Kristy & Damian

It was against the backdrop of the beautiful Australian countryside that Kristy and Damian said their vows, on the very same day that the groom’s grandparents said their own vows, some 67 years earlier.

The gorgeous country wedding at Flowerdale Estate was filled with beautiful country charm; rolling green hills, a garden ceremony and an amazing sunset that we have come to adore from the Australian landscape. It was all captured beautifully by Michael Briggs Photography.

The couple met through mutual friends. Kristy explains, “We met through our friends Alan and Cheree on a night out. We went on our first date to the movies on Valentine’s Day. We knew this was the start of something special and have shared many happy memories and years together since.”

The groom proposed on a day that could have been like any other. Kristy remembers, “Damian proposed on a Friday afternoon. We had both gotten home from work and he suggested that we take our dog Toby for a walk. When we arrived back to our place, we were standing on the back deck and Damian handed me a card. Inside was a letter Damian had written and at the bottom, it said ‘Kristy will you be my wife?’ We both fondly remember this as the happiest day of our lives.”

The bride wore a gown by Emily Kate Creative, who is her dear friend. She tells, “My dress was made by a friend who attended the wedding, who also happens to have her own business specialising in custom made wedding gowns. I found the process to be very relaxed and fun. Emily made me feel so comfortable throughout the whole experience and helped me put all my different ideas together to create a dress that I absolutely loved. My dress was a fitted style with lots of intricate lace detail; it had a v-neckline, a low back and was super comfortable to wear.”

 

Kristy and Damian chose the beautiful Flowerdale Estate for their wedding, explaining, “We only looked at one wedding venue, Flowerdale Estate, and fell in love on our first visit. Maria, the owner, was so lovely, accommodating and friendly. We chose Flowerdale Estate as the grounds are absolutely stunning and we knew we wanted a garden wedding. We also loved the newly built pavilion with its high ceiling, long tables and big see-through blinds that allow you to see the countryside. We loved that we could get ready, have the ceremony and reception all in the one place and that a majority of guests could stay the night at the venue and even join us for breakfast in the homestead the next day. It was the perfect venue.”

As lovers of country music, the bride chose Tim McGraw’s ‘My Best Friend’ to play as she walked down the aisle with her father.

Julie Byrne officiated the ceremony, the date of which was not only special for the bride and groom. Kristy explains, “We wanted our ceremony to be very personalised, have a touch of humour and to express the love we have for each other and our families. We had a reading about Damian’s family history as his great, great grandparents were from the surrounding area around Flowerdale. As well as the location of our wedding, the date also held special significance. On this day 67 years ago, Damian’s grandparents were married on the 7th October 1950.”

Kristy remembers, “We loved that we wrote our own vows and that they were a surprise to each other. It was a very special moment reading them to each other and was definitely our favourite part of the day.”

“We had a big bridal party! Five on each side but we loved having our closet friends be a part of our big day. They made the whole experience, from the lead up to the day, lots of fun,” tells the bride.

Of their photographer, the bride tells, “Our photographer Briggsy was amazing on the day! He made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. We loved his candid style and that he documented the day as it happened. He brought lots of energy to the day and was great fun! We absolutely love all of our photos and we are so glad that we made the decision to have him as our photographer for the day.”

The day was filled with handmade touches says the bride. “The groom made the cake stand and the welcome sign with wood from his family’s farm. He also made a photo board with wood we had at home. One of our bridesmaids is a graphic designer and she created our seating chart, invitations, menus and signs, which we loved!”

The couple kicked off the dance floor with ‘Make You Mine’ by Higher Valley before The Party Band got the dance floor underway.

A big congratulations to Kristy and Damian! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thank you also to Michael Briggs Photography and Flowerdale Estate for sharing today’s celebration.