Given that Casey and Matt both enjoy visiting wine regions, it made sense for them to tie the knot at an idyllic Mudgee Winery – namely, Skimstone Wines. It was the first wedding to be held here and looking at these images by Chris Prestidge of At Dusk our instincts tell us it won’t be the last.
With live music, an incredible line-up of vendors and, well, plenty of wine this Mudgee wedding was pure joy. Check it out below.
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How did you and Matt meet? We met online right before Covid! We decided to take things offline pretty quickly and meet for a drink in Bondi on Mother’s Day Eve. We are very different people but realised that we both had the same values and ideas on life, and Matt left for NZ to see his family right before everything closed down and we stayed in touch the whole time.
The proposal: Matt had planned a surprise dinner and told me to meet him at the local pub in Balmain (I must have had some clue deep down because I bought a new dress to wear haha!). We walked from the pub down to East Balmain where he got down on one knee and handed me a beautiful Tiffany & Co band, with an envelope that had a ticket to Paris in it to go engagement ring shopping… We then went up to The Fenwick to celebrate with family and friends cheering us with Champagne. It was so magical!!
The venue: We travelled to Mudgee a couple of times as we love a wine region and we stumbled across a little winery called Skimstone Wines. We had a cheeseboard and some of the best wine, and just fell in LOVE with the place. When we asked them later on if we could have our wedding there, they told us we would be their first, which was SO special.
The vibe: We honestly just wanted the beauty of Mudgee and the space around us to do most of the talking. We decided to keep it simple and elegant with colours and vibes that complimented both of our styles and the landscape. We just wanted good food, wine, fun and love to surround the day and my sister Deanna did the BEST job in the world at planning our perfect day!
Traditions: adopted, adapted or ditched? We weren’t too traditional at all but did have some nice aspects of Matt’s NZ heritage (our celebrant Tim Maddren who I did Hi-5 with is also a kiwi and did the most AMAZING job of this) along with some nice aspects from my side – which were mostly about family, fun and cheekiness.
We had a beautiful first dance and some limoncello shots for everyone to represent the lemon tree that used to be in my grandparent’s backyard which symbolises a lifetime of love. We had hundreds of sparklers and dancing at the end and it was all so magical amongst all of our nearest and dearest.
I’ll always remember… Looking around at the ceremony and seeing everyone we love in one place all smiling, laughing and being there as one huge big family for life. SO special.
The outfit/s: I tried on a few dresses and nothing felt right. I immediately called a very good friend of mine Tirion in Melbourne who used to tour with me in Hi-5. I asked her to make my dress and it all started there.
Tirion and I designed a wedding ‘capsule’ – from the getting ready, to the actually dress, to the reception outfit ( which included the most incredible wedding bomber) to even what I wore for the next couple of days in Mudgee. I felt like ME on the day and was SO comfortable and blown away at what Tirion created. She is a genius and I am forever grateful .
Matt had been looking at black suits but everything felt a bit formal, so we decided on a linen MJ Bale suit which just fit so perfectly, and he looked so handsome and the sandy colour of it really tied in perfectly with the scenery.
Standout vendors: Mudgee Made for catering… WOW! The food was a STAND OUT – everything from the canapés to the mains to the cake. It was perfect. They also make a damn good sausage roll!
Skimstone for wine. The chardonnay is perfect! Light and refreshing and DELISH.
Tim Maddren Celebrant. Everyone is still raving about how incredible he was!
Exotic Soirees. The marquee and lighting was beyond incredible. The styling was effortless and magical and they were very, very professional.
Marianna Grillo (hair and makeup). SO incredibly talented and perfect at knowing exactly what suits everyone… we all felt so fresh and not overdone – that was very important to me.
We had Ricky Nifo as our wedding singer and this was most definitely a highlight. His talent is next to none and he is a total professional. Along with his DJ we were all dancing BEFORE dinner!
Soundtrack: Aisle Song: “Simply the Best”, by Tina Turner. Signing: “Millionaire”, by Chris Stapleton. Celebration drink: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland. First dance: “Line by Line”, by Maren Morris and JP Saxe. Reception entrance: “Hold Me”, by The Tesky Brothers. And of course we all did the Nutbush! HAS to be done!
Words of wisdom: Choose the two things about the day that you really want to make special, that mean the most to you. Don’t listen to too many people advice, and focus on what is important to you as a couple.
Instead of a honeymoon we actually got a second puppy! We picked Suki up on the way home from Mudgee and we are just looking forward to a lovely happy life spending time with our two dogs, hopefully some kids and lots of travel and more time spent with our loved ones.
CREDITS: Photos At Dusk // Video Michal Kubala // Venue Skimstone Wines // Celebrant Tim Maddren // Catering and cake Mudgee Made // Bridal gown and veil Tirion Rodwell // Bride’s shoes Sol Sana // Accessories Graff, Punch Gallery and Victoria Beckham // Groom and groomsmen suits M.J. Bale // Ties OTAA // Rings AHW and Graff // Hair and makeup Marianna Grillo // Music Ricky Nifo // Furniture and marquee hire Exotic Soirees.
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