This particular day was quite warm, but for Matthew and Lauren it was the day they had hoped for. We were standing in an actual farm in Ewingsdale NSW which is near Byron Bay. This tourist attraction is in fact called The Farm. As expected, there were a variety of farm animals from chickens to 5 week old piglets running around the yard at 100 miles an hour. These were clearly my favourite. Today we found ourselves under a magnificent tree canopy in the middle of a Macadamia Nut orchard! This is far cry from where Matthew and Lauren live in the suburb of Footscray down in Melbourne. For the past few months, our correspondence had been by email. So at our first meeting a couple of days earlier, it had been great for all of us to put faces to our names.
The location and setting for the wedding looked very romantic with a timber arbor to stand under and white wooden benches for the guests to sit on. The shade from the trees was lit up by the glow of the sun that was illuminating the perimeter of the orchard. Matthew’s brother started playing his guitar when we saw the bride arrive. Lauren stepped out of an iconic VW Combi Van, arm in arm with her Dad. They followed her bridesmaid down the red soil aisle and arrived to a very eager groom. This couple were an absolute joy to work with and I learned that for them less was more. They didn’t need a huge expensive wedding day because their true riches in life are each other. Matthew looked very handsome and Lauren completed the picture beautifully. When they came together to start the ceremony, all you could hear was the breeze gently blowing through the orchard. It felt like being a character in a fairy tale standing in this magic forest.
As Matthew and Lauren looked at each other and said their vows, the words they spoke were confident, passionate and true. The ceremony may have been relatively short, but the moment will be fondly remembered for a lifetime. Upon them being pronounced as Husband and Wife, they kissed and bubbles filled the air as sign that their new future together had begun. What a lovely couple!
When I left with my wife, we couldn’t help but stop halfway to the car and look around at a very unique wedding venue. But alas, the 5 week old piglets were nowhere to be found because it was now dinner time! Congratulations Matthew and Lauren because you clearly orchestrated a special day that I certainly won’t forget.
Peter Blades – Your Gold Coast Marriage Celebrant