This is the story of two lovebirds who both work in architecture, that got engaged after a year with a picnic the groom had planned for months. As in, he gathered rugs, cushions, timber palettes, string lights and candleholders to simply decorate the spot, not to mention the morning of activities, including waterfall hunting and paddle boarding. Madz is one lucky lady, right? HM Directory Vendors, Ephemeral Creative took the gorgeous pics on the day and doubled as one of the couples faves. Read all about it below…
THE VENUE “We were looking at an option that would be able to give us creative freedom while at the same time fall within our budget. We stumbled upon The Falls Farm through Instagram. What led us to ultimately choosing it was definitely the amazing farm itself but also the ability for us to express ourselves through the wedding with minimal limitations. It was also the story behind the farm. The fact that it’s run by Val and her family, not commercialised but instead only given to people to use who has an appreciation for it really touched us and we felt we could relate to their beliefs.”
DIY “Yes we did most of the setup, signage (fabric and seating chart), invitations, place cards, menus, fire pits, candle holders, pillows. We wanted to waste as little as possible and also loved the idea of being able to produce something that we can bring into our home.”
THE DRESS “It was actually a really clear and easy decision to make. I came across the dress on Instagram a few months before Frankie and I got engaged and fell in love immediately. I remember thinking ‘if I ever get married, I’d love to wear something like this’ – I was really opting for something effortless and elegant. It turns out Frankie and I got engaged just in time to visit Lola Varma’s pop up store in Byron Bay (what a coincidence). I took my mum and sister, tried on the dress and ordered it within the month.”
REFERENCES “Mostly from the Hello May Wedding Special 2017, and then through friends and word of mouth. Instagram was really helpful to be able to give us a sense of the vendor’s personality and work quite easily.”
COOL CUSTOM “We had a tea ceremony as part of the day’s celebrations. It involves the bride and groom, their parents and elders and anyone else whom they want to pay their respects to. Essentially, we kneel before our elders and pour Chinese tea for them. In return, the elders then give them a gift (usually a red packet with money inside) and say a few words of marriage advice or encouragement. Afterwards, we all shared lunch together.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Articulate your expectations as clearly as possible, bring everything into the light. Communicate as much as possible and talk through ideas and thoughts – never move forward without being in agreement.”
WE’RE GLAD WE “Stayed at the venue two days in advance. Since we were doing a whole lot of DIY, one of my biggest concerns was how fast the actual wedding day would go compared to the amount of time that Frankie and I had spent on preparation. We were also happy that we had the opportunity to build the wedding and ceremony from scratch, outdoors and under a teepee – it was kind of like a magical moment that couldn’t be recreated, and that was something we wanted to highlight.”
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Ephemeral Creative Cinematographer Adam Williamson Florist Chanise Sippel & Jessica Nielsen (Friends) Flowers Flower Lovers Ceremony & Reception The Falls Farm Catering Journey Street Food Cake Larita Nicolson (Friend) Hire Items Fun Cionz Event Styling (French Bistro Chairs), Ecoloo (Portable Toilet), Kleer Cold Room (Cold Room) JC Hire (Generators) Tipi & Lighting Hire Tipi Luxe Photo Booth Creative Li Styling Sound & Entertainment Hamilton Band Celebrant Michael Farbridge (Friend) Rings Minna Jun Accommodation The Falls Farm ‘Smith House’ via Airbnb THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Lola Varma Shoes ZOMP Accessories & Bridesmaid Gifts The Outlier Hair Lyn Nhan (Friend) Makeup Amy Fuentes & Chanel Reyes Bridesmaid Dresses BNKR, Birdcage Boutique & Dissh THE GROOM Suits SABA Shoes Hudson London & R.M. Williams Watch Daniel Wellington KIDS Flower Girl Dresses Vivid Elements