Kira & Patty

I can’t tell you how much I love a backyard wedding. They have a special kind of casual, a special kind of relaxed vibe that can really only happen when you’re at home. And for Kira and Patty, there was nothing more they wanted for their day. Throw in a few bright blooms (hot pink!), a few babies and this day? It completely sums them up! We’re pretty lucky Katie Wheeler Photography was there to capture the day (with a few surprises!) as it unfolded.

The two met one night at a social function for the sports club they both played for. Kira shares the story.  “We met at a social function for the country football/netball club that we were both playing for. I had been playing there for roughly 10 years and it was Patty’s first year there. The function was a ‘beauty and the geek’ themed ball, so Patty was looking extremely dapper in his suspenders and wide rimmed glasses held together by a bandaid.”

And because we can’t get enough of proposal stories, how’s this one for utterly romantic? “Patty whisked me away for a romantic night rooftop glamping (St Jeromes, in the centre of Melbourne) on our 1000th day together. I had no idea of the significance of the day until he made me aware during his proposal. He’s always been very romantic, and this was no exception.”

The groom was dressed by Politix. The bride explaining “Patty is an extremely relaxed person and he felt as though his attire represented both his personality and our rustic theme perfectly.”

Kira found her gorgeous Rembo Styling gown at Embrace Bridal Boutique. She shares “I had previously purchased a more fitted style dress before having our son, however, once he was born I was no longer comfortable in something quite so fitted. The Rembo Styling gown was fitted around my bust, then flowed out from my waist. I knew that it was the right dress for me as soon as I put it on – the shape was perfect and the uncommon lace was the cherry on top!”

Kira and Patty chose Coragulac House for their ceremony, sharing “Coragulac House is a beautiful old bluestone homestead, located roughly 15 minutes outside of Colac (where we first met). We chose to marry inside the old horse stables, which have been done up as a rustic venue. It didn’t take very much to make it look exactly as we wanted it. We simply added a flower garland to the front wall, a hessian aisle runner with greenery along the edges to the beautiful brick floor, some wooden bench seats for guests to sit and candles in glass jars at the end of each seat.”

Kira walked down the aisle by herself to “Unchained Melody” performed by an acoustic duo. She was preceded by the couple’s one-year-old son carried down the aisle by her brother.

“Our ceremony was put together by the wonderful Olivia Salkeld Civil Celebrant. Olivia spent so much time getting to know us and this was evident from the personal touches that she included throughout. Our guests experienced a mix of emotions – the cried happy tears and laughed. We could not have asked for a more perfect ceremony.”

“Wedding planning came quite easily for us. We didn’t let ourselves stress over it. We knew that everything would fall into place if we just let it, and we were right.”

Of their photographer, Kira and Patty were thrilled, remarking “Incredible, incredible, incredible! We love Katie so very much. In fact, we had originally planned our wedding for March 2018 and had to postpone it due to our surprise pregnancy. When we were looking to set our new date, Katie was the only vendor who we contacted to ensure that we definitely did not miss out on having her as our photographer. We love her calm, loving personality and the way that she makes you feel at ease when she is present. Her photography style is everything we could have ever dreamt of and we feel incredibly blessed to have had her play such an important role in our big day.”

It was the little moments, that Patty and Kira remember the most. “After our ceremony, the wedding party all jumped in a little 12 seater bus and we headed up the top of Red Rock (an old volcano located next to our ceremony location) for photos. When we got to the top, Patty popped open a bottle of champagne for us all to share. At the end of the night, as Patty’s older brother was saying goodbye, he pulled something from his pocket and handed it to us. He had collected the cork from the bottle of champagne to give to us as a special memory of the first drink we shared as a married couple. We were very touched by such a simple gesture!”

Bright pink flowers featured throughout the day, styled by Flair To Make You Stare. “I wasn’t particularly fussed when it came to flowers” says Kira. “I came across a photo on Pinterest, within which I loved the colours (deep pinks and reds). I sent the photo to my florist and let her creative skills take over. I wasn’t so much concerned about the ‘type’ of flowers, but I knew what colours I wanted. My florist outdid herself and I could not have been happier with the end result.”

And then it was time for a fun cocktail reception in the backyard of Kira’s mother’s house, with a little live music thanks to Jimmy King Music. Kira explaining “Our reception was a backyard reception with a difference. We put up festoon lighting, had a grazing table and finger food, hired Kombi Keg Geelong for everything alcohol-related and left all things music in the very capable hands of Jimmy King Music (The atmosphere that he created at the reception was amazing. Not to mention, he’s also a really lovely guy and was very easy to deal with in the lead up to the big day).”

 

One of the newlyweds very favourite parts of the day? A very special surprise they had in store for their guests, Kira remembering “During our speeches, we announced to everyone that we were expecting our second child. We had told our photographer and videographer earlier in the day, but aside from them, no one else knew. Watching their reactions was priceless – some cried, some screamed and others (Kira’s mum) stood there with their mouths wide open in shock. The photos from this moment are ones that we will cherish forever.”

The couple enlisted the help of Kombi Keg Geelong to serve up their drinks for the evening. “Such a cute, quirky and unique way to serve alcohol” remarks Kira. “If you haven’t checked them out already, I suggest that you get right to it!”

And the evening continued win celebration! Complete with a first dance, of course, of which Kira says “Our first dance lasted no more than 30 seconds before our bridal party and guests joined in (this was planned as we don’t particularly enjoy being in the spotlight). We danced to ‘Anywhere’ by Passenger.”

We do love a wedding film! Kira and Patty worked with Wildbird Films to capture this stunning motion picture of their day!

A big congratulations to you both Kira and Patty! What fun we had shared your story Thank you also to Katie Wheeler Photography for sharing all the joy of the day with us!