Getting married in the Yarra Valley

Getting married in the Yarra Valley

Planning a wedding can be very overwhelming, there are so many choices and so many places to go to for inspiration and advice.However, it is very easy to get sidetracked by all the loveliness and lose focus on what I’m supposed to be doing.

It is easy to get side-tracked when getting married in the Yarra Valley by all the loveliness and lose focus on what you’re actually supposed to be doing. There’s an abundance of blogs, photos, wedding websites, hashtags that while informative, can be extremely confusing making you question every decision you make.

Here is a short list of tips to help you de-clutter and make informative decisions when preparing for your big day.

Here are a few tips that can help you create the Ultimate Winery Yarra Valley Wedding

1.You Can’t Have It All

Every couple has a budget, and it doesn’t matter if that budget is $10,000 or 1 million dollars there is always a limit. Yes I’ve shot a wedding with a 1million dollar budget.

Pick two or three key elements and make a statement with them.

You can make a significant impact and a wow factor with just a couple of critical things, but when your budget has to be spread over several areas you can’t achieve the same effect, and everything becomes lost in the volume of ideas.

Pick the Three Things that are the Most Important to you

One of the best ways to cut down on wedding planning stress is to decide which things you really want and which elements you can let slide. For some, it might be the dress, a religious ceremony, or having your family and friends involved. It helps tremendously to focus on these things because a) you could decide what to devote the most money and effort to and b) It can help sort through all the other wedding planning tips you might be getting.

3. Don’t be a Slave to Pinterest Trends

Trends are only popular when they are trending. By nature, a trend is here today and gone tomorrow.

Whilst wedding professionals are undoubtedly led by what is trending in the world of fashion and interior design they use it as inspiration only.  They then take it and mold it so they can come up with something that is unique to their clients and their personalities.

You want to be able to look back at your wedding in ten or twenty years time and still be blown away by it, not be shuddering at how dated it looks.

4. Use your connections

The old maxim about everyone in a small town knowing everyone else is true. This may not be a good thing in all circumstances, but it certainly can be in others. Even if you can save 20% on some items by going through a connection, every little bit of savings adds up and will help you keep to your budget.

5. Make it Your Own

Another thing about having connections is that you can make things a lot more personal than you might be able to otherwise. For instance, having a close family friend officiate the ceremony, having the winery wedding cake made by a close and talented friend who created something that looked and tasted better than any other cake you can buy or seen sold for twice as much. Even if it’s something as simple as burning your own CDs for the reception (we did that too), find a way to personalize the day.

6. Let Your Wedding Venue Dictate Your Style

To a degree, your venue will dictate the style of your wedding, simply because it is the biggest element.

Too many times we have seen couples take a stunning stately home and try and turn it into something it isn’t.

If you want a rustic Yarra Valley style wedding then perhaps look at using a barn as your venue, or if you have an edgy, contemporary style to your wedding then consider some of the more unique venues such as an old warehouse, art gallery or museum.

For something open plan then try a marquee, teepee or Papakata tent, as they are more of a blank canvas and can be moulded to suit your style. Use your venue to help you create the style of your Vines wedding and work with it rather than against it.

7.  Define Your Style as a Couple

Ask the right questions from yourselves. All of those questions are completely relevant to you and you can be your own wedding planner. In order to really know what you want from your wedding you have to understand your own style.

Where do you like to shop? What colours do you like? Where do you like to go on holiday? What restaurants do you like to eat at? What music do you like? Where would you go on a night out?

All these questions, and many more, will help you to define who you are as a couple, so your wedding can be a direct reflection of who you are and not who you think you should be.

8. Look for Deals

Just because you’re getting something cheaper doesn’t mean its any less worth. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pay full price. Search out local shops that are about to close and selling things at clearance prices.

Also, things like favors or pretty plastic dishes for the reception can be found at your local party or wholesale store. In fact, this might be the better way to go if you need to get anything personalized!

Check out our list of Yarra Valley’s Best Flower Shops

9. Forget About Weddings for a While

Your entire life does not need to be about your wedding. You must remember to take some time out from wedding planning.

This might mean taking the dog for a walk, go for a facial, workout at the gym or go to your favourite coffee shop to be inspired by some people watching.

Whatever it is, remove yourself from my workspace for a while and you will always come back feeling so much better with a renewed energy and vigour, and more often than not your inspiration has returned too.

10.  Don’t Allow Yourself to be Bossed Around

One of the most stressful things about planning a winery wedding is dealing with the onslaught of information we get thrown at us. Some people might be used to planning fancy events, but most are not. Between being told what colours you should use and what kinds of foods you should have at the reception, you will begin to realize that some of the people giving you advice are using your wedding to correct things that went wrong in theirs.

They don’t mean to; they are just trying to save you from the regrets they had. Be grateful to them, but remember that your wedding day is ultimately your day, not your mum’s, sister’s or best friend’s. Take what they have to say into consideration, but ultimately decide the things that are important to you and your spouse-to-be for yourself. It’s much easier that way. Some people might get annoyed that you’re “not listening” to them, but they’ll get over it. If not, they’re probably not someone you want to have around anyway.

11. Have a Back-Up Plan

I’m sure you’ve heard of Murphy’s Law – anything that can go wrong, will. This seems to especially apply to weddings. Leave plenty of time and room for mishaps and last-minute changes, because they will happen.

Somebody’s babysitter’s going to bail, someone’s going to get stuck in traffic and another person is going to have to stay up until 1 a.m. making the programs because the party store spelled your fiance’s name wrong. It’s better to get everything done and have three hours to kill than to have to rush around like a crazy person and end up missing something important.

12.  Remember What the Day is Really About

A wedding should be about the people getting married. You’re marrying the person you love with the intention of spending the rest of your lives together. You’re starting a new chapter in your lives that will hopefully give you a lot of joy in the future. That’s more beautiful than any flower or dress.

By eugene@vogueballroom.com.au

Yarra Valley Wedding Venues

Coombe

Stones of the Yarra Valley

Meletos (Accomodation)

Immerse winery

Zonzo