After years of friendship, chance encounters at the gym, and a proposal atop the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, Anna and Billy finally tied the knot in an unforgettable rustic boho celebration at Log Cabin Ranch. Their wedding journey was anything but typical, marked by a five-year planning process, multiple postponements due to Covid, two beautiful children, and a last-minute health scare that almost derailed their big day. But through it all, Anna and Bill’s love story shone brightly, culminating in a heartfelt ceremony and a weekend-long “Wedstival” surrounded by friends and family.

With every detail lovingly handmade, from the dream catchers to the custom jewellery, their wedding was a true reflection of their resilience, creativity, and the deep connection they share.

We cannot think of a better way to ring in our Celebrations Issue with Anna and Bill’s wedding festival weekend celebration! Enjoy reading more about their special day on Polka Dot You today! 

We met at the gym! We knew each other for a few years as friends – I managed the gym and Bill was my colleague’s brother, so we’d occasionally train together. The dynamic changed after running into each other on a night out. He would then come into the gym, program a bunch of songs, then come and sit at the leg extension machine right next to my desk for ages, singing and talking to me. It’s safe to say, I wasn’t overly productive at work during the early stages of our relationship.

Bill proposed back in 2018. It was a casual Wednesday night – he asked if I wanted to go on the Melbourne star, because every time we drive past, I’d say “I want to go on that one day.” We were the only ones in the carriage and right at the top he dropped on one knee. We were in our daggy clothes, it wasn’t fancy, but it was perfect and very low key like us. I did not see it coming at all!

The boys were in formal, navy suits. Their ties were made from the same fabric as the girl’s dresses. We had a seamstress turn an extra dress into the ties, so they matched perfectly.

I had already purchased a dress for our first three (Covid cancelled) attempts at the wedding. By the fourth attempt, the time we got married, I’d had two babies and my shape and taste had changed. I saw the most unique, incredible dress online and had to have it. The only stockist in Australia is in Perth so I flew over to try it on. It’s a stunning Zolotas Bridal gown, handmade using organic cotton in Greece. It’s so special. I made my own veil.

My bridesmaids were my three best friends, and my maid of honour was my sister. My girls were in a relaxed, free flowing simple olive dress. I wanted it to be soft natural fabric like my dress, nothing shiny. They were simple dresses dressed up by the beautiful faces of my girls. I made their jewellery and all of mine too actually.

We wanted a relaxed, meaningful, rustic/boho, but fun vibe for the wedding. The wedding and reception were both held at Log Cabin Ranch. We chose this venue as it had onsite accommodation for 70 guests. We wanted to have a “Wedstival” from the Friday – Sunday, so everyone could relax and stay a while and so the party didn’t have to end just as it’s getting started!

Our flowers were a combination of gorgeous greenery and succulents from Forget Me Not Floret.

My Dad walked me down the aisle. I walked to “Purpose” by Justin Bieber – a Bieber song was fitting as Bieber was one of Bill’s favourites to sing to me at the gym. Haha!

My favourite detail of the day was the moment the doors to our ceremony space opened and I saw Bill at the end of the aisle.

We wanted a sincere and moving ceremony and I think we achieved that. We started off with a mindfulness exercise, hand-fasting and then some interruptions from our toddlers for a sprinkle of real life! The hand-fasting ceremony was the most special tradition we included in our wedding day. 

My favourite photograph of the day was the one of Bill and I – being wheeled in his wheelchair back down the aisle after the ceremony.

We drove with our two toddlers to Victoria from Queensland for the wedding and as mentioned, we were towing a huge load of all our wedding gear. My partner started feeling unwell only 30 minutes into the drive – this continued to worsen leading us to have to stop overnight twice to check him into hospitals – the advice from these smaller hospitals was just to get to Victoria as they have better facilities and we had family support there.

Very long story short Bill checked into hospital when we arrived in Victoria and stayed there till the night before the wedding. He was very sick with meningitis. He was released in a wheelchair or with the use of a walking cane stick for the wedding day.

On the morning of the wedding, he took a turn and it looked like we were going to have to call it off but Bill insisted we were going ahead. We planned to just have the ceremony then send him back to hospital but as it turned out he was able to make it through the day – although we rushed through and brought forward all the formalities so we could get him into bed early. Seeing each other at the ceremony was the first time we’d seen each other in a week. It was very emotional.

Jamie our photographer! What a special human! We were introduced to Jamie through our awesome videographer. He was so professional right from the start – it was clear every little detail was going to be taken care of. Not only is he an incredibly talented photographer but he was able to coordinate aspects of the day that were not in his job description. He even helped bustle my dress, haha! His energy was so supportive on an emotional day – he was very tuned in to mine and Bills needs and we both believe he was a huge part of our day flowing as well as it did.

I really thought about every little detail – the playlist once our guests arrive, the essential oils I had diffusing to create an atmosphere, the personalised blankets we had organised for each of our guests to stay warm, the ear plugs, eye masks and handmade soap left for each guest in their accommodation. We really wanted everyone to feel considered and comfortable.

EVERY SINGLE THING WAS DIY – it’s a full DIY venue so we drove a full 12 foot trailer from Queensland to Victoria. I made signs, dream catchers, candles, wedding favours, jewellery for my bridal party and myself. My most favourite part about wedding planning was making things to create a beautiful day.

Vendors who stood out on the day were:

Honestly all these guys were equally exceptional.

We had taken dance lessons for months and we were so excited to do our wedding dance – however due to illness, Bill was in a wheelchair on the day, so we played our song and I pushed him around in the chair, then our bridal party pushed us both while I sat on his lap.

Five things which made our wedding special were:

  1. Our wedding venue
  2. Bill’s condition and our big story
  3. Our guests’ speeches were so heartfelt
  4. Every little detail was our own creation
  5. We worked so damn hard on this for over 5 years and no matter the setback (there were many) we got it done!

From Bill – The thing I remember most about the day, was seeing Anna when the doors opened to begin the ceremony.

A heartfelt thank you to Anna for sharing your beautiful story. Your wedding journey to the altar was truly inspiring, and it was a privilege to hear all the personal details that made your wedding so unique. A special thanks as well to Jamie from A Country Mile Photography for capturing the magic of the day so perfectly as well as Directors Edge for the stunning highlight video. We wish you both endless happiness as you continue this next chapter of your lives together!