It was a love of good music and open air that first brought primary school teachers Abbey and Shane (first featured in the Real Wedding Special) together. So naturally (pun intended), the pair focused on planning a wedding day that centred around the beauty of the great outdoors at Brickendon Estate in Tasmania. £We wanted to make sure the wedding was a real reflection of us as a couple and that our guests would see and feel that. We both feel a great affinity to the Australian bush and so we really wanted a relaxed, fun wedding set amongst the gum trees surrounded by small, beautiful details.
With a skilled squad on their side (including That Old Chestnut and Outside Wholesale Flowers), the couple achieved their vision with heaps of native flowers, wooden tables, chairs and furniture and a dance floor of rugs. Abbey goes on, £another must was to make sure everyone had a great time with fun games, great food, great wine and amazing music – so we spent a lot of time searching for
the right vendors.
At the top of Abbey and Shane’s must-have supplier list? Photographer Mitch Pohl. £I had admired Mitch’s photographs for a long time and I knew if I was to get married, Mitch would be the ultimate and number one photographer. The photography meant a lot to me and I wanted more than just wedding photos. I wanted beautiful pieces of art that captured the love and the beauty of the day. When Shane proposed and we decided on a Tassie wedding, my first call was to Mitch.
A day filled with good (okay, great) times, these lovebirds had endless fave memories from the day including, but not limited to, saying their vows, the maid of honour’s speech and – for Shane – seeing Abbey walk down the aisle. £It is so hard to pinpoint one solitary moment but the memory of being so incredibly happy for the entire day is hard to beat, says the bride, who tells us they steered away from normal traditions and, instead, started one of their own.
£After the signing, we placed our vows and a letter each into a box with a bottle of wine. On our first anniversary, we will open the box and read the letters over the bottle of wine. Replacing them with new letters and wine and continuing on the tradition for each anniversary. Any tradition involving wine is one we can get behind.
Abbey and Shane’s Tasmanian wedding was originally featured in our third annual Real Wedding Special, on sale now and stocked in newsagents nationally. Search for your nearest stockist via suburb or postcode here, or shop online with Mag Nation or via the HM online store here.
CREDITS Photos Mitch Pohl // Event planner / Stylist and florist That Old Chestnut // Florist and cake topper Outside Wholesale Flowers // Ceremony and reception Brickendon Estate, TAS // Catering Mt Gnomon Farm // Other desserts Spreyton Bakery // Cutlery Centaur Packaging // Rings Corey O’Brien // Celebrant Annie Saunders // Bridal gown designer Lover // Lingerie Capri Launceston // Shoes and bridesmaids skirts ASOS // Hair and makeup Mint // Bridesmaid camis Cotton On // Bridesmaid shoes The Iconic // Suit MJ Bale // Pants and socks Country Road // Tie / Bow tie Roger David // Shoes Aquila // Watch The Horse.
