If warm doughnuts by a roaring outdoor fire sounds like a good time; if shades of gold and burnt orange are your vibe; and if ‘autumnal dream’ pretty much sums up your ideal wedding theme, well, we have the big day to satisfy your peepers! With moody snaps shot by our friends at Lilac in Hand, Kate and Alex’s May 2021 wedding is a literal winter wonderland to behold – complete with fire pits, people. “We adore camping and there is nothing better on a freezing night than huddling up around a fire,” gushes the bride. “Our wedding date was picked around the fire restrictions!”
And before we take a journey through the amazing snaps from the event, can we also take a minute for that dress?! Found with help from the absolute babes at The Bride Lab, Kate swears she felt like “the most sophisticated disco ball ever” in her sparkly Willowby by Watters gown.
Ready to scroll? Let’s do it.
THE VENUE “Woodhouse was actually the only venue we saw. We wanted the Adelaide Hills and the freedom to choose all our own vendors. When we found the ceremony location, we knew. Nobody really has their wedding there as it’s quite narrow and very bumpy, with a few random stumps and a creek our guests could fall into. Basically one big hazard – but we didn’t care! Another plus was we had it for the whole weekend and it had bunk beds, which meant a lot of our guests could party on and join us for brunch the next morning.”
DIY “Alex was up until 2am the Thursday before making all the brownies for the dessert and our wedding cake. He was so stressed, as his raspberry buttercream for the cake split the night before. He was the one who was close to meltdown!”
THE DRESS “My criteria was a bit ridiculous – no lace, no flowers, not white, and I wanted sleeves. I really did not expect to find anything and was prepared to have it made but when I walked into The Bride Lab, I knew this was the place. It is a wonderful safe haven for brides who maybe feel a little bit ‘different’ about the whole bridal shopping experience or are not wanting to buy a classic wedding dress. Laura was amazing in helping me find my dress.”
THE THEME “When we got engaged, Alex said he wanted autumn, Adelaide Hills, pizza, red wine, fire and hot doughnuts. How could I argue with that?! I love bold colours, brass and velvet, and vintage furniture. However, I also wanted to keep it simple so the trees and lighting would shine. When chatting to Dainty Posy we jokingly decided our theme was ‘Old Velvet armchair’ – i.e. comfy, warm and timeless. The only decorations we had were gorgeous vintage brass vases and red velvet lounges from Minty Mary Pea.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Had our dog there (even though our bridesmaid nearly fell over walking her down the aisle. We are both awkward people and she really chilled us out – but make sure you get a pet sitter for the day – thank you, Veils & Tails!”
FAVOURITE DETAILS “Having hot doughnuts on a freezing night instead of a traditional wedding cake! Courtney from Mrs Sippy Mobile Coffee Caravan went above and beyond to figure out how to get us the best fresh hot doughnuts ever – she even came back the next day and spent hours making coffee for a bunch of hungover people! Legend.”
RESOURCES “I found Jess from Lilac in Hand via Insta – I read a caption that was so brutally honest and it just made me laugh! I tried to go with vendors that were down-to-earth and real. I wasn’t the person who had been planning the wedding since she was a little girl so we needed people who ‘got us’ and we could trust.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “ Lilac in Hand are not only super talented but also genuinely fab people to hang around. We bonded over our love of the hills and just being away from it all. Alex and I were both not super-keen on being in front of the camera, but we felt so relaxed on the day and it really shows! I haven’t been able to get more than six photos of us in four years and now I have hundreds! Lucy and Josh, who did our ceremony music, were amazing, too. We asked them to record the ceremony and she ended up staying and made me an unexpected wedding video! The most talented of people, Lucy Zola was even singing while recording. And of course, Linh from Dainty Posy – when I got engaged, I honestly didn’t think we would care about flowers at all. We gave her complete control and what we saw on the day just blew me away. It takes a special person to make a detail that you weren’t that excited about into something that evokes so much emotion.”
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Lilac in Hand Event Planner By The Oaktree Florist Dainty Posy Stationery Belles & Bells Ceremony & Reception Old Woodhouse Manor Catering Amore Woodfired Ovens Catering Food Trucks Mrs Sippy Mobile Coffee Caravan, The Speakeasy Hotel (mobile bar) Desserts Mrs Sippy Mobile Coffee Caravan (hot doughnuts) Hire Items Minty Mary Pea (ceremony chairs, vases, vintage couches, tables), Olympic Party Hire (fire pits, heaters, dancefloor, red vintage couches, wine barrel) Lighting Hire Bulb Lighting Entertainment Lucy Zola & Josh Trezise (ceremony music), Entertainment Adelaide (DJ) Celebrant Weddings With Rosie THE BRIDE Gown Willowby by Watters Bridal Boutique The Bride Lab Robes Marks and Spencer Shoes Edward Meller Accessories Stephanie Browne (bride’s earrings), Ruby & Sage (bridesmaids’ earrings) Hair Bec Wyatt Makeup Kahla Adam Bridesmaid dresses The Iconic THE GROOM Suit & Shirt InStitchu Bow Tie Knightsman Bespoke Tailors Shoes Ted Baker Watch Melbourne Watch Company Groomsmen suits Peter Shearer THE DOG Flower wreath Veils & Tails
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Lilac in Hand Event Planner By The Oaktree Florist Dainty Posy Stationery Belles & Bells Ceremony & Reception Old Woodhouse Manor Catering Amore Woodfired Ovens Catering Food Trucks Mrs Sippy Mobile Coffee Caravan, The Speakeasy Hotel (mobile bar) Desserts Mrs Sippy Mobile Coffee Caravan (hot doughnuts), homemade brownies (the groom) Hire Items Minty Mary Pea (ceremony chairs, vases, vintage couches, tables), Olympic Party Hire (fire pits, heaters, dancefloor, red vintage couches, wine barrel) Lighting Hire Bulb Lighting Entertainment Lucy Zola & Josh Trezise (ceremony music), Entertainment Adelaide (DJ) Celebrant Weddings With Rosie THE BRIDE Gown Willowby by Watters Bridal Boutique The Bride Lab Robes Marks and Spencer Shoes Edward Meller Accessories Stephanie Browne (bride’s earrings), Ruby & Sage (bridesmaids’ earrings) Hair Bec Wyatt Makeup Kahla Adam Bridesmaid dresses The Iconic THE GROOM Suit & Shirt InStitchu Bow Tie Knightsman Bespoke Tailors Shoes Ted Baker Watch Melbourne Watch Company Groomsmen suits Peter Shearer THE DOG Flower wreath Veils & Tails
