It made sense for Nicole and Jacob to have a Hunter Valley wedding at White Barn Pokolbin, given they both grew up in the area – and geez, did they do it well. Being organised and having a phenomenal team of vendors behind them certainly helped but ultimately it was their vision to have a romantic, weekend-long wedding that was the driving force.
And as for the idea for Nicole and her Dad to do a rap together in lieu of a father/daughter dance? That idea was all their own as well.
Captured by Lauren Anne Photography and La Lune Cinema you can see the entire celebration below with beautiful flowers and styling by The Curated Life.
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How did you and Jacob meet? Jacob and I met at uni, studying a Bachelor of Communication. Jake had blonde flicky hair and carried his uni supplies in a brown leather satchel (which I thought was very cute haha). We used to make eyes in the lecture class when he walked in. We were pretty competitive in uni classes too, I beat him by one point in an assignment which cut him deep. In media production classes though, he absolutely smashed it and now that he’s gone on to make a career out of it – I realise I never stood a chance in our competition.
The proposal: Jacob proposed to me in Hayman Island – it was so perfect and romantic! I spent the day sipping cocktails by the pool and wanted to keep doing so but Jacob was on my back about getting ready for dinner (little did I know, the spot where he was going to propose was close and he was freaking out I was going to see the set-up of it). I went back and casually watched an episode of ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ – and left getting ready until the very last minute because #islandtime. I had no idea I was delaying one of the most amazing moments of my life! He then took me down to a private dinner set up on the beach and it was honestly the greatest… we laughed and cried all night!
Wedding venue: We love the Hunter Valley – we both grew up there. We also love drinking wine, haha. Aesthetically the Hunter Valley is just gorgeous. We’ve also done many Lovedale Long Lunches in the Hunter which we have some fun memories from. We wanted to enjoy a weekend away together with our family and friends, as we knew the wedding day would go so fast!
Wedding vibe: The colour scheme was floaty whites, golds, toffee tones and neutrals. We had roses, orchids, vintage glassware, a beautiful arbour to take in the mountains of the Hunter and a vintage MG convertible to travel around in for the day. For our ceremony, we wanted to find that perfect balance of romance and fun. We wanted people to feel like they were in an episode of Gossip Girl, whilst still enjoying the relaxed Hunter Valley atmosphere.
Traditions: adopted, adapted or ditched? We kept most traditions! We didn’t see each other on the morning of the wedding, my dad walked me down the aisle, we did a first dance and so on. However, my Dad and I broke tradition and did a rap instead of a dance – rewriting the lyrics to ‘Rich Girl’ by Selwyn (our favourite song). We’re also not huge cake lovers so opted for a small cake, and then hired a gelato cart to serve dessert instead.
The outfit/s: I wore a Corston Couture dress. I chose this dress with my mum and sister on our second day of searching and it was an easy decision! I knew which style of dress suited my body type and just fell in love with Corston Couture. I loved the bead work of the dress, the ‘transparent’ features where you could slightly see skin, and the romantic flowers that were almost 3D on the dress. Coral, the designer was amazing to work with and it was a no brainer for me. The dress fit me like a glove.
Jacob wore a made-to-measure suit from Oscar Hunt. We spent ages searching for an ivory wool that would match my wedding dress (who knew there were three billion shades of white/ivory). Jacob knew he wanted to mix it up from the traditional suit but still keeping a formal, classy look. He did a bow tie and a black shiny, patent leather shoe to finish off his look.
Standout vendors: Wow, super hard decision. Every vendor was amazing. From our photographer Lauren Anne Photography – who was our biggest hype girl and kept the day fun… to our venues Spicers Guesthouse and White Barn Pokolbin… every single vendor went above and beyond for us.
Soundtrack: Aisle song (bridesmaids and flower girls): “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain. Aisle song (bride and her dad): “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. Signing songs: “Say” by John Mayer and “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. Recessional: “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole. Reception: “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates. First dance song: “Put a Little Love On Me” by Niall Horan. Father/daughter rap: “Rich Girl” by Selwyn. Exit song: “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammar.
Hit or (near) miss: I think Covid was our bad luck period and on the day things went so smoothly which we’re so grateful for! The only little mishaps that occurred were misplaced petals for our flower girls minutes before they were to walk down the aisle… and we couldn’t find a knife when we went to cut our wedding cake so used the handle of a long spoon haha! One bridesmaid also broke a shoe just before we walked down the aisle… again, just laughable now.
I’ll always remember… My favourite moment was our vows during the ceremony. I get goosebumps thinking about it. It’s just such an intimate, raw, beautiful moment and one I’ll never forget.
Words of wedding wisdom: Pretend the wedding is three weeks earlier than it is and get all your jobs done! We did this ourselves and are so grateful we did. We were so relaxed heading into the wedding week, and were able to get reasonable sleep and just get excited! We took off a few days before the wedding too, which I think is a great idea.
The future: We can’t wait to start a family! We feel so warm and fuzzy post wedding and just can’t wait to hopefully make some minis and start the next chapter of our lives together.
CREDITS: Photos Lauren Anne Photography // Video La Lune Cinema // Ceremony Spicers Guesthouse Pokolbin // Reception White Barn Pokolbin // Celebrant That Alter Guy // Flowers, styling and furniture The Curated Life // Catering Billy Goat Catering // Cake Hello Naomi // Stationery and signage State of Elliot // Bridal gown and veil Corston Couture // Bridal shoes Badgley Mischka // Accessories Francesca // Bridesmaid dresses Misha // Bridesmaid gifts Piyama // Bridal robe The Parker // Grooms suit Oscar Hunt // Groomsmen suits Peter Jackson // Rings Tiffany & Co. // Hair The New Black Industries // Makeup Kylie Edwards // Music Kylie Jane Music and Master Blaster Entertainment // Transport Vintage and Classic Car Hire // Neon sign Love Glows.
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