From start to finish, Gaya and Sam’s wedding was the perfect reflection of their relationship. Fun, meaningful and filled with laughter. With Petrichor Farm as the backdrop, their luxury rural wedding had guests boogying all night long. Lauren Campbell was the photographer for the day and beautifully encapsulated the love in the air.

Amongst the rough and tumble of child care’s holiday excursions and playground meltdowns, Sam and Gaya’s friendship steadily grew. Sam came to depend on Gaya’s big smile and ready laugh over scrapped knees and bathroom accidents. Soon enough, he realised he had found his better half in every possible way. While luckily enough for Sam, Gaya had always dreamed of settling down with a man who could build a mean cubby house.

Taking longer than he liked, Sam finally got his act together and realised he wanted to take Beyonce’s advice – and put a ring on it! Before disappearing overseas for a year-long work trip, he smuggled Gaya into a cabin overlooking African wildlife (at Dubbo Zoo). He used her love of animals to his advantage. As the sun was rising and a friendly giraffe was grazing below them, Sam got down on one knee and popped that all-important question.

After having her hair styled by the talented Emi Styles, Gaya put on her wedding gown, this beautiful Augustine gown by Lola Varma that she got from Mrs Fray Bridal. Featuring a sleek silhouette, low back and delicate drapery, it was the perfect gown for their luxury rural wedding. “I was very lucky to have found this dress at Mrs Fray. Amy was wonderful and made the whole experience very relaxed and fun! The moment I tried on the dress, I knew it was the one!”

They chose Petrichor Farm as the backdrop for the big day and were thrilled to find out their wedding package was the perfect fit for their relaxed celebrations. “Hayley and Darren, with their many years of experience in the wedding business, instantly put us at ease and made it a no-brainer to trust them to run our special day. Plus, when they took us around the farm to show us the views, we couldn’t help but be sold on the place,” they described.

Sam wore his go-to suit choice, from MJ Bale. Choosing navy velvets and creamy linens to match the luxury rural theme. He finished his look off with khaki suit pants and cream accessories. His best man, Fraser, also wore MJ Bale. But his look instead consisted of navy chinos, a brown and navy checked blazer and a white shirt.

As the opening notes to “Iris” by Simply Three began, Gaya walked down the aisle with her parents on either arm. “Seeing Gaya smiling walking down the aisle towards me was my favourite part of the day,” said Sam.

Gaya’s best friend Josh was the other wedding party member, wearing navy chinos and a wine-coloured blazer from MJ Bale.

Not wanting anything too formal or extravagant, Gaya and Sam planned a ceremony that was true to them, full of meaningful moments. “We tried to choose a format and readings that were simple but resonated with us and for our guests would seem like a natural fit for how our relationship had evolved. One of Gaya’s best friends conducted the ceremony, and we had the following readings: “The Apache Wedding Blessing”, read by Sam’s brothers and “N’tima’s Marry Your Best Friend”, read by Sam’s friend, Brendan.”

All of the beautiful, bright florals you’ll see throughout the day were created by Lauren from Laurel & Lace. “When searching for a florist, we instantly gravitated towards Lauren’s incredible style. We wanted colours that were earthy but also matched the landscape of the farm.”

The best advice Gaya and Sam want to give future married couples planning their weddings is sweet and simple: “To not forget to take a quiet moment for themselves. The night is a blur!”

As guests settled into the cocktail hour, Gaya and Sam took off with their photographer, Lauren Campbell, to get some wedding portraits taken. “She was incredible! Sam and I can be quite camera-shy, but from the moment we met Lauren, she put us at ease and matched our relaxed/informal vibe. The photos from our wedding day are beautiful, and we treasure them. So we were very lucky to have Lauren capture our special day.”

  

Back at the reception space, guests had moved into the dining area – where more florals from Laurel & Lace could be found, and right in the centre stood their cake made by Cafe Mame.

Gaya and Sam were disappointed they couldn’t bring their fur baby Bodhi to the venue, so they created a large cardboard cutout of him for family and friends to take photos with and share a dance if they so wished.

Their top five favourite moments from the day included:

“1. Having all of our family and friends just relaxing and enjoying cocktail hour

2. The speeches

3. Every guest walking away happy and full!

4. Seeing Sam’s smile when I walked down the aisle

5. Gaya’s dress.”

Join us in giving a huge congratulations to Gaya and Sam on their luxurious farm wedding! And thanks to Lauren Campbell for capturing and submitting this beautiful day to us.