Tell us a little about yourselves!
Tanner and I met in high school and slowly transitioned from best friends to lovers. We have gone through all the different stages in life together, supporting each other through university degrees, apprenticeships, new jobs, house renovations, travel, becoming dog parents, and the rest! I am the calm to his chaos, and we balance each other out perfectly. We love living life in the fast lane and can’t wait to grow old together.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We wanted to have the fun, relaxed long weekend vibes of a location wedding, without added the stress and expenses of a location wedding. So, we decided to do it in one our favourite wine regions within our own state to ensure we could spend a whole weekend celebrating with our loved ones. We had attended events at Lindsay Wine Estate before and loved the wines and the relaxed vibe of the winery and the staff. The small cellar door was perfect for what we were looking for and the grounds were so green and open, allowing us to have the ceremony and reception at the same venue and creative freedom with our set up.
How many guests did you have?
We had 168 guests attend, including children. Guests came from all over Australia to celebrate with us!
What was your budget?
Our budget was $50 000, which was definitely exceeded.
Tell us about your outfits.
I had never put much thought into my wedding dress and I was worried when I began my search, as I could never picture myself in the quintessential wedding gown. I stumbled across Van Der Koojj after seeing another bride wearing a dress made by them on Instagram. I saw the short dress with the puffy sleeves and ordered it just to try on. It was the first dress I tried, and I absolutely fell in love! I decided on the veil last minute and I’m so glad that I did as it complemented the dress perfectly.
Tanner is a very relaxed dresser, rarely straying from wearing football shorts and Birkenstocks. Knowing he would never wear his suit again, we decided to hire his suit from Joseph Uzumcu as recommended by a friend. He scrubbed up well in a tux! I won’t get used to it though haha.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Fun was the vibe for our wedding, we just wanted it to be a big party where everyone rips in and has a great time. The guests definitely understood the assignment – we had to kick them off the dance floor so we could do our first dance.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We wanted to incorporate our own personal vows during the ceremony. This scared me, as I’m not usually one for public displays of emotion/feelings but we knew this was going to make the day even more special!
Any tips for couples getting married?
Tune into what you want – not what everyone else wants out of your wedding day! It is easy to get caught up in everyone else’s opinion of how your day should look and what it should include. It’s your day! Also, your Pinterest board will be your best friend and your worst enemy, it is great for inspiration – not great for the budget. Don’t put yourself into extra debt if you don’t need to. You and your guests are going to have the best day celebrating together, whether there are ribbons on cutlery or not.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our photographer – Stacey Mclean was definitely our standout vendor. She listened to exactly what we wanted. We were apprehensive about having a photographer for the whole day, as we didn’t like the idea of having to leave our guests partying at the reception without us. She ensured we remained close to our guests and made it so fun for us. Looking back on the photos felt like we were reliving the whole day again. We hardly even knew she was there!
Photographer: Stacey Mclean @staceymcleanphoto | Flora: Leå Beclu @becluflowers | Ceremony & Reception Location: Lindsay Wine Estate Tanunda, SA | Celebrant: Cathy Wilson, a family friend |
Hire: Olympic Party Hire @olympicpartyhire | Makeup: Amy Barton @amybartonmakeup and Jessica Searle @jessicasearle_makeup | Hair: Torey Mowbray @comeasyouare_hair_by_t | Catering + Beverages: Locale Catering @localecatering | Cake: Cheryse Zagler @cheryse_zagler | Stationery: designed by Holly with PaperPaper.co @paperpaper.co | DJ: Declan Huston @onthedecs | Wedding Dress: Van Der Koojj @van.der.koojj | Suit: Joseph Uzumcu @josephuzumcu | Engagement Ring: Michael Hill Jeweller | Wedding Rings: James Allen @jamesallenrings | Shoes: Tony Bianco @tonybianco | Bag: Rachel Gilbert @rachelgilbert | Bridesmaids Outfits: Wynn Hamlyn @wynnhamlyn