Fun fact: Amelia and Connor actually kept their reception venue (The Barn on the Ridge) a secret from all 67 of their guests till the day of, shuttling loved ones to and from the location to maintain the surprise. “The ride home quickly became the wedding ‘after party,’” share the couple, who wed in a beautiful Milton church ceremony earlier that day.
“Minimalist chic” is how they describe the celebration – focused around fabulous catering, good booze and great tunes. The lovebirds said their vendor list was tiny, but “full of the friendliest and easiest people to work with.” That list includes our friends The White Tree Band and “mastermind” photographer Oliver Hartley.
Minimalist in style but abundant in inspo, scroll on for Connor and Amelia’s nuptials.
SOUTH COAST WEDDING VENUE
“We wanted something that was just beautiful in its own right – somewhere that needed no extra ‘bits’ to make it shine. The Barn on the Ridge is set on the most beautiful plot of land, with Pigeon House Mountain off in the distance and surrounded by nothing but greenery and native flora. It not only exceeded our expectations, but that venue (combined with the weather we had)… it was just the South Coast absolutely showing off.”
DIY DETAILS
“Our favourite would have to be the guest books we created for our guests. It was a booklet with short, funny and meaningful bio paragraphs describing each person there. We stole the idea from my brother’s wedding, and it brought the house down – it was our special way to let everyone know how much they mean to us and also, a great way to poke fun at our favourite people!”
FAVOURITE MOMENTS
“Seeing Amelia at the ‘first look’. It was so special to share that moment where we got to see each other for the first time without everyone else and spend an hour or so just hanging out and having a laugh.” (Amelia) “When we were signing the register, I surprised Connor by having the local Milton Choir (the MUD Singers) sing Can You Feel The Love Tonight acapella. Connor’s Mum sings in that choir, so, as you can imagine, there was not a dry eye in the house.”
MARRIAGE MEANS…
“Marriage for us was never a milestone that we thought needed to be reached. Your wedding day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the deep love you have for each other with the people who support you no matter what. In the Catholic Church, a marriage is a very special sacrament and blessing that I’m (Amelia) so lucky I have now received with this guy, who I love so damn much.”
WEDDING PLANNIGN ADVICE
“Distill exactly what both of you want down to two to three things, almost like a vision statement. Let those be your filter when making every big decision you come across. For example, we kept our wedding guest list very small because we focused on quality over quantity. Having so many friends and family fly/drive in from all over Australia and the world meant that we wanted to feed them with the best quality food and party with the best band and music!”
FABULOUS CATERING & PHOTOGRAPHY
“We can’t not talk about our friend Sean from Season & Savour, who seriously wowed every single guest at our wedding. We were told by most of our guests that it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten. We can confidently say that if future [wedding] couples are not booking in Sean and his team for their big day, well, there’s really no point then. Mindy, Brad and Kimmy (Barn on the Ridge) are such legends – they just got the day done with no hiccups. No request was too big or too ‘demanding’, the venue is like a blank canvas that let us have all the creative freedom that we wanted. Oliver Hartley felt more like a guest than our photographer. We spoke on the phone once, then met just before our first look. You wouldn’t know he was a complete stranger by the way he captured our relationship and all the love in the room! He is a mastermind.”
Feeling the warm and fuzzies from Oliver Hartley’s artful photography? Same. Get in touch with Oliver here. Or if it’s top-shelf entertainment you’re after, suss out The White Tree’s offerings. Find more loved-up ‘first look’ moments here (remember to pin your faves for future reference).
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Oliver Hartley Event Planner KP Wedding Coordination Florist Milton Village Florist Printer Snap Ceremony Venue St Mary’s Star of the Sea Reception Venue The Barn on the Ridge Catering Season & Savour Cake Maker Tracey Bain (Friend) Entertainment The White Tree Band, The MUD Singers Celebrant Father Stephen Fletcher Rings Celeste Fine Jewellery Transport Ulladulla Bus Lines THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Maison Essentiele Veil Madame Tulle Shoes Prada Hair Belle Jackson Makeup Teneille Basile Fragrance Ayu THE GROOM Suit, Shirt, Shoes, Bow Tie Suit Supply Watch Seiko
