Real wedding – Rachael & Andrew, Rangeville QLD

When Rachael and Andrew’s original wedding plans went from a large-scale marquee wedding to an intimate backyard soiree, their guest list may have changed, but their overall vision remained and a classic and timeless celebration with quirky, retro accents was brought to life in the most gorgeous of ways.

Focusing on quality over quantity, the downsizing of their day saw them shower their guests in luxurious treats, such as champagne and an Italian-inspired feast to delight.

Rachael shone in a custom Isabella Longginou creation and as she took to the aisle and first caught site of Andrew, the stress of planning their dream day simply slipped away.

From bridesmaids in gloriously mis-matched frocks, fresh white florals, clear emotion and joy on the faces of the loved-up pair, and their family home setting the scene to perfection, we simply adore how Leah Cruikshank has captured this treasured day.

The meeting.

Andrew and I met at the local Dalby picnic race day in 2016. He instantly caught my eye. We got talking, however by the end of the night I saw him talking to another lady and thought  he was already taken…turns out it was his cousin.

The following day, I got a FaceBook message from him asking me how the rest of my night was. This message then led to our first date at a local Indian restaurant. Instantly smitten, he then informed me he was heading off to the USA for eight weeks for a rugby tour. When he got back we were official.

The ‘one’.

Probably from within the first month of meeting in early 2016. We couldn’t picture our futures without each other in it.

The proposal.

We had a Christmas Eve dinner at my parent’s property, with just my immediate family. Dad even decided it was a great idea to bring out the tequila. A few tequila’s deep, Andrew asked my dad when I went to bed. The next morning at 5 am, Andrew woke me up and placed a small box on my pillow…I was completely caught off guard (and a little foggy). It was perfect timing as we had a Boxing Day party planned at our place, which majority of our families (plus overseas family) were attending.

The planning process.

At the outset we planned to have a big black tie wedding at the beautiful local golf course (which is only a two minute drive from our home). We originally were planning on having approximately 180 guests hosted in a large clear marquee – however that changed with Covid. Three months before the big day we decided the build-up of stress was all too much. We didn’t want to offend any of our original guests, so we decided to just have a small wedding in our backyard with immediate family and bridal party only.

Style inspiration.

From the outset I wanted a classic and timeless wedding, with quirky retro accents which defines our individual styles. With a small number of guests, Andrew & I were adamant on having ‘quality over quantity’. This meant we could spend more money on nice champagne & food which made the overall vibe pretty special & luxe.

The look.

It was relatively an easy process. Initially I planned on just buying a white dress from Net-A-Porter as I didn’t want to spend an absolute fortune. I knew exactly what I wanted, however I had no luck in finding the exact dress.

One of my bridesmaids advised me to have a meeting with Isabella from Ilongginou. Within 20 minutes of meeting her, I already had my perfect dress drawn up and the material chosen. I felt Isabella made me feel so at ease with the whole wedding dress process. It was so easy.

Favourite moments.

I have two stand out moments. Very cliché, but walking down the aisle and seeing Andrew standing there made me so calm and made all of the buildup stress subside. My second favourite moment was when we drove down the road in our family friends vintage convertible Buick. We had so many people beep their horns and congratulate us as we drove past. It will be a memory we will never forget.

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage means making a lifelong commitment to your best friend.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: I surprised Andrew with an acoustic version of Elton John’s classic Your Song which was done beautifully by Jacques from Van Lill Music.

Signing: Latch by Sam Smith performed by Jacques from Van Lill Music

Recessional: Here comes the Sun by the Beatles

First dance: An acoustic version of Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton.

Funny stories (or near disasters).

My brother in law split his pants in half when entering the reception.

Planning surprises.

Andrew and I wanted to go all out and curate a four course Italian-inspired meal with matching wines. It was awesome but very time consuming as we wanted it to be perfect.

Words of wisdom.

Have fun and let your hair down. It goes so quickly, so enjoy every second of it.

Leah Cruikshank adores photographing the heart of wedding stories, with a smidge of those moody, romantic feels. And this is exactly why we adore her! Get to know this talented shutter-bug here. 

RACHAEL & ANDREW’S VENDORS

Ceremony and reception: Private property, Toowoomba QLD.

Celebrant: Wed By Ali, Ali Rollinson – Andrew had known Ali for a long time – which was great as it made it so much more comfortable.

Photography: Leah Cruickshank Photography – amazing.

Videography: Moon & Back Co. – Hands down the videographer and photographer were the best investment we could have made.

Styling: Andrew and I knew how we wanted everything styled. Andrew and his groomsmen got ready at home, so they also helped set up whilst I was getting ready.

Florist: Amanda from The Luxe Bloom Toowoomba

Hair: Hannah from Cheveux Salon Toowoomba

Make-up: Stacey from Mirror Mirror Makeup Artistry

The Dress: Isabella Ilongginou

Veil / headwear: Borrowed

Shoes: Scanlan Theodore

Rings: Engagement ring – Stones Diamonds Brisbane, wedding bands – Hogans Family Jewellers Toowoomba

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Isabella Longginou – each bridesmaid chose any fabric and design they wanted.

Menswear: Ferrari Formal

Catering: We did majority of it ourselves. We wanted an Italian-style meal. First course was Caprese Salad which Andrew’s mum created (paired with a white wine we love, Vernaccia from San Gimignano). Second course was pumpkin, ricotta and sage ravioli sourced from Newfarm Deli (paired with a Penfolds Pinot Noir), followed by peppered rare beef or chicken ballontine served with fresh salads (paired with a Gibson Shiraz from the Barossa). Desert was wedding cake served with fresh cream and berries (and paired with rose French champagne).

Cake: Sarah from Oh For Heavens Cake

Stationery / Signage: I wanted to incorporate the flowers and plants from our garden and knew the design I wanted for our stationery. I outsourced a lady to complete the design and we printed all of our stationery from Officeworks.

Entertainment: Jacques from Van Lill Music

Transport: Family friends vintage convertible Buick

Hire: Hamptons Event Hire and Range Event Hire

Honeymoon: Noosa