Heidi and Will

Today’s whimsical wedding took my fancy from the word go. There’s something very special about it- the intimacy , the handmade touches, they’re all pretty but the raw love between Heidi and Will? That’s what I love the most.

Heidi recalls how she met Will. “We met at a party, almost ten years ago. We were busy catching up with friends at the party and didn’t say much more than ‘hello’ to each other. Afterwards, a friend put us in touch via email. Will was organising a ski trip in Perisher and Heidi wanted to go along. We got to know each other in the lead up to the ski trip. Then, on the trip, we realised that we really, really liked each other! As they say, the rest is history…”

Photographs today are by Tim Coulson. I love the gentleness of Tim’s captures. It’s like he was there, but not intruding, not in the way, just capturing moment to moment.

Will wore a suit from Calvin Klein and shoes from Florsheim. Family contribution was a big part of what made the wedding day special for the couple. Heidi notes, “Many of our family members and friends contributed to the wedding in some way and this made it very special for us. We were blown away by the amount of happiness and love that came our way from the moment we announced our engagement and it still hasn’t stopped. We are forever grateful to our family and friends who helped us to put all of the details in place and to ensure the day ran smoothly.”

The ceremony space was decorated with bunting (made by Heidi) from Good Will Bunting, fairy lights and giant balloons from Geronimo Balloon Troopers . Heidi says “Jihan Zencirli, the creator of Geronimo Balloon Troopers (Los Angeles) designed our amazing giant balloons suite that we dotted around the grounds and courtyard of Briar Ridge. This was the Australian debut of Geronimo balloons and they were simply magical.” Heidi was able to get ready at the venue and after a few last minute touches spent a few minutes in the garden on her own amongst the balloons.

For their wedding, Heidi and Will chose Briar Ridge Vineyard in the Hunter Valley. Heidi explains, ” To us, it was very important to be married in the Hunter Valley. Both of us were born and raised in the Hunter and still feel very connected to it. After several years spent living in Europe, we returned here to live only last year. We’re so happy to be home amongst the nature, fresh air and wide-open spaces! Briar Ridge is a place that we have visited together as a couple many times over the year.”

Heidi wore a gown by Kelsey Genna, a variation on the “Begonia” gown in a pale blush pink. It featured  a hand-cut petal skirt in Babe Pink Silk Crepe de Chine. Heidi paired it with pale pink shoes from Mimco. Heidi had her hair styled by Monique at Platinum and did her own makeup (and her mothers!).

The aisle was covered with Turkish carpets loaned from Briar Ridge and they married on a Turkish carpet of Will’s. Heidi explains, “Will spent 1999 living in Turkey and returned there to visit with me in 2010, so it’s a special place for us. ”

Heidi and Will were married by Leanne Rose. Heidi notes “We wanted a handmade and meaningful wedding. We also wanted to keep things simple and focus on our marriage and love for each other and family and friends. We didn’t want to get carried away or fuss too much. We feel that we achieved this and would love to think that our family and friends feel the same way.”

Heidi purchased and styled the flowers herself. She recalls  “I prepared them with help from friends Mel and Barb. The inspiration was springtime in my mum’s beautiful garden and also my late nanna’s garden. I sourced the flowers from Joe Nati at Nati Bros Roses and his colleagues at the Sydney Flower Markets.”

Of their photographer, Heidi says, ” Tim was brilliant. He is a superb photographer and is lovely to be around. Tim knows all the right moments to shoot. His relaxed and friendly approach to photography combined with his technical talent and emotional intelligence, resulted in natural, loving photographs that are extremely meaningful to us. Tim was perfect for us and it is without hesitation that we recommend him to other couples. ”

Heidi created most of the stationery herself and had it printed by ONA Print. Four home brewed beers (made by Will and Heidi’s brother Darren) were presented to guests and labelled with designs from Girl In Gear Studio.

Guests gathered for the reception at the Vineyard’s restaurant Briar Grillade. Heidi remarks “When we visited again earlier this year we were pleasantly surprised to learn that they had opened Briar Grillade, which meant that they could then accommodate functions. With their beautiful leafy-green grounds, picturesque vines, and typically Hunter and quintessential Australian land, we knew it was going to be perfect for our wedding.

A special thanks to Food and Beverage Manager Ady, Head Chef Pete, Restaurant Manager Simone and team. Heidi’s nephews were the ring bearers for the couple and also the hosts for “Love Trivia” during the reception”.

Guests were gifted homemade preserves with personalised ribbon created by The Lonely Heart. Heidi recalls “I was raised in a small town in the Upper Hunter Valley on my parents’ small farm, which, for many years, has been a small market garden. We wanted to bring a piece of the farm to our wedding and to our guests. The preserves and plants that were offered to guests as favors were made on the farm by family.

We gave Cauliflower Pickles made by my brother Darren, Orange Marmalade made by Will and I and my parents, Robyn and Warren Adnum, using fresh navel oranges from their farm, Tomato Relish made by Robyn and Warren Adnum, plants (basil, spinach, tomato, sweet corn) raised from seed by Warren Adnum, fresh flower posies made by myself and her friends Mel and Barb.”

Even the music was heartfelt. Heidi recalls. “Many of our guests live abroad, and as such, sadly, many were unable to make it.  We welcomed guests to submit ‘Love Song Dedications’. These songs, in combination with our own song picks, made up the playlists for the evening. We thought it was a way to still include those special people who couldn’t make it. In the end we had more songs than time allowed but even if a song wasn’t played/heard on the evening, we now have a very special playlist to keep and enjoy over the years. Now, when we hear each song, we think of the person who sent it to us. ”

The wedding celebrations continued on to the next day, Heidi explains “We wanted to spend time with our family and friends after the wedding, so we postponed a honeymoon/holiday. We enjoyed a BBQ the day after the wedding. There, we got to spend more time with family and friends that had traveled from afar.”

Congratulations Heidi and Will! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us! Thank you to Tim Coulson for sharing today’s photographs!