4 minute read
Ellie and Jared
JaredEllie AND
KURRAJONG HILLS
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A RELAXED VIBE AND STUNNING SURROUNDS PROVIDED THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS FOR ELLIE AND JARED’S WEDDING DAY.
PHOTOS: LAUREN KENNEDY PHOTOGRAPHER
After spending eight years with his girlfriend, Jared Bickford decided it was time to propose. “I surprised Ellie on an afternoon walk with our kelpie, Diesel,” he explains. “I had secretly tied the ring to Diesel’s collar with ribbon, which Ellie soon found. My proposal reflected the fact that we’re a very laidback couple, and the answer was ‘Yes’.”
The couple had been engaged for a year when their daughter arrived, which meant putting their wedding plans on hold. “We were focused on our new little family but in late 2017 began to book things in,” says Ellie.
Living in the Hawkesbury, the couple knew they wanted to celebrate their love at a local venue on the 31 March 2018 – 10 years to the day they had met and a beautiful time of the year in the region, with lush, green gardens and striking landscapes making perfect backdrops for wedding photos.
“We wanted a short and casual ceremony with no bridesmaids or groomsmen – the idea was for the surrounding views and landscape to be our focal point,” says Ellie. “Loxley on Bellbird Hill, in Kurrajong Hills, was the winner from the moment we stepped into the beautiful landscaped gardens. The peaceful and serene nature of the venue is very inviting.” After wandering through the property, an acreage boasting views across the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury Valley, Ellie and Jared chose the Garden Deck for their ceremony and loved the idea of celebrating with friends and family beneath the timber-lined cathedral ceilings in the Kauri reception room. They also appreciated the simplicity of having everything from the cake and catering to accommodation included in the venue’s wedding package.
When the day came around, the morning drizzle and clouds made way for a perfect afternoon that saw the couple united in marriage by celebrant Rimas Milasas, with daughter Bayley and 80 guests watching on.
“We always wanted our wedding to be about everyone we love coming together and having fun. With the amazing location and live music, it was certainly a celebration to remember,” says Jared.
“Having a small and manageable wedding made it all the more special,” Ellie adds. “It was easy to organise and the venue was the perfect place to share special memories with our family and friends.” BML
STYLE FILE
CEREMONY, RECEPTION & ACCOMMODATION Loxley on Bellbird Hill, Kurrajong Hills CELEBRANT Rimas Milasas BRIDE’S DRESS madewithlovebridal.com, worn with Windsor Smith shoes and an Akubra hat FLOWER GIRL’S DRESS Bardot Junior GROOM Roger David shirt and trousers WEDDING RINGS & JEWELLERY Michael Hill, Rouse Hill HAIR & MAKEUP Airlie&Co FLOWERS The Wilde Posy Co. CATERING & CAKE Loxley on Bellbird Hill MUSIC The White Tree INVITATIONS minted.com PHOTOS Lauren Kennedy Photographer
Ingrid AND Iain
HARTLEY VALE
THE RUSTIC CHARM AND ROMANCE OF COLLITS INN WAS EXACTLY WHAT INGRID AND IAIN HAD ENVISIONED FOR THEIR SPECIAL DAY.
Having met at the Retro Hotel in Sydney back in 2012, Ingrid Woon and Iain Cowan became engaged on 23 June 2017. “Iain proposed to me at his family home in Castle Hill,” Ingrid recalls. “He organised an indoor picnic by candlelight in front of a projector screen with a video he had made showcasing photos of our time together.”
Iain’s video ended with the words ‘Will you marry me?’, at which point he dropped to his knee. Fortunately Ingrid said an instant ‘Yes’, as Iain had arranged for both of their immediate families to arrive shortly after his proposal so they could all celebrate together.
After deciding on 5 May 2018 as the date for their big day, the Sydney couple agreed that they wanted a destination wedding.
“The idea was to make a whole weekend out of the day with our family and friends, which made it very special,” says Iain. “We were able to have a ‘wedding eve’ gettogether the night before at Blackheath’s local pub, the Gardners Inn. This was a great opportunity to have a catchup with everyone that had made the effort to come from Sydney, interstate and overseas for our wedding, and it set the ball rolling for celebrations the next day.”
