Real Wedding // Anthea & Michael’s byronviewfarm Wedding

Anthea & Michael capture a truly unique atmosphere at byronviewfarm where warm autumn tones and classic old school charm are met with a fresh, modern take.  Witness how this is brilliantly presented through the lens of Ivy Road Photography. Read their love story below.

Tell us your story, how did you both meet?
Michael: We met while working at Video Ezy together over ten years ago. I remember meeting Anthea on my first shift. Her beauty struck me instantly but unfortunately she was already taken! We were both very nervous young adults at the time and we got to know each other via MSN Messenger and social media. Our first date was to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda.

How did the proposal happen?
Michael: I had planned to propose to Anthea on the top of Miyajima in Japan because we both have fond memories of spending time there during our school and university years. However, as recent graduates, I couldn’t afford a ring so I came up with the idea of tricking her into thinking she had lost a ‘promise ring’ I had given her about one year into our relationship. I saw great symbolism and romanticism in my scheme due to what the ring represents to me. In hindsight, this was a terrible idea because I neglected to take into full consideration the fact that Anthea wore this ring every day. Upon witnessing how distraught she was when she realised it was missing, I couldn’t contain my lie and she foiled my entire plan pretty quickly.

Despite the discovery of my tomfoolery, I told her that I was going to propose to her whether she liked it or not. I dragged her all the way up to the top of the mountain on the island in extreme heat which simply made her a bit cranky with me. When we reached the top, I admitted that my plan was terrible and as a matter of respect for her, I promised to do a better job another time.

I decided to take Anthea for a walk down to Rikkyo University as she had studied there while on exchange during her business studies. Rikkyo boasts a very beautiful campus and I wanted to make the most of that for her special moment. Alas, when we turned up at the gates of Rikkyo they were locked. Again, feeling defeated we decided to return back to our hotel. As we turned around from the gates of Rikkyo we happened be across from a pretty wedding venue and dress shop. I thought to myself ‘that works’ and proposed to her then and there.

What were the reasons for choosing byronviewfarm as the venue for your special day?
Michael: I have a love of ethical fair chase hunting and the outdoors. Despite growing up in the city, spending time in the Australian bush is a very meaningful thing for me and I see great beauty in nature. I wanted to share that experience with our friends and family on our special day.

We visited the venue and both instantly knew it was the place. It has such a calming, laid back feeling, and those views are one in a million.

What style were you striving for with your table settings, florals and reception? Was there a certain look or vibe that you wanted to create?
Anthea: We wanted something that enhanced the features of the amazing venue and was reflective of our personalities. The outdoor setting of the cottage veranda was perfect; it allowed us to breathe the fresh Byron air while still protecting us from the elements. I adore pastels and I wanted most of the colour in our decorations to come from the flowers, so the brief I gave Estelle from The French Petal was dusty blues and pinks. She absolutely nailed it with the arrangements hanging over the dining tables! For everything else we kept it very simple with wood textures and white. We then added little details to represent us. The antlers over the arbour reflected Michael’s love of hunting and involvement in the Australian Deer Association. For me, I love anything sparkly so we added the glittery feathers in the table settings.

Were there any vendors that you particularly loved working with and why?
Anthea: All of our vendors were amazing! I can be a real perfectionist as well as a stresshead which doesn’t make for the best combination, but they were all so attentive and willing to help in any way they could to make our day incredible.

A couple of special mentions… Shelley from Ivy Road Photography. Upon seeing Shelley’s work we knew immediately that we wanted her to be our photographer, and made sure she was available before we locked in our date with the venue. Shelley was such a pro, she was amazing at knowing where we needed to be even when we didn’t. She even found time to help my brother out with decorating our cake!

Our Celebrant James McLauchlan. James has such a laid back persona, which is exactly what we were looking for in a celebrant. His guidance made planning our ceremony a breeze.

Che from byronviewfarm/Figtree. Che went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed, and he didn’t let any dilemma faze him.  We can’t thank him enough for his warmth and hospitality.

Byron Bay Weddings. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without BBW, Nicole made everything so easy! It was such a relief to have her looking after us, answering all my silly questions (there were A LOT) and taking care of little details so that I didn’t have to. I was so calm on the morning of the wedding because I knew I was in such good hands!

Overall, what was your most favourite part of your wedding day and why?
Michael: Marrying the love of my life.

Anthea: CAKE! Just kidding, although the cake was pretty high on my list of favourite things. The whole day was so incredibly surreal, but I think my favourite part of the day was after everyone left and we finally had a moment to stop. We sat outside the cottage looking out at the farm and it just hit us, we were married.

Anthea & Michael

Suppliers
Venue: byronviewfarm // Hair: Alex Ouston // Celebrant: James McLauchlan // Photographer: Ivy Road Photography // Florist: The French Petal // Catering: Fig Tree Catering // Drinks: The Cellar Bottle Shops // Lighting: Byron Audio // Furniture & Styling: The Wedding Shed // Planning & Coordination: Byron Bay Weddings