Gemma + Liam by Brijana Cato

We knew that we wanted to have something set in nature and outdoors.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We are a family of four living in rural Warkworth. We both love the environment in different ways. Liam works with plants and grows capsicums by day, and at weekends enjoys side projects growing natives, fruit trees, and just generally being in nature. Gemma has a day job in the policy and regulation of rules that protect the environment, and is interested in how we live alongside nature and how we can make cities that are more responsive and reflective of environmental limits.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met in our mid-late twenties, when we were still figuring out our lives and careers. Gemma was just at the end of a planning degree, and Liam was working in landscaping and odd office jobs. We met through Liam’s high school friend, who was dating Gemma’s sister at the time (they are now married!). We definitely both liked each other; there was some kind of spark. It took a while to actually get together.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes, etc.).

We knew that we wanted to have something set in nature and outdoors (weather permitting, of course).

Gemma’s sister (who is a florist and flower farmer) has a flower farm with beautiful surrounding countryside, which is 10 minutes down the road from where we live, so it seemed like the perfect spot.

We knew we wanted something relaxed but still visually striking. It was important for our children to be a part of our wedding and we are at a stage of our life where many of our friends and family have young children too so we wanted to make sure it was a fun and memorable day for them, which was achieved by way of a bouncy castle and a DIY self serve ice cream cart which kept them very well entertained.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

The marquee was a really important part of the overall look; it really elevated the event. Having a beautiful furniture set amongst the dahlia rows worked out perfectly.

We spent a lot of time preparing the venue (lots of weekends weed-eating), and it was looking pretty amazing. The view was beautiful and the rows of dahlias were an amazing pop of colour.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

The best advice we could give is to get a planner. Work and family commitments keep us very busy, so to have someone overseeing all the particulars enabled us to focus on the important details of the day that mattered most. We enlisted Gemma’s sister to do the planning for us and were very lucky to have her in that regard. We didn’t get too involved with the details. Our best advice is to communicate your overall vision and then trust your vendors to bring that to life.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

They were all so great, from the hair to the make-up to the food and the wedding coordinator, who was amazing at keeping everything on schedule.

Of course, we have to mention our amazing florist, who was also our stylist and wedding planner!

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Liam always wanted a green suit, maybe something to do with his love of plants! Gemma was drawn to Brooke Tyson’s style; she didn’t spend a lot of time looking at other dresses. In the end, Brooke made something unique, and it was perfectly tailored to fit.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

We got Gemma’s wedding ring in Galle in Sri Lanka, which we went to on holiday about a month before the wedding. It is 18 carat gold with a yellow beryl. They made it in 48 hours, and it was a little stressful choosing, as it was about 35 degrees that day, and we had our four-year-old with us, but we picked a design and a stone, and it was there when we went to pick it up. It was something we wanted to do in Sri Lanka, as they are known for their jewellery, and it’s a special keepsake that we will always have from that trip.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

I think we agree that you get what you pay for, and in that respect, we were pretty happy to pay the cost of everything. One thing that we did pay a little more for was the celebrant, and she did an amazing job, so we are glad we went with her.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

One of the things we will treasure and look back on is having all of the people we love and care about together in one place. That was really important to us, and also enabling our friends to bring their children was special to us as well. Liam walking down the aisle with his 93-year-old Nana is a really special moment that he will always treasure.