Good morning lovelies! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are looking forward to all the week has to offer. Here on Chic Vintage Brides we’re starting the week in the best possible way, with a truly stylish DIY wedding. And one that proves, whatever you may think now, rain won’t spoil your day….but it does pay to have a wet weather contingency!

Leah & Clint wanted a relaxed wedding surrounded by the beautiful Australian countryside and instantly fell in love with the heritage listed homestead and grounds of Montrose Berry Farm – and I can understand why! Surrounded by a working berry farm this venue sounds like my idea of heaven!

“We wanted a more casual country affair surrounded by nature. When we visited Montrose Berry Farm we felt like it was perfect. Intimate, quaint and the lush greenery was gorgeous. I wanted to keep the decor vintage but with a country feel as our location was a farm. I sourced vintage printed plates, glasses and some furniture from op-shops and had hints of burlap and lace. We made furniture for the outdoor area from hay bales with lace coverings.”

This wedding, described as “Vintage Country Chic’ by the ever so talented Leah, has it all – a stunning venue, a handmade juliet cap veil, the prettiest lace ivory bridesmaid dresses, gorgeous DIY details that are sure to enchant and inspire you oh and a cute as a button ringbearer; and nothing, not even the weather, could put a dampener on proceedings as precious as these…..

See what I mean? Before we immerse ourselves in all of the pretty though, I just want to share a quick snippet from Leah on Clint’s incredibly romantic proposal. I do so love a well planned proposal…..”We dated for 5 years before we got engaged on a weekend away at Perisher. It was quite a sentimental setting as that is where we both first said the L word. Clint had planned to do it on the snow fields but was so scared of losing the ring he never ended up taking it out of his pocket. It had just snowed when we got back to the lodge and it looked beautiful so we went for a walk. Clint got down on one knee and asked me to marry him while looking over the beautiful mountains. It was very romantic….. and cold.” It seems the weather is a recurring theme for these two love birds!

I love Leah’s dress with its structured bodice above the removable skirt of dreamy silk tulle – just perfect for whipping off when the party started! “I wanted a very simple dress but wasn’t able to find anything that I liked, I looked for months. I got my bridesmaids dresses made by Rachelle’s Couture and decided to get my dress made.”

Oh and the clever thing actually made that stunning veil herself!

After setting up and decorating their venue ready for an outdoor ceremony, every couple’s nightmare became Leah & Clint’s reality and the heavens opened. But if you needed any more convincing that on the day rain simply doesn’t matter take a read of Clint’s favourite moment from the day “There was a moment that I won’t forget standing under the deck of the house waiting for Leah and the bridesmaids to get there. It was raining, the guests were squashed in and we were trying to set up the speakers and PA system in the pouring rain. I was getting pretty stressed and everything seemed to going wrong, but then I looked up…. just about every guest was just standing there, smiling and happy, and sort of laughing at everything going around. From that moment on everything just started to chill out and all I could think about was how happy the rest of my life was about to be with Leah.” Aww doesn’t it make you melt??

Leah’s favourite moment was pretty similar…. “My favourite part of the day, was walking down the aisle and seeing my husband at the end waiting for me. Thinking finally the moment I had been waiting for was here.”

(aah isn’t that the happiest smile you have ever seen? I love it!)

Luckily for Leah & Clint, just after their first kiss as husband and wife, the sun came out from behind the clouds and the fabulous John Benavente was able to work his magic, capturing some absolutely stunning portraits…..

Leah was one determined bride – determined to keep within her budget but still create a wedding that would be beautiful and memorable “We wanted to try and stick to a budget and luckily I’m quite handy at the DIY. I made, sourced and designed the decor myself.I visited the flower markets the morning before the wedding and made the bridal party bouquets. I wasn’t able to find the things I envisioned so decided to make them. A few of my DIYs included the LOVE sign, lace covers, garlands, the Bon Voyage case.”

I love this detail of name tags for the glasses! They even created a sign to sit along side them that read “Here’s your glass for the night…. Write your name so it stays in sight, and fill it to the brim with whatever tastes right!”

Pearls of Wedding Wisdom….

Usually these words come from the bride, but I couldn’t resist sharing Clint’s thoughts on the wedding planning process “Pay someone else to do it and enjoy your weekend without the stress!”:) It is definitely wise not to take on too much. If you’re planning DIY projects rope in friends and family to help out – they will love being given the opportunity to contribute to your big day in a meaningful way.

“We had quite a few hiccups leading up to the wedding.The night before Clint had to spend hours in the ER with our son, we thought he had dislocated his elbow. Luckily it was only sprained, but he had to have his little arm in a sling for the wedding. Leading up to the ceremony we were very unsure of the weather, it had been raining all week and the morning of the wedding was looking promising. We had been planning to have our ceremony outdoors in the front garden but after the guests had arrived, as they were waiting for me, it started raining. Everyone had to be hurried under the cottage verandah and we ended up having a very intimate ceremony with all our guests huddled together. It was actually quite special.” I would say for all the stress leading up to and on the big day, it was worth it looking at the contented joy on this face…..

Wishing the happy couple Leah & Clint, and their gorgeous son, a lifetime of happiness. A big thankyou to them and photographer John Benavente for allowing me to share this gorgeous vintage country chic wedding with you. If, like me, you can’t get enough of it, then you can see more here on John‘s blog. You can also follow John on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

What do you think, have you been inspired to take on any DIY projects? Are you planning on wearing any handmade pieces on your wedding day? I am quite envious of you crafty and creative brides, sadly I can barely sew on a button!

Amy

x

Photography ~ John Benavente // Wedding Dress ~ Rachelle’s Couture // Veil ~ Made by Leah (the bride) // Bridesmaids Dresses ~ Rachelle’s Couture // Flower Crown ~ FlowerkinCreations via Etsy // Shoes ~ The Iconic // Flowers ~ Annettes Florist // Grooms Suit ~ Politix // Grooms Shoes ~ Topman // Groomsmen Attire ~ Shirt Industrie and Trousers Marcs // Bow Ties ~ Otaa // Reception and Ceremony ~ Montrose Berry Farm, NSW // Catering ~ Angels Catering Service // Stationery ~ Clint Crothers // Hair ~ Hair by Kristen // Makeup ~ Emma McGill