“As a completely clueless bride-to-be, I’m excited to be getting married but don’t get all the hype/drama/must haves etc. that many brides can find themselves caught up in. “
Kate & Rohan - Glen Ewin Estate
Ada & Leigh - Longview Vineyard
When a couple has been together for around 5+ years, I call their wedding an "at last" celebration. There is definitely a more chilled atmosphere at the ceremonies of long-term couples and their guests are also especially buoyant and almost cheeky.
For Leigh and Ada, who were married in February over 8 years into their relationship, there were all of these feelings and so much more.
With family and friends who had travelled from London and all around Australia literally cheering them on, the Bride and Groom laughed and cried their way through their ceremony in the glorious sunshine on the Longview Vineyard lawn.
Ada's dress was incredible, Lana and Hannah's white non-matching dresses were so classy, the flowers were gorgeous and I also loved that they both wrote their own vows and kept them a secret from each other until the day.
These pics are by the ever delightful Kerry Rose Photography.
Enjoy!
Kelly & Tysen - Howard Vineyard
Tysen and Kelly's ceremony is a great example of what can be achieved when there is trust and consistent and open communication. Right from our first meeting around 13 months before the big day, they knew what they wanted and better still, told me all about it.
The vision was a warm and intimate, pared-back, but still elegant celebration inclusive of their best friends and family. Kelly's skills as a graphic designer were going to be at the core of the fresh and romantic aesthetic.
Maddie & Matt at Golding Wines
The weather was near perfect, the scene set with modern decor and lush floral arrangements and Maddie and Matt's nearest and dearest had travelled from far and wide and were in a party mood. When you plan your wedding, this is the dream.
I felt so privileged to create and conduct Mr & Mrs Wigg's marriage ceremony and felt that their gracious and inclusive nature shone through in the many thanks, tributes and acknowledgements to their family, friends and bridal party. There were smiles and a fair few chuckles too, like when Matt promised to cheer on the Swans when they aren't playing the Crows 'to infinity and beyond'.
But when Maddie's good friend, Jess came forward to read a traditional Irish Wedding Blessing, a favourite of Maddie's late Nana Joan, most guests were a little misty-eyed.
Matt and Maddie's incredible supplier list included some of my absolute favourite Adelaide wedding professionals including the incredible floral artistry of Sam Burnell from Fabulous Functions and Luke Simon Photography, who kindly supplied these divine photos.
Stephanie and Nathan - Relaxed Winery Wedding
Nathan and Stephanie wanted to make sure that their family was made to feel welcomed and appreciated on their wedding day, so we added a few personal touches to their ceremony that acknowledged the people they love the most.
Stephanie's (90-something year old) Gran was invited up to read Corinthians chapter 13 verses 1 to 13 and both of their Mums were honoured with the presentation of a single rose; Nathan giving his rose to Steph's Mum and vice versa.
These beautiful photos are courtesy of Gianna from Gpix Photo.
Jenna and Brent - A Bohemian Affair
Jenna and Brent first met in high school over 10.5 years ago. And even though they were always close, nothing ever happened between them.
Their wedding at Longview Vineyard, captured beautifully by Ellen Heather Photography, was warm and relaxed and their decor featured lashings of deep red accents, oriental rugs and unstructured florals. Their bridal party entourage was as cool as they were well dressed and the atmosphere was simply a laid back celebration of love and life.
Nicole and Hung - rustic elegant winery wedding
Nicole and Hung first met over 10 years ago when they worked as ushers at Greater Union Cinemas in Arndale.
They were grateful to be given the tedious task of cleaning out the cinema rubbish bins one night because it gave them the opportunity to talk and find out a little more about each other.
Their hopes for the future are quite simply to raise an army of sausage dogs and to grow old and wrinkly together.
Photos by Luke Simon Photography.
Festival of fun - Kat & Matt
After almost 8 years as a celebrant in Adelaide, it's rare that I get the chance to visit a new wedding venue. But when Kat and Matt first met with me and told me about their ideas for an outdoor extravaganza of activities and dancing at The Oaks in Hahndorf (2202 Mt Barker Road), I was excited to check it out.
It's a beautiful, undulating property with lots of trees, a little stream and several open grassed spaces for marquees. The owners are lovely and accommodating too which just added even more ease and goodwill into Kat and Matt's unconventional celebration. I mean, the confetti cannon fist bump when Matt collected Kat from the top of the aisle was just the beginning!
I could try describing their wedding to you, let alone the beautiful and generous people they are, but I think these shots by Akil Madan Photography do the job so much better than I ever could. Congratulations again, Kat and Matt ox.
Enjoy!
South Australian Winery Weddings
Some of the most visually stunning and relaxed wedding ceremonies that I have had the pleasure of officiating have been held in South Australia’s world-class winery venues.
South Australia boasts seven spectacular wine regions and hundreds of wineries, many of which include restaurants and function facilities purpose-built to cater for both intimate elopements and grand-scale, luxury wedding celebrations.
Jess and Ruby from Longview Vineyard
Jess and Ruby run the weddings at Longview Vineyard like a well-oiled machine. They are responsive yet measured and always very organised. But this is not to say they take a 'one size fits all' approach. To the contrary; the celebrations that I have been a part of at Longview are among the most unique and creative I've seen.So I was happy to have the chance to sit down with the girls over a hot chocolate at Chocolateria San Churro to chat about how they translate their couple's ideas into reality and how your wedding planning needn't be a stressful or overwhelming experience.