Fiona & Neal and their incredible wedding on the family farm in Walcha was pretty much the perfect way to start 2020. When these two got engaged they had talked about waiting a year or more for their wedding day. Quite insistently Fiona pushed and said she didn’t want to wait and suggested they tie the knot in a few months time. Neal’s family were planning on visiting for Xmas from the UK and what better way to celebrate a visit than with a beautiful summer wedding at the family farm. Who knew that making that decision at the time would have put everyone on cloud nine before the COVID adventure that was to come.
And so on the 3rd of January 2020 friends and family converged at the farm outside of Walcha in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. It was still a precarious time in Australia with the bushfires that had been ravaging the country for months still burning away. The whole drive to Walcha I had driven through recent fire zones, the landscape was dry and the sky was hazy from the smoke still in the air. Friends and family had done such an amazing job in preparing the property for the wedding. The front lawn was a lush green and the ceremony space and arrangements for the party were amazing.
Nearing ceremony time the clouds rolled in (bear in mind that the whole place was dry as a bone). As the ceremony began it started to sprinkle. By the time Fiona was walking down the aisle the sky eased itself into a heavier pour before bucketing down. The whole wedding made a dash through the pouring rain to the marquee where 150 people gathered in close under the marquee and reveled in the moment. After some hugs, congrats and mingling the skies cleared and we went up on top of the hill behind the homestead. This amazing light fell over the landscape as the sun came through but the layers of smoke still sat on the horizon. I remember standing there taking it in and wanting to do this justice.
The evening carried on with some heartfelt speeches, great food, many drinks and lots of fun on the dance floor.
As I sit here 1 year (to the day) my mind wanders over the year that has been and how unexpected it all was. I must say I am thankful that throughout 2020 I have still been able to capture beautiful celebrations like this and I hope to do so for many years to come.
Please enjoy the story as it unfolds in images below.
Walcha Farm Wedding
12 months on and the world looks very different, but it has been delightful revisiting this beautiful story. This was an amazing way to start 2020, especially with such a wonderful wedding story. This really was a wedding where the many hands of family and friends came together to make this wedding happen.
Click here to see some more of the destination weddings I have photographed.
The Wedding Vendors
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Family Farm in Walcha, NSW, Australia
Celebrant: Sophie Henley
Florals: By the Bride, Bridesmaids and Family
Styling & Themes: Beatrice Designs – Jordy Beatrice Young
Wedding Dress: Karen Willis Holmes
Wedding Shoes: Louis Vuitton
Hair & Makeup: Chique Hair Face Body
Bridesmaids Dresses: Cue
Catering: Swan Fine Foods
Marquee & Dancefloor Hire: A1 Hire (Tamworth)
Wedding Website & Invitations: By the Groom (Neal Thompson)
Band: Baker Boys Band
