Alison & Nick

We’re off to the country today, with a little bit of glamour as we celebrate the feast-filled festival wedding of Alison and Nick. The pair, who chose Nikki McCrone Photography as chief memory-capturer, invited guests along for a weekend filled with fun. Bell tents set so the party could continue, these guys lived up to expectation- that party? It didn’t stop until dawn!

And because we’re in the midst of celebrating all the tasty treats at part of The Feast issue, we need to acknowledge this feast, because it’s a goodie! Captured by the talented crew at Ed Dixon Food Design, it involved canapes, a beautiful buffet for dinner, allowing guests to feast on freshly shaved honey ham, cheeses and salads before a late-night snack kept guests going well into the morning.

It seems these two have actually been crossing paths for years, says Alison. “We met very briefly 12 years ago, but it was around 5 years ago at a mutual friend’s birthday picnic in the Edinburgh Gardens that we properly met.” Nick popping the question to Alison at the very same restaurant where the couple had their first date.

Alison and Nick chose a glamping style weekend-long celebration at the beautiful Bringalbit Country Retreat for their wedding, Alison explaining  “It’s an incredibly unique country venue, owned and managed by artist Sue Fox. We were allowed to set up glamping tents, party until 6 am and bring in all of our own food, wine and marquee. The ornamental gardens are extraordinary, and the hundred-year-old oak trees were the perfect setting for our ceremony.”

That beautiful suit? Nick worked one on one with the Oscar Hunt team to make something completely custom.

The bride chose a glittering golden gown by Australian designer Rachel Gilbert. She tells “I had  my gown customised by a friend to make it exactly what I wanted.”

Alison and Nick met before the ceremony for photographs, allowing them to be together as guests arrived for the ceremony. It also allowed them plenty of time with photographer Nikki, who they both adored. “Wonder woman, super mum, an AMAZING photographer. She made our guests feel so at ease, the photos she got are so natural and she has a wonderful eye for capturing emotion.”

There was no “walking down the aisle” for Alison, who chose to join Nick in welcoming guests to the ceremony. “I was there when guests arrived with champagne in hand to greet everyone as they arrived. It gave guests a bit of a shock, and gave me all the more time to mingle with our guests.”

Alison and Nick note that this ceremony? It’s actually their second! “We officially got married at the Melbourne Registry office two days before. This enabled us to conduct an unofficial ceremony with two of our closest friends acting as celebrants.”

The feast filled reception was held inside a white marquee, set up by The Marquee People crew. “These guys  took care of the marquee, lighting and refrigeration – these were huge tasks that we didn’t have to worry about at all.”

Beautiful arrangements in shades of red were styled by floral designer Raven And The Rose. Alison noting “We gave Amy a very vague brief (lots of wild dark green foliage, with deep red flowers scattered throughout) and let her unleash her creativity inside the marquee in any way she wanted.”

The bride’s favourite photos? The ones of her guests watching the speeches unfold.

Ready to dance, Alison changed into a short golden gown when the party really got started (and didn’t  end until dawn, even including a little DJ’ing by the groom himself)!

Guests stayed onside in bell tents, welcomed with homemade care packages by the bride and groom.

A big congratulations Alison and Nick! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us! Thank you also to Nikki McCrone Photography for today’s gorgeous images.