Adrian and Jason: A Spring Soirée
Adrian and Jason’s spring wedding was a stylish and charming celebration that perfectly embodied their vision. Held at Dark Horse Vineyard, a former polo club transformed into a stunning wedding venue, the atmosphere exuded a blend of refinement and masculinity that reflected the couple’s wedding vision flawlessly.
Photographer Justin Aaron Photography | Venue Dark Horse Vineyard, Hunter Valley, NSW
“…After fighting for Marriage Equality for many years in Australia, I take what it symbolises seriously, and to me, it’s recognising and celebrating the person I plan to spend the rest of my life with. It’s vowing to make our relationship a priority everyday.”
How and when did you meet?
We met through dating app, Tinder
Tell us a little about that first time you met…
Adrian: We caught up for a drink and something to eat in Surry Hills, Sydney. I chose a cool but casual location as to avoid sitting through a fine dining experience with someone I had just met, even though we had been FaceTiming already. From a first smiling glance, we just knew there was an instant spark. It was one of those nights we lost track of time, and conversation flowed with many laughs.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Adrian: Most definitely Jason's smile and energy; when I first opened the door, he was already seated and waiting in anticipation. It was a sigh of relief in my mind.
Jason: Adrian's big blue eyes. They were hypnotising.
Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…
We bought a place in Sydney, which was a special moment for us to start new memories with our family (our two dogs). Apart from that, we've loved travelling together, whether weekends away or to a tropical destination and enjoying our lives as a couple.
What does marriage mean to you?
Adrian: After fighting for Marriage Equality for many years in Australia, I take what it symbolises seriously, and to me, it's recognising and celebrating the person I plan to spend the rest of my life with. It's vowing to make our relationship a priority everyday.
Jason: Finding someone you want to spend the rest of your days with who shares common values and beliefs and aligned future aspirations. Someone who gets your jokes and, as a couple, you can laugh everyday is important.
Who proposed and how?
Adrian: Jason had organised the perfect proposal. We spent a week at Hayman Island. It was actually a windy and rainy day, and Jason was looking a bit edgy, but I dismissed it at the time as he had organised a private helicopter to Whitehaven Beach and gathered he had flight nerves like me. I had never been in a chopper and was terrified, especially in the weather we had. Alas, after the rain settled a bit, up we went to our beach destination. Just as we landed, the clouds parted, and we were left on a deserted beach with Champagne and catered lunch. After enjoying the view, Jason turned to me and got on one knee. He said the most beautiful words, but I had no idea what he was saying - I was a babbling mess. Of course I said yes! When we returned to the island, all staff had been waiting at the helipad cheering, and I then realised they had all been in on the proposal planning.
When did you get married?
It was a spring wedding, October 15th 2022. It was during La Ninia, so it had been flooding everywhere, and it was the only sunny weekend over the whole couple of months. We were so lucky to have a picture-perfect day.
Adrian and Jason’s story continues below ↓
What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
Dark Horse was the first venue we saw in the Hunter Valley, and it was screaming our names. It used to be a Polo club with a vineyard that had been transformed into a beautiful wedding venue with a guesthouse, featuring black caviar barns that gave it a more masculine vibe over other wedding venues we researched. We wanted a Ralph Lauren/ Hamptons feel, and it certainly delivered. Jason was an ex-equestrian rider, so it also had a personal connection to horses.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
The main thing was love. That everyone could feel this in every experience throughout the day. Secondly that it represented us, with many personal touches including our vows. We wanted guests to know that when they entered the grounds that they knew the look and feel was very Adrian + Jason.
Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?
Both of our mums walked us down the aisle which was very special to us. My mum also gave me my Nanna's wedding ring to keep on the day as 'something old'. We also did the usual first dance, Champagne tower and cake-cutting.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Pinterest was our best friend. We pulled together the vision board from there, which really helped communicate to our planners and suppliers. Being from a PR/ events background, I was very particular about colours and the finer details. Many suppliers often commented that my vision was very specific, from wedding party attire down to the hues of the flower arrangements.
How did you choose your suppliers?
Our wedding planner also owns Dark Horse Vineyard, so her team helped provide us with suggestions, but we also did some research of our own including Theodore recommendations. We wanted to support local businesses around the Hunter Valley where we could.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Probably balancing a day job and working with the planners to make decisions. Also getting Jason to jump on Zoom calls to help make decisions as he was extremely busy with work.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Due to COVID we stayed closer to home, so we chose a private island in Fiji, Likuliku resort for a week. It was magnificent. Swimming with turtles from our private villa, eating too much amazing food and just decompressing after a crazy week that was the wedding.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
I would certainly recommend a wedding planner to help if you're time-poor and have the resources. They were especially vital on the day with run sheets and coordination. Also, choose a wedding party that is going to be proactive in helping you plan. Don't be afraid to delegate and assign duties to them when you get overwhelmed. Other than that, try to be flexible and enjoy the process. Not everything is going to run perfectly in lead up and on the day. Once you start the walk down the aisle, it's an absolute blur. At the reception, take your partner and step away from the craziness to look back at guests having fun and celebrating both of you. It's a special moment you'll want to keep in your memories. I'd also advise getting a videographer. Many couples cut that from their budget thinking photography will be suffice, but you'll always appreciate it when you see the end product.
Adrian and Jason’s Team
Venue Dark Horse Vineyard
Photographer Justin Aaron Photography
Videographer Allume Weddings
Cake Dragonfly Cakes
Wedding Planner Honey Lane
Catering Fennel & Co
Celebrant Insignia Ceremonies
Hair Hayley Holmes Hair
Entertainment (DJ/ Singers) Upbeat Social
Tuxedos Hugo Boss | Brent Wilson
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