Katie & Grant

We love a country homestead wedding here at Polka Dot Bride, getting back to the country where things are simpler, everyone pitches in and helps and then relaxes with an icy cold drink, the sunsets, the dances, the marquees and dancing under starlight. It’s always a pretty magical way to spend a wedding day. Katie and Grant chose a gorgeous country homestead for their wedding day captured by Kath Scott Wedding Photography and planned the day of their dreams in three months!

Katie and Grant met at work – in the middle of nowhere! Katie tells, “Working on a coal mine and making a promise to herself that she would not date anyone from work, Katie, of course, fell in love. After a social game of golf in a little country town called Dalby, everyone went for dinner and then visited the only nightclub in town (which was pretty bad!). The night ended with a bunch of us sharing a taxi home. I had recently developed a liking for scotch whiskey and as I was living by myself at the time I kindly offered a drink of scotch to those sharing the taxi. Grant was the only one who put his hand up, so there we sat on the verandah sipping scotch out of tea cups until the wee hours…and the rest, as they say, is history. We were married 7 years later on that same weekend that we first met.”

Katie and Grant were married at Branell Homestead. Katie telling, “Branell Homestead B&B in Laidley is the only venue we needed to use for our wedding day, as it has EVERYTHING a couple needs to get married – a gorgeous and exquisitely furnished Homestead that housed not just the happy couple but the bridal party as well. Stunning grassed area raised up to look over the countryside of the Lockyer Valley, a perfect spot for getting married, right under the Poinciana tree.

The permanent pavilion where the reception is held looks over a sweet little dam complete with a jetty (and fish!). It is a perfect venue in every way. The freedom to cater how you wish and set up your wedding in anyway you desire made it so much fun to dream and plan our day. Jacarandas lining the dirt road that winds down to the homestead, cows wandering in the fields below, and the sounds of birds early in the morning were just a few of our favourite things! ”

Katie and Grant’s wedding was truly a family and friends affair with everyone pitching in to get the wedding set up. Katie remembers, “Grant and I arrived around midday on the Friday to begin the set up. But we weren’t alone, as 6 of our friends turned up to lend a hand. We worked non stop until midnight, setting up the pavilion, ready for our 90 guests to enjoy the next day. Grant and his groomsmen hung 150 metres of white fairy lights, set up tables, put the cushions on the tiffany chairs, laid table cloths, set up the bar and the stage. ”

The couple’s daughter played a shining role in the wedding day. Katie chose a lace wedding gown from Seann Pitman, Sugar and Spice to wear on the day.

“Grant and I and an amazing group of friends collaborated and managed to pull this wedding together in 3 months. After being engaged for seven years, you’d think we would have allowed more time to organise our wedding day! Almost every aspect of our wedding was handmade DIY. It all started with a trip back to where it all started, Dalby, to spend the day with two girlfriends, making our invitations.”

Both Katie and Grant got their crafting skills on for the wedding day, Katie noting, “I collected doilies for months before the day, washing them and dying them different shades of green. I love the sage and mint shades of green, but quickly realised that too much green would be, well, just too green! Orange has been a favourite colour of mine since I was a little girl, so orange it would be, to add that “pop” of colour. Grant bought a huge length of hessian and cut the strips up himself for the tables. I made doily dream catchers which were hung in the tree next to where we got married. Grant made the most amazing green and orange buntings, around 15 metres of bunting in total! Guests couldn’t believe he’d made them himself.  These were hung along the white fence where we were married.”

For the processional, Katie remembers, “Grant is a country boy and chose the song “My Best Friend” by Tim McGraw. It was hard holding back the tears as I walked down the aisle to this song.”

“We created the wedding of our dreams, it was a perfect blend of Grant and Katie. Quirky and a bit cluttered yet bright and colourful, as Katie likes to be, dropped onto the most picturesque rolling hills countryside setting that flows through Grant’s blood. The RM Williams boots, the old Holden EJ wagon, the Bundaberg Rum (for later), the Jacarandas in full bloom and the good ole Aussie mango grove..”

Of their photographer, Katie remarks, “Kath Scott Photography, what can I say, couldn’t have been more perfect for our day. Kath and her husband Matt (who has the biggest smile in the world), was not only our wedding photographer, but she quickly took on the role of ‘last minute wedding coordinator’, bringing me water, keeping people out of my room, liaising with the celebrant, all the while taking the most incredible and real and candid photo’s. Her relaxed style and easy going personality meant she fitted in as a guest and not someone we hardly knew. Grant and I never felt the camera in our face.

Kath’s photo’s have the uncanny ability to dig right into people’s hearts and tug at those strings until a little tear rolls down your cheek. Each frame tells a story of a thousand words. I knew I could trust Kath to capture those ‘special’ moments and all of the tiny detail that as the busy bride I missed out on seeing on the day. Kath (and Matt) are the easiest couple to work with in the world and I cannot wait to come up with another excuse for them to be able to spend time with us!”

Grant’s skills continued to making the wedding favors for the day, Katie remarking, “Not only can he sew, he can cook too, making the strawberry jam as part of our bombonniere. I collected jars from everywhere and wrapped them in lace, and had a friend fill baby jars with orange, green and cream wax for table candles. We printed our favourite sayings out and framed them. Grant made shepherds hooks for our jars of flowers to hang off and line the aisle. The list is endless…and the result, just as I had it pictured in my head, was just so beautiful.”

Jam and olive trees featured as the favors, tying into the mismatched crockery and cutlery from Elegant Vintage Hire and handmade details. Katie tells, “The ladies took great pride in ensuring the mismatched vintage plates and crockery were co-ordinated perfectly. We rolled our mint green serviettes and wrapped them in natural filigree rings. We wrapped hessian around our little olive trees, which would be given to guests alongside the homemade strawberry jam. Jars and candles were dropped delicately amongst the table settings. My mother made the most gorgeous doily candle holders (without knowing quite how sticky her hands would get in the process!).”

“Our 5 year old daughter Evie made colourful flowers out of pipecleaners and patty cake papers. She also twisted pipecleaners into the shape of love hearts and sat one on each chair at the ceremony. Bunches of baby’s breath were tied with twine and hung upside down from the roof gables in between the fairy lights. And the last thing before bed, at midnight, the girls gathered on the deck of the homestead to make over 30 posies of flowers for the tables and the aisle.”

Mic Travers Band kept guests entertained during the ceremony and on the dance floor during the reception! Katie remembers, “They were amazing, awesome, non-stop perfect wedding day music. Mic and his two bandmates (on fiddle and sax?) travelled through the night from a gig in Rockhampton to make it in time for our wedding. As guests arrived they played soft and light acoustic tunes, then during the post ceremony drinks and canapes they meanered through the guests and played more gorgeous. Following the main meal set up on their stage in front of the dam, they cranked it, and continued pretty much non-stop until midnight! Incredible effort, but for Grant and I the main reason we love these guys, is because they felt like guests to us, fitting in so well, and making everyone there feel like dancing! As Kath did, Mic Travers and his band went way over and above what they were actually being paid to do. THANK YOU!!!”

Of the first dance that didn’t happen, Katie remarks, “Well…the first dance never quite eventuated! We chose not to go with all of the traditional wedding day occurrences, so when the band called out for us to have our first dance, I was nowhere to be seen! It was the time of night where I desperately needed to change out of my shoes, so was at the homestead taking 5. Come to think of it though, we did have a first dance of sorts. In keeping with the country side of the day, a circle of friends and family was formed on the soft green grassy dancefloor. Here, Grant moved into the middle of the circle for his display of what looked a little like a cross between an Irish jig and line dancing!! I then took my turn in the circle, pulling out some dance moves way more elegant than Grant’s I’m sure! The most special dance for me though, was with my brother, who has down syndrome, Greg, for this was one of the most special days of his life too. A dance to remember.”

Congratulations on your beautiful wedding Katie and Grant! Thank you for sharing your story with us! Thank you also to Kath Scott Wedding Photography for sharing today’s beautiful day with us.