Inside Ashlee and Matt’s Olinda Yarra Estate wedding

Ashlee and Matt’s rustic Olinda Yarra Estate wedding featured miniature ponies, a Mr Whippy van, and sunflowers aplenty.

Treating their 50 guests to a relaxed and intimate country celebration motivated Ashlee and Matt in the planning of their Olinda Yarra Estate wedding.

Smitten since a meet-cute facilitated by mutual friends, Matt proposed to Ashlee at home using her late Nanna’s sapphire and diamond ring… with the help of their dog Barney dressed up in a big, pink bow! It was with that relaxed and authentic brand of romance that the couple knew they wanted to celebrate their November 1, 2021 wedding. Olinda Yarra Estate in Yering Victoria was the ideal choice for a laidback wedding venue that delivered picturesque country views.

With the guidance of wedding planner Vanessa Recchia of Valure Events, Ashlee and Matt brought their vision to life. “We never pictured a three-course-menu-sit-down type wedding,” explains Ashlee. “We always imagined pizza, Mr Whippy, and hanging out with our mates— and that’s exactly what we got!”

After a romantic first look, Ashley and Matt exchanged vows in the old barn, as their friends and family looked on from the red velvet pews. Belinda Letts of Wedding Belle officiated the ceremony with her signature warmth and down-to-earth charm. Sunflowers were a vibrant and poignant motif, with Ashlee’s bouquet holding a sunflower locket with the image of one of her best friends who passed away in 2020.

Exploring the property, Ashlee and Matt made friends with miniature ponies and jumped fences for photo opportunities at golden hour. A gleeful sense of adventure imbues the photos in their first hours as husband and wife.

The wedding reception was exactly as the couple had envisioned, with piping-hot woodfired pizzas and a Mr Whippy ice cream truck. Ashlee and Matt jumped aboard, serving up icy sweet treats as photographer Kelly Hoinville snapped some gorgeous pictures. Illuminated by the fairy lights strung through the garden, Ashlee and Matt sang and danced the night away to DJ Masters, in the warm evening air.

We immediately clicked with Shelley from Olinda Yarra Estate. The warmth, passion, and love that she has put into the venue really shows. We wanted somewhere that let us have creative control, but also had a lot of the bones already in place. We only added a some florals, antique rugs and other bits and pieces— the rest was already there!

Ashlee & Matt

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This romantic and rustic wedding at Olinda Yarra Estate, Yarra Valley was captured beautifully by Kelly Hoinville Photography.

Ashlee and Matt's Olinda Yarra Estate Wedding Photographed by Kelly Hoinville

“From our very first meeting Belle made us feel comfortable, relaxed and we knew immediately we had made the best decision to have her as our celebrant.”

Belle’s love of love meant that she quickly became invested in us and our story. We are grateful for the time and effort that Belle put into writing her speech – it made it feel just like having a friend marry you. Belle’s constant support, guidance and incredibly positive attitude through not just a wedding, but navigating a COVID postponement made what was a stressful situation so much easier on us both.