From the vibrant florals, Bonnie’s bright floral gown, and the upbeat atmosphere, this wedding has lots of love! Welcome to Bonnie and Patrick’s bright wedding, set in the rolling hills of The Farm Yarra Valley. Ali from Smith and Archer Photography captured each and every beautiful moment from throughout the day – and now we get to share it with you!

Bonnie and Patrick met during their university years—one night after post-exam drinks, a mutual friend introduced the pair. Then, in winter 2022, Patrick and Bonnie were enjoying a weekend away in Flowerdale when he suggested a hike up Mount Piper. “He snuck the ring in his pocket and surprised me with the proposal once we reached the summit and were admiring the stunning views.”

To go with the bright, upbeat themes of the day, Bonnie wore this incredible embroidered floral gown from Rachel Gilbert. “I tried on a few white dresses, but none of them really felt like me. I loved how special and joyful this dress felt, and it really suited the happy mood of the day.”

Matilda from Matildas Flowers in Northcote created all the bright flowers for the day, from the amazing floral aisle arrangements to the bouquets. “She completely exceeded our wildest dreams. Everything exploded with colour and was perfectly bold, bright, and happy.”

The whole wedding day took place at The Farm Yarra Valley, with its leafy trees and rolling paddocks cut by the Yarra River. The ceremony was backdropped by this gorgeous rustic barn and decorated with these bright floral decor pieces.

Her bridesmates wore beautiful olive green satin dresses, matching the olive tones of Bonnie’s gown. Patrick had two friends as his groomsmates, who wore linen blazers and navy chinos.

Patrick’s outfit, with its linen suit, forest green tie, and pocket square, had the perfect summery vibe. “Luckily, Pat’s groomsmen are both more fashionable than himself and were the ones to suggest the linen suit, which looked great with the dress,” shared Bonnie.

Bonnie walked down the aisle with both her parents to “Love You For A Long Time” by Maggie Rogers, sung live by their musician, Isaac Main. “The music was truly wonderful. Isaac set a dreamy atmosphere with his incredible acoustic tunes, and later in the night, the dance floor filled with a really awesome energy.”

They wanted the ceremony to be sweet, informal, and personal, and thanks to their celebrant, Gabrielle Lynagh, it was perfect. “We were so pleased with the really personal and warm ceremony our wonderful celebrant Gabrielle put together. There were laughs and tears, and it was really perfectly suited to us.”

One of Bonnie’s favourite details from the day was the framed photo collection she and Patrick put together. “One detail we put together was a display of framed photos collected over our nine years together – an assortment of silly, unflattering and goofy shots that our guests would recognise as uniquely us.”

Once the ceremony had wrapped up, the couple and their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the green, complete with an antipasti table, lawn games and plenty of bubbles. “The atmosphere of a summer wedding and the more informal cocktail food setting instead of a sit-down meal suited us perfectly. Everyone was relaxed, the two of us had no stress, and everybody could do what they wanted (lawn games, dancing, inside, outside, etc). The venue staff took all stress away from us, organised everything for us and made the day perfect.”

Their top five favourite moments of the night were:

“1. The joyful vibe – spending the day smiling and laughing together

2. Being surrounded by our amazing friends and family, some of whom travelled a very long way to share the day with us

3. Great food and wine!

4. Dancing the night away

5. Hot chips for a perfect late-night snack.”

One of Bonnie and Patrick’s favourite parts of the night was the speeches from their loved ones. “The speeches from our incredible parents and bridesmates/groomsmates were super funny and heartfelt, and we felt so lucky to have such excellent people in our lives,” Bonnie detailed before adding: “We were also huge fans of the food and wine – both were absolutely delicious!”

Their photographer for the day was Ali Bant from Smith and Archer. “Ali was amazing, she was so friendly and kind and kept the atmosphere really laid-back, so photos were a breeze. She captured the day absolutely beautifully and we are so grateful to have the gorgeous photos to treasure our memories of the day.”

Their reception took place at the Farmhouse, and in Bonnie’s words: “It was totally stunning, surrounded by beautiful gardens and vineyards and beneath twinkling festoon lights.”

They finished their night with a first dance to “Stacking Chairs” by Middle Kids, creating a lovely romantic mood.

Congratulations, Bonnie and Patrick! Your bright wedding was a delight to witness. Thanks to Smith And Archer Photography for capturing and submitting it for us to share.