Good Morning Everyone! We have a super wedding to share with you today, all the way from Australia. Lindy was swept off her feet by Mr. Romantic, Ryan after a tag rugby tournament and after a very sweet engagement (that included their dog, Scout) Lindy and Ryan planned an Australian ranch wedding in the Outback, which was both elegant and laid back. Add a dash of glamour for the bride and a cowboy hat for the groom it was a wedding to remember and we can't wait to show your the photographs by Jodi McDonald, so let's take a peek!
Lindy is a woman who takes matters into her own hands and it netted her a romantic cowboy in the end... I was unlucky in love and decided to start a Touch Football team hoping I would meet a nice boy. Unfortunately, this proved to be fruitless much to my disappointment. During the season, we did struggle for players so I told my team mates to bring along friends so that we would have a full team to play. Someone brought along my now husband Ryan. Unbeknownst to me, Ryan shared the mutual attraction and sent me a single rose the day before Valentines Day from a 'secret admirer.' I was intrigued. The next day, Valentines Day, he sent a dozen roses with a card that said 'Just because one rose was not enough for someone as special as you. Love Ryan'. And we’ve been together ever since. So there's a lesson in patience there for all the girls hoping to meet their man at a tag rugby match!
Ryan decided to bring the couple's dog, Scout, in on the engagement excitement. Luckily, she follows commands very well...We had been away on a family holiday to the snow and had just picked up our dog, Scout from the dog-sitter. She was filthy so together we bathed her, Ryan said he was going to take her downstairs to dry her. So I sat on the bed contemplating unpacking when Ryan asked me to call Scout. I called her and she jumped up on the bed beside me with a cheeky grin on her face. I had to look twice but I saw a big shiny ring tied with a ribbon around her neck. Ryan then came in and asked me to marry him. I was in complete shock and said yes!
When Lindy and Ryan set to planning their nuptials, they had a very specific vibe in mind...You know when you're a kid and your parents are having a few friends over for a BBQ and your mum spends the day cleaning the house, your dad mows the lawn and you spend the night doing cartwheels on the grass. Sally and Neil from Yandina Cattle Station made me feel like the property was my home and we were planning a big party with my friends. Just this time, I wasn't allowed to do cartwheels on the grass.
I arrived at the wedding in my dad's old Land Cruiser. He was very cute, he had spent many hours painting the truck for our special day.
It's so interesting for us to see what different couples prioritize. Lots of our brides are excited about or have a budgetary need to tackle DIY projects. But Lindy's goal was the opposite ahe wanted to avoid putting too much stress on her friends and family with projects and jobs. She hired a wedding coordinator to deal with the heavy lifting and last minute details. The result? Lindy says she felt relaxed and on top of everything leading up to the big day.
That said, there were definitely some DIY elements to Lindy and Ryan's wedding, which shows you can use a wedding planner for some parts and still do other bits yourselves...We made the centrepieces and place settings ourselves. Mum and her friends had been collecting jars for months! We met on the Sunshine Coast for a day where we had a wedding bootcamp and knocked over all of the decorations.
We love Lindy's veil that hangs from below her updo. It adds a bridal touch to her glam dress.
How amazing must it have been to make it official under the warm Austalian sun!
The couple chose to have their ceremony and recpetion at Yandina Cattle Station, and we can see why with it's stunning veiws and surrounding acres.
After the wedding, Lindy and Ryan's guests relaxed in the cool outdoor seating area and enjoyed refreshments - served in a ute!
Those cocktails look amazing...
Now there's some slick looking cowboys with the bridal party.
Is that a stunning dress or what? Modest in the front, but very sexy in the back!
Lindy and Ryan also bucked trend and tradition by asking their photographer to limit the number of posed photographs, but instead to focus on candids of them, their family, and their friends throughout the night...We knew that we would get more joy out of that style of photography, than the more formal approach. Jodi was completely on board and did an amazing job of capturing the essence of the day. And scrolling through these photos, you wouldn't even know that the couple only took a few posed shots; the wedding is still captured in exquisite detail from start to finish!
I love Lindy's bouquet! The soft pinks compliment her silvery blue dress beautifully...
The lovebirds headed back to the marquee at Yandina Cattle Station to enjoy an outdoor reception.
With a stunning outdoor setting for the reception, little decor was needed, however Lindy and Ryan added their own special touches ...The place settings were my favourite. We made them out of white air drying clay and individually stamped everyone's names. The funny part was that we made these even before the invitations when out so in total I think we made approximately 160 love heart place settings. I then tied a charcoal ribbon through each of them and painted them with a light dusting of shimmer. On the night, everyone was wearing them as bracelets which I didn't anticipate - but was lovely to see.
This is such a sweet table set up for the bride and groom, love the idea of just the two of them enjoying ttheir meal with all their friends and family surrounding them.
Lindy's tip for brides - invest in an iPad! 'I planned 95% of this wedding on my ipad in bed at night. She also advises... 'Try and come up with your own ideas. Make it your day! Not Pinterest's or Etsy’s day'.
Thanks, Lindy and Ryan, for sharing your glam backyard barbecue with us today! And thanks to Jodi McDonald for giving us a peek at the photographs! To see more of Jodi's work pop on over to www.jodimcdonald.com.au
The wedding details:
- Ceremony: Yandina Cattle Station, Yandina
- Photography: Jodi McDonald
- Wedding Dress: Johanna Johnson
- Bridesmaids dresses: Zimmerman
- Shoes: Ivanka Trump
- Flowers: Roberta Moberg at Green & Bloom
- Accessories: Samantha Wills
- Cake: Alowishus
- Cars: The brides Dad’s landcruiser
- Stationery: Daisy & Jack
- Make Up: Pru Edwards
- Hair: Nicola Daly
- Wedding Bands: Speakeasy – Nat Dunn
- Wedding Coordinator: CL Weddings and Events
