If you want a good giggle, Brett and Andy’s Tasmanian wedding at Ratho Farm sounded like an absolute hoot. Amongst other things, Brett rode into the ceremony on a vintage motorbike and their first dance morphed into a dance off with their bridal party.
Read the full story below, with photos by Fred and Hannah.
Brett and Andy, congrats on getting married. First, could you tell us about how you met, any funny first date stories and a bit about the proposal?
Brett: I can remember seeing Andy for the first time ever on day one of university. We did the same degree. I thought to myself, I’m not gay but I would turn gay for him. I’d always be saving him a seat in class.
Andy: It definitely wasn’t love at first sight. He looked pretty suspicious at first. But I was always running late for class and the only seat left was the one he’d save for me.
Andy: We became friends, then one day on a sleepover, things evolved. That was 14 years ago.
Brett: I proposed to Andy on top of a volcano in New Zealand, unfortunately on the day of our hike there was a blizzard. Everything was white, you couldn’t make out the horizon. I asked Andy to turn around and take a photo of the volcano but he said, “I can’t see anything!”
“Just do it!” I yelled over the wind. As he turned away, I got down on one knee and opened up the ring box which held a ring I carved from a coconut on an island in the Philippines. When he turned around, his facial expression expressed joy, then disappointment, then joy… and then he said yes! I asked him why did he look happy, then sad, then happy. He replied, well, at first I thought you were offering me food because I was soo hungry, then I realised it wasn’t food, then I realised what it was.
In a few sentences, how would you describe your wedding?
Best day ever! Our friends and family are from all parts of the globe and have been part of our journey of getting married. We, therefore, wanted a fun and memorable wedding weekend.
Brett is from a farm background so we had it in a rural setting and Andy is from a more well-traveled background and so we wanted to bring some sophistication to this setting.
The first day was essentially a carnival day of friends and family catching up and getting to know each other. We had clay pigeon shooting, sheep mustering, log slamming and a mechanical bull.
The wedding was held on the lawns outside a convict era whisky distillery in the Tasmanian highlands. This is where the theme of a 1950s inspired dress code came from.
The reception was back at Ratho Farm where we had a marquee. Inside the marquee, the decor inspiration was simple yet sophisticated in a rustic setting. So lots of candles and Edison lamps. Our wedding planner, Lisa Artaud did an amazing job.
Did you write your own vows? How did you find that experience?
With the help of our celebrant, Merren Wilkinson, we wrote our own vows. We realised how lucky we were to both have each other and to be able to get married in this day and age. We felt it more fitting to say what we loved about each other, point out each other’s special imperfections and to make a promise for the future.
What’s the best piece of advice you took on when planning your wedding?
Get a wedding planner and make it a destination wedding.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started planning?
Each be in charge of certain parts of the planning. We would consult with each other but Andy would have final say over the reception and wedding layout and I was in charge of the rest.
Were there any traditions you did not partake in or any specific to your family or religion that were special to you?
We modified some traditions quite a bit. Brett was the “bride”, so he rode in on a vintage style motorbike and his mother walked him down the aisle. We had a bouquet toss but it was modified to a potato canon shooting out a teddy bear with a parachute. Our first dance morphed into a dance-off between us and our groomsmen/women.
CREDITS: Photos Fred and Hannah // Ceremony Nant Distillery // Reception and catering Ratho Farm // Celebrant Cinta Celebrate Love // Flowers The Romantics // Cake Chelsea Clare Cakes // Styling and stationery Artaud & Co // Bridal party gifts Nant Distillery // Grooms suit Il Sarto // Bow ties Rodd and Gunn // Rings Tiffany & Co // Hair A4 Hair // Music Professional DJ Solutions // Transport Ian Whittaker.
+++++
REAL WEDDING: Julia + Ben – All View Escapes.
What To Do Before, During and After Your Venue Viewing.
Join our couples-only Facebook group, ‘Wedchat by WedShed’.
Follow us on Instagram here.
