Rhiannon + Ben - BoxGrove

Despite moving to Dubai half way through their wedding planning journey, Rhiannon and Ben still managed to pull off a flawless celebration in Bathurst, NSW (well, except for the torrential rain which forced them to re-think their entire wedding set-up at the eleventh hour).

It helped that they'd chosen a stunning Australian barn wedding venue that happens to be run by a family of human machines who (if you'll pardon our French) know how to get sh*t done.

Then there was their A-list team of vendors (notably, Blaise Bell and The White Tree) as well as Rhiannon and Ben's own creative input which manifested into having native plum spritz for every guest and an outfit change for Rhiannon AND Ben. Genius, really.

How did you and Ben meet?

Tinder.

The venue: BoxGrove Bathurst - it is absolutely stunning, with beautiful sunsets and expansive property, however, we actually fell in love with Kayla, Melissa and Ben who just felt like they had a can-do attitude and fit our personal vibe.

To be honest, I was fed a lot of inspo through the instagram algorithm, coupled up with details from vendors that matched our vibe

The vibe: We wanted a nod to a vintage "old money" style but still simple and uncomplicated. At the end of the day our main objective was to ensure we had a lot of fun celebrating with our friends and family, and that our dance floor was full. The smaller details don't really matter sometimes and we wanted a stress-free experience in the lead up and on the day. We wanted an elevated look with a casual feel and everything a bit untraditional from a typical wedding, so we made sure our decisions aligned with values.

Best thing you did? Have a big band. The dance floor was packed the entire night and it was everything we hoped for.

Also staying on-site was worth the money. We were able to have casual drinks and catch up properly the night before with whoever was staying on-site (we live in Dubai so hadn't seen anyone for a while) and just logistically cut out so many aspects that can make a day stressful. We were all able to get ready right near the venue and enjoy the time before the ceremony.

Wedding splurge
The dress and the band.

Wedding save
Wedding cake - didn't have one and didn't miss it at all. Wedding favours. I did all the styling prep and had a stylist friend do the flowers and put it all together for us.

First look?
Yes! We are so glad we did and they were some of our fave photos! It meant we had more time to get photos before the ceremony (and the rain).

Best thing you ate or drank on the day?
Tanica Spritz. Our friend owns an Australian Aperitif called Tanica and it was such a fun way to welcome everyone to the reception. It is so delicious!

Aisle song
"Loved by You", by Kirby.

Party starter track
I can't even remember what song started the DF but we did our reception entrance to "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain and it was so much fun.

Ceremony or reception (which won)?
Reception for sure!

On-budget or over-budget?
Over-budget, mainly due to the fact we moved to Dubai when were at about the halfway mark for planning.

Honeymoon destination
Sri Lanka.

Expectations vs. reality: It definitely wasn't as stressful to plan as we thought. I think that is attributed to the fact we had a two year engagement, didn't obsess over the small details and learnt to let things go. Things did change a lot that were out of our control but we just took a deep breath and came up with plan B, C and D.

On the day we expected a gorgeous outdoor ceremony and reception with a beautiful sunset and a dance floor under the stars. Everything that I had planned for styling was really tied together by the beautiful gardens at BoxGrove. This was far from reality, as it was the biggest and hardest rainfall Bathurst had had in a very long time.

We just had to laugh and pivot our plans to do everything inside at the last minute but honestly it wasn't stressful at all because the venue had such a great attitude and you definitely can't control the weather. It was still really pretty, but just different to what I had envisioned.

Hit (or near) miss: Apart from the weather, it all went pretty well. It was definitely a laughable moment being stuck inside the venue as a wedding party, with all our guests stuck outside under a shelter and our ceremony styling on the other side of the property.

As soon as there was a gap in rain (for about three minutes), we managed to scoot the styling over to the venue and had about 10 minutes to re-set the entire reception space and come up with a makeshift ceremony. I'm super impressed with how we all figured it out. Even Blaise our photographer got involved and gave us great insight into what layout would still work photography wise.

CREDITS: Photos Blaise Bell // Venue BoxGrove // Celebrant Kirra-lee Burke // Florist Lara Hutton // Catering Night Hawk Diner // Bridal gown Saint Bridal via The Bridal Curator // Bride's shoes Aldo // Veil The Bridal Curator // Bridesmaids dresses Forever New // Groom's suit Suit Supply // Groomsmen suits Peter Jackson // Ties Politix // Rings Louise Jean, Etsy and Billie Jo // Hair Renee Wanna // Makeup Emma Rose and Oralie Wright // Music The White Tree // Paper flowers Kiko Design // Spritz Tanica // Mirrored plinths Simply Seated // Signage Love Stoned Styling // Robes Shop Alexis, Piyama, Bra'sNthings and Cotton on Body.