Craig and Leah

Craig and I are high school sweethearts. We met at school when I was 15 and Craig was 17. From the day we met I knew we would one day end up married. Then after 12 years together Craig took me and our puppies on a surprise weekend away to a B&B in Kangaroo Valley on the NSW South Coast. We walked to a gorgeous little restaurant for dinner that night and I thought Craig was acting strangely.

As we walked back to the B&B we passed the most quaint community hall with a party in full swing. It looked so stunning with fairy lights and lanterns everywhere. I gushed to Craig “Oh imagine how cute that would be for a wedding!”. He ended up dragging me away and back to the B&B where 20 minutes later I had a gorgeous pear shaped diamond on my finger and a fiance!

 

My next thought was I know where we can have the wedding…. and so the decision was made. We booked the Kangaroo Valley Community Hall for a year and a day later for our wedding reception. Then the fun started with the planning. Being a wedding florist and stylist, I really wanted something unique. We organised the wedding to be a weekend away with all our friends and family. And most of all it had to be like a big party, of course with gorgeous flowers. We really wanted it to be unlike a “stock standard wedding”.

I loved the country rustic feel of Kangaroo Valley and based our wedding theme around that. The hall offered us a rustic blank canvas where we could do whatever we pleased. It was a huge job co-ordinating all the aspects of the wedding, especially as I wanted to DIY so much of it.

We did a huge amount of details ourselves and everything was very much DIY. We made the bridesmaids dresses, my husband brewed a special beer for the day “Mr and Mrs Battleys Valley Pale Ale”, we made wedding survival kits, decorated the venue, made the invitations, made a lolly and dessert buffet, sewed the table runners and of course I made my own flowers.

The day was absolutely perfect, with not a cloud in the sky. I woke up at 6.30am and ran around the property we had booked screaming “Its my wedding day!”. All the girls relaxed with champagne in the morning while I finished the bouquets and buttonholes and had photographs taken. I was actually ready 40 minutes early and was itching to get to the wedding.

Hair Comb from Cheboom

By the time we got to the wedding my dad had been crying for 40 minutes and I was bursting with excitement! To arrive at the church in our vintage Kombis and see Craig standing at the end of the aisle looking so handsome and happy was the best feeling. I felt so overwhelmed with happiness.

Following the service the guests all made the stroll up the main street for cocktails and canapes while we had our photographs at the gorgeous property we had booked for the weekend.

The only hiccup of the reception was the lead singer of the band, The Escalators had taken ill that morning and was unable to sing. After a few frantic phone calls, it was decided my gorgeous matron of honour Fiona, who is a professional singer would sing all night with the band (who were amazing!). Unbeknownst to us, Fiona had learnt the guitar to serenade Craig and I with a gorgeous song “the wedding song” by Angus and Julia Stone. It was a truly beautiful moment and there was not a dry eye in the reception.

We tried to incorporate as many personal touches to the reception as possible such as a polaroid photobooth by Luxe Event Decor with quirky questions and framed photos of our families weddings. The wedding ended at 1.30am and it really was like a big party. People didn’t want to leave!

Craig and I truly had the most amazing day, everything was perfect and to share it with all our loved ones was magical. We honeymooned in America and Mexico with smiles plastered on our faces, still on such a high from our amazing day!

Photography by H.Dee Photography

Ms Gingham says Such a gorgeous addition to the rustic theme… the Kombis van! Thanks Craig and Leah for sharing their lovely wedding with us!

Leah says: “I am a wedding florist who also specialises in styling weddings. I own my business leah mitchell floral design as well as styling and hire business Luxe Event Decor.”