A bright colour scheme? Check! Beautiful, luscious gardens? Absolutely! An intimate guest list? Yep! Loretta and Claire threw a beautiful, bright wedding to celebrate their marriage, surrounded by the ones they love the most. They even had long-time friend James McPherson onboard as their photographer – and we can’t stop looking at these stunning photos!

When Claire was visiting her sisters in Victoria from Sydney, she had no idea she would meet the love of her life. After matching on Tinder and grabbing a coffee from the local beach coffee van – Loretta and Claire were inseparable.

Their engagement story? A short and sweet: “LET’S DO IT!”.


Coming down from Sydney to Daylesford for their wedding, Loretta and Claire were shocked to find out how cold it was. “We were all overcome with how cold it was. In fact, it was the coldest November day in years with 4 degrees overnight and a top of 11 degrees.”

They stayed in the beautiful Morgantis Farmhouse in Eganstown, surrounded by beautiful gardens and full of intimate, homely decor. This space was perfect for getting ready and entertaining their guests before the ceremony. “My daughter did my makeup in our room, overlooking the beautiful vista as we listened to some great tunes.”

All of the beautiful cutlery, tablecloths and napkins were carted from Sydney to Melbourne by Loretta and Claire. To match the decor, the florals they chose were natives, bunches of bright oranges, reds and lush green foliage.

The ceremony was at Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens in Daylesford, about a 10-minute drive from their accommodations. Braving the chilly Victorian weather, the ceremony was held among the lush greenery and florals of the gardens.

Shannon Jeans was the celebrant for this intimate wedding and the perfect addition! “She’s an asset to any couple trying to do something a little different. She takes care of the admin so that the celebrations can be seamless. Not to mention she also was in regular communication to ensure my wife was okay being the more nervous type haha!”

 

Loretta and Claire shared a special moment as their ceremony wrapped up, as they recall: “Our eyes connected with tears when we were wed.”

Emma James, their in-house chef, created all the beautiful meals for Loretta and Claire’s wedding. In fact, their favourite detail of the wedding was the lovely meal prepared by Emma. “She did everything she could to cater for even the most last-minute requests! The family decided they could all attend two weeks before the wedding. A beautiful locally sourced cheese and fresh produce platter was arranged for the gardens as well as a staff member to serve champagne.”

James McPherson was the photographer for Loretta and Claire, and he perfectly captured the bright, intimate atmosphere of their wedding. “James is a personal friend of mine who I contacted after not seeing for a few years knowing he would be the perfect character for our day! He captured some amazing moments and joined in the board games and fun! The family loved him. A warm and funny gentle giant!!”

After the ceremony, the wedding party returned to the farmhouse for an intimate night in. They filled the night with heartfelt speeches around the dinner table, board games and the warmth of the fireplace. “We ate, we drank and played board games by the fire till all hours laughing and enjoying each other’s company.”

Congratulations to Loretta and Claire on this bright, intimate wedding – hopefully, the Victorian weather didn’t shock you too much! And thanks to James McPherson for submitting this beautiful wedding.