Real Wedding; Olivia and Andrew @ The Barn on the Ridge

About You Two;

Now, How did you two meet?

Well, depends who you ask! The short version is that we met through my cousin.

Who popped the question and how did it happen?

Robbo popped the question while 4WD’ing on Birubi Beach. Later that afternoon I was surprised by a big group of friends and family who had been keeping the secret from me!

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

Ha, this is an interesting one. We actually booked another venue when we first got engaged at the start of 2020. I felt like I had to lock in a venue ASAP and was definitely rushed in my choice. Not long after we booked it I had ‘venue regret’ which perhaps was a premonition of what was to come! Our original date was during lockdown and as a result we had to find a new venue (hot tip to any couple in the booking process, make sure you read ALL of the reviews, especially the bad ones, and speak to others who have had dealings with them). Luckily for us we ended up with an even better venue at The Barn on The Ridge. We actually booked The Barn on the Ridge without having ever visited which is crazy to think about now. We wanted a venue that we could host a welcome dinner and recovery brunch and after talking to Mindy we knew we were in good hands.

Quick Fire Questions;

How many wedding guests did you have?

Sit down of Cocktail Style?

Sit down

What month?

January

Planning The Wedding;

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

Pre covid we loved planning the wedding. Obviously having a wedding date in the middle of lockdown was stressful but other than that it was a great experience.

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?

In the beginning we both got on the same page about what was important to us and what we wanted to splurge on. From there I (Olivia) took over most of the planning and would get a ‘short list’ of vendors down to look at together. In saying that, Robbo had actually booked venue appointments before we got engaged to look at the weekend afterwards so credit where credits due!

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

It was really important to us to have a few days with our guests as almost everyone was travelling to attend the wedding which is why we were happy to splurge on having the welcome dinner and recovery brunch. Excellent food & drink was also a non negotiable. We wanted our guests well fed with delicious food and wanted to have our favourite cocktails and spirits available as well. We were so lucky to have Jo from Garnish and Henry Clive!

Tell us about your dress and that dress-finding process?

I honestly think I tried on nearly every dress in Sydney. It was a frustrating process because I couldn’t find anything I loved or that felt like me. I really didn’t want a custom dress because I wanted to know what it looked like on which you don’t get with a custom gown, however as soon as I met with Amy from Amy New I felt at ease. I went to her with a loose idea of what I wanted, and a huge list of things I didn’t like and she produced the most gorgeous sketch. It was a long sleeve, fitted dress with a slit up the leg. After we postponed from Spring to Summer I purchased a tight, v neck sequin number to change into if I got too hot!

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

We went for a classic look, think white flowers and tux’s…something that we felt wouldn’t date. We aren’t very ‘frilly’ people so the simple look was the right fit for us. We wanted the day to be loads of fun, and didn’t want to conform to traditions and rather do things that suited us. Robbo drank with the guests before the ceremony, we had cake and the best man speech during cocktail hour and we sat with our guests rather than at a bridal table.

On the Day;

How did you both feel wedding morning?

Olivia: I was slightly nervous, but probably the calmest I had been all week.
Andrew: I didn’t really have a chance to think about how I was feeling because I was driving around sourcing RAT tests!

What was the best part or moment of your day?

Olivia: The speeches, riding the quad bike back from photos and starting the dance floor with our guests for the first dance.
Andrew: Olivia walking down the aisle and a close second being torn to strips by my best man.

Anything you would change about your wedding or anything that didn’t go to plan?

Olivia: The only thing I would change would be booking The Barn on the Ridge as our venue the first time around! (although they weren’t open when we got engaged).
Andrew: I think everything went as close to plan as possible. If we could control the weather that would be great, but even that was perfect on the day.

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

We actually strayed away from tradition. We didn’t have any bridal party stand with us in the ceremony, we had cake and speeches early and no formal first dance.
Probably the most sentimental part of the wedding was the way we tried to honour Robbo’s parents’ memory. His dad’s wedding ring was remade into his ring, and I wore one of his mum’s diamond rings on my right hand.

After the Wedding;

Describe newlywed life in a couple of words?

Relaxing!

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

All of our vendors were amazing, but getting a videographer was a great investment. The films Somethings Wild have given us are amazing. Videography wasn’t high on my (Robbo) list at first but I’m glad Olivia told me it was a non negotiable.