Holly + Josh
Baldivis Country Charm Wedding
With affecionate feels and an effortlessly executed day at Baldivis Country Charm Weddings Estate in WA, it was here where these two inseparable lovers created their dream day. Sun drenched skies and a glistening sunset allowed for the perfect backdrop for every precious moment to fill each others heart with the deepest of love. The natural architecture of the surrounding estate, its raw rustic, classic country barn and timeless gardens glowed heavenly under a stary sky as night fell, here is Holly and Josh’s real story;
The day we met
Determined not to date anyone from work, this all changed within a mere three months! Josh and I instantly hit it off so how could I not! Josh was funny, caring charming and great at his job, I could tell he had a bad boy kinda flair about him and I came to like that!
The proposal
Our relationship flourished quickly; it only took one year for Josh to propose! So on our first year anniversary what I thought would be a romantic dinner at our favourite restaurant and later visit to our cherished sunset lookout; Josh had additional plans. To my surprise my forever-to-be set up a candle-lit hillside love nest complete with blanket and pillows along with my favourite sparkling and strawberries and excitedly popped the question! I had absolutely no idea, however I quickly came to the realisation that my forever dreams we’re finally coming true!
Photography
My favourite snaps were taken at sunset. Our photographer captured every emotion filled moment from ceremony to reception and ensured so by meticulously planning prior to our day when she would whisk us away. This allowed us to entrust our photographer, it is so important to connect well.
Partners smile at the aisle
I was really quite calm whilst preparing during the day so I was truly taken when overwhelmed with emotion of warmth and complete happiness once I saw Josh’s smile. A feeling I will never forget.
The Gown
Inspired by “Billie Jean” my gown was a Paul Fox’s Collection from Purple Fox Bride. With lush ivory lace softened by a blush underlay matching my natural olive skin tone, she was finished in glistening sequins throughout.
With perfect coverage of chiffon and intricate design across my chest, my gown extended to my neckline, I felt completely comfortable without feeling overly exposed. My Billie Jean gown extended through with a gorgeous train lined with scalloped lace and I chose to finished my bridal style with a cathedral length veil.
I felt the reality of walking down the aisle in my stunning gown in the presence of my mum and my maid of honour; my sister. Nadia at Hobnob Bridal with her exceptional bridal experience chose 3 gowns, the third of which I knew was ‘the one’ as soon as I took a glimpse in the mirror, both mum and my sister cried!
The accessories
With a new shorter hairstyle in the lead up to my wedding, I opted for hair extensions from Zala Hair Extensions. I liked the classic, vintage bridal look and searched hair styles on Pinterest (my favourite go to for style inspo!) and chose a side sweep with soft wave. All I needed was to hold my locks in place with a side piece. I found the right one, Callie, a gorgeous gold clip with petite flowerets, Swarovski crystals and pearl. She sat beautifully in my hair and worked perfectly to secure my side sweep in place.
My adorable sister gifted golden earrings with glistening crystals which matched perfectly with my Callie headpiece, gold diamond encrusted wedding ring and classic solitaire gold engagement ring. My wrist line was finished with an adorable gold locket bracelet gift from Josh.
My pre-ordered shoes did not arrive on time, however I loved my super comfy chunky heeled classic point toe in pearl white; price doesn’t necessarily determine comfort! The chunky heel was quite important to me as we planned a lot of walking through grassed areas in the estate, stiletto heel puncturing the grass and me falling over on my way down the aisle was something I wanted to avoid!
Reflection
Super relaxing and enjoyed the whole process, you only get one so why should it be stressful?! But in saying that, I think I should have perhaps done a little bit more in the months leading up to the wedding instead of leaving the little things to the weeks beforehand.
I recommend to choose vendors who you instantly hit it off with – trust me, they make your day so much more special! We had the most wonderful celebrant and photographer who were like friends and they absolutely made our day! Especially when they allowed us time to ourselves to absorb special moments and take it all in!
And if anything goes wrong – it’s not the end of the world, although it may feel like it at the time. Almost everything is fixable and there will always be an alternative! A couple of things weren’t perfect at my wedding and looking back it sometimes plays on my mind, but at the end of the day I got to marry the man of my dreams and that’s the most important thing to me.
The one for me
Josh and I always had a great connection right from the very start. Josh’s caring side really shined when four months into our relationship I suffered the sudden loss of my eldest sister. Josh was there supporting not just me but my entire family. I knew at that moment that if he stuck by me through the darkest time in my life during the beginning of our relationship, he would stick by me forever. I knew just knew at that point he was my perfect life partner.
The lead up to our day
Our engagement would last five and a half years, we wanted to build on our foundations, to build our home and ensure our finances were in check. We soon found that planning a wedding was quite a challenge and definitely kept us pre-occupied for the final few weeks. We organised everything ourselves, at times we felt a little overwhelmed though we managed to pull it all together despite not having a wedding planner! Our most exciting moment was when we found our dream location so close to where we lived, we felt incredibly lucky when our preferred date was available, we did not hesitate in securing with a deposit.
Location
We sealed the deal at the gracious Baldivis Country Charm Weddings Estate 20 minutes drive east of Rockingham. A convenient short drive for our guests, especially for my parents. Celebrating our ceremony through to the reception at one location allowed our guests the opportunity to relax whilst we snuck out for quick snaps in the fields and evening sunset. I always wanted to have an outdoor, rustic, country style wedding. This venue allowed us to do exactly that! Set out on an established horse property with a purpose built wedding and function venue, we shared our most intimate moment surround by flowers and beautiful bushes shaped in a horseshoe with a classic wooden arbour backdrop lined with ivory flowers contrasted with overhung greenery. Lining either side of the aisle were white chairs decorated with sprays of baby’s breath hung from shepherd hooks, creating a romantic whimsical ambience.
As evening dawned, we we’re embraced by a softly festoon lit open barn surrounded by lush lawn and outdoor bar. We hired a wooden deck that would transform into a dancefloor which happened to be exactly what I had envisaged; dancing out in the open air with magical fairy lights, it was truly spectacular!
Style inspiration
Pinterest was an amazing style inspiration! I wanted a classic country/rustic theme and tried to create that as much as possible.
The style of my gown flowed with my intuitive feeling of what suited me rather that an overall theme. My bridesmaids’ attire was a mismatch casual flair which allowed each of my girls to shine in their chosen style. I felt it was particularly important for them to feel comfortable with their personal dress style and only asked for them to match to a colour pallet of dusty pinks, peaches, terracotta’s or similar. I could be considered one of the most easy going brides!
Josh looked charming in his navy suit, vest and ivory bow tie. Josh styled his groomsmen in navy, dark tan dress shoes, suspenders and matching belts and paired their dusty pick bow ties with my girls. The contrast of colours and tones worked beautifully against both the backdrop of greenery and soft tanned fields.
Special moments
Our photographer was amazing! It was like being with an old friend. She was our confidante, wedding planner, photographer, and our cheerleader all in one! Her experience helped us get the timings of our reception just right and went above and beyond her duty! With laughter upon every escape, Josh and I we’re also encouraged to take every opportunity to enjoy private moments together prior to re-joining our guests. This was a perfect time for both of us to pause and reflect on our day thus far and prepare for each next part of the day and evening, we were so grateful for this opportunity.
Transport
From when I first started dreaming about my wedding, long before I met Josh, I always pictured a vintage classic as my wedding car.
We hired a gorgeous pearl white and black 1934 REO Speed Wagon limousine from Belle Limousines. She was gorgeous and managed to fit myself, my 5 bridesmaids and my mum in perfectly! She was unique and exactly how I had dreamed of arriving to my wedding.
Soundtrack list
It was important for our wedding songs to have meaning and so Josh and I choose songs that we were familiar with rather than songs which merely sounded romantic. Here is what we chose;
Walking down the aisle – “Cheerleader” by Suzan & Freek
Reception Entry – “Bad Boy” by Yung Bae
First Dance – “Firestone” Acoustic version by Conrad Sewell.
Suppliers
Celebrant – Annette Carone Celebrant
Photographer – Alannah Liddell
Venue – Baldivis Country Charm Weddings
Hair accessories – Forever & Again Bridal and Beauty
Transport – Belle Limousines
Catering – Impressions Catering
Flowers – Chatsworth Flowers / The Posy Drop
Dance Floor / Light up “Mr & Mrs” – The Dance Floor Co
Grooms Suit / Groomsmen – Penguins Formal Wear
Makeup – Emma Louise Artistry Facebook Page
Love notes...
And on Facebook