There’s nothing more divine than being young and in love. Which is why we’re wistfully charmed by Hannah and Dane’s relaxed summer wedding. These pictures from Mark and Kara Photography are just the tip of the iceberg too (you can find the whole gallery here). The cavernous church, beautiful bouquets, the quaint Q Station reception hall, and a whole throng of elated family and friends – this wedding has it all!
From Mark and Kara Photography…Hannah & Dane first met 10 years ago at Christian holiday camp for teens in Canberra in 2004, “we continued to meet each year at the camp and developed a strong friendship on the phone and through MSN – the good old days” says Hannah. “We began a long distance relationship between Canberra and Sydney in 2006, much to the shock of our parents. We would regularly talk on the phone and catch Murrays Buses between NSW and the ACT every month or so, and when we finished high school, Dane moved to Sydney so that we could live near each other”.
Hannah and Dane, both school teachers, continued to date through university, and now at the ages of 23 and 21, have already known each other for a decade. “We’ve known each other for half our lives, growing up together has seen us share many milestones.”
Dane proposed to his childhood sweetheart at sunrise in September 2012, at a lookout on Sydney’s middle harbour. ‘We were looking across the water from the Spit Bride to Manly Beach walk, I really couldn’t understand why we were awake so early until he finally pulled out a ring!”
Hannah and Dane married as soon as their university exams were finalized, keen to start the next chapter of their lives together. They wed at Petersham Baptist Church on December 7 2013, with a ceremony and afternoon tea for 250 guests. This was followed by a reception for 150 guests at Q Station in Manly. “We had drinks and canapes on the wharf followed by dinner, dancing and speeches in the heritage ballroom.” Guests were given homemade rocky road as a bomboniere, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. “It was the same secret recipe that I used to win Dane’s heart in the early days” says Hannah. “We wanted our wedding to be earthy, rustic and natural, so we went for creams, greens and native flowers to tie in with the rustic setting of the Q Station.”
Hannah wore a simple and classic ivory satin gown, deciding to not wear a veil and stay true to their dream of a relaxed wedding day. “I didn’t want a veil or anything over the top, I just wanted Dane to see me as myself.”
The couple spent their honeymoon travelling through the North Island of New Zealand in a camper van called Jane, for nine adventure filled nights!
Photography: Mark And Kara Photography | Wedding Gown: Jennifer Regan | Ceremony Venue: Petersham Baptist Church | Reception: Q Station, Manly