To say this couple is creative would be an understatement. Jo is a fashion designer- as in, made her wedding gown from scratch, guys- and Ash is a musician… Yes, he played at the reception- during the father, daughter dance, no less! HM Directory vendor, Shane Shepard, has known the groom for 15 years, shot the wedding, and shared a little more insight… “He’s a talented singer/ songwriter and a pretty special human, so it says a lot that Joanne left him speechless when they first met. I said to Ash that if I wasn’t in the bridal party, I was shooting his wedding- so here we are! What a day (and one very late night!) it was.” Scroll down for all the pics…
THE PROPOSAL “We met in Byron Bay, and it’s a special place for us to now holiday and we visit often. We had planned to visit over Christmas and Ash surprised me with a hired camper van. On New Years Eve, we went on our usual walk on the beach, but this time towards Little Watagos, where he had arranged a picnic and champagne setup, and his good friend (Shane Shephard) to photograph the whole proposal. He read me a letter and proposed on the beach. It was very casual, but special.”
THE VENUE “Ash said we should arrange to visit his good friends Matt and Tina’s rose farm- he had it in mind for a long time- and we decided we would have our reception there after my first visit. We didn’t visit any other venues- we new this one was it!”
THE VIBE “Our focus was on good food, good wine and good company. We wanted to create a really comfortable, fun atmosphere for our loved ones. So many had travelled from all over Australia, so it was important to us to host a good party for them. We wanted to show off Adelaide’s wine, food and the beautiful landscape, so we opted for a clear marquee to really make the land the feature. Our theme naturally progressed into a romantic vibe with lots of natural elements (wood, linen and wild, rambling foliage).”
DIY “We DIY’d as much as we could. Ash and his (very generous) friends prepared the property in the lead up to the wedding. We hand-wrote individual notes to our guests to thank them for being there and included a nice memory along with it. Our whole bridal party set up the reception venue with us the night before the wedding. Ash arranged the staging and music, and I made my dress and veil. My mum, Diane, organised, selected and ordered all of the alcohol.”
THE DRESS “I visited a few designer boutiques in Melbourne and Brisbane with my mum, sister and bridesmaid. I struggled to find something that really suited my style, so I opted to design and make my own wedding dress. It was made of Italian ivory Silk Faille, which is my favourite fabric. I found a lovely reception dress at Zimmermann which was embroidered silk organza with tiered ruffles. I loved it. I altered the bodice with the help of Adelaide dressmaker, Jeannine Donato.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Most of our vendors! But we especially appreciated our friends Matt and Tina who not only hosted the evening on their property, but Tina put together the most gorgeous, long stem bouquets. And of course, our incredible photographer Shane Shepherd, who made the day that much more enjoyable and stayed well into the evening, helping us celebrate and capture those memories. Jess and Luke from The Film Room were also insanely talented and so easy to be around.”
To see more real wedding inspiration from Shane Shepherd, do yourself a favour and click here.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Shane Shepherd Cinematographer The Film Room Florist Poppies Flowers Printer The Hungry Workshop Ceremony Crafers Church of Epiphany Reception Private Property Catering Sublime Catering Coffee Cart Caparezza Espresso Bar Cake Star + Sweet Cakery Donuts Bakery on O’Connell Marquee, Festoon Lights & Hire Items White Marquee Event Hire Glassware Jaks Hire and Events Entertainment The Sundance Kids, Ash Gale & Tim Moore Wedding Bands Precious Stones Jewellery BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil Jo Altham (Bride) Reception Dress Zimmermann Robes Kmart Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti Hair Joint Bridesmaid Dresses Emilo Pucci Bridesmaid Shoes Tony Bianco Bridesmaid Gifts The Daily Edited Clutches GROOM Suit Jenny & Gerry’s Bridal Centre