Tamara & Luke
Tamara and Luke’s rustic Adelaide Hills winery wedding captures exactly what this beautiful hearted couple wanted for their day – a day of rustic filled celebrations that celebrated their love of wine, of friends and family and of course each other. The couple chose Todd Hunter McGaw to capture their day.
The newlyweds tell the story of how they came to be. “We met through friends of friends. Things really took off when Luke offered his spare room to Tamara to rent when she was trying to save for a European holiday. Not long after she shifted in sparks flew and a short 6 months later he followed her on that European holiday for 6 weeks!”
“I desperately wanted to have our dog feature in the wedding, but logistics made it impossible. Luke surprised me by getting my Dad to give me a wrapped gift which was a framed photo he’d taken of Indie the day before with a sign that matched the wedding signage that said ‘Best Friends Forever’ – lucky the make-up artist was still there as there was tears! My dad also gave me a bunch of pink carnations. He was the first man in her life to give mum flowers, and he’d given her a bunch of pink carnations when I was born. This was a very special moment.”
The couple chose Adelaide Hills winery Barristers Block Winery for their wedding, remarking, “We both love wine, and wine tasting. The Adelaide Hills are so close to the city, so we often pop up there on a Saturday or Sunday for a platter and some wine. We stumbled across Barrister’s Block after seeing their flier at a wedding expo. We met the owner on our first visit and loved her straightforward approach. The layout of the venue was also perfect for us as it had an outdoor area for the ceremony, a stunning hayshed for our reception, and a villa on site where the girls could stay the night before and get ready, and then the bridal couple could stay on the night!”
The groom created signs for the wedding thanks to his brand new business StencilSmart.
Ryan Cornish played the bride down the aisle, she remembers, “He not only played before the ceremony and the aisle music, but also the signing music and throughout pre-drinks. His relaxed acoustic style really suited our venue, and the sort of music that we enjoy. We were lucky enough to be able to hear him playing throughout pre-drinks as the music drifted through the forest where we were having photos!”
Joan Wilson officiated the ceremony. “We were married by Joan in the gardens of Barrister’s Block, under a big gum tree with the sprawling vineyards in the backdrop. It was a really pretty, relaxed view.”
Of their photographer, the newlyweds note, “Luke asked to do one thing if he had any say in the wedding planning, and that was to select the photographer! As a keen amateur himself, Luke selected Todd Hunter McGaw quite early on due to his wonderful portfolio, captivating blog pieces, and understanding, knowledge and experience towards the wedding day. And the wedding day did not disappoint, being an interstate trip for Todd it was wonderful to see him out at the rehearsal the day before which proved invaluable for guidance with our ceremony location, and his laid back nature, but incredible attention to detail made all involved very relaxed and comfortable, which created a great atmosphere that I think was reflected in the pictures he took on day. A fantastic bloke and highly recommended! ”
Studio Botanic styled the dahlia filled floral arrangements for the day, the newlyweds remarking, “Nadia from Studio Botanic was fantastic. With a bride who knew very little about different types of flowers, except what she didn’t want (traditional!) – Nadia just asked for some inspiration from the bride’s Pinterest board and a budget that needed to be worked within. The hanging floral behind the wedding table was absolutely breathtaking. The dahlias were incredible, and the bride asked whether she was allowed to take it off the wall and sleep on it! She also provided all of the small vases and tealight votives that matched our rustic theme perfectly. We couldn’t recommend Nadia and her team highly enough.”
Little Adelaide Catering Co created a decadent dinner for guests to enjoy – right down to a whiskey and jerky bar! “Nick and his team from Little Adelaide Catering Co were phenomenal. He immediately understood the theme of our wedding, and our love of shared food. He worked within budget to deliver our dream of large share plates of some of South Australia’s best meats, with mouth-watering side dishes a-plenty! Knowing that dessert often goes to waste while people are up dancing at a wedding, Nick created platters of bite-sized dessert morsels that our guests could eat while busting a move. He also helped to stock the Whiskey & Jerky bar with different flavoured pork crackling and beef jerky that was a quirky addition we loved. And the mini cheeseburgers that came out at 11pm were an absolute hit with our guests!”
“Andrew McCrone from Nice Cup of DJ looked after all our reception music. Luke knew after a minute of meeting him he was the right guy. Exceptional attention to detail and prides himself on top equipment to produce the best possible sound for a wedding venue.”
Congratulations on your marriage Tamara and Luke! Thank you for sharing your story with us! Thank you also to Todd Hunter McGaw for sharing today’s gorgeous photographs!
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