Jane and Antony got married on their two-year anniversary in the beautiful north coast town of Dorrigo, where Ant grew up. “Despite the more laidback outdoor location, we still wanted the wedding to feel elevated so we went with a black-tie dress code,” says Jane. “To complement Dorrigo’s show-stopping scenery, we opted for a natural, etherial theme.”
The couple also assembled an all-star cast to ensure their celebration with 150 of their fave people went off without a hitch. The Future Mrs was in charge of Jane’s big-day glam, Blossom Gatherings was the event planner extraodinaire behind the soiree, and the legendary Janneke Storm was the lady with the lens. All in all, this was one flippin’ epic big day – take a squiz for yourself below…
THE VENUE “We were both keen to have an out of town wedding. We checked out a number of venues, realising along the track that we wanted to celebrate somewhere that was meaningful to us both. Ant’s mother suggested we considered having it in Dorrigo where Ant grew up on a kiwi fruit farm. Dorrigo is a small, pretty magical town in the Coffs Harbour hinterland. When we went and scouted it out, we knew instantly it was the place. We decided our ceremony location would be in a paddock in the scenic hills surrounding the town, which overlooked the property where Ant grew up. Heaven!”
REFERENCES “We wanted to use local vendors so we found some via word-of-mouth from Dorrigo locals, and some online. As for our photographer, Janneke, we had checked out her magical work on Hello May and knew her photography would be brilliant.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “If you are having an out-of-town wedding, I’d definitely recommend holding a recovery the next day. If everyone is going to make the trip, then it’s great to make a weekend out of it. It also gives you more time to celebrate with your guests.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Janneke Storm our photographer did a brilliant job of making us feel comfortable in front of the camera and took amazing photos of the day. Claire from The Future Mrs not only did a beautiful job of my hair and make-up, but she was also such a fun and calming force on the morning of the wedding. We definitely need to give special mention to our caterer Dina who lives in Dorrigo – her local knowledge was invaluable. We wouldn’t have pulled it off without her!”
LITTLE LOL “Ant’s brother who is a lawyer (and all-star wedding comedian) brought the house down at the reception with his MC-ing, which involved a very cheeky ballad and an singalong to his highly original version of Thank God I’m a Country Boy.”
Janneke Storm is a deadset genius behind the camera (and a total legend to boot), so we definitely recommend giving her a call to shoot your day. Click here to get in touch with the gal herself. Also over on our directory, you’ll find Blossom Gatherings, and the super-talented hair & makeup collective The Future Mrs.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Janneke Storm Event Planner Blossom Gatherings Florist Paper Leaf Press Ceremony venue Ridge Top Hideaway Reception venue Dorrigo Showgrounds Catering Dina Luciani (family friend) Cake Made by Han Hire Items, marquee & lighting hire Handi Hire Signage Willow and Bloom Design via Etsy Celebrant Benjamin James Celebrant Rings Sarah and Sebastian Transport Dorrigo Bus Company THE BRIDE Bridal gown & veil L’eto Bridal Robes Spell Shoes Manolo Blahnik Accessories Completed Works Hair & makeup Clare Moriarty from The Future Mrs THE GROOM Suit Institchu Shirt Charles Tyrwhitt Bow tie Hankinchief Hat Akubra