Married on their 10-year anniversary, Reanna and Chris were “best mates in high school, who confessed our love to each other at our joint 18th birthday party.” Can you get a cuter story? Well, actually, yes. Their engagement possibly trumps it – in Iceland, during a snowstorm… Fast forward one year “to the day,” and they tied the knot in this low-key, but cool, Gippsland wedding, with the talented Light & Type behind the lens…
THE VENUE “I had never heard of Budgeree Hall before, but the hall was not far from where my mum lived, and it ticked all the right boxes with views of the hills, gum trees, and the cute old hall vibe. We loved that the hall provided the perfect blank canvas for us, and had facilities such as a full kitchen that could be used by our caterers. Bookings also lasted a whole week, so we had days either side of the wedding for set up and packing down.”
FAVE DEETS “The key was just how it all came together – all of our inputs were quite hodge-podge, or DIY, or borrowed, but it all worked. It helped that we completely lucked out with the weather too, it was about 25 degrees, sunny, and the slightest cool breeze, which painted the day in this gorgeous light and warmth.”
DIY “Even though it was never my intention, we ended up doing a lot of DIY. Chris and I made and printed our own invitations, collected baskets and frames from op shops, and made bunting to decorate the hall. We found two gum tree branches and my amazing grandfather made it into an arbour for us. Our confetti also came from gum trees as we and our family meticulously hole-punched countless leaves for the day. We even did a wine tour in the area and bought all of our own wine and beer for the day from local vendors! Not to mention Chris and his mum made the cake too. It actually ended up being a really fun process.”
THE DRESS “The natural colours of the clothing in a small Sydney boutique, Zerya, caught my friend’s eye, and they talked me into going inside and trying on a dress off the rack. The owner of the shop was so lovely and explained how the dress I selected was from a collection of handmade linen items with silk felting decoration, with everything being one of a kind. I was unsure of the dress at first, but once I tried it on it fit perfectly, with my friend, the owner, and another customer in the shop all immediately agreeing it was ‘the one’. I love that the dress is unique, the earthy tones and that it fit the theme of the day perfectly. Oh, and it had pockets!”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Whilst it’s your day, try to consider how to involve others with specific roles or tasks – we couldn’t have pulled off the day without the support of our friends and family, so it felt like more of a team effort.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “I am really glad we opted for a lunchtime, afternoon wedding. It ended up being perfect, as our guests were able to sit outside in the sunshine for the afternoon and get home at a reasonable hour. Chris and I were able to spend the evening back out our stunning accommodation with some leftover pizza and wine to reflect on the day.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Nic from Light & Type captured our day perfectly, and managed to get some great snaps of two very awkward and photo shy people. Evie, our celebrant, [of Peace & Love Ceremonies] made our ceremony a memorable, funny, and tear-jerking event. Trulli, our caterer, was simply excellent – they somehow managed to tow their (alight) wood-fired pizza oven up the winding hills to the hall, and prepared the most amazing spread of food.”
If you, like us, have fallen in love with the photos of this intimate wedding, check out Light & Type on our Directory and scroll down for even more happy couples and inspo shots. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Light & Type Ceremony & Reception Budgeree Hall Catering Trulli Cake & Signage DIY Celebrant Peace & Love Ceremonies Rings Sheila Fleet Wine Gippsland Wine Company Accommodation Callignee Eco Bushhouse via Airbnb THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Zerya Shoes Birkenstock THE GROOM Shirt & Pants Myer Suspenders Osunworld via Etsy Shoes Ecco Grooming Good Barber Shop