RENAE & WILL - REAL WEDDING - THE FARM HOUSE

How did you meet? 

The first time we met was at a house party our mutual friends threw. William was living with them at the time, but he had an Aussie Rules final to play and he didn't show up until later. Our first conversation was me asking him why his name was ‘Rowlesy’ and he gave me a non-humorous answer of “because my last name is Rowles….” I didn't really speak to him the rest of the night but later found out that he had been helping my little brother throw up in the garden. We met again a few months later when I popped over to give my friends their invites to my 21st and put some of my stuff under their house for storage, and William was the only one there and helped me. He remembers that I wore blue jeans and a white t-shirt and had my hair in a bun. We both distinctly remember that day. I remember he made me feel nervous, which is unusual for me. At the beginning of the next year, our mutual friends and Will were looking for another house mate and asked me if I wanted to move in, which I accepted eagerly. Nothing happened for about 6 months, as we didn’t want to disturb house dynamics and there were other things going on. But then things seemed to align and we started seeing each other, which we kept it secret for 6 weeks as we wanted to be sure that things were working, and then told our housemates. And the rest is history!

What type of vibe were you looking to create for your wedding?

We are both outdoorsy, relaxed people who enjoy a few beverages and hanging out with our loved ones. We wanted the vibe of the wedding to reflect this, and for our friends and family to relax, unwind, drink, dance and be merry! We mostly found our inspiration via blog pages and Pinterest – many, many hours of Pinterest!

How and why did you choose your wedding venue?

We fell in love with The Farm House as soon as we turned onto its road, it’s just the most magical place. We had a look at two or three other places before deciding on The Farm House, but none of them seemed to fit what we were after. We wanted a place that had space, offered accommodation for the bridal party, allowed our dog Tillingtons to run around freely, which didn’t have noise restrictions or number restrictions and which allowed for our guests to camp. We wanted a blank canvas with absolutely no restrictions, and The Farm House was perfect for this. We could not have asked for a more suitable venue for the type of people we are or what we were looking for. 

What was the most unforgettable part of the day?

When I finally got to show William the wedding dress I had spent months making! We both agree that our favourite moment was the ‘first look’ before the ceremony. Will hadn’t seen my dress yet but knew that I made it myself (this was pretty obvious by the white thread lying all around the house and the fact that I would yell out for him to stay outside if he came home while I was working on it). I was really nervous about whether or not he would like it. His reaction was awesome, and the look on his face was priceless. Needless to say, he was very happy with how it turned out and I was very happy to see how handsome he looked – it was a lovely moment. 

Tell us about some of the special little details and special touches you made or planned?

We undertook many, many DIY projects to add special touches to the day! A majority of the wedding we did ourselves. We wanted to pour as much of ourselves into the event as possible, to show who we are as people and as a couple. The amount of DIY projects we undertook may seem ridiculous to some, but to us, it’s what made our day so especially ‘us’. Renae made her own dress, the cakes (there were three multi-tiered cakes: chocolate, white chocolate and carrot cake), she sewed the gift bags for the coffee, she made the picnic table and the podium out of timber pallets, she made the candles, the guest book, she roasted the coffee beans, she refurbished my Grandma’s old croquet set, she made her own necklace, she refurbished a bunch of the ceremony chairs. She is a very handy woman who knows how to handle a tool box. We also made the Limoncello together, which was quite a lot of work. My mum arranged all of the bouquets, lapel pins and main table arrangements, while our friend arranged the smaller table arrangements and the arbor arrangement. I made the bench seats for the ceremony, the arbor, the giant Jenga set and the swing (which turned out to be a huge hit!), as well as refurbished some of the antique chairs.

Ceremony song?

Need My Girl - The National

First dance song?

All You Need - The Jezabels 

Any wise advice you would offer other couples leading up to their wedding?

Make sure that you stay true to yourselves and do exactly what you want. This can get really hard, especially when others believe they have a stake in the decisions, but in the end it’s your day and it needs to be what you both envision and want – not what someone else wants or thinks is best

Why did you choose to work with Gathering Events, and was tell us what inspired your bar menu?

We chose Gathering Events because of a friend. Renae saw your page on Facebook because a friend liked it, and she followed your whole journey, from when you first purchased the old caravan, how you built it into the bar and your first few events. Ever since then we wanted Gathering Events to be a part of our wedding - you fitted our vibe and what we envisioned perfectly (thank you for offering such an amazing service!). Our bar menu was an eclectic selection of beers, wines and champagnes. We didn't have much say over the bar menu, William's parents made the selections and made selections that would keep everyone happy! 

Any unexpected or hilarious stories you can share from the day? 

The most hilarious story is thanks to our doggo, Tilly. She was running around with a ball in her mouth (after having a few swims in the dam) and when I arrived in the ute to walk down the aisle, Tilly came over and tried to jump on me, while she was wet!! My younger brother tried to stop her and tried to clip her up to the lead. I told him to let her go and she went and lay down in the shade at the top of the aisle. Then, when my Dad and I started to walk down the aisle, she got up - with the ball in her mouth still - and strolled down the aisle in front my us, as though she was my third bridesmaid!!! We couldn't stop laughing - she stole the show, as usual!

With your wedding (and wedding planning) all wrapped up, how do you feel?

We both feel both relieved and sad. Relieved that it is something we can tick off the list and now we can get back to our normal lives and spend our weekends at the beach or working on the house instead of building and making things for the wedding. But both feeling sad, because all of the months leading up to the wedding were so full of excitement and adrenaline, so since the wedding finished, it's been a bit of a comedown. Overall, we are both so incredibly stoked with how the whole day went and how everything turned out. By far the best day of our lives.

CREDITS: 

Wedding Planning & On The Day Coordination Gathering Events

Mobile Pop Up Bar Gathering Events 

Photography The Tsudons 

Video One Day In Mind

Tipi's Gold Coast Tipis 

Celebrant Erin Woodhall Celebrant  

Catering Prestidge Catering