It’s not often that big life events double up, but Sylvie and Joel had reason to celebrate both the purchase of their first house and their engagement, all in the same evening! Plans for a camp out in their new home swiftly turned to cocktails on the town once Joel popped the question. Their relaxed and stylish festival wedding set in rural Victoria was yet another cause for celebration, captured by photographer, Caroline Sada and videographer, Me and My Camera.

With no specific theme in mind, the couple designed their wedding around a loose brief of ‘relaxed festival vibes in a country/bush setting’. They let the tranquil location set the overall style of the day, sharing “We just wanted it to be a reflection of all the things we love – good food, good drink, good music, good people and good vibes!”  The whole wedding was held on Sylvie’s family property near Harcourt, regional Victoria. For the ceremony, they chose a spot in front of two trees that created a natural frame and constructed an arbour adorned with beautiful blooms in autumnal tones, with a focus on Australian natives by the talents at Castlemaine Floristy.

Sylvie and Joel’s big day was a major DIY effort and involved a lot of help from family and friends. “All styling of the ceremony and reception was a collaboration with friends and family members, but most of all my brother,” Sylvie explains. “He took our vision and brought our dream bush wedding festival to life (he even built the bar in the reception area himself!) I designed the invites, Joel designed the stubbie holders and my stepsister did all the vase flower arrangements.”

The pair devised a reveal of their reception in two parts, beginning with champagne and canapes at the house overlooking the dam. Then, as the sun was setting, everyone was led over the creek, across a bridge to a boho bush festival setting with a marquee, stage, custom built bar and relaxed festival styling. The bride shares, “We had three music sets from Billy Barker & Ruby Gill, then GUMS and finally Kashmere Club. Food was served from the Round The Way Food Truck (the most delicious bagel burgers) and they also supplied our dessert – we decided to skip the traditional cake cutting and had mini crème brulees instead! It really was just one, big, love-filled party and so much fun!”