What we love most about the weddings we’re sharing these days? They’re not just a celebration of a couple, which we always adore, but of celebrating each other, and being able to be together after so long apart. There is something poignant, something momentous that comes with the magic of being able to share such a special day, after so much heartache and sadness. And Georgia and Lachlan’s dreamy winter Southern Highlands wedding? Well, it has all the magic you could dream of.

“It was just wonderful to have all our family and friends together during COVID” explain these happy newlyweds. “We were so lucky that they could travel from WA and NZ in uncertain times and we managed to pull off a wedding somehow with no restrictions, only 2-3 weeks before NSW went back into lockdown.”

With a cold winter chill in the air, and Heart and the Sea behind the camera, Georgia and Lachlan invited their guests to the Southern Highlands for a wonderful winter romance. Buttery autumnal tones, soft fluffy jackets and roaring fires all contributed to making this wedding as intimate and as cosy as they’d dreamt. “We honestly couldn’t pinpoint one individual detail of the day – everything tied together so perfectly, we had perfect weather and everything ran so smoothly – we honestly were so lucky we cannot fault a single thing. I guess what made it so special was that everything we planned came together and created a picture-perfect day with memories that we will cherish forever.”

Georgia and Lachlan’s story first began many years before they officially met, Lachlan sharing “Georgia use to nanny for a family and was a large part of the family for several years. It happened to be that the family Georgia nannied for, was a close family friend’s cousin.  Meanwhile, I was a swim teacher at a local swim school. Georgia would bring the two children into that exact swim school, where we would exchange random eye contact, but as Georgia would later reveal, I was way too young.

Years passed and eventually, it came to our first year of University. We ended up being in the same course and subject, Georgia was sitting alone and noticed the ‘too young’ swim teacher and decided to sit next to me. So yes, university is where we officially met, however, we have known each other for a lot longer.”

Lachlan took a planned trip to South America as the chance to propose, although it turns out, the actual proposal happened a lot closer to home.  “We were travelling for a wedding in Chile and also planned trips to Argentina, Peru and Machu Picchu. Originally, the idea of proposing overseas was a great idea. Then I thought about, the stress it would be to take a ring overseas. The chance of me losing it. Organising a proposal overseas. But most importantly, it would mean that I would need to pack my bags and not Georgia.

I thought I would try something different. I booked and organised a weekend away down the South Coast NSW. We stayed in this little studio cottage on a property. I had planned to propose at Cupitt’s Winery, between the vineyards. However, the opportunity never came. I had been hiding the ring box in my pocket all day and assumed that I was going to have to try again another day. We had a wonderful day, as we approached our little cottage I asked Georgia to have one more photo out the front. I set up my phone, using my wallet as a stand. Instead of pressing a photo, I pressed video. Nervously, as we waited for the ‘photo’, I dropped to my knee and asked Georgia to marry me. Just as we exchanged a few laughs, tears and kisses it began to rain. It was a perfect day!”

The groom and groomsmen kept their look in with the formal vibes of the day with matching suits from MJ Bale. Georgia telling “As it was winter, we wanted the outfits to suit the weather. Lachie wore a classic white button-up with a black MJ Bale suit. We ordered the boy’s ties from OTAA, they were beautifully textured in warm neutral tones that tied in with the natural elements seen throughout our venue, our florals and the Berrima landscape.”

These two? They picked an amazing team of vendors, who included hairstylist Jaimi Irving Hair and makeup artist Samantha Lee Makeup Artist. “Honestly we couldn’t fault any of our vendors and would 100% recommend them to all of our friends and family. Georgia’s hair and makeup artists were incredible they often work together and she is so happy she booked them together from the start as their energy bounced off each other and allowed Georgia and her bridesmaids to have such a fun and relaxing morning getting ready.”

Georgia worked with designer Amy New Bridal to create a stunning two-piece lace gown. She shares “I wore a custom two-piece outfit. I had a vision of what I wanted to wear but after months of research, I couldn’t find any Australian stores that stocked anything like it! So I took my inspiration to Amy, who worked closely with me to bring my dream outfit to life. It was even better than what I could have imagined. I loved that I got to design the dress of my dreams with help from Amy who allowed my visions to come to life.”

Georgia and Lachlan wed at the beautiful sandstone church of St Francis Xavier Church Berrima.

Georgia walked down the aisle on the arm of her father to “Georgia” by Vance Joy. “It’s a bit of an inside joke for us as it was Lachie’s alarm song not long after we met.”

 

“We wanted to make sure we could have all our friends and family in the room with us, we wanted them to be a part of our special day and although we had a religious ceremony, we made sure it was light and uplifting so that everyone could feel involved.
The readings we had were – a reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus 26:1-4, a reading from the book of Corinthians 26:1-4.and reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 15:9-12.”

The beautiful floral arrangements for the day? Styled by Georgia’s sister of Locale Flora! “We ventured to the flower markets a few times in the weeks leading up to the wedding so we could see what flowers were in season for the day. We knew we wanted blush & peachy tones with pops of white to tie in with our outfits but we weren’t fussed about the types of flowers. We ended up using tulips, roses, peonies, and lisianthus amongst others. We also had Phalaenopsis orchids styled on our tables too!

She was up early covering the venue in greenery and making bouquets and spent the week prior ensuring the table arrangements were complete and nothing short of perfection. We enjoyed travelling to the different venues and deciding on the perfect location, choosing the wedding party’s outfits and sharing the experience with our closest friends was also very special. Honestly though, Ella helped plan most of the day and it was so helpful, the fact that she has worked in the wedding industry as a florist and has a creative mind helped us bring all of our ideas together,”

 

“Our photographer/videographer Heart and the Sea were amazing,” raves Georgia, “they captured all the special moments we asked for and never once were in our way. They made us feel so comfortable and at ease (we wouldn’t say we are the most photogenic people/ comfortable in front of a camera) and our photos are everything we could have dreamed of. Jade and Nath are very easy going and relaxed and were always searching for great photo opportunities and including us in their wonderful decisions.”

“Have fun together and go with the flow on your wedding day” advise the happy couple. “If you’re organised and planned in advance everything will work out perfectly!”

It was practically love at first sight when Georgia first saw Bendooley Estate, so naturally, it was the perfect choice for the couple’s wedding reception. “Bendooley Estate was so easy to work with and the event coordinator on the day ensured that everything was exactly as we requested.

Bendooley was the first place we visited on our search for a reception venue… it was also our last, as soon as Georgia stepped foot into the Book Barn at Bendooley Estate her heart was set. We both agreed the venue suited us perfectly, as we are both teachers, and being surrounded by books only seemed fitting. The venue is set on a beautiful lush property where we were able to take our photos with our bridal party before heading into the Book Barn warmed by a huge fireplace to greet our friends and family. P.S the food is amazing too!”

Georgia and Lachlan knew they wanted their day to be as relaxing for them as their guests, so they hired help! “We were lucky enough to hire a lady called Allison from Tea Cup Events to help with the setup and pack down at the end of the night to ease some of the pressure on us.”

The napkins? Sewn by Georgia’s mother! “Looking back we DIY’d a lot of the details.. we made a wedding website, we designed and printed out our invites & ceremony booklets, Georgia’s mum cut and sewed our napkins, we made the posts for our floral arbour out the front of the church & we DIY’d our signage including seating & menus.”

For their first dance, Georgia and Lachlan chose “Lover” by Taylor Swift. “Another one of Georgia’s bridesmaids, Annie, is an amazing dance choreographer, she put together a routine to our song for us that was easy to follow for someone with 2 left feet! And also wasn’t too cringy!”

Music? A huge part of the day for Georgia and Lachlan who hired Oberon Lane for day-long music. “The vendor that probably stood out the most and made our day/night was the music by Oberon Lane, we had an acoustic duo at the church reception and during canapés, followed by a band for dancing – they were unbelievable, we danced all night and so did all of our guests – it was so much fun and they created the best atmosphere – ensuring that the crowd was involved up dancing and singing.”

The biggest of congratulations to you both Georgia and Lachlan! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thank you also to Heart and the Sea for sharing this beautiful story with us.