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Justine & Charlie

Laid back, backyard, bare feet – these are all words that come to mind when describing the wedding of Justine and Charlie. The newlyweds wanted to keep things relaxed – they wed in Justine’s parent’s backyard, Justine went barefoot and guests sat in the sunshine. As the party started they enjoyed food and drinks in the same position, watching speeches with the deck as the stage. No fuss, no stress just a love story and a wedding all captured by Chris Allsop Photography

Justine tells the story of how they came to be. “We met on a cattle station in outback Queensland. Charlie was employed as the station hand and I moved from Melbourne to become a governess (home tutor). We shared accommodation on the property and lived and worked together. It certainly wasn’t a typical romance as it took us a long while to even consider dating.”

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Justine and the bridesmaid’s did their own hair and makeup. Justine chose a dress from Ferrari Formal and had the veil specially made using French Chantilly lace from The House of Franke Stuart.

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Nikolina’s created the floral arrangements for the day, including providing flowers to decorate the ceremony and reception space.

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Having the wedding at home meant everything could be in one place. Justine telling, “The ceremony took place in the garden and this was followed by an informal (almost picnic) reception. People just moved around the garden as they pleased (dragging their chairs around with them).  We used old cream cans to hold some of the flowers and this tied in nicely with our family history of dairy farming.” Guests were bussed to the wedding location.

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“It was really special for us to be able to celebrate our wedding at home. This was what really set the tone and feel of the day. I was able to walk from my bedroom, along the verandah and down the aisle! My parents prepared the gardens and lawn for some time prior and everything just looked great on the day – we even had roses flowering!”

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Justine walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of John Mayer’s ‘Say’.

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“My only sister was my only bridesmaid and both my parents walked me down the aisle. My best friends were involved in the ceremony. A blessing was sung for us by our minister – this was a tear-jerker for some.”

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“Family and friends traveled from QLD and afar to join us on the day – a fair effort, particularly for Charlie’s Nan, who drove down from Brisbane. Charlie’s Nan was also a witness for us and signed the register, which we’re so thankful for, because she has since passed away.”

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Guests signed Jenga blocks as the couple’s guest book.  Lunch was portable allowing guests to mingle, Justine telling, “KOOK’s Catering provided gourmet mini-meals, served in mini noodle boxes so people could carry them around the garden (lamb cutlets with cous cous, fish and chips, moroccan salad… etc. AMAZING!).”

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Plenty of the wedding was DIY! Justine remarking “We prepared and arranged flower arrangements around the house and garden. We just collected a lot of jars and strung them around the place with a variety of coloured blooms sourced from a local florist. We also did the set-up and pack-up of chairs and umbrellas as these were hired and delivered prior to the event. The other thing that we DIY’d (is that a term?) was our own make-up. For the rest, we let others worry about the details! ”

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“I was a bare-foot bride – I didn’t wear any shoes at all for the day. We had photos taken at a neighbour’s farm across the road from my parent’s place – this meant driving our Landcruiser (from my time in outback QLD) and hanging off the sides as a travel option. We traipsed through paddocks and dodged cow pats to have photos taken.”

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Of their photographer,  Justine tells, “Our photographer, Chris, was the perfect choice for the day. I actually knew Chris from high-school days and reconnected with him to photograph our wedding. He was there from beginning to end with a smile and a relaxed attitude. He blended in with family and friends and captured some really special moments of the day. He had the perfect blend of professionalism and fun that made it so easy for us to actually enjoy having our photos taken. The results speak for themselves – we can’t stop smiling when we look through the photos.”

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Justine remembers “We were able to enjoy the whole day at home- even finishing the day with family, sharing left-overs for dinner.”
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Congratulations Justine and Charlie! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us! Thank you also to Chris Allsop Photography for sharing today’s images with us!