Small Things Co and our florist Wild Flos did the most incredible job creating a stunning altar for us. There have been so many different ways couples have decorated and styled the chapel, and we really wanted something big, beautiful and uniquely us. Tying in the colour theme and tulle from our reception, our stylists and florist created the most beautiful a-symmetric floral scape for us to stand amongst as we got married. Urns were filled with beautiful flowers and placed on plinths in varying heights. It was breathtaking and everything we envisioned. The flowers were dense and the colours were in such a stunning palette.

During our ceremony, our celebrant Kate Mac really took the time to introduce and explain who our bridal party standing next to us were. Kylie had six bridesmaids and Jarrod had six groomsmen, and each have such deep, long-term friendships. We wanted to acknowledge these treasured friendships and wrote special introductions and tributes about each bridesmaid and groomsman. This allowed our guests to really feel like they knew who was beside us, why they were there and how they have been a part of our lives. We found later on in the night that this familiarity of guests with our nearest and dearest allowed for a more inclusive and familiar celebration. Kate was outstanding. She really took the time to get to know us and because of that, everything she said had meaning and really did justice to our nine year love story.

The look

Jarrod – I started on Pinterest and looked at celebrity suit styles and found that I gravitated to strong lapels and slim fitted suits. David Beckham and Bradley Cooper were two people that kept coming up. I did my research on finding myself a master tailor in Melbourne and had a great chat with Adriano and Maria from Adriano Carbone Master Tailor in the Block Arcade in Melbourne’s CBD. With Adriano’s expertise, the suit he made was something extraordinary. It fit so well, looked exactly how I wanted and knowing I will have it forever made it worthwhile. I couldn’t recommend him enough!

Kylie – I must have gone to a dozen different bridal stores before deciding to make my gown with Mariana Hardwick. I originally went into dress shopping thinking I would want a white crepe a-line dress, and in the end I went for a tight, beaded and fitted dress. The total opposite! I went into Mariana Hardwick and tried on this beautiful beaded dress which wasn’t quite the right shape for my body. I then tried on another dress which was the perfect silhouette, but I didn’t love the beading. Because Mariana Hardwick design and create all their dresses from scratch in house, this meant I could really have an input into how my dress looked and was designed. With that level of input, I combined the beading from one dress with the silhouette of the other to create the perfect dress. It was really hard to visualise because there was no dress that I could try on that had both these elements already, so I definitely had to trust the process! In the end, the team at Mariana Hardwick did a beautiful job and the final gown is everything I envisioned. I wore Chanel pearl earrings gifted to me by Jarrod on the wedding day, and a beautiful pair of Jimmy Choos I had bought long before I had even decided on my dress!

Favourite moments

Jarrod – The vows were something else, something so special. It’s intimate but also so public because you are in front of all your friends and family. It’s a way to show your love in your most vulnerable state to the person you love. Also, another favourite moment of the day was when I was given something the morning of our wedding that I have dreamed about for years. I have been telling Kylie that when we are both older, maybe even retirement age, it would be a dream to both go into a watch store and buy a Rolex each, I’ve always pictured us both doing that. Kylie made that vision a reality when I was presented a box on the morning of our wedding which she gave to my parents to hold on to. Kylie had been saving and secretly looking for a Rolex watch for me for the last two years. When I opened the gift and read her letter I immediately was flooded with emotion! I know how hard she worked to get that for me, all the hours staying up late working on jobs (she is a photographer), taking on more work than a normal human possibly could so she could make our wedding day even more special with a gift most grooms only dream of. It will be a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life, and one day it will be something that I will pass down to our children. Until then, it serves as a daily reminder of our time together and all the times we are going to have.

Kylie – I have two. The first was our first look. I’ll never forget walking down the aisle for the first time and taking it all in – the beautiful floral arrangements at the altar, Jarrod looking so handsome in his suit and just that powerful moment of being in each other’s company to love and hold each other before the craziness of the day took hold. Our first look really settled the nerves and brought us back to what the day is really about: the two of us. I also had a first look with my Dad. I’ve always been Daddy’s little girl and as his youngest daughter this moment was so special and significant for me.

My second favourite moment was our fireworks exit. We surprised our guests with fireworks which no one knew about except our photographer, videographer and planners. It was so epic and Matt from Northern Fireworks put on the most incredible show. It was such a perfect ending to the night and no one saw it coming! The fireworks went for a couple minutes and really meant we ended the night with a bang!

Meaning of marriage

Marriage is something that concretes a love between two people. It signifies your devotion and willingness to journey through life together and through all life has to throw at you. It’s unconditional love, it’s laughter and tears, and it’s a forever commitment.

Wedding soundtrack

Aisle: You are the Reason by Calum Scott

Ceremony Exit: All You Need is Love by The Beatles

Reception Entry: Golden by Harry Styles

First Dance: Little Bit of Love by Tom Grennan

Fireworks Exit: Good Life by One Republic

Funny stories or near disasters

Absolutely. Omicron was in its absolute peak post New Years Eve, and our wedding was set for the 15th of Jan. Friends and family started returning positive tests within the first week after new years, and within days at least a quarter to half our guest list was in isolation. The hope was that by our wedding, they would at least be out of their seven day isolation period and feeling better. There were limited RATS and a lot of concern, and amidst all the chaos, Kylie had to postpone her hens party just to make sure she herself didn’t have Covid for the wedding day. Fortunately, majority could make it to the day, but around thirty were in isolation.

Having set the wedding date two years in advance assuming Covid would be long gone, it was devastating to find ourselves in the biggest outbreak to date. However, we had each other and we were so grateful for our dance lessons with Secret Garden of Dance Camberwell which we had daily for a week leading up to the wedding. It gave us an hour each day to take our minds off everything, learn something new and giggle at how we both kind of have two left feet. We were so grateful that we made it to our wedding day healthy and in good spirits. All our immediate family were there, all our suppliers were healthy and despite the state wide ban on dance floors, they were still allowed at weddings! Definitely not the most ideal lead up, but the check ins, masks, sanitiser and RAT tests will all be a funny (and hopefully distant) memory when looking back on our wedding.

Planning surprises

Jarrod – I didn’t realise how much would actually go into the day and that the stylists needed to do so much preparation for our wedding. I didn’t anticipate the manpower it would take to put everything together on the day, but everyone around us was so professional and they all executed the plan perfectly. I couldn’t believe what could be done in a few hours – the transformation of the barn was incredible.

Words of wisdom

Make sure to involve your partner in the planning, don’t let one take on all of it. It was great fun to plan it all together, likes and dislikes and great to get multiple perspectives. Try to talk to couples that have used the venue you are interested in and see what challenges, likes and dislikes they had with that venue when planning their wedding.

Get an MC who really sticks to your run sheet and makes things happen. A trusted friend or family member is usually the way to go. You can be candid with them and they generally have an idea of you as a couple and also what you will prioritise on the night. We had a lot of speeches and formalities which ran later than we thought, so definitely leave more time for everything than less. You’ll need it and you’ll feel better if you overcompensate on your run sheet.

Work on your speech and vows in advance. If you think you have time, just pretend you don’t!

Also, we highly recommend getting your florist to return to the venue to wrap flowers to give to guests – our guests loved their florals and most stayed alive for ages.

Also get a planner / stylist! We couldn’t have done it without The Small Things Co, they made our wedding planning a breeze and so enjoyable and fun.