Kate stumbled across the love of her life, six years ago, at her very own dinner table. When asked if a friend could bring a guest to her dinner party, Kate responded in the negative. “But the message didn’t get through and Charlie came along anyway”, laughs Kate. And here we are! Opting for a winery wedding and a reception under a canopy of fairy lights, the couple indulged in an impromptu first dance, cutting shapes to the sweet sounds of Tina Turner’s Simply The Best. Needless to say, it was a rather jolly day and best of all, the wonderful Katie Harmsworth was there to capture each and every detail. Scroll down to take a peep…

FAVOURITE DETAILS “We loved our invitations from The Distillery, particularly the hand-lettered font and a picture of the venue that the team drew. We wanted the invitations to look polished but also fun. Also, our candles! It took a bit of effort to get the beeswax candles we had made by Tony Assness to Adelaide all the way from Sydney, but they looked incredible. We now have candles all around our house!”

DIY “Our booklet (“The Hentley Farm Herald”). Each guest received a booklet we had written when they sat down for dinner. It contained a short bio of everyone attending the wedding. We wanted to help set the scene for a fun evening, so we took the opportunity to be cheeky and include some of our favourite and most hilarious stories of people. It took us longer than any other wedding preparation, but it was completely worthwhile. Everyone was raving about it.”

REFERENCES “I knew I wanted Katie Harmsworth and a Cappellazzo dress before we were engaged. Other than that, we chose vendors that we had seen and liked the work of via weddings we had attended, blogs and Instagram. Thank goodness for Hello May! I loved any examples of real weddings I could find and I bought every print magazine I could get my hands on. It ended up that we had a lot of vendors travel from Melbourne because they were exactly what we wanted.”

LITTLE LOL “Just before we entered the reception, Charlie asked me if he could surprise me. I had no idea what the surprise was and assumed it would be something small. The national anthem began to play after we had entered the reception (he’s a big fan). I was in shock. It was pretty outrageous and I would never have allowed it to happen if I had known, but everyone sang it with such gusto and it really ramped things up for the night.”

WE’RE GLAD WE “We did wonder whether having a wedding that so many guests would have to travel for would be asking a bit much, but we are so glad we persevered with it. Everyone really made an effort, and our wedding being on a Friday meant we could also spend time with guests on Saturday and ensure people got to see the Barossa Valley.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “We were honestly so lucky with all of our vendors, we feel like we had the pick of the crop. Our singer Andrew Loadsman was a hero. He sang from 2.30 pm to midnight and his energy didn’t waiver once. There wasn’t a spare spot on the dance floor, and we know quite a few guests have booked him for their own weddings and events since.”

If, after perusing these sweet snaps, you fancy an extra serving of Katie Harmsworth, be sure to check out Candice and Isaac’s Ballarat wedding here. If it’s contact details you are after, you can get in touch here. But first…

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Katie Harmsworth Cinematographer Moon and Back Event Planner, Stylist, Florist & Placecards Hygge Studio Invites & Signage The Distillery Catering & Cake Hentley Farm Hire Items Hygge Studio, White Marquee, Kiera Blanden Events & Styling, Harry the Hirer Lighting Hire Venue Productions Entertainment Andrew Loadsman DJ DJ Karl via Unplugged Entertainment Celebrant Married by Ali Rings David Benn Fine Jewellery (bride) Raphael Jewellers (groom) Transport Greenock Creek Charter Candles Tony Assness BRIDE Dress Cappellazzo Couture Veil Oscar de la Renta Loungewear Pomme Shoes Loeffler Randall Earrings and Necklace Sarah & Sebastian Hair MJ by Mat Johnson Bridesmaid Dresses Bec + Bridge Bridesmaid Shoes Senso GROOM Suit & Bow Tie P. Johnson Cufflinks Skultana Shoes R.M. Williams Groomsmen Suits P. Johnson