Bangor Vineyard Shed is easily one of the most spectacular Tassie waterfront wedding venues with 35 kilometres of breathtaking coastline. For Sophie and Chris however, it was the shed’s “incredibly warm and intimate feel” that sealed the deal, which was a good thing given their wedding day turned out to be a particularly cold one.

Captured by Cassie Sullivan Photography, you can check out the entire celebration below.

Sophie, can you tell us about how you met and the moment you guys got engaged?

I met Chris online in July 2017, Chris was living in Busselton WA and I was in Hobart TAS. After speaking over Skype for a few months I flew to WA to meet him. I fell head over heels for him and I just knew he was the one. We spent the next few months flying between WA and Tasmania, spending as much time as possible together.

On a quick weekend visit to Busselton, Chris got down on one knee at 1am on a secluded beach under the moonlight and asked me to be his wife. The proposal was completely out of the blue, I was wearing daggy clothes, I was exhausted from my flight over and my hair was a mess… and it was absolutely perfect! Of course I said yes, I then moved to Busselton a month later.

What DIY projects did you do accomplish for the wedding?

Planning a wedding in Tasmania and living on the other side of the country made doing DIY hard, but I was committed to doing as much for the wedding myself as possible. We made by hand our dinner napkins (as I wanted a special colour to match our theme), wedding favour bags, handmade chocolate truffles as gifts. We made floral chandeliers to hang from the rafters at Bangor, Chris built an arbour and my maid of honour decorated it with foliage and native flowers. My mum also spent months growing succulents as wedding favours.

What kind of vibe were you hoping to create for the day? 

From the beginning we knew we wanted our wedding to feel intimate, we wanted to share the day with our closest friends and family. I wanted it to be warm, close and relaxed. We kept our guest list to 42, we had a bridal party of four and chose our venue because of the incredibly warm and intimate feel.

To encourage the warm feel of the wedding, our colour scheme reflected this and we went with dark moody reds, pinks and deep greens. Little did we know during the planning but the day of our wedding turned out to be the coldest, wettest and windiest of the month. This turned out to be the making factor of our wedding, it created an amazing atmosphere; Bangor Vineyard Shed transformed into an even more intimate and beautiful venue – wood fire blazing and lights dimmed low – it was everything I had dreamed of!

Were there any wedding traditions you felt were important to you to include in your wedding? And any that you put a twist on for yourselves?

We wanted our wedding to be our own, ditching classic wedding traditions we opted to make our own traditions. We wrote our own vows, I didn’t throw a bouquet and we didn’t have a guest book. The only tradition I did stick to was ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue’.

What advice would you give to other couples leading up to their big day?

Relax, it’s all going to be perfect because it’s yours.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage is extremely important to Chris and I, it’s the ultimate expression of love, tying your life to another and promising them forever is selfless and unconditional – it does not get much more amazing than that!

What was your favourite moment on your wedding day?

Our first dance – looking at Chris and realising I get to feel this way forever.

What had you laughing out loud on the day?

Apart from the torrential rain, hail and gale force winds?! Whilst having our photos taken, a huge gust of wind blew my veil off and into someone’s yard and straight into a rose bush! Luckily my new husband and MOH were onto it, quickly jumping the fence and saving my veil.

How did you find your venue and was the process difficult for you?

Bangor Vineyard Shed was the first and only venue we visited. We just knew it was perfect for us, luckily enough it was still available for our wedding date which was only five months away.

Ceremony song?

“I get to love you” – Ruelle.

First dance song?

“Warm Whispers” – Missy Higgins.

CREDITS: Photos Cassie Sullivan Photography // Flowers Swallows Nest // Reception and catering Bangor Vineyard Shed // Cake and styling DIY // Stationery Vistaprint // Bridal gown and veil Caleche via Luxe Bridal Boutique Hobart // Brides shoes ASOS // Accessories Bubish Furs // Bridesmaid dresses Sheike // Groom and groomsmen suits Politix // Hair The Pure Boutique Hobart // Makeup The Makeup Ambulance.

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Want to know what flowers are in season for winter weddings? Find our guide here.