This wedding season I’ve been lucky enough to shoot quite a lot weddings held on the couples’ family farms/vineyards – and Elizabeth + Oliver’s wedding was one of these.
Oliver’s parents run Turicum Chalets & Monkey Rock Winery near Denmark which was the obvious choice for their wedding location. Elizabeth + Oliver chose to have a “First Look” photos before their ceremony. The ceremony was held in a paddock overlooking ocean and their olive grove was the most stunning location for sundowners before the reception in the wine cellar… all sooo picturesque, I was a wee bit excited. I felt like I was hidden away on a farm in Tuscany!!
But a highlight was “Frankie the Ring-Bearer” (Frankie is a dachshund!). She made it into quite a few photos, as you’ll notice!
Here’s some words from Elizabeth about her day:
It sounds so cliche, but it really was the best day of our lives
Oliver and I went to highschool together (ASHS) and began dating when we were 15. We have spent a lot of time travelling and Oliver propsed while we were on holidays. We were in Margaret river walking our dog Frankje along the beach at sunset when Oliver suprised me by getting down on one knee and proposing with a beautiful ring. After being together for so many years (16 at that point) I’m impressed that he could suprise me like that.
Much of our wedding decorating was DIY as we did not have a planner. We chose a rustic theme which we felt suited the location. Our wedding arbour was made by Oliver out of recycled timber from an old cattle yard. We displayed flags from our roots on the flagpole Liz- Saskatchewan (Canada) & Australia, Oliver- Switzerland.
Our whole day was located on Olivers parents property in Denmark where he grew up, and where I have spent a lot of time over the years. The ceremony was located on a part of the property which we always loved walking to and feels secluded. Olivers parents migrated drom Switzerland in 1980 and built the family home, and later (2000) established a small preservative free winery (Monkey Rock) and Olive grove (they produce olive oil). The olive grove was the location of the wedding afterparty and the winery shed was the location if the reception dinner. As it is a working winery, the equipment (crusher, barrels, bottler) were used as Decorations and set the tone for the rustic theme.
We honeymooned at the same place as Oliver proposed (gnarabup, Margaret river)
Your advice to other couples planning their wedding?
Don’t feel you have to do certain things just because everyone else does it
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