Pulling off a DIY wedding is no small feat – just ask Tina and Mick who organised the ultimate country wedding at Mick’s parent’s cattle farm in rural NSW.

“We were very lucky as Mick’s parents live on a sheep and cattle grazing property… so we decided to have a marquee wedding on the property. We knew this would be a big ask as we literally had to hire everything from the marquee, toilets, catering equipment and generator.”

But knowing it meant they could party until the ‘wee hours’ of the morning, Mick and Tina figured it was worth it. And they were right. Check out these snaps by WS fave Georgie James, who was on hand to capture this family affair.

Tell us about how you met and the proposal?

Mick and I met five years ago at my sister’s wedding however we later realised that we had actually crossed paths years before at numerous social events without realising. It was only when I made the move back home from Sydney to my parent’s property in Trangie, Central West NSW, that we finally had the opportunity to meet.

Mick was working in the area as an agronomist but had grown up on a sheep and cattle grazing property in Gundagai NSW. I still find it hard to believe that after travelling around the world and five years living in the biggest city in Australia that my best friend was actually all this time waiting for me at home!

After nearly three years of dating, Mick proposed at the front gates of my parent’s property. We were flying to Europe the next day for a friend’s wedding and had ducked out to Mum and Dad’s to drop our our Kelpie and Labrador off for my parents to babysit while we were away. Before I go any further I should also mention that three years before we met, Mick had bought a Kelpie and never thinking that one day he’d marry someone with the same name, decided to call his dog Tina (I think Napoleon Dynamite might have been in the cinemas at the time).

The day he proposed it was a horrible cold wet winter’s day and Mick had tried without success to get me to go for a ride on the quad bike with him, which I later found out was when he had planned to proposed. So with plan A failing, Mick had to quickly come up with plan B and as we drove over the front ramp, we hurdle to a stop as he claimed he thought something was hanging out the back door. Peering over into the back seat I noticed he grabbed something out of his coat pocket. Eyes glued to him he then ran around the back of the ute, opened my door and dropped to one knee with the ring in his hand.

Only seconds after I’d said yes, Mick’s kelpie Tina who is now affectionately known as T-dog, ran past us and jumped into the passenger seat of the ute. She had followed us from the house and we decided she was either coming to congratulate us or screaming nooooooo don’t do it!!!!   

What DIY projects did you do accomplish for the wedding?

Mick’s Mum Carol was our DIY guru making over 200 jars of homemade jams and relish’s which we used as favours at the wedding.

We received messages months after the wedding from guests letting us know how good they were and asking if they could put in an order for some more. My favourite would definitely be the Apricot Jam closely followed by the Tomato Relish!

Mick’s dad Graeme also spent countless hours on the lawn mower getting the site into pristine condition. Apart from a few ant holes, it would’ve been fit to play croquet on when he was done!

What sort of vibe were you aiming to create for the day?

We really wanted a relaxed country wedding with an elegant vibe. Having the marquee in the middle of a sheep paddock provided the relaxed country element and the black tie dress code helped to give it that elegant feel.   

What traditions did you involve during your big day?

The one tradition that I absolutely loved was ringing the church bells after we were married. We chose to have the ceremony in a gorgeous little Anglican Church in Gundagai NSW. As soon as I saw it, I fell in love with it. It was the cutest, most unique little church I had ever seen. Outside, under a mass of wisteria, was the church bell that a friend sounded as we walked out of the chapel.

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

My biggest bit of advice is to have a wet weather plan! It was one of the wettest years on record and with the Murrumbidgee River almost bursting at the seams, our hopes of putting a marquee up near the river were swallowed by the persistent wet weather.

In the end, we had to go with plan B and moved the venue to higher ground on the property. In the end, this turned out to be better than our original plan as the location provided breathtaking views of the property and the surrounding area. It also turned out to be a perfect location for our wedding photos.

What does marriage mean to you?

I think marriage is a celebration of finding that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with. It’s about bringing everyone you love together to say hey, this is the person I’m going to laugh, cry, and face the joys and challenges of life with.

What was your favourite moment on your wedding day?

Walking out of the church hand-in-hand with my husband and greeting all our family and friends. It is so magical getting to share such a special day with all your favourite people in the world.

Tell us any funny stories that surrounded your wedding?

I’m not sure if it’s been long enough for it to be considered funny yet but I was slightly ill on the day of our wedding so we had to make a quick trip to the Gundagai hospital between the ceremony and reception. I suppose looking back on it, the sight of a bride walking through the hospital corridors in her wedding dress would have been one to see! After a quick visit to the hospital, we hummed down the highway in our Rolls Royce to the reception just in time to capture the last light for photos.

Ceremony song?

“You’ve got the Love” acoustic version of Florence & The Machine by Rennie Adams (finalist on this season of The Voice) and “I Belong to You” by the Dead Letter Chorus.

First dance song?

“Riptide” by Vance Joy.

Keen to check out some more NSW wedding venues? Click here.

CREDITS: Photos Georgie James Photography // Flowers Native Botanical  // Ceremony St John’s Anglican Church // Reception private property // Catering Embellish Catering // Stationery Vistaprint // Bridal gown Carolina Herrera via David Jones  // Brides shoes Alan Pinkus  // Accessories Francesca Jewellery // Bridesmaid dresses Sheike // Grooms and groomsmen suits Institchu // Ties OOTA // Rings Kings Hall Jewellers // Hair Sass Hair Dezign // Makeup Gypsy Girl Beauty // Music Rennie Adams // Celebrant Reverand Yvonne Gunning // Transport Rollz Unique Car Hire //  Event hire Riverina Party Hire