When Liz and Joel entered the grounds of Wildwood, they “instantly felt at peace”. With its rustic charm, lush green forestry and the tranquil tone of running water nearby, it was the perfect place to carry out their Kangaroo Valley wedding. Plus, when Wildwood confirmed that the couple’s cats were welcome, the deal was sealed!
For Liz and Joel, who have been doing life together for 15 years, it was important that their day be a tapestry of their shared loves, such as Japan (where Joel popped the question) and travel (guests could vote on where the newlyweds would honeymoon – so fun!). Pretty pics aplenty below, thanks to the always impressive Translucent Photography, plus our chat with the new Mr and Mrs…
THE PROPOSAL On our most recent trip to Japan, we decided to revisit a place that was very dear to us and that we had always wanted to go back to in warmer weather. On a hike in the mountains, Joel decided to propose amongst the natural surrounds of Mount Kurama. After the proposal, we finished our hike and celebrated with lunch on the river.
THE VIBE “Connection to nature and we wanted to incorporate our love for hiking, travel and Japan.”
FAVE DETAILS “Rather than purchasing jewellery, I wanted to wear the laser-cut cherry blossom earrings Joel had hand-made for me many years ago. These also fit in with our natural aesthetic of timber and greens. For Joel, I hand-made his button holes after [we designed them together]. We also crafted flower collars for two of our cats using silk flowers. Other details on the day we created were our cake topper, honeymoon signing game and the bar sign. These items reflected our shared loves in life, our cats, travel and good cocktails.
COOL CUSTOM “To incorporate our love of Japan, we planted a Japanese plum blossom during our ceremony. There is a Japanese practice where well wishes are written on strips of paper and tied to a branch. This practice stems from a festival [that] celebrates two star-crossed lovers. During our ceremony, after planting our tree, we both wrote a well wish and tied this to our tree. We then asked our parents and bridal party to write their own well wishes and tie this to the tree. After the ceremony, remaining guests could do the same.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “It is hard to pick a favourite moment from the day, but seeing each other for our first look would have to be our best moment. A moment without audiences and a chance for us to connect.”
WE’RE GLAD WE “We were both glad to co-plan the wedding and personalise the day to celebrate what our relationship means to us. We felt free to adopt ideas we connected with and ignore ‘traditional’ practices we didn’t feel reflected us. We truly took the time to enjoy the process together, whether that meant using Japanese anime playlists, having the entire wedding stay together the night before, and leaving the decision of our honeymoon up to our guests.”
STANDOUT VENDOR “Wildwood went above and beyond to help us personalise our day to make it truly ours. We are so grateful for all they did to make our day as special as it was.”
Dive into more real weddings captured by Translucent Photography here (and why not shoot off an enquiry while you’re there?) Or if Wildwood is ticking all your Kangaroo Valley wedding venue boxes, get in touch here. Sucker for a furry, four-legged wedding guest? Same. These wedding pet pics will make you go ‘awwww’.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Translucent Photography Florist Wattlewood Floral Stationery Vistaprint (Invites) & Liz & Joel (Bride & Groom) (Save the dates, Wedding favours & Cake Topper) Printer Vistaprint Venue Wildwood Kangaroo Valley Catering Caterina Cake Maker Zweefers Signage Liz & Joel (Bride & Groom), Canva & Officeworks Celebrant Cathy Hayes Rings WedgeWood (Joel) & Unique Jewellers (Liz) Ring Boxes LeylaPet via ETSY THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Miss Scarlett Bridal Boutique Storybook Bridal Robes / Getting Ready Tees Bridesmaid Boxes Shoes Betts Earrings Joel (Groom) Hair Chantelle – Willow Hair Spa Makeup Stephanie Grace Perfume Chanel Bridesmaid Dresses Billy J Bridesmaid Shoes Betts Bride & Bridesmaid Sunglasses Amazon THE GROOM Jacket, Shirt, Pants, Shoes Connor Grooming The Hair Lab Groomsmen Suits Connor
