Georgie and Will’s Chilled Out Mitchelton Wedding

Georgie and Will were Covid wedding casualties and lost their first date when we were plunged into our first lockdown in Melbourne. They stayed resolute thoughout and although at many stages, even a couple of months out I was unsure if we’d get their big guest list over the line- in the end it all worked out and their wedding at Mitchelton was perfect.

Both grew up in Benalla so there was a big country crew in attendance and the entire vibe was relaxed but classy. The sun shone, the tunes were live and the drinks flowed. We kicked off the day with a proper and very moving Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder Murrundindi - followed by a rollicking fun ceremony.

Afterwards guests mingled on the lawns with cocktails whilst the DJ cranked out tunes. The vibe was magic- all the right elements in play and a 180 strong crowd revelling in being back at a wedding and celebrating Georgie and Will making it official after more than a decade together.

They moved into a riotous night of eating, drinking and tearing up the d floor to vinyl DJ and live saxophone. Guests backed up for a recovery lunch the following say at the outstanding Nagambie Brewery.

Georgie shares below how Covid shaped their wedding and her tips based on her experience along the way.

1. What was the best decision you made?

The best decision we made was to invest in quality vendors. Everything from the venue to the music, photography, hair/makeup and of course our delightful celebrant, we endeavoured to source/work with the best so that our experience was nothing but joyous. With the added layer of Covid stress and the threat of lockdowns/restrictions ever present in the lead up to our day, this was particularly comforting. Our vendors were simply top notch- not only were they super professional and experienced, they were also down to earth, funny and warm. Meeting over coffees (and wines) in Brunswick as well as late night Zoom chats were such an enjoyable part of the build-up to our day- we really were in the best possible hands to deal with anything that came our way, including a global pandemic!

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

Well… our original wedding date did coincide with a lockdown which lead to an inevitable postponement- so that was a bit of an ordeal! Also, just the nature of planning a wedding during these ~unprecedented times~ can lead to the occasional anxious spiral. We tried our best to take it in our stride and keep our eyes on the party- we were happy to wait if it meant congregating our nearest and dearest! Silver linings were that we made some great life decisions during those months at home like spontaneously getting a saxophonist to play alongside our vintage record DJ player!

3. What was your fave part of the day?

SO hard to say. We both really loved our slow mornings getting ready with our family and bridal parties. This was relaxing and funny and emotional and just really special. We also loved our ceremony (including an amazing Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder, Murrundindi) and the speeches- can you tell we are both quite sentimental? Oh… and the dancefloor!

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

Following on from earlier, definitely make wise choices re: vendors- they carry the day (and the lead up to the day).

Also, get your professional couple photos done before hand! We loved roaming around greeting/smooshing our guests during the canapé hour- we didn’t need to be whisked away for formal pics as we had already had them done pre-ceremony. Celebrating with our loved ones was our priority and now we have such beautiful memories of looking out across the beautiful lawns and seeing our favourite people all mingling- stunning!

VENDOR LIST

Venue: Mitchelton Winery, Nagambie

Celebrant: Nat Sproal

Music: The Vintage Stylus on the vinyl decks and Harry from Hey Jack on saxophone

Photos: Georgia Verrells (including the stunning images below)

Hair: Dimitri Kyvetos

Makeup: Megan Harrison

Dress: Suzanne Harward

Suits: Formal Red

Photo booth: Boothalicious

Ring: Cushla Whiting

Bridesmaid dresses: Hansen & Gretel and Ginger & Smart