Anna and Adam arranged their dream wedding in just four months

The first thing Anna Hawkins and Adam Gellert fell in love with was each other’s smile. “The saying ‘when you know, you know’, really was true for us,” says Anna, who grew up on a farm at Frances in the south-east of South Australia. The pair met briefly at Dunkeld races in 2013, but they were both busy with other things at that stage. When they reconnected seven years later in the thick of COVID-19 lockdowns, their attraction was instant. “When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible,” says Anna.

Adam, who is the fourth generation to manage his family’s business — Clanvale Farms at Willaura, Victoria — proposed to Anna at the end of 2022 and they planned their big day in just four months. “We were so determined to have an autumn wedding, which didn’t leave us much time, but the A-team accepted the challenge,” says Anna. They pulled it off in a spectacular fashion, celebrating their nuptials in an intimate ceremony at Victoria’s Tabor Bethlehem Lutheran Church, followed by a reception 30 minutes away at the beautiful Chatsworth House. Anna’s advice to other couples is to do things your way. “It’s your day, so the more ‘you’ it is, the more relaxed you’ll be. Remain grounded and let it all unfold.”

LISTEN: Melinda O’Donoghue is known as the Outback Wedding Dressmaker. Article continues below.

IN DETAIL

Bar
Fodder Box + Bar operates in a converted horse float. “Henham was an absolute delight and ran such a professional bar. Our guests never saw the bottom of their glasses,” says Anna.

Dress & veil
Custom-made by Claire Home Designs. “Claire brought my vision to life and so much more.”

Event hire
Pure Vibe Event Hire.

Event management & styling
“Ginnie from VC Events Australia and Sophie from Swish Events were incredible. It was a day we will never forget, and these amazing women played a huge part in that.”

Flowers
By Ash Ranken of Yellow House Flower Farm. “Ash created timeless and romantic floral pieces of simple design,” says Anna.

Food
Anna Jamieson Catering. “Everyone was impressed by the food. We completely trusted Anna to choose our menu.”

Hair
Jess Bubb and Naomi Lee.

Makeup
Abbey Edwards and Jodi Leahy from Miss Kit.

Marquee
Twilight Glamping.

Menswear
Mens Suit Warehouse.

Music 
Baker Boys Band kept everyone dancing.

Photographer
Felicity Stubbs. “Flick’s relaxed bubbly personality made taking photos a breeze. We felt so comfortable with her all day and will be forever grateful for all the memories she captured,” says Anna.

Rings
Engagement ring from Leskes Jewellers and wedding ring from Ian Pattison Jewellers. leskesjewellers.com.au;

Signage
The bride made the signage herself. “Two weeks out from the wedding, I bought a Cricut and went crazy.”

Stationery
Anna’s sister Laura Hawkins. “Curvy, colourful and classy was the brief and it was everything we dreamt of.”

Vases
Anna’s other sister Kirsty Hawkins, from Noss & Co. “The vases added such a special touch to our styling,” says Anna.

Videographer
Annabelle Haynes at Sol Media. “Annabelle has a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling.”

Transport
Trotters Coaches.

Venue
Chatsworth House, Victoria. “From the moment we drove into Chatsworth, we knew we had found the perfect wedding venue,” says Anna. “It was picturesque and accommodated family members along with some guests. When guests continue to talk about your wedding venue for weeks after the day, you know you’ve got it right.”

Subscribe to Graziher and never miss an issue of your favourite magazine! Already a subscriber? You can gift a subscription to someone special in your life. 

To hear more extraordinary stories about women living in rural and regional Australia, listen to our podcast Life on the Land on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.