Heidi & Ryan

It was all about family when Heidi and Ryan tied the knot in a colourful country farm wedding. The pair chose to wed in the very same place as the bride’s parents, by the very same priest that married the groom’s parents. They celebrated, in a marquee, on the farm where the bride grew up. Even the bride’s gown had a family touch – handmade by the groom’s mother. It was, as it sounds, incredibly heartfelt and beautifully captured by Anthea and Lyndon.

The couple met as teenagers, ten years ago and have been together ever since. They were engaged on a seaside holiday, with a ring that was set to include the diamonds of Ryan’s great-grandmother’s engagement ring. It was the most beautiful part of a day, that was all about honouring their favourite people, as well as each other.

 

“I carried a horseshoe handmade by my Aunty Jo with my bouquet, and I tied tiny photographs of treasured family members onto my bouquet – Heidi’s Nan, Nolie; Ryan’s Grandma Joyce, and Heidi’s Aunty Lisa,” tells Heidi.

 Of her gown, Heidi tells “The dress was a labour of love, handmade by Ryan’s mother Debbie Leonard. The dress was an ivory silk satin, with heavily beaded lace. The dress featured a fitted bodice, medium length train, sheer lace overlay with appliqued lace motifs and many loops and buttons down the back.”

Heidi and Ryan chose St. John the Baptist Church, Eugowra  for their ceremony, the same church where Heidi’s parents married.

Heidi walked down the aisle with her father to an acoustic version of Aladdin’s “A Whole New World”.

The couple were married by the priest who married Ryan’s parents, Heidi explaining “Our ceremony was very simple and family centred. We had a traditional reading read by my Mum and the Prayers of the Faithful read by our nephew Logan at age six and a half! The church felt full of love and happiness, and was so full of people it was almost overflowing!”

“We loved being surrounded by our family and friends on a stunning spring afternoon – especially since there had been floods in the area and rain on the morning of the wedding – it all cleared to make for perfect weather for the reception.”

Gathered Floral created the bright and beautiful floral details of the day, the bride remarking “The brief was bright and colourful for pops of colour against the blues and ivory. We had seen Catherine’s work previously and loved her quirky, slightly wilder approach to floristry. She went above and beyond what we expected, with a floral cascade on the bridal table, a hanging arrangement on a ladder suspended above the bridal table, and stunning arrangements both inside and outside the church.”

Of their photographers, the bride tells “Our photographer was the extremely talented Anthea and Lyndon Film and Photography from Canberra. They take a documentary approach to weddings, and they captured all the important moments of the day, as well as a great deal of footage and memories that we didn’t see at the time. We had both a photography and a videography package, which now means we have a beautiful short film to look back on which beautifully illustrates the day.”

With the help of Domayn Events, the couple celebrated with their guests in a marquee reception, catered by Eat Your Greens on the family farm. “We loved celebrating together with our families at home – having all our closest family involved in the day,” tells Heidi.

The groom’s family brewed a special beer for the day, at their brewery Mudgee Brewing Co, Heidi noting “Ryan’s parents own a Brewery in Mudgee and they brewed us a special beer for the occasion which we called “Hoppily Ever After” – a play on words for the occasion and our favourite style of beer.”
These beers had personalised labels designed by a local artist which we spent the nights before the wedding labelling by hand. Each beer had a name tag hung around the neck to indicate the seating plan on the tables.”

Heidi adds “The theme of our wedding was “Tie the Knot” and we featured twine detailing and tied knots throughout the day.
Each of our wedding invitations had a hand-tied knot which would tie tightly when the invitation was opened. These invitations included a map with directions from the ceremony venue to the reception venue, which were designed by a local artist.”

Anthea and Lyndon also created this gorgeous film of the day’s celebrations (I think the bride’s father’s speech might be my favourite part!)

Congratulations on your marriage Heidi and Ryan!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us! Thank you also to Anthea and Lyndon for sharing today’s celebration.