Kasey & Wesley

Sometimes, a wedding doesn’t need to have ballgowns and sparkles. Sometimes a casual wedding where bare feet are welcome, where dance floors are packed, where sunhats are worn to block out the heat is just perfect. This was a day that was so very much about the bride and groom and their own personal styles and aren’t we lucky Photography by Sarah J was there to capture it all?

The couple met through church and decided to tie the knot after Wesley’s planned proposal went a little awry. Kasey remembers, “I accidentally saw an email that the engagement ring was ready to be picked up. Wes wasn’t happy. Then a week later I told Wes it was all I could think about and he told me he needed some time. I started crying – a lot – thinking he wasn’t ready. Then we played a game to cheer me up and he put the ring in a chocolate crisp packet. It was very raw and emotional but perfect.”

The bride wore a gown made by local dressmaker, Joan Hooper. She tells, “I tried on a dress and skirt in a bridal store I had loved but I had a Bendigo dressmaker make these similarly but in slightly different materials.”

Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm hosted the celebrations. The bride tells, “We had our ceremony and reception at Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm in Hepburn Springs. It was mid-February, super hot and the pretty much the only place around that was green. I wanted something with a great atmosphere and space.”

The bride walked down the aisle with her father to James Vincent McMorrow’s “Higher Love”.

A friend arranged the floral arrangements for the day, a contrast to the brightly coloured bridesmaids’ gowns.

Pastor Kerrin Wallis officiated the ceremony, which the couple wanted to be relaxed, but heartfelt. The bride explains, “I wanted people to connect emotionally with the vows. We wanted them to be honest and raw; they were our favourite part. We didn’t have many traditional aspects. We had two close friends do readings.”

“We did it [the wedding planning] in six months so that was hectic. Just being able to capture who we are throughout an entire day was special.”

  

The speeches were one of the highlights for the bride, who explains, “Wes doesn’t public speak much and when he had the microphone he really warmed to it. We thanked all of our friends and family together, Wes managed to make the speech last a lot longer than intended but there were plenty of laughs and tears, particularly from him, sometimes at the same time which made for some interesting sounds our friends still like to remind us of a year later.”

Guests enjoyed a relaxed feast of burgers and chips from Mr Burger, cheese boards and grazing platters from Secret Garden Catering and a welcome delivery of cold ice cream from Mammoth Ice Cream on a Bike

.

Of their photographer, the bride tells, “Sarah is one of our good friends and she knows how to capture how people are as a couple and their styles so well. She is great to work with and wonderful at her job. We love her lots!”

The couple opted for no first dance. Instead, each guest chose their own way to dance the night away. Kasey remarks, “It was very hot and we had people sitting in the drinks bathtub and hanging in the cool room we hired for a few minutes at a time before rejoining the dance floor for some more fun.”

 

White + Woods captured a beautiful film of the day that was all about the sounds, the sights and the little things that were woven into each moment.

A big congratulations Kasey and Wesley! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thank you also to Photography by Sarah J for sharing today’s celebration.