J A N E & S A M
F R O M T H E B R I D E …
The Meeting…
Before we officially met Sam had seen me running past him with my dog along the Geelong waterfront a couple of times and felt like he was meant to meet me. When he did eventually meet me in a bar, he was excited and said I was the “cute girl with the cute staffy”.
Love…
Sam knew it was love fairly early in the dating process, declaring his love just two months into our relationship. When he said it I realised I was falling for him too. At a year of being together he decided he was going to marry me and started looking for a ring immediately … he is never backwards in coming forwards!
The Proposal…
Sam proposed to me when we were in Apollo Bay celebrating our second anniversary together. He made me walk to the top of a lookout overlooking the township. When he proposed on the lookout I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say …my reaction was so strange that I felt I had ruined the proposal and so I made him do it all over again the next morning. We climbed the lookout at sunrise and this time I was able to hear what he had to say and respond more politely! The poor guy, he had to work for it!
Wedding Style…
For both Sam & I the location was the most important element, and working to complement our gorgeous backdrops was paramount for me. I adore whimsical & romantic styling and given the breathtaking, rustic scenery, I chose to feature vintage & rustic style elements with a colour palette of soft neutrals, pale blush, lush green foliage and lots of creams.
Wedding Ceremony…
We were married in the picturesque grounds of historic Anderson’s Mill – a place that is very special to Sam and I and to my family. We exchanged vows under lush green oak trees beside Birch’s Creek which runs through the property.
Wedding Reception…
Our reception was held in Anderson’s Mill. Preparing the venue was, in itself, a labour of love. Anderson’s Mill is an empty heritage building with no water, no kitchen and no bathroom facilities. It is also home to a host of persistent resident possums! We cleaned, prepared and set up the venue for days prior to the event with the help of dedicated family and friends.
The Dress…
I must be the world’s luckiest bride – my little sister (and one of my two maids of honour) is the incredible Australian bridal designer Anna Campbell. Anna created my breathtaking, made to measure wedding dress, veil and headpiece. My dress was beyond beautiful – dripping in intricate beading and covered in heavenly lace – it was more gorgeous than anything I had ever dreamed of.
Anna was also the designer of my fabulous second dress which I changed into for our first dance. The one-off creation featured delicate lace in the bodice and tassels that twirled and flared when I spun, catching the light. A gorgeous, Anna Campbell embellished headpiece finished the whole look.
The Bridesmaids…
Anna crafted six exquisite, made to measure bridesmaid dresses for the day. The six dresses were created in soft, feminine flowing fabric in nude and featured stunning embellishments and back detail.
Groom + Groomsmen…
Our groomsmen were dressed by Briggins and wore tailored, slim fit grey suits with black bow ties. Sam’s shirt had black button detailing.
The Flowers…
My bouquet and many of the arrangements that featured at our wedding were interspersed with flowers from my mother’s garden – something that was very special to me. Bouquets reflected the overall style of florals on the day – abundant, unstructured and whimsical, featuring soft, open roses and peonies interspersed with lush foliage.
My incredible florist Arnie Way from Flowers in a Vase made my floral visions into reality. She worked with my mum for months and incorporated hundreds of blooms from both mum’s garden and the garden of a close friend.
Decorations…
The whole day was styled to be cohesive, surprise-filled & brimming with details, moving seamlessly from the ceremony to pre-dinner drinks on the verandah to the reception. Styling & décor was done by me (I am the owner/director of planning, styling & hire company Oh Perfect Day), with the assistance of my sisters, mum and bridesmaids who were my ‘crew’. Anna in particular was hugely dedicated to the production of the entire day (of course!) while Lucy sewed hundreds of metres of bunting for the day and mum created handmade cushion covers.
Abundant, unstructured flowers flowed out of vintage drawers, encircled poles, dripped from rafters and climbed across our ceremony backdrop, while gorgeous single stems were placed in vintage vessels.
Queen-Anne style dressers and vintage tables, french cane furniture, rustic drink tubs, antique silverware, rustic crates and bottles, rustic drink decanters, vintage birdcages and framed chalkboards were just some of the beautiful style elements that featured on the day.
DIY handmade details included lace bunting, floral cushion, ‘drink me’ tags, cocktail stirrers, fan programs, custom chalkboard art and lace-wrapped candle holders.
The romantic styling and colour palette of soft neutrals, pale blush, lush foliage green and lots of creams contrasted the venue’s raw and rustic timbers, whitewashed historic stone walls and rough textures.
Some highlights for us included our ‘make your own’ ice cream sundae bar with homemade brownies, sauces and delicious toppings and an outdoor drinks bar with summery punches in gorgeous drink dispenser complete with milk bottles tied with mini ‘drink me’ tags.
Wedding Cake…
The dessert/cake table was filled with delectable home baked cakes contributed by guests. Every cake was the baker’s ‘signature cake’ and featured a personalised label handmade by me.
Wedding Bomboniere…
Favours were hand raised herbs (lovingly grown by my mum), wrapped in rustic recycled paper, tied with twine and finished with handmade, recycled paper labels inspired by shipping-tags.
Wedding Photography…
Lyndel and Daniel not only take stunning photos, they are also two of the loveliest people you will ever meet. They made us feel so comfortable (something very important for someone nervous in front of a camera) and were just gorgeous to work with
Our photographs are classically beautiful and light-filled, they capture painstakingly created details, emotion, special moments and more. They will be treasured always.
Memorable Moments…
Being a planner, I couldn’t resist creating a wedding that wasn’t just any wedding! While guests enjoyed ice-cream and punch they played an array of outdoor games which included quoits, badminton, croquet, giant jenga, vintage skittles and corn-hole
The reception included a vintage style photo booth with carefully collected props and dress ups, a reception cocktail bar featuring ‘his and hers’ cocktails (mojitos and kamikazes), a ‘mad-libs’ guest book, and a scotch/whisky bar complete with vintage crystal decanters and decorative silver trays. The reception also featured a wedding pinata in the shape of J&S (script letters).
One of the highlights of the wedding for us (and, anecdotally, for many of the guests) was the first dance. Seven months of dance lessons resulted in a performance that featured spins, lifts, hat throwing and more. The first dance was followed by the official guest ‘dance off’, which was hotly contended with categories, prizes and dance off ‘finals’ (judged by the bride and groom). Prizes featured local produce and Sam and I were blown away by the enthusiasm and moves our guests brought to the floor!
Wedding Songs…
My bridesmaids entered to ‘Fields of Gold’ covered by Eva Cassidy and I walked down the aisle to ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ covered by the Vitamin String Quartet. We exited the ceremony as husband & wife to ‘Home’ by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.
Our first dance was performed to two songs: a version of ‘Crazy Love’ by Van Morrison & Ray Charles and ‘Love Serenade’ by the Waifs. We ended the evening with a sparkler send off as ‘Ho Hey’ by the Lumineers played.
Honeymoon…
We honeymooned in New Zealand and had an ‘adventure-moon’.
The Future…
We are currently renovating our little townhouse & looking forward to someday moving onto some acreage closer to the ocean where we can have ‘Oh Perfect Day’ weddings in our gorgeous gardens!
Photography 35mm Wedding Photography Ceremony + Reception Venue Anderson’s Mill Bride’s Dress Anna Campbell Bridesmaids’ Dresses Anna Campbell Makeup Artist Melonie Santos Hair Stylist Milk And Honey Suits Briggins Styling & Decorating Oh Perfect Day Flowers Flowers in a Vase Catering Chris Little