Under the soft glowing lights at Old Broadwater Farm, Grace and Ashley’s wedding unfolded with timeless beauty and deeply personal touches. Captured by Jodie from Merge Photography and Chapman Films, their celebration was everything they’d dreamed of: heartfelt, classic, and full of joy. From handwritten letters to every guest to a marquee that shimmered with light and laughter, it was a kaleidoscope of love and thoughtful details.
In the last week of their four-week trip, Grace had given up all hope that Ashley was going to propose. So when he suggested she get ready for dinner for their second night in Positano, Italy, Grace decided to take her sweet, sweet time. “I work in the jewellery industry and just figured I would know when it was about to happen. It is safe to say I was absolutely blindsided,” she shared.
“Boy, did I make him wait! I curled my hair, ironed my dress, all while Ash was waiting for me on the balcony with the ring in his pocket and champagne and flowers soon to be delivered to the room. I eventually stepped onto the balcony, and Ash suggested we take a selfie. I put my hand on his chest and thought it was a little strange his heart was beating so fast, but before I knew it, he was down on one knee saying the most beautiful words, and I was crying, laughing and possibly hyperventilating. It was such a wonderful shock! Some friends staying in the apartment above us actually came out to check I was ok, so it must have been quite a noise!”
Ashley picked a classic tuxedo for his look, matching the more formal vibe they’d created. He visited Suit Vault, where the team helped him create a custom look by selecting materials and even printing photos of his grandparents on the inside of the jacket.
His wedding party wore matching hired tuxedos from Suit Vault.
On a summer’s day in late 2023, Grace took herself, her mum, MIL and her MOH around Perth to find ‘The One’ – which she found with this beautiful off-shoulder gown, paired with her pearl veil. “At each appointment, I thought I had found ‘The One’. My mum had arranged a Luxe Fitting at Bridal by Aubrey Rose; we had the shop to ourselves and champagne and nibbles. I selected 3-4 dresses to try on, and while I liked them, I wasn’t in love.” Grace shared.
“Sarah, my consultant, asked if it would be ok if she suggested a dress based on my likes and dislikes. As soon as I put on the dress, I cried in the fitting room, before I had even shown my family. I just knew it was the one, the family certainly agreed too!”
In her wedding party, Grace had Shelley, Lucy and Katherine wearing sage green dresses from Billy J Boutique.
As their venue is already so beautiful, Ash and Grace wanted to keep their florals classic, bursting with whites and creams with just a hint of green. “We had statement pieces throughout the venue, but one of my favourite additions was the beautiful installation that was set up amongst the chandeliers in the marquee. Domaney from Blush and Bloom did our flowers, and she is incredibly talented at what she does!”
Grace and Ashley knew Old Broadwater Farm was the venue for them the moment they set foot onto the grounds. “We spent a long weekend exploring our shortlisted wedding venues, and while so many were very special, OBF had our hearts from the start. We loved the beautiful manicured gardens; you can tell so much time is spent maintaining the venue,” they explained.
“The fact that our ceremony, reception and accommodation are all there within the grounds was a huge draw card for us. The Pavilion where we had our ceremony was something so unique and special. We had a cocktail hour in the Pavilion gardens, which were so green and beautiful. The marquee for the reception really added to the classic, timeless vibe. It also had a huge dance floor for party time! Our wedding coordinator Stephanie was worth her weight in gold; she is absolutely fabulous at what she does.”
Kirsty from For Keeps Illustrations was one of their favourite vendors of the day – capturing guests as they arrived and surprising them with beautiful illustrations.
For the ceremony, Grace and Ash had an “in memory” chair as a tribute to the ones they’ve lost, left empty with a list of all their loved ones no longer with us. “We also made sure Ash’s nan, who is 102, knew how special she was with us; she had her own special mention in Ash’s speech, and the white Rolls-Royce from Allure Limousines was arranged to collect her to take her to the venue, prior to collecting the bridal party.”
Despite Grace’s mum marrying her dad twice, she had never had her own moment walking down the aisle – and Grace was on a mission to fix that. “I wanted my mum to have her own special moment walking down the aisle, so prior to the bridal party entrance. I arranged for my brother (who was in a Tux to match the groomsmen) to come and collect my mum and walk her down the aisle. The string quartet played “Simply The Best”, and she finally got her own moment walking down the aisle.”
With the help of a string quartet from Dolce Ensembles, Grace walked down the aisle with her dad as Canon in D floated through the air.
Their goal for the ceremony was to create something traditional, yet still fun and upbeat. With the help of Nikki from Love Empire, their celebrant, they achieved their goal and so much more! “Having Nikki was one of the best decisions we made. She was absolutely wonderful, and six months on, guests are still raving about her. She made the ceremony so personal but still light and fun. She really told our story so well and kept it very engaging.”
Of all the beautiful moments and details from their classic day, the five things that stood out the most were:
“1. Our family and friends who had travelled from far and wide, from all over the world, all being together.
2. The surprise elements for us that our vendors had gone out of their way to arrange.
3. The handwritten notes for each guest.
4. The string quartet for the ceremony and cocktail hour
5. The fact that six months on, guests are still raving about the day and saying it is the best wedding they have ever been to.”
Ashley and Grace had a hard time picking just one photo as their favourite, but one of the ones that stood out the most is this shot of them in the Rolls-Royce. “It reminds me of one that my gran and grandad had taken on their wedding day.”
Jodie from Merge Photography was the perfect choice to capture Ash and Grace’s special day. “Jodie is spectacular. As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy having their picture taken, nor am I very good at it, Jodie was able to capture some absolutely beautiful pictures and moments. She was a fantastic guide, calm and patient and for a lot of the time I couldn’t even tell that there was a camera nearby.”
The reception space was full of personal touches created by Ash and Grace personally. They started by adding decals to the welcome sign and adding bathroom baskets for their guests that were full of the essentials: paracetamol, hairspray, deodorant, etc.
However, there were two details that Grace and Ashley really poured their hearts into: handwritten letters for each guest, and a beautiful display of love stories that came before their own. “One of our favourite elements, although it was very time-consuming, was personal, handwritten letters waiting for each guest once they found their seat for the reception. Guests still say that the personal touch meant so much. We wanted our guests to know why they meant so much to us and why it was so important that they were there to celebrate with us,” they explained.
“We had also made a ‘The love stories before ours … thank you for showing us the way’ display on a smaller gold mirror to match the welcome sign. We included our parents, grandparents and close family members’ wedding pictures.”
One of their favourite moments from the night was the reception entrance, made even more special by the help of Ryan from The Wedding DJ. “For our big entrance into the marquee, to start the reception party, we told Ryan that we were really going to go for it. We came into “Peanut Butter Jelly” and Ryan had arranged for the guests to rush us on the dance floor, waving their napkins and dancing around us. It made for a great video, and it would be up there as a highlight for me on the day.”
As they picked their vendor dream team, Ashley and Grace focused on vendors that had worked together before and worked with Old Broadwater Farm. “They were all an absolute dream and brought their own special elements into the day. There genuinely isn’t one single thing or vendor that we would change. They are all experts at what they do,” Grace shared.
“Special mention to Kirsty from For Keeps Illustration; she was a lot of fun and a great surprise for the guests. She created the most amazing watercolour paintings of our guests, and her communication before and after the day was delightful.”
“Beyond” by Leon Bridges was the song of choice for their first dance. “The song choice was one of the first decisions we made. It just felt right for the moment. Neither of us is very good at dancing, so we practised lots in the kitchen for 12 months before the big day. We definitely tried our best on the day!”
Thanks to Merge Photography for capturing and sharing this classic alfresco wedding. And huge congratulations to Grace and Ashley on your nuptials!
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