There was never a dull moment for James and Trish in the lead up to their wedding, held at The Barn on Melross – a spectacular NSW barn venue in the Southern Highlands.

Both of Trish’s bridesmaids announced they were pregnant (business opportunists: let it be known there’s a big gap for maternity bridalwear). Trish spent an entire year hand-embroidering personalised favours for all of their guests. And the priest almost didn’t turn up. Truly.

Thankfully, it all came together on the day for an epic celebration that included a serenade from James in front of all their friends and family. Lucky for us, photography and film duo Anthea and Lyndon were there to capture the whole shebang. Take a look.

Tell us about how you met and the proposal?

We met on Tinder! We had some mutual friends, though had never crossed paths before. James was Trish’s first (and last) Tinder date, and within a week of matching, her Tinder days were behind her. Efficient!

For the proposal, we went to the Hunter and stayed at The Longhouse, a converted shearing shed. On the second day, James sang and played on his guitar a song that he had written for the occasion. The last line rhymed with ‘Yes’, so had Trish not accepted, she would have ‘ruined the song’.

What DIY projects did you do accomplish for the wedding?

For one whole year, every spare moment Trish had was spent embroidering bespoke favours for all our guests. We started early, so ended up doing more than what we needed, due to guests pulling out etc, though in the end, the results were amazing. Trish wanted to produce something everyone could keep, and remind them that they were a really special part of our day.

We also did our own flowers, which included the bouquets. A 4am trip to Sydney Flower Market meant the early bride catches the blooms. We used Australian natives, partly because of their staying power, though mostly because we love them and think they are some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. All of our guests were encouraged to take these as they left the reception.

Also, as Melross was essentially a blank canvas, we set up and decorated the reception venue ourselves; from the table configuration, to the table settings, the flower centrepieces, the lighting, to the d-floor, we did it all.

What advice would you give to other couples leading up to their big day?

Plan when you’re still running off all the excitement, so you can relax in the latter stages of the engagement. Also, get the makeup and hair done early. You may think you have all the time, but it’s nice to have a couple of hours chilling out before the ceremony. Lipstick touch ups are no biggies, though stressing because you’re late is just annoying.

What does marriage mean to you?

James and I have a mantra which is ‘never stop trying’. It basically means that we can’t take each other for granted, that communication doesn’t just happen, and that we need to compromise and respect each other. From the moment we became engaged, and more so when we said our ‘I do’s’, we felt like we would always have a team player by our side, to be comforted by, to be challenged by and to be loved by. It’s an amazing feeling.

And coming from two divorced families, marriage is not something we charged into lightly. Though almost from the moment we met, we just knew.

Any funny stories that surrounded your wedding?

It almost didn’t happen! On the day of the wedding, our MC Stuart dropped by the church to say hello to the priest. He looked bemused and said there wasn’t a wedding taking place there that afternoon. Stuart insisted that yes, there was in fact a wedding taking place there at 3pm (less than four hours away), and that all the guests were in town, and the bride and groom were getting ready at that moment.

Stuart rang James straight away, and after 10 minutes of trying to tell James that this in fact was no prank, James and the best man Matt, jumped straight into the car, and pulled into the Church driveway, just as the priest was about to pull out. James then convinced the priest to marry us at 3pm, in which the priest eventually obliged. Trish was then subtly told she could not be one minute late, or else. As Trish grew up with a Catholic education, and knew those priests don’t mess about, she rushed and was earlier than some of the guests.  Luckily this story was only told to Trish after the ceremony, as with anything in hindsight, you can laugh about it.

Also, during the lead up to the wedding, both bridesmaids announced they were pregnant. A few headaches, sure, though we got on with things and stalked ASOS maternity for months trying to find suitable dresses. There definitely is a gap in the market!

First dance song?

The Zombies – ‘This Will Be Our Year’.

CREDITS: Photos and film Anthea and Lyndon // Flowers Sydney Flower Market // Ceremony St Joseph’s Catholic Church // Reception Melross Estate // Catering Duck Duck Goose Catering // Bridal gown Daalarna via Hope and Page // Brides shoes ASOS // Bridesmaids dresses ASOS and Shona Joy // Groom and groomsmen suit M.J. Bale // Flower crown Little Bird Bloom // Rings Utopian Creations // Grooms shoes Aquila // Ties April Look // Cake Sugablossom Cake Co // Stationery Lauren Owen Design // Hair United Culture Bowral // Makeup MAC // Celebrant Fr Ronan.

Find more NSW South Coast and Southern Highlands wedding venues right here.