A proposal overlooking the Riviera
Some proposals feel like they belong in a movie – sun-drenched coastlines, lifelong friends, and a moment you’ll replay forever.
Natasha and Tristan’s began during the trip of a lifetime.
“After many years of saving up and planning, in 2023 Tristan and I were lucky enough to take a 6-month sabbatical from our jobs and spent that time travelling around Europe, North Africa and the Middle-East.”
Joined by close friends for part of the journey, the couple found themselves on the French Riviera after a long, sun-soaked day exploring Monaco. Tristan had one last stop in mind – a quiet lookout above Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
“When posing together for a photo, I felt Tristan fidgeting around, and my best friends had tears in their eyes. I turned to Tristan, and he was down on one knee!”
“The proposal was so beautiful, in such a stunning place surrounded by our best friends, and we still had months left of travelling to celebrate together.”
Finding a little piece of Europe at home
Once engaged, the first, and biggest, decision was the venue.
“The first and longest part of our planning process was choosing a venue.”
They spent months researching spaces across Victoria, searching for somewhere that reflected the romance of their travels – beautiful gardens, a European feel, and the ease of hosting both ceremony and reception in one location. With a large guest list and a post-holiday budget to consider, practicality mattered just as much as atmosphere.
Rippon Lea Estate quickly rose to the top.
“We chose Rippon Lea Estate for our ceremony and wedding venue as it ticked all of the boxes for us. Such stunning gardens and grounds, a beautiful vintage ballroom, affordability, amazing inclusions for the price per head, very friendly and helpful staff, easy for guests to get to while being out of the hustle and bustle of the city.”
From the sweeping lawns to the historic mansion, it simply felt right.
Classic, elegant and timeless
When it came to styling, Natasha leaned into inspiration boards and real weddings online.
“We spent a lot of time on Instagram and Pinterest looking at photos from other weddings and wedding stylists, getting inspiration from other people’s weddings to see what we liked and could realistically afford to integrate into our own special day.”
Originally drawn to baby blue tones, the palette evolved to better suit Rippon Lea’s warm autumn surrounds and their black-tie dress code.
“In the end, and given our black-tie dress code, my bridesmaids wore classic black, we kept our florals to a white, cream and green colour palette and our stationery to gold and white.”
Florals were shared between Bouquet Melbourne and Flouer Gardn, while Natasha’s maid of honour Emma designed their vintage-inspired stationery, complete with a custom illustration of the mansion.
Finding the dress, however, was the most emotional moment of all.
“My wedding dress is called ‘Phoebe’ by Jack Sullivan.”
“I did have a tear or two when I finally tried the dress on and knew it was the one!”
Moments they’ll never forget
From the ceremony to the final dance, the day unfolded exactly as they had hoped – relaxed, heartfelt and full of meaning.
“There were so many amazing moments from our day and it honestly couldn’t have been more perfect!”
Their ceremony was officiated by someone especially close to them, making the moment deeply personal.
“Our ceremony was officiated by my maid of honour’s mother, and it was so special to have someone we know and love conduct our ceremony and officially marry us.”
Natasha also wore her mum’s ivory and pearl veil from 30 years ago – a dramatic chapel-length piece that tied generations together.
One of their favourite memories came quietly, just the two of them.
“While shooting our portraits, our videographer played our first dance song for us, and we got to practice one final time in private and while wearing my dress before getting to dance later in front of all our family and friends, after telling a little white lie that we ‘weren’t doing a choreographed first dance!’”
From speeches to a homemade cake baked by Tristan’s mum, every detail felt personal and full of love.
A menu and team worth celebrating
Food played a big role in the planning process, and the tasting experience helped everything come together.
“We attended the Showtime tasting night up in Melbourne. This was such a fun and cleverly designed event to attend and meet a bunch of other couples, have a chat with our wedding coordinator and to try a variety of the food and beverage options from the menu!”
It became more than simply selecting dishes – it was one of the first moments the day truly started to feel real.
Beyond the menu, Natasha and Tristan carefully chose suppliers they trusted, from their florists and stylists to their hair, makeup and videography team, each helping bring the celebration to life behind the scenes. With everything taken care of, they were free to relax, soak it in, and simply enjoy being present with their family and friends.
Love in reflection: Advice from the happy couple
Looking back, Natasha’s biggest piece of advice is preparation – giving yourself the space to truly enjoy the day.
“Plan absolutely everything you can as far in advance as possible so that in the close lead up to your day, and on your day, you’re note stressing over any last minute decisions or organisation. Have a well-planned timeline for your wedding day and delegate jobs to your bridal party and family in advance. Make sure all of the important people (mainly vendors and bridal party) know what’s going on at what time – I found this really relieved a lot of stress so we could just enjoy the day. While you are the hosts of your own wedding, you are also the guests of honour so you want to make sure you can spend as much time as possible soaking it all in.”
And for couples just starting their planning journey?
“Talk to your fiancé about your budget, set a rough estimate and decide on your non-negotiables. Its no secret that weddings can be really expensive and some things may have a different price tag than you expected, but its important that you set your boundaries early and make decisions together.”
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