A thrifty, DIY, country wedding with an environmentally friendly focus, this VIC couple prove you can still pull off a beautiful, personalised day without the need for a huge budget and piles of waste. Married at Estate Trentham, a cosy cottage just 1 hour outside of Melbourne, Nikita and Nick only needed help from a few key vendors to highlight the property’s charm. Liz Barnes shares all the stunning images below.

Bride, Groom and Bridal Party Outfits

A mix of both new and old garments, Nikita and Nick only purchased clothing for themselves and their bridal party where necessary, instead wanting to utilise pre-owned and thrifted items. “Some bridesmaid dresses were thrifted, one was from Fame and Partners, another from ASOS and my sister wore a dress that she already had in her closet,” shares Nikita. “We didn’t want them to purchase anything if they could avoid it because it gets expensive and wasteful very quickly.” The groom and groomsmen followed the same ethos – Nick wore his dad’s wedding suit, while the groomsmen wore blazers/accessories they already owned, paired with new Uniqlo pants. Nikita on the other hand purchased her dress from Fame and Partners but gave the garment a slight tweak. “I decided the dress needed a little bit more flare so I recruited my seamstress, Nan, to help create a glittery overlay inspired by wedding dresses on Pinterest,” says Nikita.

Intimate Ceremony at Estate Trentham

Wanting a small space that wouldn’t need a heap of styling, Estate Trentham was a perfect fit for Nikita and Nick. “I also knew from the start that I was going to be doing a bunch of DIY (I can’t help myself) so I needed a venue that gave us plenty of time to set up and pack down,” recalls Nikita. Their ceremony was short, sweet and small with only 50 guests. “Our celebrant Nicola (Mrs Jones) did an incredible job telling our story and added the most beautiful quotes and poems,” says Nikita. “We didn’t want anything too drawn out or corny for our ceremony and she hit that perfect balance of romantic, personal and funny.”

Photography by Liz Barnes

One of the first vendors booked, Nikita and Nick were super impressed by Liz, who they describe as relaxed and understated. “She did a brilliant job of just blending in and capturing the moments on the day, despite the added challenge of the rain,” remembers Nikita. “The photos are all absolutely incredible and her professionalism made working with her extremely easy and stress free.”

 Barnyard Reception at Estate Trentham

To kick off the reception, guests enjoyed a grazing table filled with local produce collected and cooked by Nikita’s mum (Heartlands Larder), self-serve cocktails and a shared dinner catered by Pot and Pan who had guests raving with their rustic home-style cooking. Filling the space with mostly thrifted and homemade décor, the couple tells us the styling tied together seamlessly with the simple, blank canvas of the barn and the incredible florals by Wildly Flora and Fleur de Lyonville. “We chose to style our own bouquets and table displays with flowers sourced from Fleur de Lyonville, a sustainable bee-safe flower farm, though they didn’t need much styling because the flowers were already stunning – perfect for the DIY bride on a budget,” says Nikita.

 A Note on DIY

“I went a bit overboard with DIY elements but it meant everything was personalised and had sentimental value,” says Nikita “There were so many details that friends and family helped me DIY and it was so much fun styling everything with my wedding party the day before. To see it all together so perfectly was a bit surreal, but we were both so happy with the outcome.”