Weddings
Catherine & Peter’s Sydney Polo Club Wedding
With a guest list of nearly 200, Catherine and Peter searched high and low for a special venue for their reception, finally discovering the Garden Pavilion at the Sydney Polo Club – the perfect place for their romantic country celebration.
“I didn’t want a function centre reception, as most just aren’t my style,” says Cat, who contacted nearly every venue in and around Sydney before finding this rustic setting in the historic town of Richmond. “We fell in love straight away, it’s such a beautiful venue in a beautiful part of the outskirts of Sydney.”
The club’s natural, foliage-filled aesthetic didn’t need much work, with Cat (an art teacher and graphic designer) adding only a few handmade touches to the pavilion, including a chalkboard sign from Fox & Fallow, and hessian table runners of her own design. She also made the invitations, favours and colourful confetti, taking inspiration from a few different styles (“vintage, rustic and a little boho”), and many an hour on Pinterest.
She married police officer Pete in a Greek Orthodox church, in keeping with his family heritage. The pair had know each other for years, and as luck would have it, finally got together just before Cat moved to the UK. She went (despite Pete’s protests!) knowing their love could survive the distance. “He ended up meeting me over there,” she says, “and the rest is history.”
Cat woke on their wedding day to a photo of her bouquet, sent by Esther from The Sisters Engadine Florist. “It was more beautiful then I had imagined”, she says, and spent the morning slipping into a two-piece, vintage-inspired gown from The Babushka Ballerina. The Brisbane-based boutique was one of the first places she’d visited, where she also found her lace-trim Anna Campbell veil.
Willow & Co playfully captured the couple gallivanting around the green acres, with Cat even donning wellies to greet the resident goats. “I think initially our guests weren’t happy about a wedding on a Friday out in Richmond,” she says, “but once they got to the venue, they understood why we chose it!”
Photography: Willow & Co | Bride’s dress: The Babushka Ballerina | Bride’s shoes: Tony Bianco Bridal Collection | Veil: Anna Campbell | Bridesmaids dresses: Events | Bridesmaids shoes: Nine West | Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits: Roger David | Makeup: Eloise Proust | Ceremony venue: Greek Orthodox Church | Reception venue: Garden Pavilion, Sydney Polo Club | Flowers: The Sisters Engadine Florist | Cakes: Christopher’s Cakes | Chalkboards: Fox & Fallow | Transport: Wedding Cars Direct
Credits