Romantic Garden Wedding at Oxenberry Farm Wines

One follow, one message, one yes – that’s how Jess and Liz’s story began. Beneath the willow tree at Oxenberry Farm Wines, they promised forever, surrounded by a palette of soft pastels, lush florals, and the people who mean the most. Every detail was designed to reflect who they are – from handmade signs and cookies to the music that carried them down the aisle and onto the dance floor, all captured by the team from Hereafter Studios.

It all started with an Instagram follow. Jess spotted Liz in her suggested friends, thought she looked cool (and like someone who shared her taste in life’s finer things), and hit that follow button. Liz then swiftly slid into Jess’ DMs with a date invite – and the rest, as they say, is history. Jess knew she wanted to propose first. On the first morning of a two-week East Coast road trip, she suggested they dress up for breakfast, then took Liz for a walk along Burleigh Heads beach. In a secluded spot, she convinced Liz to take a photo – with her phone secretly recording, Jess got down on one knee. “Overwhelmed with emotion (and stress), I didn’t say anything for a good little while, and eventually squeaked out ‘will you marry me?'” she says.

She’d planned a celebratory stay at QT Cabins, complete with wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, a picnic at the door, and a night soaking it all in. Within 24 hours, Liz began organising a return proposal with the help of their friend and photographer Nisa. During an engagement shoot, Nisa cued Jess to face the ocean while Liz knelt behind her with her own ring – a moment now framed in their hallway!

They started their day off on the right foot. Jess and Liz spent the night before and the morning of their garden wedding together. “Unconventional, but we wouldn’t change it. We danced together in the living room while our girls got ready. And we were surrounded by so much love the morning of,” Jess shared.

Jess wore a beautiful Sophia Tolli gown with a stunning gathered detail across the front and romantic off-the-shoulder straps. Liz, on the other hand, wore a whimsical Madi Lane gown, with romantic lace detailing and a long train. “Both showcased our own individual personalities but beautifully complemented each other.”

They each had three bridesmaids in their wedding party, with a rainbow pastel satin dress code. Each bridesmaid stunned in a range of oranges, yellows, blues, sage, purples and pink.

Nestled in beautiful McLaren Vale in South Australia, was their venue for the day: Oxenberry Farm Wines. “We chose Oxenberry as soon as we saw the willow tree. It was a gorgeous, whimsical and romantic place to get married under. We viewed a few other venues, but nothing made us feel like that did,” Jess explained.

Since their romantic ceremony was so intimate, Liz and Jess got to spend plenty of time having date nights to plan their wedding, with minimal outside influence. “Our wedding truly felt like ours.”

Jess walked down the aisle first, with her mum and dad on either arm as the instrumental version of “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey played. Liz then walked with her own parents to “Feels Like Home”.

For Liz and Jess, intimacy was the most important element in their ceremony. “It truly felt like we shared such a beautiful moment with just a few close people. Our celebrant, Ruby, led a great ceremony where she drew on stories of our relationship, we exchanged personal vows, and at times felt completely secluded in our own little love bubble,” they explained.

Since the beautiful willow tree was the centrepiece of their ceremony, Jess and Liz only had a couple of floral pieces, handcrafted by She Runs Wild. “We had her match each bridesmaid’s bouquet to their dress, and our bouquets were a mix of those flowers as well as some white and foliage. It was vibrant but didn’t overshadow any of the big features.”

Meghan from Hereafter Studios was the perfect photographer to capture the romantic, whimsical vibes of the day. “Meghan is an angel! She has also become a good friend in the period of us booking her to our day. She has an amazing eye; our vision was very aligned, but we let her have creative control, and the photos turned out so beautiful. You can tell she puts her heart and soul into her work! We are obsessed with all of them.”

Their favourite shots from the day are these ones of them in the garden after the ceremony. “The intimate photos of us in the garden after the ceremony. Specifically, the one with us sitting and Liz’s legs over my lap and we’re sharing a dreamy stare,” Jess shared.

For Jess and Liz, the key to a joyful wedding was keeping it personal. “Make it as intimate as you can in however that looks to you,” they share. Determined to avoid the overwhelm, they were mindful not to get swept up in wedding chaos, especially after hearing “many horror stories of couples having horrible planning experiences, fights and family feuds.”

Personal touches were woven throughout the reception. Liz DIY’d the wedding sign, favours (homemade sugar cookies) and invites, while Jess’s maid of honour, Raven, who is a former florist, transformed the bridesmaids’ bouquets into mixed bud vases for the tables. “They turned out stunning,” Jess says. And in true last-minute creative fashion, Jess also made their “just married” sign the week of the wedding, inspired by a TikTok she’d seen.

Their first dance was to “Coastlines” by Hollow Coves. “Despite a whopping three practice runs at home, we didn’t have too many moves and invited loved ones to join us. We opened the dance floor with a dance remix of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, and we hardly left the dance floor.”