Misty Mount Donna Buang Elopement
We are really excited to share this beautiful and misty Mount Donna Buang Elopement with you. Adelle & Brendan tied the knot in a fairytale setting, amongst trees and mist on the top of a mountain in Victoria. It doesn’t look or get any better than this, but it wasn’t their original plan.
Emotions and Math did the photography and video for this gorgeous mountain elopement in Victoria.
Adelle & Brendan had originally planned a much bigger wedding at Heide Museum of Modern Art, with about 100 guests. But COVID hit! And then a week before the wedding the tough government restrictions of 5 people only at a wedding came in to place. This meant it could only be the wedding couple, a celebrant and two witnesses. And the witnesses, in this case, were their photographer & videographer.
“Our wedding date the 4th of April was actually the date of our first date. It felt very significant to us and sentimental and with everything being unknown as to when we could have the wedding we had planned, we decided it was important to both of us to go ahead and get married. I’d always joked about wanting to elope so I guess I got my wish. We still plan to have a big celebration with our family and friends hopefully next year.”
How this love story began…
“We met in first year uni, Brenden when to uni with my cousin and we all got a summer job together. I was only there for a month or 2 and we didn’t see each other again until my cousins 21’s a few years later.”
These five-person government restrictions with weddings are particularly tough for family members who may have wanted to be there. So they could either choose to postpone the wedding altogether and start their new life together when this pandemic finally finishes. Or they could elope now with just their two witnesses.
“After a very hard conversation, we chose not to have any family as our witness but have our photographer and videographer there so we could share it with everyone after. Luckily my parents and all our siblings understood but my mother in law was a little upset and hoped we would have both mother’s there at least but we couldn’t have our dads there as well. Both our parents decided to drive up to our Airbnb in Warburton to have a glass of champagne later that day which was really sweet.”
The Elopement Location
When deciding on a place to elope, couples need to think about the sort of environment and location that they want. So choose a location that has some personal meaning to you or a place that has the type of scenery that you love.
Mount Donna Buang was the location for this stunning elopement. Mount Donna Buang is a mountain in Victoria, on the southern part of the Victorian Alps and is part of the Great Dividing Range. It is located about eighty kilometres from the Melbourne CBD and it overlooks the town of Warburton.
It’s part of the Yarra Ranges National Park and it is a popular location all year round. Especially with families as there are barbeques, toilets, bush walks and a 21-metre high lookout tower. In Winter, when there is snowfall, there are free snow play areas and toboggan runs.
“Mount Donna Buang was where we got engaged. Our celebrant Jam suggested it when we were debating where. We ended up having the ceremony at the exact spot we got engaged at.”
The Wedding Ceremony
On a romantic, cold and slightly wet day, Adelle & Brendan said their vows to each other. Here is what they said about the ceremony.
“We both wrote our own vows and Jam had written a beautiful ceremony intended for all our guests but we decided to just have a slightly altered version for the elopement. When we arrived up on the mountain it was very cold and Jam was waiting in the shelter for us to sign the initial documents. Then we set off to a spot amongst the trees when the rain stopped for a bit. Brenden and Jam were throwing around the rose petals we have for our intended ceremony. It was freezing and raining but it didn’t matter, it ended up being so special just saying our vows just us. Once we were done it was a quick rush back to the shelter for warmth and to sign the marriage licence.”
Adelle was a little upset that they couldn’t have their bridal party there on the day. So Brenden secretly arranged for them to put on their suits and dresses and sent the photos of them all celebrating.
“Which was so sweet, we couldn’t do zoom as we were on top of a mountain so it was a really lovely surprise.”
Eloping ended up being really sweet and sentimental. They rented an Airbnb and just drank champagne by the fire together the night before and got to enjoy the whole morning together.
“We wouldn’t of got to have that time together had we had the big wedding.”
Advice & Tips from a wedding photographer
If you want the best tips on having an elopement here, it’s best to ask the photographer who actually photographed it. This is what Isla from Emotions and Math said:
“Mount Donna Buang really is a great place to visit all year round! The drive up to the lookout area is quite scenic, paved with tree-ferns lining the way.
Accessible by car & bike with good parking and public amenities including bbq facility, which is a big selling point for those planning a small wedding or elopement.
My couple Adelle & Brendan found this little gem for their getting ready just 20 minutes away from the lookout where they shared their vows.
If you have time, after the wedding, you can also drive up to the nearby Redwood Forest (one of the best-kept photography secrets in Victoria) for your portraits.”
And here are some final thoughts from Adelle & Brendan about their elopement.
“Our elopement was a last minute decision when our plans were forced to change but I wouldn’t do it any different. It certainly would have been a lot less stressful to elope from the beginning but I think the biggest thing for us was to be flexible and just focus on the things that really mattered to us.”
This elopement also shows that a little rain on your elopement or wedding day is not necessarily a bad thing. Embrace the weather. Adelle & Brendan wouldn’t have got such beautiful, romantic and fairytale-like photos if the weather had been hot and sunny.
This Mount Donna elopement is some great inspiration for couples who are looking to keep their wedding day simple and stressfree. You get an amazing experience and absolutely stunning photos. Go to a place that has a significant meaning to you or just choose a beautiful location.
Check out the vendors involved in this elopement:
Photographer and videographer – Emotions and Math
Celebrant – Celebrant Jam
Florists – State of Nature
Grooms suit – Oscar Hunt
Wedding rings – Sens Jewelry
Dress – Dressmaker Heidi Cann (no website) fabric from Silk world and Tyler’s fabric.
Hairpiece – Ashlee Lauren Design
Shawl – Unreal Fur
Earrings – borrowed from mother in law.
