Whatever style of shindig you’re planning, this romantic Australian bush wedding is one not to miss! Lucy and Mat’s gorgeous day is stylish, fun and full of surprises from start to finish – think designer gowns, a tree house whiskey bar, blazing bonfire, dancing under the stars and late night doughnut caravan to name a few.
The Planning Experience
“It was mostly enjoyable – the last weeks leading up to the wedding became more stressful but everything came together in the end. My favourite part of the planning was choosing mine and my bridesmaids’ dresses. It was also lots of fun going to see the groomsmen and Mat’s choices in suits as they had a personal shopper at Topman.”
Most Important
“We wanted to make sure we had amazing food and lots of booze on the day. Supper Road did not disappoint with the food and we had plenty of drinks to go around. We also wanted to make sure everyone had a great time and got up to dance and mingle.”
Finding The Dress
“I wore a dress by Anna Campbell – a bohemian inspired collection that really complimented our style of wedding. I had been looking at Anna Campbell dresses before Mat had even proposed, knowing I was going to wear one at our wedding. My first visit to Soul Sisters, a stockist, was with one of my bridesmaids and as soon as I put on my dress and looked in the mirror I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I knew it was THE dress. I took my mum, grandmother and one of my sisters to see it a couple of weeks later and they agreed with my choice.”
Ceremony & Reception Styling
“Our ceremony and reception were held at my parent’s business and home in Margaret River. Three generations of my family have lived on the property so it seemed fitting to get married there. We had plenty of candles to make the atmosphere very romantic and bush flowers picked on the day from the property scattered around, which made the venue look absolutely beautiful. We borrowed church benches for our ceremony, which was under a tree in one of the paddocks, and we hired blackboards to write cute little signs.”
DIY Projects
“In the lead up to the wedding, Mat and a couple of other guys made a bar with wine barrels and planks of wood, and the night before my bridesmaids wrote on all of the blackboards, but this was as far as our DIY talents went!”
The Bridesmaids
“I had seen twobirds bridesmaid dresses on Pinterest and loved that you can tie them to suit your own personal style, so that was a no-brainer. The colour of the dresses was the hard part, so luckily they sent swatches so I could put the material up against my dress which made it so much easier! We decided on a dark grey colour which looked beautiful on every one of the girls. I told my bridesmaids they could choose their own shoes, so they could get shoes they liked and could wear again. For my flower girl I asked a high school friend who is a designer and amazing dress maker to make her a beautiful skirt. It fit her perfectly and made her feel so special to have a skirt made just for her.”
The Groomsmen
“Mat and his groomsmen went to Topman to get their suits and shoes. Topman has an amazing personal shopper service so the boys could sit back and relax while the staff bring out options. They loved it and it made for a great bonding experience.”
Meaningful Music
“We had ‘Halo’ by Ann Brun playing as our flower girl and bridesmaids walked down the aisle, which faded out for our violin player to start as my Dad and I walked down the aisle. For our first dance we chose, ‘The Wedding Song’ by Angus and Julia Stone and for my father and daughter dance we had ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations.”
Entertaining Guests
“We hired a local band who played great music and ran a bush dance later in the night which was so much fun! We also had marshmallows for roasting by the fire which were a big hit.
I have an old caravan that my grandfather gave me that we served hot doughnuts from at the end of the night. A whiskey bar in the tree house was also a popular place when the temperature dropped!”
Best Advice
“Take a moment at your reception to stand with each other alone, to take in what you have accomplished and to appreciate all the amazing people that have made the effort and wanted to be there with you on such a special day. Also, remember that the wedding is just a day and marriage is for life so don’t get caught up on the little things.”
Location: Western Australia | Photography: iZO Photography | Venue: Jesters Flat Equestrian Centre | Officiant: Hugh Galloway | Flowers: Zest Flowers | Hire: Margaret River Party Hire (Ceremony) & Chic Rustique (Reception) | Gown, Veil & Hair Accessories: Anna Campbell from Soul Sisters | Cape: Mother of the Bride | Jewellery: Mimco | Bridesmaids: twobirds Bridesmaid (Dresses) & Samantha Wills (Accessories) | Flower Girl: Amie Churack Designs | Hair: Karli Ebert | Makeup: Claire Bone | Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Topman | Entertainment: Tony Lane (Ceremony) & The Brothers Thin (Reception) | Catering: Supper Road | Honey Favours: Groom’s Uncle