Inside Melbourne-based designer Meg Paine’s dreamy Scrub Hill wedding
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Caity AND Duncan
AS TOLD TO DAISY HENRY
“It felt intimate but also inclusive. Our guests were amazing and brought the best energy to our day.”
Here at Fashion Journal, we make no secret of our love of weddings. We’re suckers for a bit of romance and have a soft spot for weddings that do things differently, whether it’s a Las Vegas elopement, a tropical getaway or a Town Hall celebration.
When designer, Meg Paine, first realised that she liked her now-husband, Joe, she made him a mix tape called Girl Tunes. “[I] drunkenly admitted it while he was away on tour in Melbourne,” she reflects. They started dating shortly after and have been together for over ten years. After moving from Byron Bay down to Melbourne, Joe proposed at Jan Juc Beach. “I was completely surprised and in awe of his bravery – I don’t think I could keep a secret for so long.”
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Finding the right venue proved to be the hardest part of planning their wedding. After being knocked back by several Melbourne venues for having too few guest numbers, they came across Scrub Hill. Nestled between Daylesford and Ballarat, the venue sits across two acres of sprawling countryside, fit with a rose-lined driveway. They started their celebration with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony and had a decadent white buttercream cake with cherries from Mali Bakes.
“Figuring out what my personal style was as a bride was such a fun challenge,” Megs says of her wedding dress. She found herself drawn to Sandy Liang and Vivienne Westwood-inspired pieces, so opted for a modern-romantic-inspired silhouette. She ended up finding her dress within the hour and had it custom-tailored to include bell sleeves and a silk scarf.
Fashion Journal: Hi Meg! How did you meet Joe and how did the proposal happen?
Meg: We met in Brisbane at a house show in Tarragindi. We knew of each other online and ran in the same groups. Over a year and a half, we became closer and spoke more over text and at shows. When I realised I liked Joe, I made him a mixed CD called Girl Tunes and drunkenly admitted it while he was away on tour in Melbourne. We started dating in the summer of 2013/2014 and in 2015 I moved to Byron to live with him.
After moving down to Melbourne and enduring the many years of the pandemic and life changes for the both of us, Joe proposed to me at Jan Juc Beach at the start of our birthday weekend. I was completely surprised and in awe of his bravery – I don’t think I could keep a secret for so long!
What venue did you choose for your wedding and why?
Finding a venue was one of the most difficult parts of planning the wedding for us. Being from the Byron hinterland, we always pictured an outdoor wedding with lots of lush greenery. We got knocked back by a few venues in Melbourne due to having smaller numbers (a lot of venues won’t let you past the enquiry phase if you have less than 150 guests). We were about to sign and settle for a smaller indoor chapel in the inner north of Melbourne but after many desperate and obscure Google searches, we found Scrub Hill.
Scrub Hill is located in Newlyn, between Daylesford and Ballarat and it was exactly what we had pictured. We loved it first and foremost because it was so picturesque and beyond our wildest dreams. We fell in love with it the moment we drove down the rose hedge-lined driveway. It served functionally as it was outdoors but it also had indoor options to account for Melbourne weather in their beautiful Chapel and Sunday School. We also loved that we could host the ceremony and reception at the same place.
How many guests did you have?
We had 60 guests all up. We never pictured having a big wedding as we both wanted to keep it quite intimate and special. 60 ended up being the perfect amount of people in the end! It felt intimate but also inclusive. Our guests were amazing and brought the best energy to our day.
Where was your outfit from and what was the process of sourcing it like?
Figuring out what my personal style was as a bride was such a fun challenge. Before looking in any boutiques, I made a Pinterest board and saved any dresses and photos of brides I loved. After doing this for a while I realised I had very expensive taste! I kept being drawn to Sandy Liang and Vivienne Westwood pieces. Once I had an idea of the style (modern romantic), I went searching for bridal houses and designers who had similar silhouettes to those I’d been drawn to.
I picked four bridal boutiques (I kept the choices to a minimum to avoid feeling overwhelmed) and invited my mum and bridesmaids to go dress shopping over a weekend. Our first stop was Twelve South Bridal and I found the dress within an hour.
Olivia at Twelve South Bridal was such a dream to work with and had a real eye for design. I loved the look of a bell sleeve on one dress and I really wanted a silk scarf. She encouraged me to look into having certain elements tailor-made to add to the dress as I deliberated between dresses and certain design elements. They were able to recommend a tailor near me and it was a really great way to personalise my outfit on the day and make it my own.
My dress, with the sleeve and scarf editions, was actually really close to one of the first photos I’d seen and saved without realising, so in hindsight, I say you should definitely follow your gut.
My shoes were from Double Standard NYC, my earrings were from Cleopatra’s Bling, my veil was from Riva Bridal and my nails were press-on made by my bridesmaid and amazing and talented best friend, Riri.
What about Joe’s outfit?
The vision for Joe’s outfit was always to go for a classic tailored tuxedo. He had his mind made up very firmly from the beginning. His tux was tailor-made at Institchu in the CBD. It was a super-streamlined process. The initial consult involved choosing fabric, colours, details and designs. The second appointment was taking Joe’s measurements using a toile suit and the third was trying on and taking it home.
In terms of beauty, tell us about the look you went for on the day.
I hired Jasmine Little for my hair and Yanu for my makeup. A few months out, I cut a bob to really commit to the classic and romantic vibe and knew I wanted a little flick on the day. I shared a photo and let them work their magic!
When I showed my inspiration, both Yanu and Jasmine expressed how glad they were not doing something traditional. That made me a little nervous in the lead-up because I didn’t know if it would all come together. Alas, I put all my trust in them and they absolutely killed it. Unintentionally, the overall look felt a little bit ’60s-inspired without being too on the nose.
What did you do to celebrate after the ceremony?
We had the reception in the gorgeous marquee at Scrub Hill after the ceremony. We spent the night eating delicious food, drinking, dancing and enjoying the company of our family and friends.
What kind of food and entertainment did you have on the day?
We started the evening with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony held by Troy Firebrace and Djaara. Our incredible celebrant – Celebrant Jam – did the most beautiful job of setting the energy of the night. She told our story so beautifully and made the ceremony really interactive and fun. We wanted to make sure each of our close family members had a special role on the night and we had Joe’s sister, Olivia, MC.
To cap off the night, our wonderful friend Nick supplied the tunes for the dance floor. Nick is typically a club DJ but was kind enough to lend his services for the night and the vibes couldn’t have been better.
How did you choose the cake?
Our cake was made by Mali Bakes. We wanted something super cute and romantic, and what’s more romantic than an over-piped cake? We kept the balance by keeping it classic with white buttercream, cherries on top and black piping reading ‘til death’ because we’re both Scorpios and we’re intense like that. We’re still eating it from the freezer to this day… it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Tell us about the photography. How did you capture the event?
Probably one of the most important things for us was to choose the right photographer for the day. Having shot weddings ourselves we understood that these people are going to be by your side all day, so having the right team who are going to make you feel relaxed and comfortable is crucial. We also wanted someone who could shoot both digital and film for a bit of a nostalgic and romantic element.
Our wedding was captured by super talented couple Caity and Duncan. They shot both photos and videos for our day and were an absolute dream to work with. Their style is very timeless, candid and nostalgic with a modern twist.
Keep up with Meg here.
