After heavy rain destroyed their initial wedding plans, Claudia and Michael turned to the little town where their love story began

Claudia Kuerschner and Michael Simounds had planned their dream day down to a tee. It was set to be a beautiful bush wedding at Claudia’s sister and brother-in-law’s station near Menindee, New South Wales. Everything was organised. Lights were hung, tables and chairs were set up, the sheds and shearer’s quarters were spotless. And then, it rained…

“A few days before the wedding, we were hit with a 75 millimetre downpour and no guests were able to get into the property due to the access road being dirt,” says Claudia, 25, who works for Elders Insurance in Broken Hill. She and her groom-to-be, Michael, 31, had to postpone the wedding. “All the hard work we put in to make the day perfect was just gone. Friends had travelled from all over Australia and already arrived in Broken Hill for the big day, so it was awful to tell them to turn around and go home,” Claudia recalls. “We had spent all our money on the wedding, so reality hit hard when we realised we had to replan the whole thing. I think I cried for three days straight.”

The couple decided their next wedding attempt would be on a fully sealed road and somewhere with low rainfall. They set a date for a year later, this time on the red soil and rocks at Tibooburra, one of the most remote towns in outback New South Wales. “It’s close to my mum and dad’s sheep property, Peak Hill station, and I wanted to get some wedding photos taken at home,” explains Claudia, who is the fifth generation in her family to grow up at Peak Hill.

Tibooburra is also where the newlyweds officially became a couple, at the local rodeo six years earlier. Claudia convinced her dad that he should employ Michael, a boilermaker in Broken Hill, as the new worker at Peak Hill, and the pair never looked back.

“It was really special to have the wedding there. I was a lot more casual the second time around,” Claudia remembers. “It really was the best day of our lives.”

Tibooburra is known for its wildlife, so when two emus decided to wander over while the bridal party were posing for photos, the couple’s photographer took the opportunity to capture the unique moment. “One of them came right up to us and was very interested in my bouquet,” says the bride. “I was in heels, my wedding dress and a long veil. I had no exit plan if the emu came closer, but it certainly made for a memorable photo.”

Claudia’s advice to other couples who might have to change their wedding plans at the last minute is to embrace what has happened and make the most of replanning your special day. “Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything you don’t want to do,” she suggests. “Don’t sweat the small stuff: it’s actually not important. The more casual you are, the happier you’ll be. Have fun because the day goes way too fast.”

IN DETAIL

Bride’s dress

Claudia wore the Pronovias dress from Jenny and Gerry’s Bridal Centre in Adelaide. “The staff were very professional, and I can’t recommend them enough,” she says.

Bridesmaids’ dresses

The bridesmaids wore black dresses from Noodz Boutique online.

Celebrant

Rebecca Bunyan from Booligal, New South Wales. “Bec officiated for my sister and brother-in-law, and we thought she’d be the perfect person to marry us,” says Claudia. “She made the ceremony feel important and fun.”

Flowers

“Paige from Botanik Floral Designs was amazing to work with. We spoke about what I was looking for and she created the most beautiful arrangements for our day,” says Claudia.

Hair

Sarah Oates from Broken Hill, New South Wales, and Cheyenne Hamilton from Strathalbyn, South Australia, did the hair for the girls. “Both of these hairdressers are my good friends, so when they said yes to doing the bridal party hair, I couldn’t have been happier,” says the bride.

Make up

“Mick’s cousin Jess from Mulgundawa, South Australia, is a freelance make-up artist, so choosing who I was going to ask to do our make-up was not a hard task,” says Claudia. “She was just a dream to deal with on our day, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

Menswear

The men wore RM Williams pants from Wallers in Mildura, Victoria, with leather belts from Kent Saddlery. Their shirts were from Peter Shearer in Mount Barker, South Australia.

Music

The Parle Brothers from Mildura, Victoria. “The boys played classic songs and created the most perfect ambience for our wedding,” says the bride.

Photographer

Jayde Cluff of Jayde Creative Co. Claudia was very pleased with the creativity of the photographs Jayde took to capture the day. “Jayde was so relaxed and made the day casual and fun. Nothing was staged and we just went with the moment. Absolutely love Jayde’s work.”

Rings

Offe Jewellers in Mount Barker, South Australia. “They are a family-owned store and hand-make their jewellery,” says the bride. “I absolutely love my engagement ring.”

Venue

The reception was held in the new beer garden at the Tibooburra Hotel, locally known as ‘The Two Storey’. “A couple of years ago there was a huge fire that almost burnt the hotel down. I had seen their beautiful renovations after the fire and knew it was where I wanted to have the reception. It’s a stunning venue and Tracey and the catering team were a dream to deal with,” says Claudia.

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