I am just loving the feel of this wedding. It’s DIY down to the last detail and it’s the definition of a charming al fresco affair. Not to mention the new Mr & Mrs seems so in love, my heart started to flutter just looking at this dapper duo. It’s no exaggeration that the gallery is just divine because of the talent that is Tigs Macallan Photography, and we can’t thank him enough for making our day that much prettier.
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From the Bride… We searched for the right location for our ceremony for quite a while. We wanted to be married surrounded by a circle of family and friends, rather than having a traditional “stage area”. We fell in love with Cloudehill Gardens in Olinda, and luckily they had an open area that was perfect. The gardens are beautifully manicured with perfect hedges and lovely rose bushes – but even better were the off-beat paths down below the gardens, where most of our photos were taken. Our photographer had us in gumboots, beating our way through bushes and ferns and chasing rays of sunlight. We held our reception outdoors, under the oak trees at Five Oaks Vineyard in Seville. We gathered vintage arm chairs for family; Josh and my dad made some white pallet tables and I made and stuffed cushions for our guests to lounge on. We also hunted for old discarded garden furniture from op shops and family members, and my dad helped us to sand, rebuild and/or repaint them. We brought my own chest of drawers to fill with blankets, knowing that the evening could get chilly. We chose to provide our own tea cups, as we had gathered lots of gorgeous sets from our “High Tea” style engagement party earlier in the summer. We hired festoon lighting from Event Equipment in Collingwood.
We wanted to make sure that our guests felt loved and appreciated, so we made them picnic basket entrees, full of cheeses, jams, chutneys, pickles, figs, fresh fruit and fresh bread. We also wrote each guest a handwritten note, thanking them for joining us and for being special to us. The rest of the night was catered by Essential Catering, who provided delicious food and very friendly, thoughtful service. As Josh is a jazz musician, we were keen to have live music. Our band, The Furbelows, really helped to set the mood of the night. We had seen them perform, under a different name, about a year before the wedding and though it took Josh ages to hunt them down, it was definitely worth having music that reflected us and our vibe. I found it difficult to find a wedding dress that I liked, so I eventually had one made. I chose French lace that was made on the same machines and with the same patterns that they used hundreds of years ago. I chose a small lavender posy rather than a bouquet. After a couple of failed trials I had my makeup done at Napoleon Perdis at Knox Shopping Centre! I found it very comforting to have a young, enthusiastic makeup artist who understood the vibe that I was going for. Josh’s suit was from Arthur Galan, and he his hair was cut and styled at Preen Hair.
Our advice for those wanting to plan their own DIY wedding would be: be over-prepared! And, if possible, throw your own DIY engagement party and see how you cope! After organising our engagement party we were able to see what worked and what didn’t, which was helpful in preparing for the wedding. Finally, ask your friends to help out. It was so fun to have our close friends help us tow trailers full of furniture, climb trees to string lights and have crafternoons together — it was a friend-filled labour of love.
Wedding Photography: Tigs Macallan Photography / Ceremony: Cloudehill Gardens in Olinda, Victoria / Reception: Five Oaks Vineyard in Seville, Victoria / Catering: The Essential Caterer / Band: The Furbelows / Lighting: Event Equipment / Wedding Dress: Custom-Made with Vintage French Lace Purchased at Tyler’s Fabrics / Bride’s Shoes: Tony Bianco / Bride’s Makeup: Napoleon Perdis / Groom’s Suit: Arthur Galan / Groom’s Hair: Cut + Styled at Preen Hair