As winter turned to spring in the Macedon Ranges, the forest regained its life once again. Flowers bloomed, rain fell and gentle footsteps crunched through the soft ground as Rosyln walked towards the intimate ceremony where Keegan was waiting. This forest was is you could find Roslyn and Keegan hiking and exploring their favourite tracks.

With their daughters and parents by their side, these two lovebirds tied the knot surrounded by new life and lush nature. Capturing every sweet, intimate moment of the day was Anne from White Shutter Photography.

Although neither Keegan nor Roslyn can agree when they first met, we’re thankful they found their way to each other. “Keegan will remember us meeting online, but I actually met him when I was in my early 20s at The Penny Black, and he doesn’t remember.”

Having a strong sense of adventure and connection to nature is something these two share a passion for, so it’s no surprise that they got engaged while travelling. “We were on a trip to the Philippines and were staying on a tiny little diving island at Malaspusca Island Dive Resort in a 2m x 2m shack on the edge of the beach. Keegan proposed to me while we were sitting down watching the ocean. It was beautiful, and we spent the rest of the trip scuba diving every day.”

Choosing the location for their ceremony was a no-brainer – Sanatorium Lakes in the Macedon Ranges have a special place in their hearts. “Sanatorium Lakes is a place we frequently visit and just knew from the moment we decided to have a wedding that it would be there; it’s just such a beautiful place to be, and we were ready to be there rain, hail or shine.”

Everything about this wedding was relaxed, all the way down to Rosyln accidentally stumbled across her dream dress two days before the wedding. “I had a dress picked previously, nothing flash, just something simple, but two days before the wedding, Keegan was getting his hair cut and I was aimlessly wandering around and went to try on dresses for fun, and ended up buying a new one off the rack from Brides of Melbourne for $99.”

Wanting to keep his attire simple, Keegan started his outfit planning by choosing the colours first and finding the pieces along the way. His boutonniere was made by his sister from flowers grown in his mother’s garden.

Their two adorable daughters looked like little woodland fairies dressed in tutus from Arabella and Rose. They carried little baskets filled with flowers also from Keegan’s mum’s garden, ready to throw around the petals of joy. The only other guests in attendance were both sets of parents.

Roslyn approached the ceremony alone, only to be hurried along by her daughter’s calls. “I walked down a damp leaf-littered pathway by myself where my eldest daughter found me to tell me, ‘C’mon Daddy is waiting!’”

The ceremony was intimate and laid-back and can be best described in Roslyn’s own words: felt at home. Their love for adventure, nature, and this particular hiking spot perfectly aligned to create their relaxed ceremony.

The beautiful flowers she carried were from Sonder + Stone, who specialise in bouquets and other floral decor made from a mixture of preserved and artificial florals. “My flowers are actually not real. They are from a store named Sonder & Stone. I just wanted something that lasted forever.”

With their celebrant, Emma, guiding them through their personal vows, it was a special moment. “Emma Browne Celebrant (With Love, Emma) was fantastic, the whole process was stress-free, and she was so great looking after my kids, finding them the giant cicada (Barry the Bug) to carry around on their flower.”

As the ceremony wrapped up, and there was no official reception to hurry off to, Roslyn and Keegan enjoyed wandering around their favourite spot with their photographer, Anne. “Anne is such a warm person who you can tell instantly is passionate about what she does. She instantly makes you feel at ease and has captured so many special moments for us. We cannot thank her enough.”

She had this to say when asked about her favourite part of planning the wedding. “Just that I’d do it all over again, exactly the same.” Later, adding: “We didn’t have a first dance, maybe one day.”

One of Roslyn’s favourite details from the day was the muddy shoes! The mud showed up more on her tan heels from Forever Soles than Keegan’s brown dress shoes, but it didn’t bother either of them. “We just felt like ourselves running through the forest, getting dirty while taking photos.”

The top five things that made the day special for these newlyweds were:

1. Having our kids & parents there.

2. Just being in a place that we can always go back to and feeling love.

3. Writing our own vows just for each other.

4. The rainy day beforehand made everything sparkle.

5. Just being there together

Roslyn and Keegan wanted to leave this parting advice for those planning their weddings in the future: “Do what makes you both happy & take photos.”

Thank you again to Anne from White Shutter Photography for submitting this beautiful, intimate wedding. Congratulations to Roslyn and Keegan on your beautiful nuptials – and your woodland fairy daughters!