Whimsical Wedding at Simon Hackett Winery

When love is meant to be, it finds its way – sometimes with a little help from friends who are determined to play cupid. Hannah and Macklin’s whimsical wedding was a celebration of their unique bond, infused with a sense of playfulness and romance. Their day was nothing short of magical, with whimsical details woven throughout – from wildflower-inspired florals to heartfelt personal touches. Through the lens of Chasing Eve, every fleeting moment was transformed into a timeless memory, a testament to a love story that was always destined to be!

When Hannah and Macklin’s mutual friends decided they would be perfect for each other, they planned a house party with the intention of orchestrating a meet-cute! Not only did they introduce them that night, but they actually introduced the pair eight separate times!

The couple picked out the engagement ring together, and Hannah expected the proposal to happen on an upcoming holiday. Luckily for Macklin, the ring came much sooner, in time for a weekend stay in McLaren Vale! “After a long lunch and a few tastings at some wineries, we were walking back to our accommodation past some vines, and it was starting to mist when Macklin asked, shocking me that the ring had already arrived, and he had managed to pull off a surprise as I’m usually the planner,” she shared.

Macklin wore a custom-made deep red suit by Beg Your Pardon. “Macklin is the star of every show and needed to stand out in his suit during his day. With so many fun details in the suit and it being made to fit him so comfortably, he could boogie the whole night as he loves.”

Within his wedding party Macklin had four of his closest friends whom he’d known since high school. They all wore matching dusty pinks, all wrapped in that whimsical style.

Both wedding parties got ready together at Aldinga Beach Getaways, soaking in those good pre-wedding vibes. “It’s cliche, but every time anyone asks, all we can say is it was a perfect day – the weather was perfect, everyone looked fantastic and seemed to have a wonderful time, and we had the best day, laughing pretty much the entire time. Getting ready together as a group in the morning helped to alleviate a lot of the nerves and meant we got to spend more time together on our day,” Hannah explained.

She wore an incredible custom Aleena Leena gown with a whimsical flowy train and breathtaking embossed silk finish. “It just made me feel beautiful and was entirely my vibe, while the dress itself was still incredibly light and easy to move in.”

Hannah had four people in her wedding party – three of her high school friends and a friend she’d made through Macklin who she’d claimed as her own! Each member wore a deep emerald green dress in a cut that matched their own personal styles.

Bonnie Blooms created these whimsical, wildflower-style florals for the day – absolutely exceeding Hannah and Macklin’s expectations! “We wanted as much colour as we could get in our day, and the flowers tied into every single other part of the day perfectly.”

Maree from Chasing Eve Photography captured all of these beautiful moments from Hannah and Macklin’s whimsical wedding, and they couldn’t have fallen more in love with her! “Maree was excellent (and we aren’t just saying that because she will see this). She set the perfect vibe, read exactly when we needed a break from the crowd and then when we needed a break from portraits and made our whole day feel so smooth and calm. Our photos are perfect and capture exactly how the day felt for us.”

Such a whimsical day was only enhanced by their vendor dream team! “Literally all of them made our day incredible – we got on so well with every single person, and they all meshed perfectly from our perspective, making the whole day feel like we were just hanging out with friends.”

There is no venue more perfect for this whimsical wedding than Simon Hackett Winery in McLaren Vale! “The vibe of the venue is a Tuscan getaway, and we chose it for the beautiful space inside that can be transformed into anything you want, as well as the great deck and lawn area.”

A beautiful detail that welcomed guests into the ceremony space was this custom welcome poster that they now have hanging up in their home.

Macklin walked down the aisle with his mum, Debbie, to “We’re All We Need” by Above and Beyond, sung live by their friends and musicians Manor Road Music. Following soon after, Hannah was walked by her dad, Ray, to “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” by The Mamas & The Papas.

Led by Loved Up Weddings with Courtney, Hannah and Macklin’s ceremony was full of laughter, love, and a sprinkle of emotional moments. “We just wanted it all to feel like us, which is not too serious or sappy but filled with a lot of joy. Our close friends sang and played our ceremony music for us, which only made it all the more special.”

Hannah’s favourite photo from this whimsical wedding would have to be between the confetti kiss post-ceremony or the shot of her and Macklin walking after their portraits with his arm around her neck and her gazing up at him lovingly.

Adding a personal touch to their place cards, Hannah and Macklin wrote personalised messages for each of their guests. “Ensuring they knew we were grateful they were celebrating with us but also putting into words how special every person there was to us.”

Their friend created cutout pictures of their two cats, Doja and Nami, so they could be there on the day to celebrate! They were also used for Polaroid photos for the guest book and to help guests dance the night away on the dance floor later in the night.

With so many touching details found throughout the day, it was hard for Hannah and Macklin to pick out their absolute favourites. Here’s what they landed on: “Can we just say everything?

1. Our personal vows and ceremony were perfectly aligned thanks to our amazing celebrant,

2. Our flowers and our decor were stunning and set up better than we had pictured by our planner/coordinator,

3. The music was exactly what we wanted on exactly the timeline we wanted it,

4. The food was incredible, which is super important to us as we both love good food,

5. But most importantly, our friends, family and particularly our bridal party and their wonderful partners all went out of their way to make us feel amazing.”

The piece of advice Hannah and Macklin want to leave for future married couples is this: “Set aside lots of small moments for you as a couple – whether it’s a first look or some private portraits after the ceremony without your bridal party or family, or just having a drink or a plate of canapes away from your guests. The cliche that the day flies by is far too true, so those moments really matter.

Also make sure if a moment is important to you, that you vocalise it before the day to whoever can make sure it happens – we made sure to tell those who had travelled to attend to pull us aside for a photo and to not worry about interrupting anything as it was really important to us to spend some time with them. It’s very easy to get swept up in the day, and everyone wants to speak to you, so there’s no real pause unless you plan for it!”

Their first dance was to “Just The Two Of Us” by Grover Washington ft. Bill Withers. “Hannah was very nervous to dance in front of everyone, but we only made one small mistake, which everyone said they didn’t notice,” Macklin explained.