There were double rainbows all around (literally) when Julie and Jodi tied the knot on a stormy summer’s day just outside of the country town of Orange. “We wanted a wedding that hit these notes, nature, fun, loving, intimate, fuss-free with a focus on food and wine” explained Julie, who donned a vintage party frock for her wedding gown (and wait until you see Jodi’s velvet pants!).

The pair, who bonded over their work at the Liverpool Hospital Microbiology lab, wanted their day to feel like a relaxed, intimate dinner party with the rolling country hills and vineyards as their backdrop (here’s looking at you The Country Issue) and Fiona and Bobby Photography behind the camera, this one is worth your morning cup of tea!

Julie was the one to pop the question, taking pride in the plans she put into motion! “Jodi had been on a work trip in Canada for a month, which gave me a bit of time to prepare a plan. I knew I wanted to marry her and celebrate our love of more than 10 years. I selected the ring and picked the Square Rock hike in Canberra’s Namadgi National park to ask the question. I then followed with a surprise week off to holiday in Huskisson.”

“Our long-term retired hairdresser Tara made the trip to Mudgee, it was really special to have her style our hair for the day,” tells Julie.

Jodi wore  incredible green pants that she had made by Precision Tailoring. Explains Julie “Jodi went on the hunt for the perfect emerald green velvet material and had wide leg pants tailored at Precision Tailoring in Balmain. The material was sourced from Tessuti Fabrics in Surry Hills. She paired this with a classy black Bianca Spender bustier.” While Julie donned a sparkling silver dress. “We were both after unique outfits. For me, I was inspired by one of my best friends who had found her wedding dress at Forever Vintage. I embarked on the same journey however without the want for a traditional wedding dress. I ended up falling in love with a 1960s party dress with sequins and a full skirt.”

Keeping it in the family, Julie added her maternal grandmother’s wedding ring and her paternal great-grandmother’s watch to finish the look, while Jodi wore her paternal grandmother’s bracelet.

The beautiful floral details on the day were the work of floral designer Daamgard Florals, shares Julie “Jodi deserves all the kudos for discovering our amazing florist, Daamgard Florals. We wanted a nice bouquet each and some lovely natives for the table at the reception. They consisted of primo Australiana including the most beautiful gum nuts we have ever seen.”

The couple chose Lowe Wines for their day, marrying onsite in the open-air chapel before celebrating with guests at Zin House restaurant. “We both absolutely love wine and good food” explains Julie of their choice. “We had visited the Lowe on a couple of occasions and loved it. It also had the top-notch Zin House. We really felt the Zin House restaurant vibe was us and couldn’t get it off our mind once we visited.”

“We walked down the aisle together and this was the absolute best decision” remembers Julie. “We did not see the point in separating on the day. The day was about us and our journey together. We wanted to share every moment with each other. We both felt that walking down the aisle was a huge standout. You get to see all of your friends and family that you love dearly, smiling and they are all there for you. Best feeling ever and if you walk down the aisle with your partner, you get to feel that together.”

The couple was married by Marry Me Zoe.  “We wanted our ceremony to be entertaining, hence the lovely Zoe as our celebrant choice. Zoe’s style was funny yet heartwarming and we loved this. It channelled exactly what we were after. Our aisle song was an acoustic version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maps. We exited to the Beatles, ‘8 days a week’.

All of our vendors were excellent, but for us, our photographers Fiona and Bobby and celebrant Zoe were the highlights. They were critical to the story and helped us enjoy the best possible wedding day.”

The couple made sure they honoured their VIPs on the day, sharing “We had Jodi’s 92-year-old grandmother warm our rings throughout the ceremony and bring them to us during the ceremony. That was very special for us both to share that moment with her.”

Jodi and Julie worked with photography duo Fiona + Bobby to capture their wedding. “Fiona and Bobby. The amazing duo, our wedding was only more enriched by their presence. They were super down-to-earth and made us feel comfortable being the centre of attention for the day.

Their photography speaks for itself, incredible and is really unique in the way moments are captured.”

Julie offers up this advice, “Remember to be mindful and present for every activity on the day. The photographers will capture the day beautifully, but the way you feel on the day, only you can recall.”

“Being a queer couple, it was kind of special to have a double rainbow on our wedding day.”

The Australian natives were a beautiful addition to the day, the couple using eucalyptus leaves as their guest place cards.

Jodi and Julie opted for a delicious sit down feast with their guests, and while they skipped traditions that didn’t feel right, like a first dance, they did include speeches, good food and good wine! “We visited the venue six months before our wedding with our respective families. We had an amazing lunch at the Zin House. It was a perfect winter’s day and the service from the Zin was outstanding. They really gave us the royal treatment that day, we didn’t doubt our decision for a second.”

A big congratulations to you both Jodi and Julie! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us. Thank you also to Fiona and Bobby Photography for sharing today’s beautiful images.