Falling head over heels for this gorgeous Highfield House affair is sort of a no-brainer. I mean, not only is this a day that is drop-dead gorgeous in every which way, it’s one of those magical weddings where every last moment is filled with sooo much romance, it’s almost too awesome for words. Oh, and the gallery captured by KS Photography? Soooo pretty. Click here for more.
From KS Photography… We hadn’t met Jess and Ben until the day before their wedding, but the moment we did, it was as though we’d all known each other for years. This lovely couple flew over with from a little town called Eugowra, NSW, bringing with them family and friends from far and wide.
They’d loved the idea of escaping their heat for a milder Tassie summer, and with Ben’s last name being Stanley, there was no better place for them to marry, really. However, Tassie, true to form decided to lapse back into full winter with gale force winds, and torrential rain the week of their wedding. Jess and Ben stayed totally happy and positive though, not minding in the slightest that they needed to change their plans from an outdoor wedding into the beautiful stone church at Highfield House, and by some miracle, the sky cleared the day of the wedding and we got beautiful sunshine to enjoy the day with, although they had to bravely contend with roaring winds, just the same.
The bride wore a beautiful, long, vintage inspired dress of chiffon, while the bridesmaids wore mismatched vintage inspired short dresses in similar tones. The groom and groomsmen were looking cute in their RM Williams shirts (they are all country boys after all) and bow ties.
Instead of having an official first dance, the couple chose to be announced to some upbeat music and dancing which was an absolute blast. No traditional fruit cake for this couple, the cake made of cheese! And they painstakingly arranged the the beautiful decorations and stunning flowers themselves.
All around it was a wonderful day fill with love and laughter, just like every wedding day should be!
From the Bride… We got engaged on Christmas morning 2012. I woke up ridiculously early to hear Ben stirring his coffee, and thought that it was weird he was up so early. He came in looking very nervous and asked if i would like my Christmas present. I wanted to give his to him first. I don’t think he was to impressed with the alarm clock he got. He then proceeded to hand me a book titled “Jess and Ben” which he had made. It was filled with pictures from the last seven years. Then as I got to the last page it said, “Will you marry me???” He then pulled out the most beautiful vintage ring from under the bed. It was all so romantic, even with me in my pjs, and him in his undies!
Our wedding in a sentence… It was the best day of our lives, fun, lively, abundance of food and wine and the people we most love by our sides.
Kat and Steve, (KS Photography) were do we start! We couldn’t of chosen any better. Not only are the photos beautiful, but so are those two! After emailing probably close to 10 photographers Kat and Steve were the ones that stuck out! They were so organised, at the same time relaxed. There was no stress invloved. We only wanted to have a small amount of time for bridal party photos. They took all that on board and what they achieved is amazing! They were so discreet but managed to capture everything we hoped for. They both work so well together, it just felt like old friends taking our pictures. Kat has kept us in the loop regarding the photos and were they are up to. And putting a few up on their Facebook page so we could share with our friends and family. We had so many positive comments about them! We really just couldn’t of chosen better!
We chose the Smithton Lions club for the bar, they were fantastic. Organized and so tidy! Just lovely lovely people.
The band was a crowd pleaser ” The baker boys band” They had everyone up from the 1st till the last song. Would thoroughly recommend!
Olive Tree Catering, beautiful, filling food. No one went hungry and it was exactly what we wanted.
Tessa Lee provided the chapel music and when everyone was having canapes. Such a beautiful Voice. So nice to hear in the background.
We did all the flower decorations ourselves, as well as the bridesmaids, my mum and I making our bouquets the night before the wedding. The cheese cake boards were cut by my brother, and oiled and sanded by Ben. We put the cheese cake together the morning of the wedding. We made the signs ourselves, and as well as the name tags for the tables. The guest book we made, and also we had a “time capsuale’ which we asked our friends and family to write us a letter which we plan to read in 10 years time, with a bottle of red which we put together in an old drawer.
If I could tell other brides anything, it would be: It’s your day, do what you feel is right. Be prepared to break traditions and have people question it. But stick to your guns!
Always have a back up plan for weather. Its unpredictable, but don’t let it stress you out! If you have a plan B ready there should be no stress.
Try and spend as much time as possible with your guests, with photos include them. They have made the effort to be there. Its not just about your bridal party.
And most of all, enjoy your day. Don’t let the little things get to you. Just relax, let people look after you for the day! And just have fun!
Photography: Ks Photography | Flowers: Circular Head Florist | Wedding Dress: Anaessia Gowns | Rings: Jeremy Fleming Jewellers | Catering: Olive Tree Catering | Make Up: Becs Beauty | Hair: Smithton Haircare | Suits: Roger David | Venue: Highfield House | Bar: Smithton Lions Club | Cake Supplies: Ashgrove Cheese | Reception Music: Baker Boy Band