Grace and Jon’s love story milestones include two babies, a hobby farm, and now, a wedding! A pretty darn idyllic one at that. This duo told us that they were never in the market for a traditional wedding venue, but rather somewhere they could spend a few sacred days with nearest and dearest. “I genuinely couldn’t recommend this style of wedding enough – having everyone together for those few days was probably one of the best decisions we made,” the newlyweds report.
Nestled in Rosevale, of Queensland’s Scenic Rim Region, Skyline Farm ticked every one of the couple’s boxes and then some. “There was a pool, beautiful grounds and even a smaller Airbnb on the property that was perfect for getting ready and became such a lovely little place for us to retreat to afterwards. It was the perfect mix of elegant and country, but what we loved most was the freedom to make it completely our own.”
Below, escape to the countryside and relive Grace and Jon’s day through the lens of their uber talented photographer Elle Rutledge.
A relaxed Italian-inspired garden party in the Scenic Rim
“We were going for relaxed Italian garden party – romantic, warm and a little whimsical. Think long tables, lots of lemons, beautiful food, plenty of wine and a help-yourself cocktail station. We skipped a seating plan altogether, which we absolutely loved. Everyone was free to mingle, move around and sit wherever they liked. More than anything, we wanted it to feel like one big, beautiful dinner party with all of our favourite people.”
A private wedding ceremony with their closest family
“My favourite detail was actually the way we structured the day. We did something quite non-traditional and had a private ceremony down at the smaller farmhouse with only our parents and siblings, before heading up to the main house to meet the rest of our guests for the first time as newlyweds. Jon and I are both sensitive souls, and we really wanted that part of the day to feel sacred and completely ours. With only our closest family there, the tears could flow (and flow… and flow!) without us worrying about anyone else. Afterwards, we popped a bottle, took some photos, gathered ourselves and had a little moment to just sit together and take in the fact that we were actually married. You only get that moment once, and we really wanted to cherish it rather than rush straight onto the next thing.”
DIY details and personalised touches for every guest
“The whole wedding was very DIY which, if I’m being truly honest, was A LOT for Mum and myself at times, but we’d both agree it was so worth it in the end! My favourite DIY project was our ‘Find Your Love Letter’ board. Jon and I wrote a personal letter to every single guest, thanking them for being there and telling them just how much they mean to us.”
Standout Queensland wedding vendors
“Our celebrant and photographer were absolute standouts! Our celebrant Georgia Rose Ceremonies went above and beyond well before the wedding day. She spent so much time getting to know us, writing our ceremony, meeting with us and talking through every little detail. She was actually the one who suggested having our ceremony in a separate, more private location, which ended up shaping one of our favourite parts of the entire day. On the day, she was so calm and organised and made everything flow effortlessly, which is exactly the kind of person you want standing beside you when the emotions are running high! And then there was our photographer, Elle Rutledge. You spend so much of your wedding day with your photographer, so having someone you genuinely connect with makes such a difference. Elle was incredibly easy to be around, completely embraced our chaos and somehow captured it all so beautifully. She gave us an album that was even better than we could have imagined — the photos feel like us, and we’ll treasure them forever.”
Planning a country or micro wedding in Australia?
Vibing with Elle Rutledge’s editorial/doco-style photos? Click here to get in touch. Visit the blog for more real, rural Australian weddings (hope your Pinterest board is ready). Or learn how modern couples are getting married today by browsing our latest Real Wedding Special, chock-a-block with inspo.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Elle Rutledge Photography Venue Skyline Farm Catering The Italian Job Catering Cake Maker Buttercream Bliss by Courtney Wedding Favours Boozie’s Marquee Happy Marquee Hire Celebrant Georgia Rose Ceremonies Rings Michael Hill, Heirloom THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer One White Dress Bridal via White Lily Couture Bridal Bouquet The Bridal Collective Veil White Lily Couture Shoes Novo Accessories Lovisa Makeup By Ellen Violet Fragrance Giorgio Armani Seamstress Sensational Sewing THE GROOM Suit & Tie Peter Jackson Shoes R.M. Williams
