
Today’s beautiful rustic backyard wedding comes to us all the way from sunny Australia and is a lovely example of how to have a laid back and affordable wedding. Bree and Mitch were high school sweethearts and planned a wedding around their memories of warm evenings sat together in Bree’s parents back garden.
From Bree’s unconventional blush pink Grace Loves Lace wedding dress to rustic handmade details and makeshift bar, this wedding is both beautiful and full of love, but without a huge financial cost. They even had some weather issues, but not – if you’re planning a summer wedding in England – in the way that you’d imagine!
Over to Bree to tell us more about their wedding…
A rustic backyard wedding
Chris and I are both very laid back people, so it seemed like a given that we’d have a backyard wedding. We’re also both from Geelong (a small country town just outside of Melbourne) so we really liked the idea of going back to our home town for the wedding. We’ve just had so many memories together sitting in my parent’s backyard during warm nights after school so there was no better place than that same backyard to commemorate what we started over 10 years ago.
A blush pink wedding dress
Seeing as our wedding location was somewhat unconventional, I wanted my dress to be as well. That’s why I went for a blush pink coloured dress instead of a white one. Not only do I suit pink so much more than white – but I didn’t want something completely traditional. Grace loves Lace is also a stunning bridal designer that I’ve admired even before I was engaged so I knew exactly where I wanted my dress to come from as soon as the engagement happened.
High school sweethearts
Mitch and I are high school sweethearts. He was in the year above me, and to say that I had a crush on him was an understatement. I’d always see him around school (and being the awkward 15-year-old that I was) I’d always just stare from afar and be completely unable to utter a coherent sentence, at least that was until he spoke to me after school one day and we didn’t stop talking until we were home.
A winery proposal
The proposal could not have gone more perfectly. Mitch and I took a daytrip to a winery in the Yarra Valley (think rolling green hills, vineyards and stunning sunsets) and we hopped around a couple of the well-known wineries. We were at dinner at one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever eaten at, when he got down on one knee and surprised me just after the main course.
A summer wedding in Australia
We knew having a summer wedding in Australia that there may be a chance of exceptional heat but that day was ridiculous. It was over 41 degrees and considering that the whole ceremony was outside, it was tricky navigating through the weather. We made sure to have lots of water for our guests, sunscreen, bug repellant and lots of powder for my face.
A laid back romantic and quirky wedding reception
We wanted a theme that was just as laid back as our venue! Nothing too fancy or over the top, so that’s why we went with a vintage and romantic inspired look that was quirky but still elegant and tasteful. I think the fact that we crafted and sourced a lot of the décor ourselves really contributed to this vintage aesthetic. We went to a lot of antique stores to find old books, furniture, vases, bottles and fabrics that we could use. Not only did this save us a ton of money, but I think it really set our wedding apart and looked beautiful with our garden backdrop.
DIY wedding decorations
I created most of the décor myself, I sourced cute little teacups and jars from vintage shops to use as vases, I found an old suitcase and converted it into a wishing well, and created a makeshift bar (my favourite part). We created these hanging love hearts out of newspaper, there were several chalkboards, and twine and burlap was in abundance at the wedding.
Advice to other couples planning their wedding
Honestly, don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune to have the most magical day of your life. Be creative and inject some of your own personality into some elements.
A big thank you to Bree and Mitch for allowing us to share their beautiful backyard wedding, and to Erica from OnThree Photography for getting in touch to tell us about it.
{ Details }
Photographer: OnThree Photography
Venue: Bride’s parents home
Wedding Dress: Grace Loves Lace
Brides Shoes: Shoes of Prey
Brides Accessories: Just Me Jewellery
Hair & Makeup: Jessica Woods
Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Outfits: Ben Sherman
Bridesmaids Dresses: ASOS
Flowers: The Flower Dispensary
Wedding Food: Homemade
Entertainment: South City
Transport: Foxy Mustangs
Decorations: DIY and sourced from vintage/craft stores
Categories: Real Weddings
Tags: alternative wedding dress > Australian wedding > back garden wedding > beach wedding > diy wedding ideas > handmade wedding > pink > rustic > rustic wedding > summer wedding