Real Wedding - Annie & Ash, Bairnsdale VIC

December 10, 2018 In Black and White, Garden, Outdoor, Real Weddings, Rustic By Natalie Drum

Real Wedding – Annie & Ash, Bairnsdale VIC

Embracing the beautiful surrounds of a private property estate, Annie and Ash took their time planning their dream day, and their hard work sure paid off.

Ensuring that the gorgeous garden setting really spoke for itself, their main focus was both the place and their people – the rest falling into place to result in a beautiful and eclectic mix of native florals, rustic touches and classic overall styling.

This day was clearly about the people present and love felt between Annie and Ash, and Mavis Jean Photography was there to document it perfectly.

In Annie’s words…

The meeting.

We knew each other growing up, and always had great conversations at parties when our mutual friends were making out, but ended up together after Annie’s best friend Em’s 21st birthday and a few dates…

The ‘one’.

We had clicked from the first moment! It just always felt right!

The proposal.

We had packed up our lives in Australia and decided to go travelling for a couple of years. A few months into our trip, we happened to find ourselves in New York on Christmas day in 2014. We headed to Central Park, and Ash popped the question there.

The process.

We had a lot of time to plan – we were travelling at the time we got engaged, and had no budget to spend on anything (we wanted to come back rich in experiences, not cash!) So we had heaps of time to think about our priorities, and what we wanted from the day. When we got back to Australia, we planned slowly. We started with a location, then a date, and tried to remain calm about decisions both big and small. After all, a wedding is just a big, well-catered party, and everyone there is there to have a good time and celebrate you!

Style inspiration.

Our main goal was to ensure that the beautiful location and garden was able to speak for itself, and to make sure our guests were comfortable. So our inspiration was the place and people involved! We wanted classic, minimal style, mixed with delicate native florals and rustic wooden touches – kind of a strange mix. I think it worked!?

The dress,

I actually bought two dresses – oops! The first was a hasty decision because I’d taken so long to decide. I still love the dress, but it just wasn’t ‘The One’. I then saw an amazing Rue De Seine dress online, and rushed to try it on when it was first in stores. They had to fast track the order for me because the wedding was so soon, but they managed it, and I was super happy they did 🙂

Favourite moments.

We had a quiet moment together during dinner to stop and look around at what we had created together, and see our loved ones enjoying it. It was amazing. We also had some fun, fun times on the dancefloor together!

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage for us is a commitment to put each other before ourselves, and to trust and support each other, no matter what. To grow together, and to always enjoy and appreciate our lives together.

Wedding soundtrack.

My extremely talented brothers played during the ceremony, which was incredible. There was some City & Colour, some Lior and some Frank Ocean… look Tom up at www.MrBoutique.com.au. The band was organised by him, and were also amazing – they played the best of the best, and were fun, professional and so slick!

Planning surprises.

Wedding dress vendors can be difficult and can make you feel shitty…especially considering how much money you want to spend with them! But on a more positive note, how many people are willing to chip in and help out for a wedding – it was an amazing and humbling feeling.

Words of wisdom.

Take it slowly, try not to stress about the small things – guests won’t notice if the napkins match the table cloths exactly or not. Remember to think about your guest’s experience, and focus on making it awesome for them!