After postponing their wedding for a year – almost to the day – employment lawyer Kirsty and environmental engineer James finally got to say “I do” during a coveted gap between lockdowns in May 2021. “We were able to have the wedding we always planned on 1 May 2021,” shares the bride. “We feel incredibly lucky to have been able to do so.” They called in the pros, as you do, to really nail their big day vision, bringing Translucent Photography on board to capture all of the feels, alongside a whole host of other amazing vendors, who provided everything from the epic outdoor setting to a seriously phenom cake… even some heckin’ cute Peggy and Finn gifts for the groomsmen (lucky!). Check out what this pair had to say about their team of special helpers…
THE VENUE “We researched and visited a few different locations, but we were immediately drawn to Ginninderry Homestead. We loved the privacy of the location, the homestead as the backdrop for the ceremony and being surrounded by nature so close to the city. When we visited the venue we were immediately sold and loved how the venue looked in autumn. It was no choice at all in the end!”
THE THEME “James found a colour scheme generator, Coolors, which we used very early on to choose our colours. It was a really helpful reference point. Rampant Pinterest pinning also helped us narrow the options. When we reviewed all the boards/pins, it was clear that we wanted a relatively relaxed, elegant, rustic vibe for the big day.”
FAVE DETAILS “It’s hard to choose just a couple! Top of the list is having our dog, Odin, be our ring bearer. He was so naughty at the rehearsal but on the day we called out to him and he trotted down the aisle to us straightaway. Fionna from Peony n’ Pearl did an incredible job with the bouquets and the arbour. She included thistle in my bouquet as a nod to my late father and worked with us to choose the flowers and colours. We also loved the cookie place cards for our guests by La Ombre Creations. It combined wedding favours with place names and everyone enjoyed having a sweet something to nibble on during the evening (other than the cake, which was also incredible – white chocolate and raspberry, also by La Ombre). Placing disposable cameras [from Disposable Camera Company] on the tables meant we got some great candid shots from guests (in amongst some truly terrible quality photos – roughly 60% are blurry, black or distorted). Lastly, we made up cocktails for both of us and Odin to match our personalities. They were big hits with our guests!”
THE DRESS “I drove my bridesmaids insane initially. I must have gone to nine stores. I didn’t even end up wearing the dress I’d bought in 2020 to wear! Six weeks out from the wedding I was browsing Still White when I saw the dream dress by Stella York.”
THE SUIT “We had our suits tailored and custom-made by InStitchu. It was great fun being able to customise just about every part of the suits, from the collars and pockets down to the minor touches such as the buttons and lining fabric.”
TALK ABOUT TRADITION “My dad, who passed away in 2013, was Scottish and I spent a lot of time in Scotland growing up. We incorporated a quaich ceremony into the day. The quaich is often referred to as the ‘love cup’ as your partner lifts the cup for you to drink from, showing you trust one another to share the cup. The cup is usually filled with Scotch. We filled it with Australian whisky – Lark Distillery whisky, to be precise, to reflect both our heritages.”
A WORD OF ADVICE… “It sounds naff but creating Pinterest boards helped us stay on theme later on. I also created an extensive wedding planning spreadsheet breaking down our to-do items per month and for each week as we got closer to the wedding. The spreadsheet was a life saver, particularly as we had to press pause on planning for a year due to COVID lockdowns. Also, don’t be afraid to delegate – we probably didn’t do enough of that.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “After our engagement party, we got to the end of the night and realised we had hardly seen each other or spoken to one another’s friends. For our wedding, we made a plan to reconnect with one another every 30 minutes during the night. I am so glad we made that plan because we got some great breaks to check in with one another and opportunities to stand back and really soak everything in.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “We had an amazing vendor team. Everyone bent over backwards to help us push back the wedding and then to bring it back into reality a year later. Lucy from Translucent Photography really captured the day and the little touches, and very effectively martialled everyone to get some amazing shots. We had to change photographers relatively late in the piece (only because our first photographer was going to be eight months pregnant by the time of our second date), but it felt like it was meant to be with Lucy. Amelia and the rest of the team from Ginninderry Homestead helped us plan the day, and were so understanding and supportive when we had to reschedule our wedding. Everything on the day ran so smoothly because of their hard work.”
If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect gifts for your wedding party, we highly recommend Peggy and Finn for their epic prints and cute sets, from pocket squares to bow ties, boxers and gals’ undies, too.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Translucent Photography Florist Peony n’ Pearl Stationery & Signage Paperlust Ceremony, Reception & Catering Ginninderry Homestead Cake & Cookies La Ombre Creations Entertainment, Lighting & Sound Hire Ryan David Music Celebrant Janine Yokom at Essential Elements Rings Larsen (bride and groom designed) Linen hire Table Art Quaich Wentworth Pewter Guest book Arco Album Disposable Cameras Disposable Camera Company Dog Handler Guest of Honour Pet Chaperones THE BRIDE Gown Stella York Bridal Boutique Still White Veil Kim Alpha Bridal Robes Homebodii Shoes Be Mine Bridal via ASOS Accessories Mimco (earrings) Hair Emi Styles Makeup Cassandra Lee Bridesmaid Dresses Chancery, Big Rock Bridal Bridesmaid shoes Wittner Bridesmaid gifts Ruby & Sage Nails The Beautique, FCB Beauty Hub THE GROOM Suit & Shirt InStitchu Tie Charles Tyrwhitt Shoes Florsheim Groomsmen suits InStitchu Groomsmen gifts Peggy and Finn THE DOG Collar & Leash Tommy & Bella