Stephanie + Charles - Mayfield Vineyard

When Steph and Charles pictured their wedding, they didn’t imagine a single whirlwind day that would be over before it had properly begun. Instead, they dreamed of something slower and more intimate - a few days spent eating, drinking and celebrating alongside the people they love most.

Enter Mayfield Vineyard in Orange. With on-site accommodation, sprawling gardens and a reputation for hosting weddings that are both relaxed and refined, it was the perfect backdrop for a multi-day celebration. From a wine tasting and home-cooked lasagnas the night before, to a ceremony beneath the homestead’s magnolia tree and a recovery back at the vineyard the following day, every moment was a highlight. "Being able to do everything in one place meant we really got to make the most out of our time there", said Steph.

The result? A wedding that felt like a huge departure from traditional, one day affairs and more of a 72 hour, joy-filled celebration.

How did you and Charles meet? We met at a house party in 2011.

Wedding venue: Mayfield Vineyard, Orange.

Wedding vibe: We wanted a very fun, relaxed few days celebrating with our family and friends. That was one of the main reasons we booked Mayfield! We had heard so many wonderful things about the venue and we loved that we could stay for a few days and host all our events on site. The night before the wedding we had a Mayfield wine tasting in the afternoon as everyone arrived and home cooked lasagnas with our family and a few friends staying on site. It was such a special way to start the weekend. We also hosted a recovery back at Mayfield the next day. Being able to do everything in one place meant we really got to make the most out of our time there.

Best wedding planning resources? The WedChat by Wedshed Facebook group was so helpful! The Wedshed team also gave us so many amazing resources to help with the planning. I loved their speech writing course, I was so stuck as to how to structure my speech and found their tips so helpful.

The outfits: Charles: I had my suit made by Remy. I hadn’t heard of them but they came recommended and definitely delivered. I knew I wanted a brown suit, but didn’t know the first thing about getting it made. They made the whole process very easy and fun. Steph: I had my dress custom made by April Lorraine Bridal. April is so talented! Her designs have this timeless, nostalgic elegance that I just love. April also designed my veil which I couldn’t be more obsessed with. It tied everything together and completed the whole look beautifully.

Expectations vs reality: Having your family and friends all together for a few days is unmatched, planning a wedding is a lot of work but when it all comes together it is just the best. The wedding comes and goes so quick though, we wish we could do it all again!

We made sure to celebrate all the little events in the lead up to the wedding too. One of our favourite things we did planning was host both our parents at our home in Bowral. We booked Eilish from The What If Society (our caters) for a tasting of everything we would be eating at the wedding. We also picked up a bottle of each of the Mayfield wines so we could decide together which Mayfield wines to choose for the day. We love all of these memories too.

Best thing you did? We made a last minute decision (day before the wedding) to move the ceremony underneath the beautiful Magnolia tree in the homestead garden. We were so lucky with the weather on our wedding day and weren't expecting it to be so warm. So being under the tree and in the garden was so lovely.

The ceremony was one of our favourites parts of the day. We all had a drink in the garden after the ceremony and after a little while our friend George started playing the bagpipes and everyone followed him across the venue to the School House where we had cocktail hour.

Rapid Fire Questions

Best thing you ate or drank on the day?

The What If Society does the best steak tartare which they served with homemade potato chips and the Mayfield Sparkling Cuvée of course.

Aisle song?

"What a Wonderful World", acoustic cover by Thomas Law.

Ceremony or reception (which won)?

We loved both! Couldn’t choose between them.

Honeymoon destination?

Noosa QLD, our favourite place to holiday.

CREDITS: Photos Jessica Turich // Video Sea of Love // Venue Mayfield Vineyard // Celebrant Alexandra Henderson // Event Planner Wedshed Managed // Florist Farm to Floral // Catering The What If Society // Sound Orange PA Hire // Transport Cooks Buses Orange // Bridal gown April Lorraine Bridal // Hair Parlour O // Makeup Ashleigh Messner // Groom's suit Remy // Stationery Rachel Storey