Modern Country Wedding in Southern Highlands

This country wedding was full of incredible design, a breathtaking location and delectable food. With a short and sweet ceremony, Aiyana and Henry had more time to focus on each other and spend time with their guests!

Thanks to photographer Ella Ottaviano and Oliver, their videographer, we now have this incredible visual representation of the love Aiyana and Henry share.

Unlike many modern love stories, Aiyana and Henry didn’t meet on dating apps; they met the old-fashioned way – through mutual friends at a pub. “He then slid into my DMs, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

On a birthday trip to their beloved Byron Bay, Henry surprised Aiyana with an additional 3-night stay in the luxury Blackbird resort in Mullumbimby Creek. The gorgeous secluded oasis only has a few select pods with incredible hinterland and ocean views. He planned a full day of relaxation for Aiyana to enjoy, finished with a romantic dinner he’d planned with the owners. “When I came out to the private balcony, I saw a delicious-looking cheese platter, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a big box with a ribbon. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the box, but little did I know it was actually a decoy in the form of local chocolates! Henry was dressed in a very handsome dinner jacket (a bit too fancy for a humid Byron evening at the resort, I thought), and I still had no inkling of what was about to happen,” she explained. “He handed me a handwritten note and asked me to turn around while I read it. When I finished reading, I turned around and he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was absolutely floored and speechless! Of course, I said yes, through lots and lots of happy tears; it was a big yes. It couldn’t have been more perfect. He also filmed the whole proposal, which is so special to have!”

With his everlasting love of MJ Bale clothing, Henry picked out a timeless tuxedo with black lapels and a bowtie. The perfect fit for this modern country wedding, and to match, his groomsmen wore the same suit in a rich navy.

Aiyana was never one to dream of her wedding dress growing up, so she went into the experience with a blank slate – and it clearly worked in her favour! The only thing on her mind was something that would stand the test of time. “I started following KYHA Studios after I saw a few of their designs on Instagram; in particular, I loved Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw’s wedding dresses, both of which they had designed. So, I decided to book a fitting with KYHA Studios in their old Surry Hills Boutique, as well as another well-known bridal boutique in Paddington. I tried on 5 dresses at KYHA Studios first and, funnily enough, picked the first dress I tried on! I altered it slightly to remove the thigh slit to make it more timeless, and I cannot fault the service I experienced with their team! They made me feel so special, the excitement was real!”

To finish her look, Aiyana had her late Nanny’s necklace wrapped around her bouquet and a diamond marquise wedding ring borrowed from her beautiful mum.

In her wedding party, Aiyana had three bridesmaids and her Maid of Honour. Each wearing a champagne dress of their own choosing – all coming together to complete the modern vibe of the day perfectly.

Their venue of choice was the incredible Wildwood Hill in East Kangaloon, a property owned by their good friends, John and Louise Keats! “We loved the stunning views this extravagant property has to offer, coupled with the barn that was purposely fitted out for functions and small weddings. It has the perfect blend of country style and elegance and was big enough to host our 70 guests but small enough to still feel intimate. We were SO lucky with the weather, too, given the ceremony was outside. We did have a wet weather plan, but the weather gods were smiling down on us for the day!”

The beautiful look and feel of Aiyana and Henry’s wedding can be attributed to the talented Gemaya from Be Designed – their wedding designer! “She was in charge of the entire design and theme, from the flowers to the hire, menu designs, table settings etc. She turned my vision into reality,” Aiyana shared. She added, “Our beautiful friends Alice (who was also my Maid Of Honour) and Charlie (a groomsman) made us a custom-made bar with our names on the front, which was incredibly special!”

When the time came to walk down the aisle, Aiyana grabbed her father’s arm and made her way to Henry as Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” played. Henry says, “I remember the ceremony the most, seeing Aiyana walk down the aisle. I’ll never forget that feeling of love and excitement. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.”

Aiming for a short, sweet and personal ceremony, Aiyana and Henry picked Sue Jackson as their celebrant. As the officiant of Henry’s father’s funeral, she was close to the family and was a really special addition to the day. “She was the perfect mix of funny, warm and loving. I wanted to include my beautiful Mum, Donna, and Henry’s beautiful sister, Katie, who both did special readings. It was done in about 30 minutes, which was perfect as we didn’t want it to drag on.”

Ella Ottaviano came highly recommended by Alice, Aiyana’s Made of Honour – and she couldn’t have been a better match for the couple and their modern wedding! “She made sure we felt comfortable and is honestly the most beautiful soul. Like I said earlier, she captured the love and happiness we felt absolutely perfectly, and she also complimented our videographer, Oli Lowe so so well. They were a dream duo to work with.”

This shot of her and Henry walking hand-in-hand under the magnolias is their absolute favourite photo from this country wedding, and we can’t help but agree!

The top five things that made their modern country wedding so unique included:

“1. The love and happiness felt by everyone we had there,

2. The venue,

3. The guest list: 70 of our closest friends and family,

4. The weather,

5. The collective effort from all the different vendors; the photographer and videographer working together, the caterer working with the party hire and wedding designers.”

Once again, this incredible reception set-up was the creation of wedding designer Be Designed with the help of South Coast Party Hire! “I can’t praise our wedding designer, Be Designed, and our caterer, Apple Tree Catering, enough. Both vendors were amazing to work with, they absolutely nailed the brief and they’re all genuinely beautiful people.”

If Aiyana and Henry had to pick their favourite moment from the night, it would have to be the speeches portion of the reception! “Every time we reflect on the day, we are reminded of how happy everyone was and how much love filled the entire day and night. The speeches we had from my Father Rhon, Henry’s Best Man, Harry, and our joint speech also made it a special evening.”

The stand-out detail from their modern country wedding, however, was all the incredible food catered by Nicole from Apple Tree Catering! “Henry and I are both avid foodies, so excellent food was one of our non-negotiables and something we were happy to spend a bit extra on. We even over-ordered so no one would go hungry, which meant we had a healthy amount of leftovers to live off after the wedding,” she explained. “We also had a gelato cart from our favourite gelato shop, Gelato Messina; we also over-ordered and had tubs of it in our freezer for weeks.”

Their first dance was to “Your Song” by Elton John, an absolute fav of both Aiyana and Henry. “It was dorky, unrehearsed and just so full of happiness and love. It was perfect.”