We are starting off the week with a heavy duty dose of inspiration. Not only is this Victoria wedding captured by Afoto Professional Photography a pretty-as-can-be vision all in white and neutral shades but it is a backyard treat filled with charming DIY details that you'll definitely want to try at home. Even the bride's gown was handmade by her grandmother! How sweet is that? Click here to see it all!
Victoria Wedding by Afoto Professional Photography
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the bride... Our wedding was on the 8th of January 2011. Both the ceremony and reception were held on Ryan's parents citrus property in Iraak, Victoria, Australia. Our vision for the wedding was to reflect our love of the outdoors and growing up in the country. That's why we decided to have an outdoor wedding in the beautiful country setting of Ryan's parents property, whilst also allowing us to be budget friendly. We had guests come from South Australia, all over country Victoria and overseas. They all stayed in Mildura, and we transported them all to to the wedding on buses. As the wedding was at the home of Ryan's parents, most of it was DIY and sourced from suppliers in Mildura. I made and sourced all of the decorations and stationery myself with the help of my mum and bridesmaids. We also had family and friends spending countless days helping to prepare the property for the wedding.
We were able to have a Catholic ceremony outdoors with permission from the archbishop. We laid out white chairs on the grass of Ryan’s parents yard, and had an altar and lecturn at the top of the aisle. The aisle was decorated with white rose petals and buckets of white flowers. I had my dad, mum and step-dad walk me down the aisle together, as I wanted to include them all in such a special moment. We also had our mothers light family candles at the beginning of the ceremony, which we later used to light our larger candle representing the joining of two families. During the ceremony it was very hot and dry, with absolutely no breeze, so we cooled our guests with large misting fans and cold bottles of water. The female guests were also given sandalwood hand fans to help cool them down.
The reception was also outdoors in the yard. Ryan’s dad assembled multiple rows of party lights covered by white paper lanterns above the reception area and fairy lights in the trees. Ryan’s dad and brother also handmade the bar out of wine barrels, wood and corrugated iron. We decorated the tables with white table cloths, hessian table runners, candles and vases of white and green flowers with a ‘just picked’ look. We also hung white tulle curtains around the veranda and pergola area to create a sheer backdrop and enhance the decorations. My mum and I made and painted all the wooden table numbers. My nana and I made all the hessian table runners, and with the help of my mum and some of my bridesmaids, I made all the invitations, RSVP cards, maps, menus, seating chart, name tags, favour tags and signs. We had many memorable moments throughout the whole day that will always remind us of the special, emotional and fun filled day we got to spend with many friends and family. We enjoyed the day so much that we partied with our guests until 3am! Our wedding was such a beautiful day that reflected us perfectly. Our ceremony involved many loved ones, and our reception was full of beautiful food, speeches and lots of fun and dancing amongst a beautiful country setting. It was everything we dreamed of.
Wedding Photography: Darren Seiler of Afoto Professional Photography / Wedding Venue: The Groom's Parents' Home in Iraak, Victoria / Florist: Kerry's Flowers of Elegance (03 5024 2713) / Catering: The Gourmet Chef / Equipment Hire: Nichols Point Party Hire (03 5021 4169) + Party by Design / Wedding Invitations: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Dress: Hand-Made by the Bride's Grandmother / Shoes: Ivory Soul Bridal Shoes / Bridesmaids' Dresses: Witchery