Marriage equality is extremely important to recently-wed couple Amy and Tim. This is why they celebrated their official ceremony in Kaikoura, New Zealand with 8 guests, an elopement of sorts. They chose New Zealand as the destination for their wedding because they wanted to get married in a country where same-sex marriages are legally recognised. A few weeks later we celebrated Amy and Tim’s belated reception with their family and friends in Braidwood, New South Wales.

We had the pleasure of meeting John, who was born and raised in Braidwood and the owner of Garan Vale Woolshed. The last sheep was shorn in 1988 when John and his wife converted the woolshed into a rustic and homely reception venue, with a charm and character that only comes with a rich history. With a lot of D-I-Y and help from their family and friends, Amy and Tim turned the woolshed into a beautiful and welcoming venue.

We knew we were in for one heck of a party when they first described their plans for the belated reception to us and asked if we could document it for them. For us it was one of those moments we get so excited about because we love to be creative, and creativity goes hand in hand with uniqueness. What Amy & Tim were describing to us was something special, a one off, one of a kind event. We could barely hide our enthusiasm!

Be cool Anthea, be cool.. (I said to myself as I noticed Anthea’s eyes light up) because we cant just be a couple of excited kids all the time : )

This was a party to remember, a celebration of the joining of two of the coolest, most compassionate fun-loving people you could ever imagine, celebrated with their equally fun-loving and caring family and friends.

Lawn games were planned for the day but were moved inside amid torrential rain which did nothing to dampen, but rather enhance this festive and love filled soiree.

Seriously these two are just so sweet, they look like they’ve stepped straight out of a 50’s movie, and their values and caring inclusive nature really harks back to a golden era that matches their kitsch style.

After a semi-formal, very touching ring exchange, some family and friends said some kind words about Tim & Amy and we were so glad that we were able to listen in. We learnt that they are carefully considered people and genuine in everything they do, from their relationships with others, right down to their care of animals and the environment. This was evident in every aspect of their party, from the way the kids were entertained with a scavenger hunt and activity tables, through to the incredible all vegan buffet and immaculate (take-home) cakes and desserts.

Make sure you check out some of the dance floor action if you’re having a browse through these photos of the day, there are some moves we’ve never seen before and will likely never see again! These are the kind of guests that we want at our wedding; Amy and Tim reckon we can hire them for the day, an offer we’re seriously considering.

Much love

L + A

Styling: Amy and Tim (with the help of family and friends) styled the venue with vintage pieces that Amy, and Amy and Tim’s mums owned. They also hired some pieces from Swish Vintage, High Tea Hire Canberra, and A Few of My Favourite Strings.

Catering: Vanilla Catering, Braidwood

Hair: Rockabilly Boutique

Makeup: Marie

Music: DJ Karuna (Braidwood)

Dessert Bar: Crafted3