We would love to see more brides like this one – she’s one of the few brides we’ve come across who share our sentiment that you do not need to be limited by wedding ideas only for inspiration. The talented Rachel also designed her own wedding invitations as well as the lettering on the wall, menu and place cards, and the couple did their own décor. Thanks, Jonathan Ong, for sharing yet another lovely story with us.
Rachel: “The most memorable moment from the day was when we saw all our family and friends gathered in one place. Everything was perfect in the most laidback way yet all the pieces came together better than we imagined!
“We did not start out with a ‘theme’ but we had in mind what we loved. We didn’t want a grand, over the top wedding with so many decorations that the focus became the ‘event’ and not so much a celebration of us with our families. We knew we wanted a laidback, outdoor wedding, and when we visited Butterland, we fell in love with the place! It has a lot of charm – rustic and intimate. The walls in the dining area used to be where butter was made, and the owners had kept the original butter yellow tiles. We also made do with random chairs and trestle tables.
“When we met with Katie Marx, our florist who also owns the venue, she asked us for some visual inspiration. Together with photos of my wedding dress, Katie created a concept for us that we loved. As designers ourselves, we know how important it is to trust your designer. We really trusted Katie to come up with something amazing, and she didn’t disappoint. Not wanting to waste the flowers, we told our guests they could take what they wanted.
“Katie is a truly amazing florist. We kept decorations to a minimum as the venue had plenty of character. We knew that the flowers that Katie put together would bring much of the colour needed to the space. As designers, we believe in the ‘less is more’ mentality, so we used a lot of restraint. We used lemons that we had collected from family and friends’ trees as place settings, and hand lettered the signage and menus ourselves.”
Tips from the bride: “Pinterest is usually a good place to start as a source of inspiration, but don’t allow yourself to be glued to it. Look elsewhere for ideas and don’t follow trends. Make your wedding your own. I’ve heard many brides-to-be talk about wanting to have a ‘Pinterest-worthy’ wedding, and I think many get too caught up in the prettiness of things and forget that the wedding is a one day celebration, whereas the marriage is the real thing.”
RACHEL & ANTHONY {Australia}
Photography by Jonathan Ong / Venue Butterland, Newstead, Victoria / Number of Guests 68 / Bride’s Gown by Alice Temperley, London / Hair and Makeup by Jenny Pham / Groom’s Attire by Jack London / Bridesmaid’s Dresses by Custom Made / Groomsmen’s Attire by Jack London / Flowers by Katie Marx / Catering by Spade to Blade Catering / Wedding Favours by Local organic honey and lemons / Invitations and Stationery by Bride and Groom
{Read more about this in the magazine}