When a darling duo like this throws a wedding, they don’t just throw a wedding. Nope, they put on a drop-dead gorgeous “Collaborative Wedding,” an affair chock-full of darling DIY details all designed and crafted by an amazing set of friends and family. I’m talking everything from the beautiful florals to the fab paper goods to the yummy cheese wheel cake. And then they set it all against the charming backdrop that is Palmers Hill and fill it with vibrant colors aplenty. In other words, it’s pretty amazing. See it all captured by Kate Ehrenberg in the full gallery.
From Kate Ehrenberg… I am very excited to share with you this seriously gorgeous outdoor wedding, which took place on an amazing homestead property in Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula in Australia. The bride and groom both contributed to the many cute DIY details you can see including the wonderful flowers, letting their own cute style show through. Please see below for some lovely and moving words from the bride, explaining how their wedding came to life.
From the Bride… If you had of asked me in my early 20’s what kind of wedding I wanted I would have said a BIG one! I would have had the bonbonnieres, the big designer dress, the Manolo Blahnik’s – it was the plan.
Fast forward eight years and my mindset had not only changed but had flipped 180 degrees. Maybe it was the seniority of an extra eight years, maybe it was the existentialism brought on by backpacking for six months with only two outfits or maybe it was the innate security felt by a 10-year relationship that continued to flourish dynamically. Whatever it was, I realized that the wedding I wanted came down to three parameters: inclusive, intimate and meaningful.
The house we hired was a beautiful 1940’s homestead in Balnarring on the Peninsula, We didn’t see the house until two days before the wedding! I know this sounds strange but the only day in summer it was available was on our dating anniversary on the 17th of January, I took this as a sign and hired it! I drew inspiration from my love of colour and simple styling so I relied on blogs and events companies such as: Etsy Weddings, Simply Gorgeous Events, Eat, Drink, Chic, Green Wedding Shoes and of COURSE Style Me Pretty. My family stayed with us at the homestead for two days prior to help set up and prepare for the day.
We were entering a life long partnership so that is how our wedding had to be, a partnership. Our wedding was a Collaborative Wedding meaning that everyone invited had a task or a job, from handing out food to flower design, no one was hired and everyone had a part in our special day. The Collaborative Wedding was also amazing help and we felt so blessed to have everyone around supporting us in such a constructive way.
Special details that flourished on the day were the silk ribbon marquee (that we made in 40 degree heat), the cool and hip design of our wedding programs made by our friends, the endless outdoor styling opportunities sourced from the amazing furniture in the house and the array of summer flowers that my parents-in-law picked straight from their garden and delivered the day before! The whole family made their own beautiful flower creations to decorate the garden while I took the best flowers to make my own bouquet and lapels.
Our wedding was held during the day and the caterers (Egg Unlimited) made gorgeous gourmet lunchboxes for everyone. The kids even had their own gorgeous packs with fairy crackles and chocolate milk. My husband made the wedding cake from cheese wheels; he loved this project and even decorated it beautifully with rose buds and muskets. He also was in charge of boutique drinks, the wedding music and the wedding dance. The day before the wedding we were glued to YouTube because he wanted to add a small acrobatics feature to the dance. It was touch and go, but I am happy to report the flip was performed and conquered.
We were also extremely lucky to have our photographer (Kate Ehrenberg) there for the whole day. She captured not only the wedding but also all the small details you go to so much trouble to include however; often go unnoticed in the hubbub. Looking back at the photos they completely capture the feel of the day and bring back life affirming memories of our special celebration. It was a day that started with a simple plan to be inclusive, intimate and meaningful and ended up as exactly that.
Photography: Kate Ehrenberg Photography | Shoes: Verali | Engagement Ring: Tiffany & Co. | Wedding Bands: Keshett | Bridesmaid's Dress: Alannah Hill | Wedding Location: Palmers Hill