Nestled in the wintry landscapes of Grove, Tasmania, the rustic charm of Willie Smith’s Apple Shed provided the perfect backdrop for Terry and Ryan’s rustic winter wedding. Adorned with native florals that oozed natural elegance, the venue had an intimate, warm ambience that perfectly complemented the cold Tasmanian winter. And thanks to the talents of their friend and talented photographer, Jack Chauvel, we get to see the charm and love of the day through the screen.

When Terry and Ryan met, it was actually a misheard word that broke the ice and sparked their connection. “I was out with work colleagues in the city at The Rook, which is also where Ryan was, and we started chatting when we were at the bar and through the night, we ended up chatting more (I was still stone-cold sober). At Stitch Bar on York St., Ryan told me all about how he was on a mission trip a while ago and built what I thought was a ‘Stool’, so I nodded politely to him until he started saying the kids could go in and I realised he said ‘School’!”

After that, the ice was well and truly broken – and they ended up going on their first official date soon after. “Ryan asked me to go for dinner and drinks at Hurricanes in Darling Harbour after our first date. The man really knew the way to a girl’s heart! After dinner, we sat by the water and just chatted with each other and got to know each other a bit better,” she explained. “I knew it was the real deal when he asked me to guess his favourite animal, which started with a ‘P’, and I said, ‘Pelican’, and straight away, he fired back, ‘WHO THE FUCK LIKES PELICANS’. Someone who could make me laugh so much and with such a similar sense of humour was just who I was looking for – of course, he won’t know that this was the moment for me!”

On their anniversary in 2022, the couple decided to take a ‘staycation’ at the QT Hotel in Sydney. “We checked into our room and dropped off all our stuff – all of a sudden, I turned around, and there he was on one knee. Relaxed, private and just us, which was perfect. I asked him about 50 times whether he was serious and if he was sure before, of course, saying yes!”

Ryan wore a custom navy three-piece suit from InStitchu with a custom internal lining full of dogs! He finished off his look with a navy and crimson potted pocket square and matching bowtie, as well as RM Williams boots and belt. “He chose this as he wanted to have a classic outfit that complemented the venue, my outfit and also showcased his personality.”

Within their wedding parties, Terry had her Mate of Honour, Frankie and Bridesmate, Daniel. Ryan had his Best Man, James, and Groomsman, Brent – all of which wore matching custom-made navy suits by Institchu and navy paisley ties and pocket squares.

Terry wore this beautiful silk dress from Grace Loves Lace, with its form-fitting shape and flowing movements. Before she’d even picked a dress, Terry bought a long red cape, which was a non-negotiable piece – the perfect addition to their winter wedding and a nod to her Chinese background. “I wanted to sprinkle in some parts of tradition and wanted to have some red (for good luck) on my outfit for the day. It was a bonus that it was warm, which helped with the Tassie cold! I also wore RM Williams boots for my shoes, which served three purposes – comfort, warmth and matching (with Ryan).”

Terry was super flexible about the florals and gave their florist, Beautiful Flowers and Gifts, a basic brief of natives, allowing all of their creative juices to flow!

Jack Chauvel was the photographer for this winter wedding and a good friend of the couple. “We were always in awe of his work and photos, so it was a no-brainer to have him photograph the wedding (and more!),” Terry shared. “We love big landscapes, and Jack was kind enough to explore Tassie with us to take some beautiful photos both in Hobart, surrounds and around Cradle Mountain.”

Their venue of choice for the day was the rustic Willie Smiths Apple Shed in Grove, Tasmania. “We’d visited there back in 2016 and loved the vibe of the venue – the fact that their award-winning cider definitely helped! We fell in love with Tassie and the frostyness of it all, which was so different from Sydney. As big beer and cider fans, we loved being able to get married and celebrate in a cider-y!”

As they arrived at the venue to set up before guests arrived, Terry and Ryan had a sneaky little cider together, using those five to ten minutes to soak in the reality of the day. “This moment of ‘calm before the storm’ was absolutely perfect.”

Wanting to include family in the ceremony, Terry and Ryan asked Ryan’s brother Matt to be their ‘Beer Boy” – who walked down the aisle before Terry and ‘showered’ guests with cider cans. Terry then walked down as “One Summers Day” by Joe Hisaishi played.

The three words that best describe their ceremony are these – love, laughter and fun. With their celebrant, Kathleen Pavic-Ryan, ticking all three boxes, creating the best intro and love story for their guests. “Literally, all of our guests told us how perfectly she was able to encompass our personalities, sprinkled with lots of jokes. She was instrumental in kicking off our ceremony the exact way we wanted, and her storytelling was second to none! She had us (and the guests) laughing and crying!”

One of Terry’s favourite photos from the day was the moment she and Ryan were ‘announced’ as husband and wife surrounded by all of their best mates.

When asked what her favourite detail of the day was, Terry said, “This is going to sound generic, but being able to call Ryan my ‘husband’!”

Their top five favourite things about their winter wedding were:

“1. Ryan, who is often not emotional, shedding a tear during the ceremony,

2. Close friends and family only,

3. A venue with a special significance and memory,

4. Pre-wedding, drinking Sullivans Cove scotch with our closest friends,

5. The speeches from our bridal parties, which just hit home.”

The one thing they took the time to DIY for this beautiful winter wedding was the seating. They wrote little notes for each guest, with a calligraphed envelope by Ink & Snow, which they then sealed with their custom-made wax seals. “The seating notes were definitely a key detail that we wanted to include to ensure our guests had something tangible and a keepsake to take away from the wedding. As all of our guests flew from interstate to attend the wedding, we wanted to show our appreciation.”

A tradition that Ryan and all his friends do at their wedding is to dance the worm on the dance floor! “More often than not, there’s a few drinks involved. Per tradition, he was strong-armed into doing the worm, which made for some very entertaining dancing and photos! It was amazing being in the energy and atmosphere with our friends and family around us, and that made it so special.”

Join us in giving a huge congratulations to Terry and Ryan on their gorgeous rustic winter wedding! And thanks to Jack Chauvel Photography for capturing and sharing these incredible images with us.