Maddie and Tommy
Location: Greystone Estate, Hunter Valley
Date: 20/04/23
Aesthetic: Boujee, bold and trés chic
Vibe: Emotional, entertaining and FUN
Guests: 100
We love sharing the story of two worlds colliding, tell us about what happened when yours did:
Maddie: It was November 2019, the pre-drinks were going down thick and fast ahead of a music festival and he entered the room. A man with a fantastic moustache and gorgeous eyebrows who was wearing a long sleeve pink top and had a laugh the next suburb could hear… he was funny and captivating… but I paid no further attention to him beyond that group setting as he was NOT A SINGLE LAD. I honestly didn’t think anything more of it. Fast forward to April 2020 and there he was, dinging in my dms coming up with an excuse to talk to me…. it was food related, how easy. The conversation basically never ended, he moved from Melbourne to Newcastle ONE MONTH LATER and here we are… on our way to our first wedding anniversary not even four years since that festival. When you know you know. CUE TEARS.
Tommy: What she said.
What's life like now, how do you spend your spare time?
Maddie: It’s fast and it’s busy and it’s loving and it’s chaos and there’s a lot of chitting and CHATTING and travelling. We’ve been here, there and everywhere since getting married and it’s one hell of a ride. We’re always planning for the next big thing while trying to steal down time where possible. We have a beautiful, crazy almost two-year-old pooch called Goose who warms our hearts and keeps us on our toes. We’ve moved into our dream apartment in Newcastle and love walks by the water and swimming in the ocean. Coffee by the beach is our favourite… and a sneaky ice cream never goes astray. We love wining and dining at all of the amazing restaurants in the Hunter region. My favourite place to be though, is on the lounge cuddled up to Tommy and Goose watching a show or movie that makes us belly laugh.
Tommy: Life is amazing. I’ve never been happier. We have just moved into an apartment in Newcastle and the change of lifestyle for us means regular swims together at Newcastle baths, more walks with our beloved doggo Goose, and still making time to watch our favourite shows together. Moving into Newcastle (from Maryland) has meant we can see our friends more regularly, which has been such a welcome addition to our routine. The act of sharing a meal with friends is something that brings us both great joy.
You had a HUGE party at Greystone Estate, with 100 of your nearest and dearest. Tell us a little more about the overall experience:
Maddie: It was perfect. It rained on our day but it was STILL PERFECT. Our favourite people all in one spot to see us declare our love and share our story in the most lux, romantic, spell binding location… felt like the greatest gift of all time. I will never forget that day… I could not stop smiling. I smile and get teary every time I think about it. Every single stage of the day was THE BEST… from getting ready surrounded by my besties, to getting into THE DRESS, to the nerves and excitement of walking down the aisle, the most INCREDIBLE, UNBEATABLE ceremony I’ve ever heard WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER, to sipping cruisers and champagne while witnessing literal magic, to a grand shared meal, beautiful words from special guests, MY OWN PRIVATE BOO SEEKA CONCERT (GET THE HELL OUT), and an EPIC DANCE FLOOR. It was made possible thanks to our family, friends and the greatest wedding vendors IN ALL OF THE LAND. It was my wildest dreams coming true in front of my eyes. It’s actually quite hard to describe the emotions and the experience… there doesn’t seem to be enough words that do it justice.
Tommy: I just love Greystone for so many reasons. We were able to have our immediate family, bridal party and their partners stay on the property the night before (and the night of) the wedding. The pre-wedding dinner was such a lovely experience – not only being in such a beautiful venue, but being able to take the evening before to share such a huge milestone and soak it up with our nearest and dearest. The venue itself is incomparable in my eyes. From the accommodation, to the architecture, the luxury finishes and of course, the stunning reception venue.
What were you looking for in a venue? How did you choose Greystone over other locations?
Maddie: We wanted boujee and we wanted bulk accommodation – and boy did Greystone deliver. We had our bridal party, closest friends and immediate family staying on site which was so important to us. We wanted as many people as possible to be close and part of the overall experience. The fact we could do literally everything on site was the biggest bonus. We didn’t want to leave the venue and miss ANYTHING. The catered dinner and dance party the night before, getting ready, ceremony, photos, reception ALL OF IT was at the one venue. The actual venue itself is just a stunning backdrop, what more could you want?!
Tommy: We wanted something that had a touch of style – to reflect our vibe / interest etc. A rustic barn probably isn’t something that is up our alley. We did look at a few other venues, but the ability to have all our family and friends stay with us for two nights was the drawcard that made Greystone stand out for me.
What was the main influence behind the style and aesthetic of your wedding day?
Maddie: PINK ON PINK ON PINK, but make it tres chic. It’s no secret Tommy loves pink, which often overshadows the fact that I also love pink. Our family/business colours happen to be black and pink which are very striking and hard to miss, so we wanted a bold look with those colours included in the most luxe, romantic kind of way. We chose different shades of pink for the florals (Ash from the Naked Florist is ELITE and delivered the most spectacular arrangements) and then we had pink menus and gold cutlery on black tablecloths which really popped in the beautiful white function centre. We wanted the style to reflect us as a couple - we’re loud and we laugh a lot and we love to have fun… but we also appreciate the finer things. So somehow we wanted to mash that all together… we just wanted it to be ‘us’.
Tommy: I just love PINK. We both love wearing bright, colourful outfits and really wanted the wedding to be a true reflection of us. I believe that’s what a wedding should be – an accurate reflection of the couple and what they love. We embraced what we wanted and wouldn’t change ANYTHING about the day.
Describe the vibe and how you achieved it:
Maddie: The vibe was deeply emotional and special for me personally… and then it was lit and the most fun EVER. Emotions aside, the wedding as a whole was just FUN FUN FUN FUN and full of surprises. There was entertainment around every corner and something new to see or hear or EAT. It was our people who made it that way - our bridal party, family and friends and our incredible wedding vendors (who were also some of our best friends.) It was achieved because we pulled together the vibe-iest vendors who know their shit and exactly how to create a magical experience for a couple. We just wanted everyone to have a wonderful time and be entertained – and we wanted to enjoy all the things we planned too which is why we had an extended cocktail hour and didn’t leave the venue once.
Tommy: I think, as I wrote previously, we just embraced what we wanted. We didn’t do anything for the sake of it, we didn’t follow any traditional elements if we didn’t want to. We sat down and talked about each of the elements of the day and spoke about why we thought it was important to include the things we did eg. First dance, father daughter dance, cake cutting etc.
Given we worked so hard to make the day a reflection of us as a couple, we were in love with every element of the day. Our guests not only saw the day as a reflection of us too, but how much WE BOTH loved everything, which I believe all contributed to creating an amazing vibe.
What were a few unique things you did to make the experience personal to you and why did you choose them?
Maddie: My wedding dress was pink – this was a surprise for Tommy. I knew his suit was pink and I thought it was fitting that our outfits were on point and unique. There was some stress wondering if the different shades would clash but it turned out perfect.
Different florals for each bridesmaid – this was Ash’s (Naked Florist) idea so I’ll give her full credit. I loved it and I got each of my four bridesmaid’s to close their eyes and pick a bunch. One got pink roses, another had pink hydrangeas etc.
Aisle song – we had one of our beautifully talented friends Bonnie sing a verse and chorus of our aisle song as a surprise for Tommy. She sang the same song to me at our engagement… so we thought we’d return the surprise on our wedding day. Our song is Chasing Fire by Lauv… so Lauv started it off with the acoustic recording, then his singing fades out and the backing music remained… in comes Bonnie with her angelic voice WHAT DO YOU MEAN… she wraps up as I head down the aisle and it fades back to Lauv to finish it off. I get goose bumps every time I watch the video back.
Cruiser hour(s) – instead of cocktails we had cruisers and champagne, our fave beverages. As I mentioned earlier, we extended this part of the day so we could finish the ceremony and soak up all our guests, listen to Dave McCredie who was singing so beautifully and enjoy our magician William!
Wedding Chats – of course. We had our gorgeous friend Sophie help us create an amazing video guest book. She interviewed our guests during cruiser hour(s) and then our friends whipped the camera and mic back out later in the night to capture Wedding Chats: After Dark. Genius. Hilarious. That is all.
Magician – William from Dare2Trick was ESSENTIAL. He is suave and cool and knows his magic. He had us all gasping and wondering how he bloody did those tricks. So fun and a great way to bring different people together.
Choreographed first dance – Tommy took part in Newcastle’s Dancing with the Stars for the Cancer Council a few years ago and he was paired with the lovely Georgia who we hit up to help us with our wedding dance basically as soon as we got engaged. We knew it had to be fun and a little different. We danced to the Miles Teller version of Great Balls of Fire from Top Gun: Maverick. It was one of the most fun elements of the day and I’m so glad we shared that time together at dance lessons – also glad we pulled it off and remembered all the steps!
Boo Seeka – NEED I SAY MORE?! YES BEN WAS THERE AND YES HE SANG FOR US. THREE SONGS. THREE. Including my absolute favourite, but acoustically. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. This was a surprise pulled off by my incredible husband and a group of my best friends... including one who knew what strings to pull to make it happen. I cannot. I still cannot. Go watch the video on my Instagram.
It's hard to pick a favourite moment, but try anyway:
Maddie: BOO SEEKA, our first dace, saying my vows to Tommy and listening to his, dancing with all my favourite people. Sorry that’s not one, but the whole day was my favourite moment.
Tommy: Watching Maddie react to the Boo Seeka surprise was THE BEST!
What drew you to Hungry Hearts Co?
Maddie: Everything. About. Them. It was Loz AND Rhys or nothing for us. We are very lucky to call them two of our best friends these days, but we knew they were the best in the biz before that. We had watched them weave their magic for two other friends and followed along on socials before we got engaged. We thought Loz was the most charismatic, creative angel we’d ever laid eyes on and Rhys is probably the coolest person we know, he is such a calming presence and he knows his stuff to a tee. We desperately wanted the combo of Loz’s talents in storytelling and Rhys’ candid photography from the get go.
Tommy: We had been lucky enough to be friends with Loz and Rhys before we had the pleasure of them being such integral parts of our biggest day. To be honest, their work speaks for itself. When we were organising our wedding we planned our dates around the availability of HHC because we felt like they would provide what we envisioned for our day, and they BLEW US AWAY!
Something Rhys really values is letting things happen naturally and keeping couples relaxed. How did you find being photographed by him?
Maddie: Exactly that. Relaxed. There was no rush. It was just us in the moment. If the vibe wasn’t right to go off and take a few photos, we waited for a better moment. It never felt staged, we were just being ourselves and it actually gave Tommy and I time to take a breath and reflect on how epic the day was going and Rhys was just snapping away as we chatted, took a walk hand in hand and had a few kisses. It was really romantic, actually. Rhys made us feel comfortable and we couldn’t be more grateful that our time with him was one of our favourite moments of the day. We were so so SO lucky to have Khara from House of Lucie as our second shooter too, what an absolute treat for us. WE LOVE HER. Khara was shooting with me in the morning and it allowed Rhys to spend time with Tommy before the ceremony. It was so perfect. They’re both so talented at what they do and I burst with happiness every time I think about the fact we had them both capturing our day.
Tommy: The way Rhys makes you feel calm is what I love. I never feel stressed when I’m around him and that’s definitely something I was very grateful for on the wedding day. I love that our photos are all so emotive from the ceremony. Our portrait photos were so fun – Maddie and I were literally just walking around the property, holding hands and talking and Rhys worked his magic and captured the most beautiful shots without making us pose super awkwardly. His photos are some of our most treasured items from our wedding day.
Lozzy told your story, tell us about the ceremony experience!
Maddie: HOLY MOLY this girl can tell a story. We feel so lucky she told ours, it was so special. She takes you for a ride where you’re laughing and crying and you just never want it to end. She captures you perfectly, she just gets it and delivers it without fault. I could have listened to her all day and night. I felt like my heart could have burst hearing our guests laugh and cry with us at what she was saying. There is magic and then there is Loz, who is in a league of her own. There is no one else in the world I would have wanted to do that for us. Watching the ceremony on video made me feel like I was there again, feeling every single emotion I did on the day. To be transported to so many places emotionally during one ceremony is incredible.
Tommy: I have never been to a wedding and seen a celebrant so full of life and enthusiasm the way Loz is. She has a command over the English language that is second to none and she will not only have your audience entertained for the ENTIRE ceremony, but the way she re-told our story of love is something truly magical. We regularly watch our ceremony video back just to re-live the way Loz told our story. She was amazing!
You got a hold of the ‘How to Vow’ guide, did you find it useful?
Maddie: It was the most helpful document I read before the wedding. I had no idea where to start or how to finish until I read Lozzy’s guide. Like how long are vows meant to go for?? How do I express myself to the love of my life in the perfect way? I had been jotting down dot points of things I’d like to include ever since we got engaged, but how to eloquently turn them into vows had me stumped until I read this guide. There are so many ways you can write/say your vows and Lozzy tells you about them all so you can choose the best way for you. I couldn’t recommend it more.
Tommy: I was quite nervous before writing my vows because I was just so unsure where to begin, how to structure them, what exactly to say etc. How do you sum up all the ways in which you love your partner in 3-4 minutes? The guide was a huge help. It didn’t tell me what to write, or make me feel things I didn’t already, but it gave some tips and examples of vows and exactly how to structure them. There are many different types of vows to write – long, short, funny, emotional etc. and the way the guide shows SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES it just gets your brain flowing and thinking in a creative way.
Was there anything that happened on your wedding day that took you by surprise?
Maddie: Obviously Boo Seeka was THE BIGGEST SURPRISE EVER! In terms of wedding logistics though… it rained despite it being sunny and gorgeous the day before and after our wedding – hilarious - BUT we were prepared and had undercover options. It wasn’t super heavy rain and it slightly pulled back to let us walk down the aisle and get some beautiful photos without getting saturated so it wasn’t a big problem.
I was surprised that it didn’t flash before my eyes and finish all of a sudden like a lot of people say it can. I was really present in every moment of the day and I felt like I soaked it all up. I wasn’t rushed around at any point and Tommy and I took moments together to clock how we were feeling and acknowledge how unbelievable the day was. That was really special.
Tommy: Not really. Working in the wedding industry I knew what to expect and how the day was going to play out.
Was there any advice you got prior to your wedding day that changed the game for you?
Maddie: Make the day reflect you as a couple, don’t listen to what other people want or what you think it should be. Throw out any tradition that doesn’t resonate with you. If you want a pink wedding dress, do it. If you want cruisers instead of cocktails, do it. If you want to choreograph a fun first dance to your favourite rap song, do it and if you want a magician to entertain your guests THEN BOOK WILLIAM FROM DARE2TRICK RIGHT NOW. Also, if you don’t want to spend hours taking photos away from your guests as soon as you get married, don’t. We planned our day around maximising our and our guests’ experience, so as soon as we got married we were among them having drinks and chats. We didn’t wander off for photos until we’d had a good couple of hours mingling, listening to Dave McCredie’s gorgeous voice, sampling our grazing board from Sharp and Co and witnessing a lot of magic.
Tommy: I’m not sure who said it, and it’s super basic, but just to soak it all in. There were times during the morning when I found myself alone, staring into the distance, smiling, and just appreciating everything that I was surround by and what was about to take place.
What’s a piece of advice you would give to couples planning their wedding now?
Maddie: Get in early if you want the ultimate A team of vendors. Tell them as early as humanly possible because they are the ones who really make the day what it is. We picked our wedding date based on Hungry Hearts’ availability (no joke, Loz had 3 options for us and we picked from those) and we were quick to check in with other vendors so we didn’t miss out. Also, don’t forget the day is about you two and no one else. Do what YOU want and lean on your vendors for advice on what’s going to work and what’s not. They know their shit.
Tommy: Just do it your way. If something isn’t resonating with you, or you feel like you’re only doing it because of ‘tradition’ and you don’t feel like it’s an accurate representation of you as a couple, ditch it and DO WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY!
Vendors
Couple - maddie and tommy
Venue - Greystone estate
Photographer - Rhys from hungry hearts co
Celebrant - Loz from Hungry hearts co
Videography - johnny and elliot from morelife films
video guestbook - wedding chats
florist - the naked florist
content creator - modern day romance
Dj - silent shout
aucoustic - dan mccredie
Suprise set - boo seeka
stylist - letter press events
hair and mua - the boys studio, mbl bride
cake - spodeli
Goose sitter - kare kanine
signs & menus - Ink and snow