Have you ever dreamed of a country wedding in Berry on the NSW South Coast? Would you like to see the sun setting behind the mountains with its golden glow shimmering across the fields? I can tell you that dream farm weddings are a reality! Their Willow Farm wedding had everything you could think of. From a stunning old tree as the ceremony backdrop to many rustic farm buildings. There were also plenty of sheep, cows and a kelpie. The stunning see-through marquee was decorated with stunning hanging floral styling. Everything was showcased beautifully because of the perfectly clear and sunny spring day.
The sunset was magic and we enjoyed it while walking over the train tracks. Have you heard of the golden hour for photography? Well, it was well and truly in our presence at Willow Farm Wedding!
Other than the weather and surroundings, there were so many other wonderful details for their day. But it was the details and choices they made that came straight from the heart that stood out most.
The celebrant was their first wedding planning decision!
The first detail of their wedding was their choice of celebrant. “When Mike and I got engaged, one of the first people we wanted to share the news with was Mike’s best friend, Nathan. Nathan and Mike have known each other for 25 years. Throughout those years they finished school, travelled and lived together. Mike and Nathan were so close that Mike would often joke about them getting married one day. Fast forward to when Mike and I got engaged and Mike rang up Nathan, who was living at Uluru at the time. The conversation went like this, “You know how I’ve always said you should marry me, well, I just proposed to Tessa and we would love for you to marry us!”
Nathan graciously accepted their request, and they all agreed it would be a lovely surprise on the day for their guests. So for 18 months, Nathan worked hard on completing his marriage celebrants course in secret.
Another wonderful meaningful detail on their day related to their grandmothers who both weren’t able to attend the wedding. Tessa and Mike wanted to acknowledge them so they provided gifts to all the guests that represented something special and unique.
“Mike’s grandma had an award winning garden that overflowed with succulents. Before she moved into a nursing home shortly before her passing, Mike’s family took cuttings from her Geelong garden. These were then used to create gifts for the guests. The other gifts were apricot jams. These represented my grandma because of a vivid memory I have of growing up with her. She was an excellent cook and used to grow apricots in her garden, often making apricot dumplings or apricot jam.”
Not partners in crime…
When I asked Tessa and Mike about when they first met, this is what was revealed. “I was the one who first noticed Mike. The thing that first caught my eye was how much happiness Mike exuded, and how that sense of fun seemed to spill out to all those around him.” And you can see this couple are so devoted to each other. During Mike’s speech, he got me shedding some happy tears with this part “most couples describe themselves as ‘partners in crime’ — which has always baffled me. Tessa — I like to think of us as the opposite. We’re crime-fighting superheroes that fight for what’s right in this world — and that’s why I love you.” Awwwwww…
Please enjoy looking through their amazing Willow Farm Wedding Day.
