Modern Rustic Country Wedding

Amy & Ron

I do love the romance of a country wedding, but there is something about today’s modern rustic country wedding that really encapsulates why. The couple and their best friends spent the morning together – yoga practice, a dip in the river, before they all got ready together, along with their baby daughter. Guests arrived to a garden ceremony, the beginning of an evening of celebration that took guests around the property as they enjoyed the warm weather and clear skies. Amy and Ron chose Jonas Peterson a mere three years earlier, to photograph their day!

Amy tells the story of how she and Ron came to be. “We met at my brother’s house warming party. Ron’s dog Cooper was there and I actually met him first, fell in love with him and then met his owner.”

Teaghan of Dare To Be Bare Hair & Beauty styled the bride and bridesmaid’s hair while Bernice of Once Upon A Bride styled their makeup.

Amy chose a gown by Rachel Gilbert. “My dress was by Rachel Gilbert. I actually bought it when I was 4 months pregnant and got another girl in the shop to try it on for me so I could see what it looked like without a pot (belly)! Our wedding was planned for 6 months after I had our baby so I needed to know what I would be wearing (and more importantly what I needed to fit back into) in advance. The thought of getting something made 8 weeks out was too scary for me! I wanted something that easily went from day to night, that I could dance all night in, it was perfect.”

Amy’s bridesmaids wore dresses in shades of white from Lover, Zimmermann, Sass & Bide and Browns of London.

The couple took a different approach to seeing each other on their wedding day, Amy explains, “So many of our friends had told us about how quick the day goes and that you really don’t get to spend much time together as a couple and so we decided to spend the whole day together. We stayed together the night before, woke up together as a family and then our bridal party joined us in the morning. It was the best decision we made.

The girls started the day with our beautiful friend Kate doing a yoga class, before a champagne brunch and the boys went swimming in the nearby Howqua River and then headed off to the Jamieson Brewery!

Then we all got ready together and did group photos prior to the ceremony. It meant nothing was rushed and we had heaps of quality time with the most important people there before the craziness of the actual wedding (and 150 other people!) kicked off.”

Revered Flowers created the floral arrangements for the day, Amy remembering, “Our gorgeous friend Revere did our flowers which were incredible!”

The couple chose a family farm for their wedding, the bride explaining, “Our wedding was held on our family farm property in Mansfield, in Victoria’s High Country. We wanted the atmosphere of the day to be relaxed and progressive, to keep guests entertained. We held the ceremony in the gardens surrounding the farm house, then progressed onto the grass for afternoon drinks and canapés.”

Amy chose Higher Love by James Vincent McMarrow, played by Simon Trist for her walk down the aisle.

Bobby Henry officiated the ceremony, the bride remembering, “We were lucky in that one of our best friends Bobby Henry is a celebrant and we could have someone who knew us so well marry us. Bobby ensured our ceremony was exactly how we wanted it – personal, inclusive and quick! Neither of us are religious so we chose to write our own vows and do a ring blessing, where our rings were passed throughout the crowd as we said our vows and each guest got to wish us well before passing on to the next. Ron’s sister Kirsty also did a reading called First Sight by Tyler Knott-Gregson.”

One of the things Amy remembers, and treasures the most about the wedding was the attendance of family and friends. She tells, “Ron is a Kiwi, we lived in Amsterdam for a while and the majority of my bridal party lived overseas or interstate at the time of our wedding. We couldn’t believe the amount of effort (financially and the rest!) that our loved ones went to be there for us on that day. We will be forever grateful for that and I will never forget the feeling of having everyone you ever wanted in the one room together!”

Continuing on with the progressive feel of the day, guests meandered to the reception after the afternoon ceremony. Amy explains, “As the sun went down we moved into the shed for the party to begin. We looked into marquees but the thought of spending so much money for something that would come down the next day just didn’t sit well with us. We also wanted to build something that added to the farm and had lasting value. We really wanted something that fitted in with the country environment of the farm property. Ron is a welder, so instead of a marquee we decided to build a large shed (an extension on the existing shed where we got engaged) and two rustic bars for the reception.”

Friends even brewed a beer for the wedding! Amy telling, “We had our friends Bobby and Craig brew a special beer for the afternoon drinks. They’re both brewers so it was an amazing gift for them to do it – and it tasted delicious!”

Guests enjoyed an outdoor feast catered by Pure Taste, Amy explains, “Being March in the high country it really could of gone either way (boiling hot or absolutely bucketing down). We took the risk and planned an outdoor wedding and we were very blessed with perfect sunshine and a warm evening!”

“We were so appreciative of our family. The support they provided not just on the day but more so in the lead up was phenomenal. I love that they were all so involved in creating the perfect day for us.”

Of their photographer, Amy tells ,”I had been following Jonas Peterson’s blog for years before we actually got engaged. I just fell in love with the way he so subtly captured moments that otherwise would of been missed. His stories moved me. When we did get engaged I emailed him straight away and said ‘I don’t know when we’re getting married, or where, all I know is that you have to be there to capture it’. In the meantime we moved to Amsterdam for a year and half and then had a baby, so two moved wedding dates and over 3 years later and finally our wedding and the photographer of our dreams happened!”

Not only did the groom build the shed, but there was plenty of help from family and friends. Amy remarking, “We did almost everything ourselves, with a lot of help from talented family and friends. From building the wedding venue, to creating the invitations (I’m a graphic designer), to getting our favourite desserts made by our mums and even getting my brother (who is an electrician) to create new circuits for all the festoon lights! It was important to us that everything looked and felt how we imagined, so we did whatever we could ourselves.”

The couple accidentally had a first dance, Amy explains, “We actually didn’t plan a first dance, but ended up doing one on the fly to get people out of the bar and onto the dance floor!”