When Spring Came to Dark Horse for Ashlee & Hayden
You had us at mini Daschund named Winnie…. plus of course, the most spectacular Spring explosion of colour for Ashlee & Hayden’s September wedding! We absolutely loved the contrast of bright colour against the monochrome exteriors of Dark Horse Vineyard. The beautiful day was sprinkled with lots of unique and special touches, resulting in a truly original celebration of our gorgeous couple. The stunning bride & groom took the time to revisit their incredible day with us, and share some special behind the scenes moments. But be warned, you may need to bring the tissues…
q:Describe the vibe you wanted for your day?
A: Hayden and I wanted our day to be timeless and elegant, as well as modern, bright and fun - from the venue and bridal attire, to the bursts of colour with an abundance of flowers (the floral ceremony piece was beyond perfect).
We wanted our day to truly represent us as a couple, our personalities and our love story - Honey Lane made this possible. We wanted each guest to enjoy themselves whilst also knowing their significance in our life and to feel included in the ceremony. We wanted our day to be full of energy and excitement, as well as being authentic. From the early planning days, we also wanted our parents' love story to be represented.
Hayden and I wanted to look back at the photos and the videos, remembering the excitement and the magic of the day.
q:what madE YOU decide on hiring a wedding stylist/coordinator for your wedding?
A: Hayden and I viewed hiring a wedding stylist/coordinator as an essential decision in the planning process, as we knew they would be able to perfectly create our vision and ensure a stress-free wedding day. We wanted our day to be flawless and we wanted to actually enjoy our day and the lead up.
Honey Lane brought their wealth of knowledge of the wedding world, little details and items we hadn't considered were included as Sophie and Poppy went beyond creating our perfect day. Sophie handled the logistics, and ensured the vendors chosen aligned with our vision (and handled the booking/paperwork - aka she handled the stress!) Whilst Poppy ensured every styling element was placed perfectly ensuring our vision came to life (Poppy took my love of flowers and created a floral backdrop of my dreams)!
I believe by hiring Honey Lane, their expertise not only elevated the aesthetic aspects of the celebration, but also allowed us to focus on the more meaningful moments and special touches, creating a wedding day for Hayden and I that truly exceeded our expectations.
By entrusting Honey Lane with our day, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the joy of ‘getting married’, we were confident the day would unfold smoothly, whilst excited to see the vision come to life! Our meeting days were honestly the best and most exciting times!
Looking back at the time when we were deciding if we would hire Honey Lane, we can easily say it was the best decision. We couldn't have done it without Honey Lane.
Hayden and I are glad we made the decision to entrust Honey Lane with the styling and coordination of our wedding! Their expertise and creativity brought our vision to life, ensuring every detail was seamlessly executed.
Choosing Dark Horse Vineyard as our venue added a touch of Hunter Valley sophistication and the perfect venue for the day. We loved the black and white colourings as well as the vineyards, which made a perfect backdrop for our “pop of colour” palette. The atmosphere Honey Lane created within the Dark Horse Vineyard space truly made our dreams reality. Walking into the reception with all the candles and flowers felt like a dream!
We are so grateful we had Sophie Brauer as our celebrant! She was beyond perfect, in terms of telling our story, involving the audience and making us feel special. She went above and beyond, and we are so glad we chose her!
Honey Lane created the perfect vendor team who’s individual talents created the perfect day for us! From the floral arrangements, to the food served, to the live music and photography capturing the day, we are so grateful as they made our wedding an unforgettable celebration of our love story.
Our wedding was absolutely perfect and it definitely would not have been the same without Honey Lane.
q:FAVOURITE MOMENT OF THE DAY?
A: The whole day! It’s very hard to pick a particular moment! My favourite memory would be seeing Hayden for the first time at the altar, and speaking our vows/promises for life to one another. The rush of emotions, sheer joy and excitement. The moment our celebrant announced us Husband and Wife, and yes, the kiss!!
I will forever remember how special it was walking down the aisle, with both my Mum (Tracey) and Dad (Greg). Having my sister/maid of honour, Mikayla, read a special message/reading she picked during the ceremony.
Our parents speeches, and the Father-Daughter Dance, including a special thank you to our parents in the ceremony and the dancing.
Also including Winnie (the mini dachshund) in the day!!
Hayden’s Favourite Moment
Seeing Ashlee walk down the aisle in her dress for the first time. Hearing our vows and the big kiss at the ceremony. Our first dance was special as it was planned and rehearsed in our living room, and dancing to it with Ashlee on the night was magical and so much fun.
q:Words of advice – anything you’d like to share with future couples?
A: Enjoy being engaged!! Our advice would be .. to remember the day is a celebration of your unique love story and the promises you make to each other. Set your non-negotiables and what you as a couple truly envision for the day and create the special day that represents you both!
Infuse personal touches reflecting your personalities, add special moments for special family members - as this will mean the world to them.
Surround yourself with a reliable team, Honey Lane and their dedicated vendors, this will alleviate stress and bring your vision to life. Remember unplanned moments turn into cherished memories - aka on the day, relax and enjoy, dont stress the small stuff (Honey Lane will ensure the day is flawless!)
Lastly amidst the whirlwind of the day take multiple moments to step back and savour the joy and excitement and take it all in, as the day itself passes in a heartbeat. Enjoy the process, support each other and create a day that authentically represents the beginning of your beautiful journey together.
No matter what happens, the day will truly be the best day ever!!!
q:tell us about your dress?
A: Where do I start - the sparkle in the sunlight! I wore a breathtaking Marquise Bridal heavily embellished sequin gown, featuring a structured off-the-shoulder boned corset bodice, complete with long elegant sleeves with intricate sequin and embellishments. The way the dress shimmered in the sunlight created a magical effect!!
It constantly sparkled throughout the day in the sunlight, through to the sparkler exit! Drop diamond earrings and a long elegant veil - which moved perfectly in the wind, giving me that hint of traditional bride attire
It was a modern wedding dress, and I felt stunning! The moment I put it on, I knew it was the one!
q:tell us about your VENUE?
A: Hayden and I got married in the beautiful Hunter Valley, at the Dark Horse Vineyard and the moment we visited, we knew it was going to be the perfect setting for our wedding! The black and white colour scheme added the perfect backdrop to make the floral colours stand out. Nestled in a vineyard, halfway between Newcastle and Sydney (where our families come from), the venue offered breathtaking views but also captured the romance a vineyard offers.
Dark Horse Vineyard offered accommodation for the bride tribe the night before which made the morning seamless and stress-free as well as the party/celebrations starting early and continued on after guests left.
Dark Horse Vineyard has an exclusive caterer, Fennel and Co, which exceeded our expectations with their exceptional culinary creations - the food was incredible, the staff were friendly towards all guests and Tess went above and beyond to ensure the whole reception was flawless. The food was a highlight with guests.
Dark Horse Vineyard and Honey Lane were a seamless collaboration that made our wedding day dreams come true. Exceptional venue which elevated our celebration to an unforgettable all-day onsite experience. (We asked Honey Lane to remove the “horsey” vibe of the Dark Horse, and they did amazing!! The venue was absolutely perfect.)
q:tell us about your SOMETHING BLUE?
A: Attached to my dress was a hand stitched blue heart with our initials and the wedding date on it. Hayden gifted me diamond and blue topaz bracelets, and I gifted Hayden a handkerchief hand stitched with a special message for the day, as well as a watch with a dark blue band.
q:DID HONEY LANE MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
A: Absolutely!! Honey Lane not only met but exceeded our expectations in every aspect of our wedding planning and styling!! From the moment we booked, through to the execution of every thoughtful detail, the whole team was absolutely incredible to deal with, we loved having our meetings!
Their ability to seamlessly blend our vision, add our personal touches and add their creative flare, resulted in a day that felt truly unique!
Their coordination was flawless, and their attention to detail ensured that every moment was picture-perfect!
We felt completely supported throughout the whole process, and their commitment to making our day exceptional truly shone through.
We couldn't be happier with the outcome, and we wholeheartedly recommend Honey Lane to any couple looking for an exciting and stress free wedding planning process!
Honey Lane, we will forever be grateful for creating the most unforgettable wedding,
q:ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
A: A massive thank you to Poppy sourcing the ceremony newspapers, ‘The Newly Wed Post’. Printed on actual news paper, it's a significantly thoughtful detail that I will forever be grateful for. I lost my Grandfather (Poppy) during the wedding planning process, and when he was young, his career was organising and printing newspapers.
My Nanna and Poppy were a huge part of my childhood and this was such a touching moment to include him. Very thoughtful and special, thank you!!
We are so grateful to this gorgeous couple for taking the time to share their experience! We hope it helps you think about your special day, and all the ways that you can make it super meaningful and reflective of you as a couple. Honey Lane are all about personalisation, and bringing YOUR dream wedding to life!
Want more from us? Of course, you do! You can access our services RIGHT HERE!
We are your Northern Beaches wedding planners and stylists located in Balgowlah, on the Northern Beaches.
You can contact us via our website at WWW.HONEYLANE.COM.AU , our Instagram @HONEYLANEEVENTS,
or email us at hello@honeylane.com.au
Full Styling: @honeylaneevents
Venue: @darkhorsevineyard
Dress:@marquisebridal
Florals: @twowildhands
Photographer: jpcreative
Hire :EVENT HIRE SERVICE, BEAVIS PARTY HIRE
Catering: @FENNEL AND CO
Celebrant: @sophie brauer
Stationary & Signage: Maddison Jayne Designs