Tracey & Keith

With a focus on florals and fun, colour and warmth, and making sure the day was relaxed, Tracey and Keith created a weekend away that thrilled their family and friends. Pastels with bright pops of pigment and a sequin covered wedding gown are just some of the details we adore! Justin Aveling was the photographer on the day.

Having met on the dance floor of a club in London, the bride and groom had been together 17 years when Keith proposed. Tracey remembers, ”We have two beautiful boys Ethan, 14 and Carter, who is 8. Everyone knew about the proposal including my mother and father who Keith had asked before hand. Keith had planned a special dinner party at Flying Fish in Pyrmont. We arrived early and went outside to look at the Vivid lights and he got down on one knee. It took me by complete surprise, I cried. A group of friends arrived soon after and enjoyed a wonderful evening eating fine food and drinking champagne.”

Absolutely shimmering in her chosen gown, Tracey wore a sleeveless, floor length outfit. She tells, ”I wore a custom champagne sequin dress. I love colour and sparkle and felt that a white dress would not represent me well. I wore beautiful red velvet Prada platform shoes and had jewellery made in India for the occasion.” The groom wore a blue tuxedo with black satin lapel from MJ Bale, with a black bow tie and grey suede loafers.

Incorporating their faith and traditions, the bride and groom created a ceremony filled with love. Tracey shares, ”Keith is Jewish, so we wanted to incorporate a few Jewish traditions. We got married under a Chuppah and the boys wore Kippa’s on their heads, I circled Keith seven times and we drank wine from the Kiddush. Keith broke the wine glass at the end of the ceremony. Our celebrant was Orna Binder from Sydney. We wrote our own vows and kept the ceremony personal and meaningful. It was very emotional and special. I cried all the way through my vows. Our two boys made up our bridal party. Ethan was the best man, and Carter walked me down the aisle. We walked down the aisle to Sam Smith.”

Wedding flowers took centre stage with hydrangeas, orchids, tulips and so much more. Tracey tells, ”The brief Racheal from Botanica Bird was given was to have fun and to create a bright, colourful, dramatic, eclectic environment. We did not want a traditional looking wedding. The flowers were my personal favourite. The colours and creativity was beyond my wildest expectation!”

Capturing the colour filled day was Justin Aveling. The bride shares, ”Our photographer was a local to the Hunter Valley. He was fantastic on the day. Very easy to speak to and made us feel completely at ease. We wanted to capture our day with candid photos and Justin did an amazing job.”

Choosing a weekend long celebration, Tracey and Keith invited their friends and family to stay locally. They remember, ”Our entire weekend was spent at Wallalong House. Our immediate family stayed on location with us while friends stayed close by in rented accommodation. On the 23rd the ceremony was held under a beautiful big old oak tree, and the reception was held 20 metres away in a fantastic Indian style tent. Our wedding was unique and special to us, because we had immediate family and special friends. The entire wedding was planned around a party theme no your traditional wedding.”

Choosing not to have a first dance, the newlyweds still hit the dance floor. Tracey says, ”After cutting the cake, the DJ started to play ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang. We started the dance floor off and were soon meet by all of our guests. The dance floor was full all night and much fun was had.”

Ensuring their guests had a fabulous time, there was no lack in any detail. Tracey shares, ”It was a cocktail theme, so everyone looks fabulous. We had a jazz band called Half Nelson (amazing!) who played for 3 hours under the oak tree after the ceremony and during dinner. Jethro, our DJ, kicked off after the cutting of the cake and played popular 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and current music. Mason Catering served us superb food fit for a high end restaurant. The night ended with a spectacular thunder and lighting storm which lit up the sky, but did not dampen our spirits (natural fireworks that could have not been more perfect).”

Thank you to our gorgeous bride and groom for sharing your fabulous day with us, and congratulations! Thank you also to Justin Aveling for your beautiful images!