Love, as Liza and Daniel know well, has a way of writing its own story. Captured so beautifully by Erin and Erica of Margan Photography, their wedding day was one filled with joy, intimacy, and the perfect balance of rustic charm and personal detail.

For a while, eloping seemed like the perfect ending, but once the news was shared, the excitement of family and friends made it clear: this was a story worth celebrating with a whole cast of characters. And so, what began between book stacks and quiet corners became a wedding day filled with Liza and Daniel’s very own happily ever after – on the day of their 10th anniversary, no less!

Every great love story has a beginning, and for Liza and Daniel, it was set not in a café or classroom, but between the shelves of their local bookstore. Stacks of novels, the smell of fresh paper, and countless conversations about favourite reads became the backdrop to a connection that grew quietly, like a book you just can’t put down. What began as co-workers shelving bestsellers soon turned into something far more exciting: their own chapter one.

Fittingly, their proposal came not with grand gestures but with the kind of intimacy that felt most them. On the first anniversary of moving into their first home, a place already filled with dog-eared memories and cosy nights in, Daniel wrote the next scene in their love story. With the simplest question, he invited Liza to join him in their next chapter – and it was an easy “yes.”

The thing that really made Liza and Daniel’s rustic wedding so meaningful was how far their guests travelled to celebrate. “It was so special having all our family and friends come down to Canberra to celebrate our wedding. We are originally from Sydney, so we had a lot of people travelling down, as well as a few people from overseas and interstate,” Liza shared.

“Our family and friends made a mini multi-day getaway out of it, and it was fun to have everyone around, going out for food, exploring, and sightseeing in the lead up to the wedding. It was also fun having coaches to pick up and drop off the guests from the city to the venue.”

For her wedding dress, Liza picked out this stunning piece from Fashionably Yours with a slim-fitting design and whimsical wings flowing down her back. “I had seen two dresses online that I wanted to try at Fashionably Yours in Wahroonga. I booked an appointment and went with my mum, two aunties, maid of honour and bridesmaid. It was a lovely day out – I tried on the two dresses I had seen and a few more for fun, and ended up going with the first dress I had seen online. It was a very easy, relaxing and joyful experience,” she explained.

“I also wanted to highlight my hairstylist, Amanda, from AJ Hair and Bridal. She was a true gal’s gal and went above and beyond getting all the girls ready for the big day. Not only did she get all our hair looking its best, but she also helped with my dress, perfecting my veil and headband, and helped us all to be ready on time!”

Daniel had always wanted an opportunity to have his very own tailor-made suit, and the wedding was the perfect excuse! “We found a menswear brand that specialises in tailored attire called Theodore – we took this as a sign, as our dog is also named Theodore. I got a dark green three-piece suit (with the wedding date embossed on the jacket). I wore a bowtie from Peggy and Finn that featured Australian Flora.”

Liza walked down the aisle with her dad as the James Wong version of “Concerning Hobbits” from The Lord of the Rings played. “One of the highlights of our wedding was having our good friend Bridget as our celebrant. It was particularly special as she did the celebrant course just for us! We knew she would be the perfect person for the job, and everyone absolutely loved her!” Liza shared.

“We also had a special shoutout to our parents before our ceremony started, and instead of personal vows, we decided to read a slightly altered short poem (The Future by Emma Salmon), which we felt reflected our relationship and future.”

Capturing the day alongside Daniel and Liza was the talented duo from Margan Photography – Erin and Erica! “We knew we made the right choice because of their style, attitude and enthusiasm. They made such a huge effort to really get to know us and work out what moments we would want captured and how to capture them,” they shared.

“They were absolutely amazing at capturing all the special candid moments, and were true professionals – they were almost invisible, like photography ninjas! The next day, they sent us a few highlight photos from throughout the day as a preview. They also included an album as part of our photography package.”

Fionna from Peony n Pearl created all of these beautiful florals, being given this brief: autumnal, rustic and lots of Australian natives. “We gave her complete creative control, which made it extra exciting on the day to be surprised with what she had made,” she explained.

“Fionna completely understood our vibe and blew us away with her talent and selection. We got so many compliments on the flowers! I also chose to have them preserved by Holly from Canberra Flower Preservation.”

When it came to choosing a venue, Daniel and Liza knew exactly what they were searching for. “We wanted the venue we chose to have a rustic farmhouse vibe that would create a cosy and intimate atmosphere,” they explain. “As soon as we saw Petrichor Farm, we knew it was the one.” The property ticked all the boxes and more, from “the long scenic drive in, the large elm tree (where we had our ceremony), the cosy cottage, rustic timber barn (for the reception), but mostly, the food!”

Beyond the charm of the setting, they were also drawn to how seamless the experience would be. “Another key factor was that it was an all-inclusive venue – the set-up, decorating, and coordination of the day were all taken care of by the owners, Hayley and Darren, who were also great in making sure that the day reflected us and what we wanted.”

Even though their original wedding plans were to elope, Liza and Daniel have absolutely zero regrets about their big wedding. “The biggest factor here could be that we planned our wedding based on who we are and what we wanted from the day, and excluded what we didn’t (instead of a wedding cake – we had a dessert station, and instead of multiple speeches – Daniel and I gave a speech together). Make it for you both, not for other people or their expectations of what a wedding should be/have, and you can’t go wrong.”

When asked what wisdom they’d pass on to other couples, Liza and Daniel didn’t hesitate: “We would also highly recommend doing a first look if you’re tossing up the options. We had never really considered doing a first look, but decided it would give us a good opportunity to take some portrait photos and bridal photos before the ceremony, saving us a bit of time afterwards, meaning we could all spend some quality time with the guests during cocktail hour. It was the right choice for us, not just for the logistics, but it was so special to share that moment with each other. And it took nothing away from seeing each other at the aisle, which was still an incredibly special and memorable moment.”

Their first dance was one of the most memorable highlights of the evening. “In the lead up to the wedding, we decided to have dancing lessons,” they share. With Charlie from Subsdance Dance Studio guiding them, the pair learned a choreographed routine set to their chosen song, an acoustic version of “When You Look Me in the Eyes” by the Jonas Brothers. “Charlie was amazing at working with us and tailoring the choreography to our dance abilities – teaching us a dance that was not overly choreographed and felt natural, while still having some ‘wow’ moments.”

Adding to the magic, their musician and DJ, Ryan David Music, learnt and performed the song live. “It added an extra special element to our first dance,” Liza recalled. And in a heartfelt touch, they had even had planned the choreography so that their parents could join them on the dance floor towards the end.

A huge congratulations to Liza and Daniel on your beautiful wedding day – and thank you to Erin and Erica of Margan Photography for capturing every moment so perfectly.