About You Two;

Who popped the Question and how did it happen?

Craig planned the proposal at my parents farm in the Southern Highlands where we had spent lockdowns and ultimately got married. Craig had arranged to walk to the gate at sunset with our dog Lemon and pop the question, followed by a virtual drink with Craig’s parents who were still in lockdown in New Zealand and then dinner with my parents and sister. Craig had secretly packed a dress and heels for me to wear to dinner. Like many events in 2021 La Nina had other plans (or was it Craig’s nerves?), so the engagement took place a couple of steps down the driveway overlooking the dam and my favourite snowgum.

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

We knew early on that we wanted to get married in the garden on Mum and Dad’s farm – it was a special place for us as a couple, and a great venue for a wedding!

Quick Fire Questions;

How many wedding guests did you have?

82

Sit down of Cocktail Style?

Sit down

What month?

January

Planning The Wedding;

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

We loved the journey but found the final few days very stressful – we hadn’t anticipated decision fatigue or all the small things that needed doing in the final days, but we powered through and it was definitely worth it.

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?

We were both involved in the wedding planning but had different roles – Craig was Chief Implementation Officer, and I was Chief Creative Officer.

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

We wanted a relaxed day celebrating with family and friends. We wanted good wine, a great band, lots of laughter and for people to dance with bare feet.

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

I had initially planned to wear my Omagh’s dress from the 1950s which my Mum also wore to get married in. The dress was unfortunately too delicate from age so we went to Mrs Fray in Canberra – Amy had been recommended to us from a few friends, and she was just fantastic. My bridesmaids and Mum came to try on dresses, and Lola Varma’s lotte dress in the cream was just perfect. Amy also recommended a great tailor who helped to take up the dress as I’m tiny.

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

We wanted the day to feel relaxed and modern, and very personal. For the dress code we said Cocktail Inspired by the Australian Bush. We were aiming for terracottas, greys, pinks, and green – it confused some guests though, but luckily no one came dressed as a koala! 🙂

On the Day;

How did you both feel wedding morning?

We were excited, but nervous. We had welcome drinks with friends and family the night before which helped to break some of the wedding day nerves. I made the boys boutonnieres while getting ready with my bridesmaid to help with some of the nerves on the morning.

What was the best part or moment of your day?

Steph – Walking down the aisle and seeing Craig, friends and family all looking back was so special. Having friends and family all together after the pandemic was so special, and something we cherished after lockdowns.

Craig – when Steph started walking down the aisle she stopped and said ‘hello’ as she walked through the door.

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

We had some chilly coastal rain blow in for the day so it was much cooler than we expected, but we warned guests the day before. Other than that everything went to plan on the day which was fantastic.

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

We collected banksia seed pods from coastal banksia’s at Mum and Dad’s place and had these on each table setting. Rachielle and her team from the bar made spritzs named after the farm welcome guests with, and we named the tables after Australian native flowers and New Zealand flowers as a nod to our Australian and New Zealand heritage.

After the Wedding;

Describe newlywed life in a couple of words?

Magic.

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

As we were getting married at Mum and Dad’s having Wed Event as wedding coordinators was a huge help in the lead up and on the day, it was the best investment we made for the wedding. We wanted to make sure our parents could relax on the day.

We also had fantastic suppliers on the day, including Sip Swig and Swallow with a bar caravan, and our friend Suz was our celebrant. Suz was perfect with supporting us in the lead up, and did an awesome job on the day. Our photographer Thommo was awesome, Dan from Slow Beans and Bones cooked delicious food, Jodie Day and Louise Antonjuk made us look gorgeous, and the Baker Boys were just awesome on the dancefloor.

I chose to do my own flowers which everyone said ‘don’t do it!’, but it was a great decision financially, and I loved the process of putting together the table settings and bouquets with my cousin, sisters, and Craig’s sisters the day before the wedding. Ingrid at Jonima Flower farm was very helpful at selecting flowers, and I had a great time. It takes a solid day though and is a tad stressful – so make sure you plan for that. Craig used to be a chef and also made the cake.

Budget-over, under or what you estimated?

We were slightly over budget – we hadn’t included some of the smaller costs that came in the last few days (facials and things like that).