Stylish Barn Wedding in Australia

Stylish Barn Wedding by The White Tree Photography 47

So full disclosure, I am obsessed with Australian weddings. The venues are incredible, the style is effortlessly cool and the photography is stunning, (Aussie wedding blogs are among our very favourites).

So as you can imagine, I’m pretty excited to be sharing Frances & Chris’s gorgeous barn wedding in Victoria wine country.

With photography by The White Tree and a rustic setting at Zonzo Estate, in Yarra Valley, (and the most amazing hanging floral decor!) their day was eclectic, stylish, and so relaxed.

I fell hard for Frances’ Rue De Seine wedding dress the minute I saw it (and I reckon you guys might too) and the decor is pretty gorgeous, but the thing I love most about this post has to be Frances & Chris’s love story.

From how they met (Frances drove home with a sneaking suspicion Chris might be the one) to her account of his expression as she walked up the aisle, this couple are so excited to be getting married, and we’re just glad we get to share their day…

Stylish Barn Wedding by The White Tree Photography 48

Our Love Story

We actually met at a burger café and after chatting, Chris asked me out on a date. The first thing I actually noticed about him were his amazing blue-green eyes; there was something so gentle and genuine about him!

One date led to another and we started dating long distance as I was living in country Vic at the time. I’d never met anyone like Chris and after six months, I knew that I had to move back to Melbourne.

I think I knew that I’d marry him after our first meeting though. I remember driving home in complete and utter shock, thinking to myself that this guy could be the one!

A year after we met, he took me out to dinner and as we were strolling along the water front at Williamstown, he got down on one knee and proposed.

Our wedding in three words? Warm, joyful and romantic – just like my relationship with Chris!

The Inspiration

Because we met in country Victoria, we felt it was fitting that we wed in the gorgeous Victorian country side as well. We’ve visited the vineyard region of Yarra Valley a few times before and we know how gorgeous it is, so we had to have a celebration there.

Once we saw Zonzo, we knew it was perfect! It was rustic but warm and the perfect size for our guests. Their food was also delicious!

We wanted a theme that suited the venue – which was quite rustic with rolling country side views. We didn’t want to take away from the gorgeous venue and location so we opted for a theme that blended nicely. We used a lot of white and lush greenery – the day was quite neutral in colours but we feel like this complimented the timber wood of both venues nicely.

For our photographers, we just loved the overall style and aesthetic of The White Tree. The final editing and photoshopping was natural but edgy.

Stylish Barn Wedding by The White Tree Photography 40

The Ceremony

I walked down the aisle to ‘Skinny Love’ by Bon Iver.

Chris’ face when I was walking down the aisle! I’ve always been a sucker for his eyes. That was absolutely the highlight of my day.

Stylish Barn Wedding by The White Tree Photography 41

The Dress & Flowers

I walked past a bridal store with a window display that really caught my eye. The styling was very bohemian and romantic and unlike most places.

I went in and within ten minutes I knew I’d found my dress. I felt beautiful, and most importantly I felt like myself.

It was so unbelievably elegant but the lace crochet mermaid gown was unique as well.

I had a combination of blushing pink and white roses, native faun such as eucalyptus, baby’s breath and baby peonies. This was also mirrored in our hanging arrangements but we included some more greenery.

Stylish Barn Wedding by The White Tree Photography 45

The Decor & Details

We relied on the hanging floral arrangements and fairy lighting for decorating the reception venue. We had rustic barrels with tealight candles as well and we used Zonzo’s beautiful arch for the ceremony and also covered that in greenery.

I made the cover for our wedding guest book (from typo), and guests took polaroid’s and taped them into the book with a message. I added a touch of rustic twine around the guest’s names and bonbonniere jars as well.

Most of the decoration was also a collaboration between Zonzo estates and us.

I come from an Italian background so I wanted sharing antipasti platters for guests throughout the reception. It was a sit-down dinner but we had a delectable selection of gourmet pizzas, canapes and meat selections.

My personal favorite was the delicious candy bar at the end though!