Beautifully Rustic Black Tie Wedding

When Hannah & Will shared what type of wedding they wanted, the important things were great food, booze and music were super important to them. What ensued was definitely all of the above, but add a stunning country setting, with a flower field photoshoot and a black tie dress code to contrast with the rustic setting. Captured by Leo Farrell and shared with us for The Flowers Issue, Hannah & Will’s Beautifully Rustic Black Tie Wedding is a show-stopping day. The couple remembers their day…

We met in Blairgowrie, VIC at a barbecue that Will and his sister (a friend of Hannah’s) were hosting, and felt sparks flying almost immediately. But we were both living overseas at the time, Hannah in London and Will in Barcelona. We managed to get a few trips in to visit each other in both cities before Covid hit Europe hard and we ended up spending 4 months apart in separate lockdowns, in which we spoke to each other every day on the phone. It was during this time that we really got to know each other and started falling in love, and by the time we met up in Rome in June 2020, we both knew something special was happening.

Will proposed at a beautiful spot in the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne. He nailed it, starting with champagne, some beautiful words (through choked up tears!), and then proposing on one knee with his grandmother Julie’s beautiful diamond and sapphire ring, on loan until we could create our own. Hannah was blown out of the water; tears were flowing for both of us. It was an amazing afternoon.

Will: I gifted Hannah some diamond earrings on the morning of the wedding with a small note; Hannah’s wedding ring was her Great-great Grandmother’s and I wore my late Grandfather’s cufflinks. I also borrowed my best man’s waistcoat at the last minute to keep the studs on my shirt from popping open!

Will: We chose a black tie dress code as it created a great contrast to the surrounding countryside, added a sense of occasion to the day and it allowed the girls to stand out. I had the suit tailor-made by Trunk Tailors on Collins Street. Jack and the team were excellent.

Hannah: My dress was a beautiful Prea James gown from Bluebell Bridal. Simple, classic, and lovely to wear. I loved the v-neck mirrored with the central split of the dress and flattering paneling in the skirt of the dress. The girls at Bluebell Bridal were great to deal with.

We were lucky enough that Killeen Stables was in the family and is a wedding venue in itself, so they were well set up to host the event between the historic homestead, stables, and Fowles Winery down the road.

Hannah: I walked down the aisle to the instrumental version of “Fix You” by Coldplay. It timed beautifully with the walk for the wedding party.

We wanted to have a modern ceremony but with traditional elements. For example, both of our mothers spoke, and we also had a reading, though it was an excerpt from “The Little Prince”, and the hymn we chose was the Cat Stevens version of “Morning Has Broken”; Will’s parents also used the hymn at their wedding 40 years ago.

Hannah: The flowers were lovely native arrangements from Flowers by Nici, based in Yea, and by Woodlands Foliage, based in the Grampians – both of whom we highly recommend!

For our wedding party, we had three on each side; Hannah had her sister as her maid of honour and two close girlfriends as bridesmaids; Will had three close friends as his groomsmen. They were an extremely good-looking, very generous & fun wedding party!

Leo Farrell photographed Hannah’s sister’s wedding and was our first choice. As soon as we met Leo we knew we were in safe hands. His candid yet unobtrusive approach meant that there were very few staged photos and we didn’t ever feel it detracted from the atmosphere of the day. Leo kept us well informed throughout the whole process, he brought a sense of calm and confidence to us on the day and we’re thrilled with the result. Couldn’t be happier.

There are some wild lilies that flower during a two-week period once a year underneath huge historic gum trees in a nearby paddock to the stables and homestead at the venue. They were flowering on the weekend of the wedding and the shots Leo took of us walking through the lilies are stunning!

We were thrilled with each of our vendors, they did a fantastic job. We’d highly recommend all of them!

It was pouring rain all day, even as the guests arrived on the buses. However just as the wedding party started to arrive the clouds parted. After the ceremony and drinks, we were treated to a spectacular sunset followed by a beautiful, balmy night partying under the stars.

Our first dance was “Time After Time” by Cindy Lauper, inspired by Strictly Ballroom, of which Hannah is a fan, though we didn’t do it justice. We wished we’d practiced more!

Something to keep in mind if you’re is that things will go wrong, no matter how much you try to control them or organise everything as we did. Perhaps have a few trusted people who can shoulder any decisions or things that go wrong on the day. The most important thing is to let it go and just enjoy your day.