Brooke & Pete

With clear vision for a modern country wedding, this celebration begins by the water and carries on more beautifully every second! A first look on the pier, fabulous wedding party outfits and gorgeous styling at their National Trust venue was all captured by photographer Hails & Shine.

The bride and groom met through mutual friends at university. Pete chose one of the most breathtaking spots in the world for a proposal, with Brooke sharing, ”Pete had been working overseas for six months in the USA. I went over for a holiday with him before he came home. We were driving out of Yosemite National Park when he popped the question at a beautiful lake.”

Wanting to relax and enjoy the celebrations immediately after the wedding ceremony, Brooke and Pete decided on a first look. Brooke tells, ”Getting our wedding party photos before the ceremony kicked this off as we didn’t miss any time with our guests and could get straight into the partying after the ceremony. Seeing each other before the ceremony was the BEST decision we made! It was such a special moment to share between just us two!” Finding wedding party outfits came easily to the newlyweds, with the bride sharing, ”I had originally wanted to wear a lace dress but after stepping into Karen Willis Holmes I fell in love with the beads! Pete’s jacket was the very first thing we bought/organised for the wedding. It helped to set the theme for the whole wedding. I wanted the bridesmaids to wear something modern and a bit different so Mister Zimi was the obvious choice!”

Set at the rustic National Trust site of Portalington Mill, the couple put their own spin on things with some modern country styling. Brooke tells, ”Our ceremony was very personalised and intimate with only 70 guests at the wedding. Pete grew up on a sheep farm so Pete’s dad stenciled ‘Mr and Mrs Burgess’ on a wool bale for us to hang. The flowers from Belco Events were natives, big and unstructured, exactly what I imagined they would be!”

The feeling of the day was important for Brooke and Pete, with the bride telling, ”Right from the beginning we wanted our wedding to be just pure FUN! We wanted everyone to remember it for the dancing, laughter and love, not the styling. As lovers of cheese we fittingly had a cheese tower decorated with figs and rosemary for the ‘cake’ which we cut immediately after the ceremony to be enjoyed outside with drinks. Guests then returned to the same space, which Belco Events had flipped, for a cocktail dinner. This was essential to ensure maximum mingling!!”

Creating the perfect combination of waterfront and country, this day was simple and chic in its detailing. The bride recalls, ”As for the styling, we went for modern country, a vision we were both very clear on. Portalington Mill was a perfect backdrop for this. So many guests commented on how unique and how fitting it was for us. Dancing started when we had an ‘all in’ first dance and didn’t stop all night! Everyone having a good time!! Our music choice was crucial as was a stand up cocktail dinner.” The bride and groom escaped for a beach walk straight after the ceremony, the bride telling, ”It was magical!”

Thank you to our gorgeous bride and groom for sharing your beautiful wedding day, and congratulations! Thank you also to Hails & Shine for your gorgeous photos.