When we got engaged it was in the middle of lockdowns here in Melbourne, so it was a bit of a stressful time to be planning a wedding - as there was so much uncertainty. We always knew we wanted our wedding to be a long weekend saga - a place where all of our loved ones could stay together and we stretch the celebrations over a couple of days! Our minds instantly went to Palm Springs, somewhere in Italy, back to Hayman Island even. However the logistics and travel involved, and wanting all of our guests to be able to easily attend - we decided somewhere in Victoria was the go. I had a meeting with a client of mine and she was asking about how wedding planning was going. When I told her we had done 0 planning - she suggested a venue she had a close connection with. It was Mount William Station.
We saw the photos online and just knew it was it. They had only just opened themselves up for weddings, and we booked in July 2022 without seeing it in person. January 2023 we went out there for a site visit with our amazing wedding planner, Natasha from Du Jour and it exceeded everything we saw online!!!
To us, Mount William Station ticked all of our boxes. A place where everyone could stay, a beautiful European style property with beautiful gardens, a pool and area for recovery, completely DIY and that destination feel (3 hour drive from Melbourne).
We wanted the wedding to be a big party, but still quite warm and intimate. We drew a lot of inspiration from our travels. Our menu was inspired by a restaurant in Italy we went to - that had no menu and served local, family style plates of beautiful pastas, salads and meats. Our florals were simple and classic with whites, creams and greenery. Our decor was full of draping, soft linen, gold, Italian alfresco furniture, parasol umbrellas and touches of orange. At everyone’s seat, we had custom made paper fans with their names (ideal for a hot summer's day!) and our favourite - a tambourine. These were the perfect party starters and everyone got around them so much!!!!