From the English-inspired gardens filled with colourful blooms to the arch bridge spanning the lake and highland cattle roaming the property, it’s easy to understand Gerrie and Michael’s attraction to the historic Mona Farm for their wedding venue. Located in Braidwood in rural NSW, the couple created a whimsical garden party, with romantic floral dreamscapes, jazz music, Negroni cocktails and dancing under the stars to round off the day.

With golden hair, blue eyes and red lips, Gerrie’s beauty was further elevated with her unique wedding-day styling. Her dress featured sheer, voluminous sleeves and delicate floral lace embellishments. Tania Maras worked with Gerrie to create a bespoke veil to complement her ethereal dress, along with a golden hair comb to adorn her low-set bun.

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A weekend-long Celebration

Gerrie and Michael decided to have a long weekend destination wedding, with plenty of time to enjoy the picturesque surroundings with their guests.

“We fell in love with the stunning grounds and English-inspired gardens, as well as the luxury accommodation, artwork and sculptures,” Gerrie enthuses. “Mona Farm does away with some of the hassles of a fully DIY wedding, but still allows a very bespoke experience, and the events management team there are first class.”

The ceremony was filled with memorable and personal elements, with one of Gerrie’s oldest friends, Nicci, as celebrant, a reading of a favourite poem by Gerrie’s brother and a rendition of The Lark Ascending by the Brioso String Quartet in memory of Michael’s Dad.

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Gerrie’s wedding-day look

Instagram, The Lane and Wedshed were Gerrie’s go-to sources for wedding dress inspiration, before deciding on the Cecilia dress from Liz Martinez.

“I fell in love with the voluminous sleeve trend early on but wanted to find something that was still elegant and timeless,” she says. “The intricate and delicate floral lace appliqué on Liz Martinez designs is just breathtaking, and I chose a nude lining for the dress to accentuate the white lace detail.”

Gerrie chose the AUDREY veil, for its light and modern design, which wouldn’t distract from the intricacy and volume of her bridal gown.

“I wanted the back of the dress to be visible and the delicate nature of AUDREY means it streams out narrowly behind you and also catches the wind beautifully,” she says.

Instead of a metal comb, the Tania Maras team attached metal loops, to allow Gerrie’s veil to sit seamlessly under her low-set bun.

“I wanted to wear the veil attaching underneath my hair bun rather than over the top,” explains Gerrie. “Tania and the team came up with a different attachment to a comb so it was easier for my hair stylist to secure the veil. They were also incredibly helpful with explaining the difference between all the veil styles and helping me to achieve the look I was after.”

The abundance of shimmering crystals, pearls and floral elements in the MARION headpiece beautifully complemented the embellishments on Gerrie’s dress.

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Shop this look: MARA birdcage veil | ADELINE pearl headpiece | ATTICUS pearl earrings

Best Advice

“Do away with any traditions that don’t resonate with you and your partner, and invest in those aspects of the day that are most important to you,” advises Gerrie. “Think about your guests’ comfort throughout the day when planning – is there enough seating, heating, food, bathrooms, etc. We would also really recommend investing in a photographer, videographer and photo-booth – it’s not something we initially planned, having all three, but we’ve really enjoyed seeing different aspects of the day captured for us to remember and revisit.”

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