Georgia and David - The Woods Farm, Jervis Bay

Georgia and David – The Woods Farm, Jervis Bay

About You Two

Who popped the question and how did it happen?

Dave popped the question unexpectedly on a bushwalk in a National Park on the beach. It was perfect as it was low key, private and a place we had visited when we first began seeing each other. It was just before Christmas, so our families were together to celebrate. When I reflect back on that day I do feel grateful as the proposal was very reflective of who I am individually and what I like, but also us as a couple.

Why did you choose your venue and how was the venue choosing process?

I saw the venue on WedShed and fell in love with the chapel. I didn’t know where the reception would happen at that stage and was pleasantly surprised when we saw the venue and they had just built their own Wedshed. The venue then had all the accommodation on site, which was amazing but also stressful to organise. I loved the idea of having all my favourite people in one place, riding bikes between the glamping tents and houses over the long weekend. This did happen but it was also a lot of planning to get to this point! The appeal of having everything in one place and the vibe/ décor of the venue is what got us across the line.

QuickFire Questions;

How many wedding guests did you have?

Approx 120

Sit down or Cocktail Style?

Sit down

What month?

March

Planning The Wedding

Was planning the wedding stressful or did you enjoy the journey?

It was a lot of fun in the beginning, we would stay up late looking at photographers and wedding venues. We followed our gut and when we liked someone we did our research, reading their reviews etc but then locked them in otherwise you can get down a rabbit hole of options which becomes stressful. It became more stressful in the last 3 months when we were collecting accommodation money, finalising small touches and running around like headless chooks. The best money we ever spent was Wedding and Event Creators. I have a vivid memory of riding my bike home from work and trying to steer whilst talking to Vanessa about vendor communication. Vanessa pointed out that the band was due to set up at the same time as guests were entering the venue and she said she would get in contact with the band to rearrange, I would never have noticed this detail and was so grateful that this massive blunder was avoided!

How involved were you both in the wedding planning, did one of you take more of the lead on certain aspects than others or were you both equally involved?

I was probably the project manager and Dave was the very involved worker! He had his areas of interest and passion and he owned those, whilst I probably had the greater vision. We made big decisions together e.g. the band, food, photographer, venue. But he wasn’t as interested in flowers or decorations.

When it came time to choose your suppliers and vendors for the wedding- what process did you go about doing this/how did you choose your suppliers?

It was important how the vendors communicated with us. I remember talking to a vendor and they didn’t ask me many questions and I hung up reflecting that they didn’t listen therefore will not know what I want. If the vendor had a chilled and relaxed vibe that contributed to the process we were all for hiring them! You don’t need added stress so an organised but relaxed vendor is gold. We supported the local area with the majority of our vendors. We did this because we felt it was the right thing to do and also because they are familiar with the venue and each other which makes things a lot smoother.

What was the top couple of non-negotiables or important must-haves at the wedding for you both?

For Dave, it was photography, food and alcohol. He took the lead on these tasks and he has great attention to detail so I didn’t have to micromanage that! I was interested in the music, flowers and “vibe” and put a lot of thought and energy into the ceremony. I wanted cocktails on arrival prior to the ceremony to set the vibe and get people mingling. Sunset pictures!!! Dave was initially hesitant about leaving the party but it was the best decision- the pictures are beautiful and we got an opportunity to slow down and spend some quality time together. He was grateful for those pictures and the time on the day. I let go of little things that weren’t that important to me as presents for guests as it added stress when I already had enough to think about and felt they wouldn’t notice.

What sort of theme, vibe or style did you go for?

It was “boho chic” – I wanted a lot of native flowers. It was in the bush so the decorations needed to match the natural vibes of the venue. The venue already had a lot of decorations but our florist went to town and did an amazing job.

Are there any rituals, sentiments or traditions you incorporated into the day?

Dave is from Germany and it is a tradition to cut wood together, communicating how to use the saw and demonstrating teamwork. This was organised by his German family and was a lot of fun, especially for my guests who had never seen the tradition before. I attempted to say a part of my vows in German to show my support for his culture- I think he appreciated the gesture but I am not sure about my pronunciation! My dad also sang a song for both of us which is a family tradition for my family. It was beautiful as all the grandchildren got up and danced around him.

On the Day

How did you both feel on the wedding morning?

I surprised myself with how relaxed I was. My family and bridesmaid still comment on how zen I was and I think it was because I had done so much in the lead up that the morning of I mentally checked out and said what will be will be. I also had an amazing team from The Wedding and Event Creators and the venue problem-solving issues left and right. I did not have to worry about a thing! Dave said he was super excited and it went really fast for him and the boys. The boys made us breakfast and had drinks at their cottage, relaxing before walking to the Bush Cathedral early to have cocktails with guests.

What was the best part or moment of your day?

I loved the ceremony, seeing everyone support and love you at that moment is incredible. Some people say marriage doesn’t change anything but to have all the people that care about you in one room and you professing some serious commitments to each other, I feel cement your love and loyalty to each other. Dave would say his favourite part is the party and the speeches, I cannot wait for our video to watch back the speeches as we were so in the moment that things flew by!

Looking back, was there Anything you would change about your wedding or anything that didn’t go to plan?

The band had difficulty connecting their speakers to the venue’s speakers which affected their ability to play. This was managed by Wedding and Event Creators so we didn’t have to do anything- it meant reduced time that the band played which was disappointing. But we felt if that was the worst thing then we did well!

After the Wedding

Best investment or money well spent on the wedding that you made?

No joke Wedding and Event Creators and I tell this to everyone. Save somewhere else and get the support of the team to make life so much less stressful in the lead-up and on the day. I was able to enjoy the process and the day because someone that knew what they were doing was able to take charge and problem solve.

I also love that we have a movie of our day- it helps capture the emotion and reminds you of the special words people say. We initially said if we had money we would get a video but I made sure we saved for it as it was important to me!

Let’s talk about the budget, did the wedding end up costing what you budgeted for, or do you have any advice on this?

Dave was the budget man and I was the spender. We used an excel spreadsheet that had suggestions of overheads and we overestimated so we wouldn’t get caught out. We ended up being under or just on a budget. We put away a set amount each paycheck and if we could afford more than a fortnight it would go into the wedding fund. We didn’t sacrifice our social life but we were more mindful of spending our money and we have no regrets! If we wanted to have a vendor or purchase something, we got creative with how we would get it- we didn’t want to look back and think dammit I wish we had… But we were also mindful when we were thinking a bit excessively!

Was there anything in the planning process that you spent a lot of time, effort, or worry on that on reflection wasn’t really worth bothering about?

Other people’s opinion!!! Dave is very good at not worrying about other people’s perspective and I am a people pleaser so the balance is needed. But I got to a point where I allowed myself to feel justified in making decisions that reflected us or were what we wanted to prioritise. People end up respecting your decisiveness.