When I was invited back by Wedding Services Melbourne to do hair and makeup for another styled shoot, I of course jumped at the opportunity. I was super excited when the location was revealed. Avalon Castle in Cockatoo, Victoria.

Who knew a Castle only an hour or so from Melbourne’s CBD even existed.

As I was driving through the beautiful hills of Emerald into Cockatoo, I knew it was going to be a great day. The sun was shining and I was working at a Castle (like who does that!!) with other amazing wedding suppliers.

The estate Avalon Castle is situated on is just breathtaking. It truly was a Castle, tucked away in Melbourne’s beautiful South East. The Castle boasts medieval styled architecture, a chapel with stained glass windows, grassed tiered outdoor amphitheatre, luxurious dining area, and stunning accommodation for the bride and groom.

I worked with some familiar faces again, and also a few new ones. Everyone on the shoot was so friendly and down to earth and having the upmost professionalism and dedication to their craft.

Location | Avalon Castle

Hair + Makeup | Ava Jane Hair & Makeup Artistry

Photography | Amanda Kilbourn Photography

Dress | Thafnis Dress Making & Alterations

Shoot Organiser | Wedding Services Melbourne

DJ | Matt Jefferies Entertainment

Jewellery | Valerene Bespoke Jewellery

Flowers | Floral by Design

Videography | Post Film Productions

Cake | Langfords Patisserie

Celebrant | Sharon Kershaw – Civil Celebrant

A few highlights on the day were seeing our stunning faux bride emerging in her handmade princess gown by Thafnis Dress Making. Also to our event organiser Matt Jefferies of Wedding Services Melbourne who bought along a dry ice machine. Watching the smoke pour from the machine onto the dance floor, surrounding our bride and groom was mesmerising.

For this shoot I kept the makeup natural, fresh and glowing, bringing out all of our models best features. Our beautiful bride Nola has the most amazing skin, so why cover that up! We used soft purple and grey tones on her eyes and a one of my favourite lip colours MAC Viva Glam V. For Nola’s hair, I curled it all first to create body and texture. Then it was put up into an elegant chignon, allowing the backless gown to shine. One of the products I used in Nola’s hair was Batiste Oomph My Locks XXL Volume Spray. It adds volume to limp hair and creates a gritty texture on the hair shaft, allowing you to create beautiful full styles.

A huge thank you to Matt once again for organising such an amazing day, and an extra special thank you to Amanda Kilbourn Photography. The amount of work Amanda puts into each and every photo is amazing. It’s always exiting receiving a file filled with stunning photos.