Or does one begin with the vintage wedding DIY components; hours of shopping, sourcing, and making with aunties and mums and friends?

Handfasting wedding ritual

Or does one concentrate on a unique handfasting ritual which was part of their wedding ceremony?

It is simply not possible to cover everything in one story. So today I’ll lead you into the tale with a look at where we found ourselves the day after the storm the night before, on a glorious sunny day out in the country.

Setting the stage for a wedding retreat weekend, we begin at Kenilworth Homestead, by the Mary River, on the Sunshine Coast hinterland, a gorgeous farm setting for a wedding.

Jessica had spent hours with Mum and aunties and friends, sourcing country style fabrics and making bunting.  Bunting was strung up around the old barn and garden verandas.  Then there were blackboards with handwritten menus, directions for the guests, an enticing cocktail list, and lawn games.

Then a wander inside the rustic barn itself brought oohs and aahs.  Hours had been spent sourcing vintage crockery for the table settings, and old enamel teapots for the flower arrangements on the tables.  Each table was named for the colour of its teapot!  Outside were lawn games; croquet, badminton…and an old enamel bath! And of course the horses.  The yard was a playground full of delights, and the stage complete for the entry of a bride.

Photos by Kari with a couple from Elleni Toumpas