Stu and Shenai's Fyansford Paper Mill Wedding

their wedding was an absolute banger, thanks to their chilled attitudes and their absolute dedication to having the best team for their day.

Stu and Shenai were forced to abandon their 2020 wedding plans like many other couples but they took it like bosses, never complained and just held hope that we’d come out the other side. We did.

They were married at Site A at the Fyansford Paper Mills. O-M-G- you MUST see this venue. It’s mindblowing. I mean- I see a lot of venues and I was gagging to see this one. It’s just different and so my vibe. I reckon I walked around with my mouth open for at least 15 minutes checking it all out. It’s got those almost medieval vibes about it and is run by the very talented and capable Truffleduck team, who also manage the excellent catering.

The entire wedding had a classy but relaxed vibe and as is the way in the post Covid wedding space- their guests were totally up for the party. I married them in a fun, funny ceremony that took guests on a journey of their years together and sent them back up the aisle to exploding petal cannons (I can’t recommend these enough- SO much better than petal cones).

Their evening was all about great food and booze, socialising and a heaving dance floor. 100% nailed it. As these beaut images by legend Miranda Stokkel show below.

Stu and Shenai share all their inside tips on wedding planning

1. What was the best decision you made?

To invest in quality, reputable vendors and to have a videographer! Initially we were not planning on having one but thank goodness we did. Our videographer Luke was amazing, and we received our film package back pronto! We have watched all the videos so many times. It has been so nice to reflect on our day and to gain a perspective from our guests. What you get back is worth every dollar and something that we will cherish for a very long time.

2. Did anything not go to plan / what would you do differently?

Yes, there were absolutely things that did not go to plan! The day before the wedding our accommodation for the night of the wedding was cancelled and while we were setting up, we realised that we did not have enough lighting. Luckily, we were able to sort the accommodation saga even though it caused us a huge amount of stress, and our incredible representative from Truffleduck; Nicola, organised last-minute festoon lighting for us. Shenai also wanted candles EVERYWHERE but by the time all guests were welcomed back to Site 3a for the reception, majority of the diner candles had almost burnt out! Little things that we may have noticed, but in the big scheme of the day, was insignificant.

We also hired two 1954 white Jaguars to transport us and the bridal party for the afternoon… but turns out we didn’t really need them! In hindsight, we probably wouldn’t hire these again, even though they were beautiful and so were the two lovely men who chauffeured us.

3. What was your fave part of the day?

The ceremony! Completely unexpected but without a doubt it was the best part of the day. We chose not to see each other prior this and keep this component of the day pretty traditional as Stuart wanted to have ‘that moment’ as Shenai came down the aisle. It was a really lovely moment for the two of us. However, it was our celebrant Nat who truly made the ceremony what it was. Weeks on, we are still receiving compliments and have had many couples ask us who our celebrant was! The ceremony could not have reflected us any better – there were moments of laughter and moments of a few light tears. Nat never skipped a beat and had us smiling ear-to-ear.

4. In a few words – what advice would you give couples planning their wedding now?

If you make sure the day reflects you as a couple, you won’t need to worry about or second guess your choices. Do your planning. Weigh up what you value and what you don’t. We were so over the planning process, but trust us, it was worth it in the end. The day is much more care-free knowing you have full confidence in the people around you.

VENDOR LIST

Venue Site 3a at the Old Fyansford Papermills

Catering Truffleduck

Pre-Drinks Provenance Winery

Celebrant Nat Sproal

Photographer Miranda Stokkel

Videographer Luke Bickley Weddings

Band M & The Best Men

Florist The Refined Bloom Co

Bridal Gown Marquise Bridal

Bridal Shoes Loeffler Randall

Bridal Earrings Christie Nicolaides