Chris & Madi held their wedding at Harmony Forest cottages just south of Margaret River – it was the perfect venue with the accommodation, ceremony, reception and some beautiful spots for photos within the property which meant we didn’t have to leave the venue. Harmony forest also allowed Madi & Chris to bring their pooch to their dog friendly wedding venue. Their love story is a unique one, with Chris borrowing a mates phone to call a random number at 3am, which little did he know then would be the woman that he’d marry one day! Madi & Chris wanted their wedding vows to be a more intimate moment, so before the ceremony we found a beautiful spot on the property to have their ‘first look’ where they exchange their personal wedding vows with just the two of them. It was perfect. Their bridal party of 20 was definitely the biggest I’ve seen at a wedding – Madi and her bridesmaids put together their own bouquets which turned out beautiful.

WEDDING VENDORS

Bridal gown designer and/or boutique:

Hob Nob – @hobnobbridal

Jean Fox – @jeanfoxbridal

Engagement ring/wedding bands:

Michael Hill – @michaelhillj

Groom’s suit:

Suit Vault – @suitvault

Make-up Artist:

Holly Mudge – @holly.mudge.makeup.artist

Hair stylist:

Kara Thompson – @innovativehairdesign_bykara

Catering:

Salento Catering – @salentocatering

Celebrant/Priest:

Georgia Beardman – @marryme.georgiab

DJ:

The Wedding DJ – @therealweddingdj

Live Acoustic music:

Brayden Sibbald– @braydensibbaldmusic

Furniture Hire

Hire In Style – @hire_in_style_wa

Tell me about the location of the wedding – why did you choose it and what does it mean to you?

We stayed at Harmony Forest for a mini getaway in April last year and fell in love with the property. We loved the calmness, the lack of phone reception and the walks through bush and vineyard. This property sparked a want for more mini getaways but it has ultimately been our favourite.

How did you find me? Why did you pick me to capture your wedding day?

I found you through an internet search and loved your style, how you tell a story in putting everything together. I also loved that I could book photography and videography through one vendor, knowing that I won’t have to worry about how people will work together on the day.

Tell me about yourselves ?

We met 10 years ago through mutual friends and a random phone call. We spoke on the phone for 45 minutes at 3am and I guess the rest is history. I am a Maths teacher, Chris is a builder. We both live very busy lives but share a love of movies, snacks and music. Our friends and family are very important to us and we both have a very strong base and values from them. We both value feeling confident, successful and content in our careers and know that we can lean on each other when it’s needed. Our Bulldog, Wallace, is also a massive part of our lives and super important to us and so will of course be right by our side for the big day.

The proposal? …Tell me a little bit about it…

It was a long time coming, I think Chris knew far before he actually asked. (from day dot he reckons – “ah fuck here we go, guess I’m in love”) We were on holiday in Dunsborough and went looking for waterfalls one day. I’d found this spot called Ellensbrook Homestead that mentioned a short walk to a waterfall and beautiful surrounds so off we went. Chris was terrified he would have to propose in the car park as I was focused on finding something I had dropped in the car, and was adamant I had to look under his seat, right where the ring was hidden. He was then sure I would definitely figure out what was happening as he walked with his hand holding the ring box in his shorts pocket the whole way. We could hear the water flowing but couldn’t actually find the gushing waterfall we were expecting so we stopped at one of the check points containing an excerpt from the Homesteads history and Chris asked me to read out the story. I did and the gist was that there were two young people who fell in love and lived happily together until one of them died, and then the other died and now she haunts the waterfall and if you listen carefully you can still hear her laughter. It was at this point that I turned and creepy laughed at Chris and that must have sealed the deal because he decided to say some nice things and pop the question. It was perfect.

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