All the inspiration you need for the ultimate country wedding

BRIDESMAID DRESSES

If you plan to stray from the well-trod matchy-matchy path, might we suggest you take your cue from these floral creations. Penny Sheehan’s bridesmaids (above) wore designs of their own choosing (you can see more of her beautiful garden party wedding here), while Kate Pini’s bridal party (below) wore dresses by Hannah Artwear. 

STATEMENT JEWELLERY

No mere afterthought, the custom Calleija cuff Kim Eckstein (above) wore for her stunning Scenic Rim wedding plays up the intricate detail of her beaded dress – and will no doubt be a treasured piece for years to come. As for Glen Innes bride Melanie (below), we can’t decide what we love most: her flower-filled hairpiece or beaded earrings. 

WEDDING HATS

If fascinators are the hallmark of a royal wedding, a felted broad-brim is the country wedding equivalent. Here, we have Ariana Dyson and Bradley Pugh, of Mingela, Queensland, going all-out with couple’s hats. As for Ben Terry, he wasn’t taking any chances with the Townsville sun on his big day: all six of his groomsmen wore straw hats from Shep’s Outfitters. (You can see more of Ben and Amy Meehan’s horse-filled wedding here.)

BRIDAL BOUQUETS

Glen Innes bride Melanie (below right) makes another appearance, this time with her whimsical bouquet. It’s the handiwork of Newcastle’s The Naked Florist, where Melanie worked while she was at uni.

We also love Kate Harding’s mix of natives and coloured roses. “We were really lucky to have a family friend do the flowers for us,” says Kate, who grew up on Gorrie Station in the Northern Territory. “She sourced most of them from markets in South Australia, where she lives, and drove them up for us.” You can read all about Kate and Jake Nelder’s Top End wedding here.   

“We wanted lots of Australian natives with pops of colour to complement the girls’ dresses and the location,” says Kate.

WEDDING ARCHES

It’s another North Queensland wedding! This time, we have Riley and Jock Oates (below) who married at the North Queensland Elite Rodeo Grounds beneath the most gorgeous floral arch – the creation of local business Oh Poppi. We also love the pared-back arch Hannah and Jake Oster chose for their nuptials, held at Jake’s family’s cropping farm on the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. 

RECEPTION TABLE SETTINGS

Fairy lights are always a good idea — just take a look at this setting from Ruby and Nic’s wedding at Earlando cattle farm on the Whitsunday Coast (to see Ruby’s gorgeous non-traditional wedding dress, click here). Interior designer Penny Sheehan (she of the gorgeous bridesmaids’ dresses) is once again serving us inspiration. This time, we’re taking notes on her stunning table settings, which featured 200 thrifted vases and tablecloths made from hand-printed calico sourced from India. 

“I wanted the day to feel special and unlike a wedding anyone had ever been to before,” says Penny, “Not because I wanted it to be a better wedding than anyone else’s, but I wanted my wedding day to stay with people because of all the special little elements I included.”