What started as a double dating app match turned into a lifetime of love for Hannah and Matt. From their cheeky Port Elliot donut proposal to a heartfelt ceremony surrounded by family (and their beloved golden retriever, Murphy!), every part of this Bungaree Station wedding was filled with meaning. With Dusk Till Dawn behind the lens, capturing every candid, sun-soaked moment, their South Australian garden celebration was the picture of joy.

Like many modern couples, Hannah and Matt met on a dating app; however, it wasn’t love at first match. “We first matched on Hinge, but Hannah never responded to my first message. Completely ghosted me… It wasn’t until we matched on Bumble a few weeks later that we started talking. Hannah sent the first message on Bumble and said to me, “Do we know each other? You look really familiar.” My response, “yeah, that’s what happens when you match on multiple dating apps,” Matt explained.

“We caught up a week later for a drink one afternoon, which turned into 5 hours and dinner, hitting it off quickly, and we have been inseparable since.”

When it came time to propose, Matt knew he wanted to do something simple, sentimental, and perfectly them. Their monthly tradition of driving down to Port Elliot for the “donut of the month” had become a little ritual, so he planned to turn one of those visits into a proposal to remember. With the ring hidden in his pocket and the moment carefully mapped out, there were a few hiccups – a late night at a mate’s 30th, a detour debate on the drive, and the delicate task of placing the ring just right on the Valentine’s donut special. But when Hannah lifted the box to take her usual photo, she instead found the biggest surprise of all.

“After a bit of crying, hugs, kisses, and a quick call to my mum back in Blyth, we went to the caravan to see my sister and dad to share the news with them. After that, it was straight into Hannah’s parent for a family dinner to share the news with them.”

Matt wore a classic black tux from Institchu, perfectly achieving the classy look he was aiming for. “We knew that this look would not go out of style, and we can look back in 30 years and still love the photos,” he shared.

“Instichu was great to deal with, had great quality made-to-order suits at a good price. We added little details, like our initials inscribed inside the jacket and black buttons down the front. We also had cufflinks with our initials engraved on them.”

He had five groomsmen, two brothers-in-law and three friends. All of which wore matching black suits from Institchu with a black bow tie. “We also gave them cufflinks with their initials on them as a gift.”

Hannah also went with a classic choice, a beautiful strapless Kyha from The Bride Lab gown. “I wanted a timeless dress that was elegant but wouldn’t date, and something that I could be comfortable in and dance in later! It has ruching down the front, I had button details added down the back, and my veil was a combination of flowers and pearls. My shoes were a satin sling-back pointed-toe heel with a rose on the front that you could see poke through the bottom of my dress.”

In her own wedding party, Hannah had her two sisters, two sisters-in-law and a friend. Each wore a different colour and style of satin dress. “I loved them in something they felt comfortable and confident in, but still matched the theme and made it look cohesive.”

Bungaree Station in sunny South Australia provided the perfect backdrop for this summer garden wedding, featuring an incredible garden, farmstead, and active farm. “Matt is from country South Australia, so the location is close to family for him. It also has plenty of accommodation on-site, so we loved that everyone could stay the night and really immerse themselves in the day. We moved from the lawns in front of the house for the ceremony, to the other side for canapés, and had an open-air reception out the back on a full dance floor.”

Hannah and Matt took a lot of the finer details into their own hands, even going so far as to buy a Cricut to help! “We printed all our own invites, menus, signage, and little details like clothes hangers for the dresses and suits,” Hannah shared.

“We also gave our dads ties with a photo of us as kids on the inside of it, so when you turn it over, it was a photo of us with our dads.”

Flowers were provided and created by The Flower Girls SA, featuring a perfect arrangement of pastel, summery tones that perfectly matched the garden aesthetic. “I could not recommend Michelle and her team enough. When she dropped them off, Hannah was in absolute tears about how perfect they were. Hannah spoke and organised all of this with Michelle on the phone leading into the day, and she absolutely nailed the brief. It was also a really hot day, but her team was amazing in making sure that they still looked perfect. We had an assortment of pastel colours for all flowers, including boutiques, the ceremony and reception flowers, and rose petals for the kids to throw down the aisle.”

Pairing these beautiful florals with the talented styling/decor from Mid North Party Hire and planning from Love & Occasions, the ceremony came to life with a stunning summer warmth.

As “Yellow” by Coldplay was performed live by Junelee, Hannah walked most of the way down the aisle with her mum and dad on either arm, before taking her final steps by herself. “It was symbolic for me that my parents were with me in the beginning, and my mum was part of that, my journey of becoming independent and walking myself, to joining Matt for the rest of the journey of life at the end of the aisle.”

For the ceremony, Hannah and Matt wanted something that would showcase their love and connection, while still getting all the feels going. And with the help of Your Wedding Wingman, their celebrant, they did exactly that. “My Aunty was like a second Mum to me, so she wrote a personal poem which she read during the ceremony. Our celebrant, Bryce, was amazing at telling our love story and bringing people in,” Hannah explained.

“Finally, our vows were really special to both of us. We both wrote our own vows, and the tears were flowing, from both of us and our guests.”

The things that really made Matt and Hannah’s summer garden theirs included:

“1. Our Golden Retriever, Murphy, is being involved in the ceremony. He wore his own tux and ran down the aisle to both of us.

2. Memorial table with photos of loved ones who have passed, present at the ceremony.

3. Initials and date inscribed inside Matt’s suit jacket and on Hannah’s wedding band

4. The table numbers were photos of us at that age (table 7, with a photo of both of us at 7 years old)

5. A ‘Aperol Spritz’ tower instead of a champagne tower, as that was our drink of choice on our European holiday + it was colourful and fun.

6. Games as the canapés (Cornhole, O and X’s, but with H & M instead!)

7. Having our niece and Nephews as the flower girl and boys for the ceremony

8. Having our grandmothers from both sides of the family be the witnesses.”

The best advice Hannah and Matt could give to couples planning their own weddings is this: “Have fun, enjoy the time engaged, and don’t rush through all the steps. It goes so so quickly, so spend as much time together as you can. Don’t go on your phone or be distracted; everything can wait. Be present; it’s just about you two.”

Dusk Till Dawn took care of everything behind the lens, capturing both video and still moments for Hannah and Matt. “They were absolutely incredible. From the moment we first met Jas and Kev, we knew they were our vibe, and we felt incredibly comfortable with them. Jas photographed our engagement shoot, and that was so easy, and the photos are beautiful, which set the scene for the wedding,” Hannah shared.

“Kev was the videographer for the wedding, and being able to watch back on moments that we forgot about or didn’t see was really special. Both of them are incredible people and so good at what they do.”

Of all the beautiful photos captured by Dusk Till Dawn, the sunset shots have to be Hannah’s favourites. “Our sunset photos in a paddock are our favourites, in particular one where we are looking at each other with my dress flowing in the wind – this instantly became our phone screen picture. The other is, of course, our first kiss, the reaction of the bridal party, and the gorgeous house in the background.”

Neither Hannah nor Matt wanted to just sway awkwardly for their first dance – so in the lead-up to the wedding, they decided to turn dance lessons into a fun little ritual of their own. It became a weekly “date night,” complete with laughter, a few missteps, and a lot of anticipation for the big reveal on the night. When their moment finally came, they took to the floor to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli, finishing with a lift that was meant to be accompanied by a dramatic confetti burst. Except their confetti man jumped the gun a little too early…

“Matt has two left feet, so we took some lessons to have a memorable dance and some quality photos. The dance finished with a lift, and we organised for Hannah’s brother to let off a confetti cannon for a big finish; however, he got a bit excited and let it off mid-dance by mistake. Our dance was one of our favourite moments of the night, we think, so many people surprised me, and I finally ended up getting Matt on the dance floor.”

A heartfelt thank you to Dusk Till Dawn for capturing every beautiful, joy-filled moment of their South Australian summer garden celebration. And a huge congratulations to Hannah and Matthew!