Another nice day for a white wedding

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Another nice day for a white wedding

5th September.



I peeled my eyes open and as usual Andy brought me a cup of tea, I felt rough this morning, my cold had landed on my chest. I needed to get on top of this as I am doing photographs for the bride and groom today, I gave them a commitment and despite how I felt, it would all happen and besides we were looking forward to another country property wedding.



Helen had already very kindly raided her medicine cabinet, I had every possible cold and flu remedy on hand, by the time I got out of bed I was feeling almost human again.



I appeared in the kitchen to find Andy and Helen, Robert had already gone out to do sheep things, farm life never stops even on the weekend. But Robert is under strict instruction to be back in time to shower and change for the wedding as we would be leaving Woodstock at 1.00pm sharp.



After a light breakfast, I made sure my camera equipment was fully functioning, ok I had already done that but needed to be sure that it was all good. That done, we all decided to get some fresh air and took a walk down the lane to the farm entrance. Guilt must have got the better of Kimba, as cosy as she was sitting on the veranda, she decided reluctantly walk along side us and she followed us down the lane. Andy even had to open a gate for her to walk through, her age is perhaps more noticeable to her now, she used to squeeze underneath the gates. We are competing with each other and have synced our Fitbits for a challenge.



The morning had started off foggy, we hoped that it would brighten up for the afternoon, but as long as it is not wet today, then that’s all that really mattered, we enjoyed our walk but by the time we got back to the homestead, the sun was really trying to come through and the day was warming up nicely.



The morning rolled on, Robert reappeared on time, and we all got ready for the wedding, despite the day warming nicely, we did know that once the sun went down the spring air would bring a chill that can bite, so we put scarves and coats in too!



I don’t know how many times we have said it but the Riverina is just beautiful, the rolling hills, the Murrumbidgee flowing through its heart and plenty of water right now, the drive over to Tarcutta was stunning and a reminder of how much we miss this countryside.



Driving up the track on our friends property, we see the signposts entitled “Daniel and Lorina” directing us to “The Ceremony” and “The Reception”, we chose “The Ceremony” and disappeared up another long windy track, uphill and through the paddock to where a man was standing directing us where to park.



There was nothing marked as to where the ceremony itself was taking place, but there were a few chairs indicating an area off to one side with a stunning view over the land.



While we waited a taxi pulled up and a young couple got out, very well dressed, we pondered the taxi and wondered how often the local taxi’s come out and drive up these long and winding farm roads, it would have been a pretty decent fare all the way from Wagga Wagga.



We got out into the now bright sunshine, but the wind that was whipping across the hilltop was a little bit chilly. I wandered around took a few photos and watched people arrive, eventually I saw a familiar face, Julie, I remembered her from Josh and Erica’s Wedding, she came over and said she was the “other” photographer, I asked if there was an official photographer, but apparently we were it.



Julie pulled out a piece of paper which contained a very short brief of the photographs that the bride and groom particularly wanted, the rest was up to us. I was looking forward to getting some nice casual and random shots of the wedding party. We surveyed the area to decide where the post ceremony family photos would be done, the problem now is the bright sunshine and how to do the photographs without having shade, shadow and sun in the eyes! Of course taking in the stunning views.



At some point the Celebrant turned up, she looked very quirky, made haste to set up and then sat down to review her ceremony notes.



The Groom and his Best Men arrived, Daniel the Groom and Josh his Best Man, hard to believe that no more than six months ago it was the other way around. It was exciting to be here again and there is nothing like an Australian Country Wedding!



Julie and I loitered away from the other guests, we were told which way the Bride would be coming from and that would be way back over the hill in the opposite direction from which we came.



Traditionally late we eventually see a vehicle, with the Bride and her bridesmaids, they all got out and everyone fussed around Lorina who was looking stunning in her wedding dress.



Ok so I won’t bore you with the details of the wedding, but at the crucial moment of the Celebrant announcing Daniel and Lorina as Husband and Wife, a chorus of cows mooed from the paddocks below, very uncanny as they did the same at Josh and Erica’s wedding. it was great to see Daniel and Lorina tie the knot in front of family and friends and to us to see many familiar faces among the guests.



Julie and I took some formal family photos, I found Andy, Helen and Robert for a brief chat, I was heading out into the paddocks for some more pictures, while Andy, Helen, Robert and the other guests went down to the machinery sheds for a drink and await the reception.



Julie and I head off with Jo’s Dad, the Bride, Groom, bridesmaids and the best men all head off back over the hill and down into the valley on the other side, where there is a crop growing looking lush and Green, growing and waiting for the summer sunshine to brown it all off for harvesting.



Amazingly we all pull up, everyone jumps out and we all head into the crop. Fortunately the ground is no soaking wet, but it is damp, the bride completely undeterred is getting amongst it and enjoying the moment.



I don’t really know how long we were out there, I lost track of time, we were instructed not to return to the reception venue before 5.00 as Jo had to feed the calves. We made the most of the time and not only enjoying the sunshine, we enjoyed the environment we were in, fairly stunning countryside and what an amazing place to live. We traipsed through paddocks, walked around the edges of the dams, up in the rocky hillside, chatted to the cows who were interested in what was happening today.



We even wanted to get photos of the bride and groom walking back down the lane, but every time we lined the shot up, another car would appear over the brow of the hill. Then it was onto the machinery and in true country wedding style, there was no problem having photographs done with the machinery and no worry about the dress getting grubby, it was a given.



Fortunately for me, I caught Helen red handed in the cold room grabbing some wine, she bought my silence by bringing me and Julie a glass each, and a tray of nibbles! They went down well and quite quickly, I had held out well for the day and it was time to go inside and await the official arrival of the bride and groom to their reception.



The music was already in full swing, but quietened down for the meal and the speeches, the set up was as before the huge barn doors, pulled back to reveal the dance floor encased in huge bales of hay, and we know this to be Woodstock Hay as Robert had delivered them earlier today.

The food was great, the company was great and what another fab wedding, we danced a little but by 11pm I was shattered, and so was everyone else, we said our goodbyes and left everyone to it and Robert drove us back to Woodstock.



I was keen to fall into bed and dose up on more cold and flu tablets, but the next exciting bit for me would be to look at the wedding photos in the morning.



Well, as it turned out it was Another Nice Day for a White Wedding!





kJ

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Photos

Lorina and Daniel
Such an amazing view in the background!

Moo
Even the cows wanted in on the action

Tiptoe across the water
Australians sure know how to put on a country wedding!

Daniel and Lorina's Wedding Day
Standing on the Front End Loader