Real Wedding – Cassie and Jarred, Alice Springs, NT

Cassie and Jarred’s wedding day was 100% raw, authentic realness. From the moment their children walked down the aisle ahead of Cassie, to the hilarious speeches from their bridal party, this celebration was brimming over with love and laughter.

From the beginning of their planning, Cassie was drawn to her hometown of Alice Springs, and the photos by Cavanagh Photography of the incredible Arrernte country make it obvious why. This is Australian landscape at its most intensely beautiful.

Cassie and Jarred’s choice to keep their styling simple but bold, with a fresh take on black and white, makes for a striking effect against the deep golden backdrop.

If you are looking for inspiration as to how to create a wedding day that truly celebrates your love and the life you’ve created together with bold, beautiful elegance, we recommend taking a moment to check out these stunners.

The meeting.

We grew up in Alice Springs, but we went to different high schools. Our mutual friends got married on Hamilton Island, and we were in the bridal party together. Let’s just say the rest is history.

The proposal.

We were on a family holiday in Perth. Jarred was carrying around the ring throughout our holiday trying to find the perfect spot to propose. He confessed that he was planning to put the ring in a pie at the footy – being an avid West Coast fan and it being his first time on their home ground. Instead, it was placed in a cupcake at the Fremantle Markets.

Planning process.

It took me a year to plan the wedding. We took a long time deciding whether to have a destination wedding. My Mum helped out a lot- thanks, Mum. I also had to give my family lots of notice as a lot of them were coming from interstate.

Style inspiration.

When I was researching wedding venues, I kept being drawn back home. Alice Springs is on beautiful Arrernte country – I can’t quite describe the feeling you get in this landscape. We let the venue speak for itself and wanted it to be fairly laid back with elegant touches.

The outfit.

Living 1500kms away from the closest city was a challenge. We planned a girl’s trip to Melbourne. I had been eyeing off the gowns in Rachel Gilbert’s collection. I was not expecting to find it, especially not right off the rack in my size. Mum had ‘the face’ when I walked out of the dressing room. It just felt like me.

Favourite moments.

There were so many moments for me; being with our family and friends, a quiet moment behind the shed between the two of us just taking it all in. We were both blown away by our hilarious bridal party. They had us in stitches as they performed a song written about our love story to the tune of ‘Business Time’ from Flight of the Conchords.

Meaning of marriage.

I really didn’t know what it meant to me until I was officially in it. We had our two children and had been together already for seven years. Marriage to us was a commitment to each other and to our family.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle:
Cassie & Jarred’s children: Sunflower by Post Malone
Cassie: L’imaginaire by Gang of Youths
First Dance: Weathered by M-Phazes featuring Ruel

Funny stories or near disasters.

We had a million and one uninvited guests on the day – the flies! You can’t see them, but they were there. It was lucky that they disappeared as the sun set. A shoutout to our celebrant Ro who was a true professional. She thinks that there is a market out there for fly repelling make-up.

Planning surprises.

The organisation required and cost of logistics for an outdoor wedding.

Words of wisdom.

Enjoy it – even the stressful moments. There are not many times in life that you get to plan an event that is all about celebrating your love of another. Vendors are everything! Trust your instincts. It feels like a blur – we should have pushed for a later end time and partied a little longer into the night.

Loving the dramatic colour tones, festive feels and bespoke beauty of Cassie and Jarred’s celebrations? A country wedding can be an excellent choice to avoid rules and restrictions, and create a celebration that feels authentically you. Check out a collection of our favourite country weddings here.

CASSIE AND JARRED’S VENDORS

Ceremony and reception venue: The Outback Quarry – Alice Springs, Australia

Celebrant/Officiant: Ro Cunningham

Photography: Cavanagh Photography

Décor/ Hire: Confetti & Skeet

Florist: Wildfire Blooms

Hair: La Hair Lounge

Make-up: Amy Nunez

The dress: Rachel Gilbert

Catering: Alice Springs Convention Centre – Shoutout to Mary

Favours: Macarons by Lindy

Cake: Milly’s Cakes

Entertainment: Steph Harrison is a local artist and an awesome human.

Honeymoon: Los Angeles and Las Vegas