Georgie & Z
If you’re looking for inspiration to make your own wedding day a day of fun, then the Tasmanian garden party wedding of Georgie and Z will steal your heart away. There were sack races, fairy floss, popcorn, tiers of freshly baked scones – even bubble blowers! This was an afternoon in the sun no-one will forget and we are so happy Photography With Cassie shared it with us!
Georgie tells us the story of how the couple came to be. “We were both living in Sydney, but we met at our friends’ wedding in Hobart. I was a bridesmaid and Z was a really good friend of the groom. Late into the night, I found a fruit platter on one of the tables and returned to the dance floor. Z was next to me: “Hey, where did you get that nectarine?” I offered him a bite, then I went and found him one of his own… Our first date back in Sydney went for 13 hours, from brunch in Darling Harbour to late night Peking duck in the city. Turns out, not only did our friends all know each other, but our dads had worked together – in the same office of a large company – for years! They’d even talked about us at work! We’d been circling each other our whole lives, just waiting for the right time to meet.”
The bride opted for a chic jumpsuit from Carla Zampatti, explaining “I’d already bought a dress I found online and I was happy to wear it, but one day I went shopping with my older sister – we were supposed to be looking for a dress for her – we walked into Carla Zampatti, I saw the white Garden Party jumpsuit and it was done! It was really different, super comfortable and it made me feel like I’d found a little bit of a wow factor. My mum makes bespoke handmade jewellery. She transformed some vintage pieces she’d been saving for a pair of utterly incredible earrings and a stunning bracelet for me to wear. They made me feel amazing.”
Georgie and Z chose Ratho Farm for their wedding, the bride noting “Ratho is a beautiful working farm and home to Australia’s oldest golf course. All of the old buildings – the barn, the bakery, the stables – have been restored and refurbished as cottage accommodation. Our reception was held in the glass-walled atrium and gardens around the farm’s homestead.”
Of the processional, the bride remembers “Angel of Mine by Monica played and my dad and I crossed a short distance of lawn from the neighbouring cottage to meet Z at the verandah stairs. Rather than giving me away, my dad offered his blessing on behalf of he and my mum, and they welcomed Z as their son.”
“January 16, 2016, was more than we could have ever imagined. To be able to celebrate finding my perfect fit, feeling completely whole, with everyone who travelled with us to get to that day – my heart was completely full.”
“Our wedding ceremony was on the verandah of the cottage where Z got ready with the boys. Our guests stood on the sloping lawn between us and the banks of a flowing creek. Our niece, Molly – just 16 months old – was our tiny ringbearer. When it was time for the rings, she walked straight to us and purposefully delivered a little hessian bag. Z and I both wanted a very short, relaxed ceremony but we chose the words very carefully. It was really special for us, we wrote our own vows and we both had a lot of fun with it.”
Marnie Bicknell officiated the outdoor ceremony. “Our celebrant was absolutely wonderful. We came across Marnie Bicknell’s website by chance, we met her over the phone and loved her instantly. We talked for over an hour on our first call. Marnie is such a breath of fresh air. She’s unbelievably warm, cheerful, generous and we felt that she really got us, because she really cared to find out who we were.”
Concept Catering worked with the couple for a dinner of delights, Georgie telling “Kimbra from Concept Catering was such a blessing. She was a constant for us throughout the whole planning process and she made everything so easy for us. Kimbra’s food was absolutely delicious and we had more than enough for seconds for everyone. The whole Concept Catering team was a beautiful part of our day – friendly, warm and patient. Z and I absolutely loved planning this wedding with the incredibly generous help, support and patience of both of our families. Z has the best ideas and I love spreadsheets and logistics, so together we had a lot of fun in the lead up to our favourite day.”
“Z and I don’t prefer a lot of formality, but we were able to make the day our own by incorporating only the traditional elements that felt really important to us. We didn’t stay together the night before our wedding – but we did meet up to go for a run and calm our nerves in the morning, we skipped speeches, an official first dance, cake cutting and a lot of bridal party customs, and we replaced those things with games and treats and time to breathe and take it all in.”
Rum Jungle kept the party vibe moving. “Rum Jungle played at my sister’s wedding and I danced all night. Z hadn’t heard them, but he trusted me, so we got in touch with them as soon as we had a wedding date – and he didn’t regret it. These guys absolutely nailed our daytime dance party. Every single one of our guests was on the dance floor, framed by trees and hedges, dancing and singing with us in the evening sun.”
“For dessert, we served cheese platters, fresh fruit and pavlova. And we had a scone tower for a wedding cake! Baked by our amazing caterer, Kimbra that morning, the still-warm scones were slathered in fresh homemade raspberry jam and lashings of double cream. Perfect for the summery day.”
There was no special first dance, but dance they did. “We didn’t plan an official first dance, so our moves weren’t technically impressive – but we did have a lot of special dances together during the day.”
“At the reception, we had sack races, lawn games and we lounged on picnic blankets. We had a bubble machine and bubble wands everywhere. We were treated with fresh popped popcorn, fresh spun fairy floss, and we had a retro gumball dispenser in the garden filled with personalised m&ms.”
Of their photographer, Georgie notes “Cassie Sullivan has been a friend and an artist we have admired for a very long time. We were lucky enough to have Cassie capture our nikah ceremony (an Islamic marriage ceremony) eight months before our civil ceremony, so she was with us on our whole love-celebration journey. We could not have asked for a more impactful, sensitive and selfless person to have with us on our wedding day. Cassie is a real connector with an innate sense of what everyone needs all of the time.
For us, she was such a calming, peaceful, gentle influence on our day – but I get the sense that she naturally becomes whatever the people around her need her to be. Cassie moved through our day so easily, gently directing, correcting, snapping, absorbing… She was, inadvertently, everywhere, all the time. When we saw our photos for the first time we were absolutely over the moon. She had somehow caught all of it – she made us feel the same way, looking at her photos, that we did on our wedding day. She captured all of the magic and the love in it and we are so grateful to have those memories and those feelings forever.”
“I don’t think that day could ever have been long enough for us, but Z and I were so happy to enjoy the company of all of our special people, together in such a beautiful place. We are so grateful we found each other and, for us, this was a party to appreciate that. It really was our favourite day.”
Congratulations on your marriage Georgie and Z! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Photography With Cassie for sharing today’s celebration!
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