Intimate Tasmanian Forest Wedding

For Amy-Louise and Tony, there was nothing more they wanted for their wedding than to celebrate with family, in a beautifully, spiritual way. The couple, who met through a mutual friend opting for a two-day celebration “a wedding retreat and we called it a “Festival of Love”, right near Cradle Mountain (hello! The Nature Issue worthy!) ” tells the bride, with a very intimate guest list, each of whom was invited by a handmade invitation (right down to the paper!) by the couple’s own children.

And with Tulieve Photography behind the camera (capturing both photo and film, scroll on for this one! Even the date and time of the wedding were full of luck. “We married on 4.3.21 at 12.34 pm,” says Amy-Louise. This is a day that will make you want to beg for an invite if only to be welcomed (as we know you would be) with open arms into Amy-Louise’s and Tony’s special day.

The couple has always loved Cradle Mountain, so of course, this was where they chose to marry. “We chose our venue because we have a love for Cradle Mountain and wanted to have photos taken in the World Heritage park. We chose Lemonthyme Lodge as our reception and ceremony location because we could not find a location on the mountain that felt intimate enough for our small gathering.”

Amy-Louise walked down the aisle, to the couple’s daughter playing “River Flows In You” by Yurima.

Tony’s attire for the day? Says the bride “A lovely navy suit, crisp white shirt, silver bow tie and a patterned pocket square. Chosen to complement the dress and bridesmaids.”

Amy-Louise wore the most incredible, beaded silver gown. “I had a beautiful silver (blue tint) sequin dress with a low scoop back with a cape. I absolutely loved the sparkle, the colour and how different it was to any other dress I had come across.”

Tony’s favourite memory of the day? “How beautiful my bride was. Every time I see the photos it brings back many nice memories.”

Amy-Louise and Tony chose Terese Tanner – Tasmanian Marriage Celebrant to officiate their day, noting “The celebrant, not only performed the most incredible service but she also stayed for the whole reception, played music and held a Kirtan session in front of the fire.”

The couple even included a ring warming in their ceremony. “We were seeking a deeply spiritual ceremony, we called in the four directions, had a prayer flag ritual, warming of the rings, key to your heart and a ritual to honour the children.”

The couple’s children were their wedding party. “We had our three children and two bridesmaids. They all wore their own individual dresses, some pink, some navy. Our son wore a three-piece navy suit to match the groom.”

Guests were welcomed back to the lodge for an intimate dinner, and it is the small guest list, that remains the focus of Amy-Louise’s advice to you. “Have a small gathering, close friends and family and really enjoy them. Everyone was involved in some very meaningful way. Plus? Make the ceremony exactly what you want it to be.”

This was a day that centred on family. “The children were heavily involved in the entire day” explains Amy-Louise, “Our daughter played the piano as I walked down the aisle, the youngest daughter was the unofficial official photographer and our son was the MC. My 97-year-old grandmother made the wedding cake. The flowers were arranged by the family (we had to use artificial flowers as real flowers can not be brought onto the World Heritage park..”

The newlyweds were forced into a first dance. “Our first dance became quite spontaneous with all of our guests spontaneously singing. Our “official” song was “Two Less Lonely People” by KZ Tandigan, which we danced to later in the night.”

Tulieve Photography not only captured the stills for the day, but also this beautiful film – what a treasure! The couple’s choice of a photographer (and filmmaker) one they don’t regret. “He was absolutely amazing” exclaims the bride. “We could not have wished for anyone better. He was a consummate gentleman, went out of his way to deliver the best service. His photos and wedding video were sensational.”