The Wheatbelt Collective | Rustic Boho Styled Shoot | Faversham House & Mt Brown, York WA | 17 January 2018 {Perth, Avon Valley & Wheatbelt Wedding Photographer}

The Wheatbelt Collective has now been established for just over 6 months, with the aim of seeking out the best of our local Avon Valley and Wheatbelt talent, in order to provide both city and country folk with a host of quality suppliers to choose from, when planning a wedding or event in a rural area. 

Founded by myself and the lovely ladies from Confetti & Co and Petallica Flower Co, the Wheatbelt Collective is a collaboration between like minded wedding and event specialists, based in the Avon Valley, just east of Perth in WA.  

The Avon Valley and Wheatbelt offer a stunning backdrop to any style of wedding or event, and being local to these regions, we have an intimate knowledge of rural venues and suppliers, which means that together, we can help you plan a unique and exciting day that runs smoothly, is loaded with personality, and most importantly, reflects you and your event.

We are not a directory of suppliers as such, but rather, a bunch of creatives who love to work together, and who take our recommendations seriously, which is where our styled shoots come in.  The aim of these shoots is to not only have fun creating something awesome, but to allow us the opportunity to work with local suppliers we may not have worked with before, and in turn, showcase both them, and what we can offer you in the country, should you choose to keep it local.  

So in preparation for our summer shoot, we put our heads together to brainstorm something uniquely suited to our region, and invited an amazing bunch of both new and old businesses to contribute. And not only did they all do an incredible job, but they were also totally lovely to work with, which means we'll definitely be recommending them in the future! 

So a huge thanks to Nola at Faversham House for providing such a perfect backdrop (and a beautiful cool room to get ready in, on a very hot, sticky day!).  And to Jasmine Fowler for her incredible hair and makeup work with our fabulous model, Ash, to create a natural, summery boho look.  And to Kimberley from Blue Silk Design Studio for not only providing a stunning gown, but for tailoring it to Ash on the day. Also to Sue from Birdsnest Gallery of Old and New Things for all her gorgeous rustic knick knacks for our table styling, and to Angela from The Knotty Kiwi for her stunning macrame backdrop, flower wrap, table runner and chair pieces.  

And of course, to Sarah and Holly of Confetti & Co for providing the brief for a rustic, summery, vintage boho look, full of natural tones and pops of pink, peach and copper, and for their fabulous table and arbour styling on the day.  And to Sarah from Petallica Flower Co for all the beautiful blooms you see, and finally, to Lauren and Ben from Swift Hound Films for their incredible film footage, which I really can't begin to describe, so seriously, just watch it, people! 

And following is the result. Which I have no words for.  Except to say that I feel immensely proud (and lucky) to be surrounded by so many wonderful personalities, and such talent, right here where I live.  This is what we are capable of out here, and I think you'll agree, there's really no need to go to Perth, or to source your suppliers from the city, when planning a wedding or event in the Avon Valley or Wheatbelt!    

 

Grant + Fleur | St Pat's Oval Geraldton | 16 September 2017 {Avon Valley, Wheatbelt & Mid West Wedding Photographer}

It was a glorious Spring day for Grant and Fleurs boho inspired, festival feel wedding in Geraldton last month. The sun was shining, and incredibly (for Geraldton!) there was no wind, which made for a perfect outdoor setting under the teepees on St Pat's Oval. 

And I was so excited to be shooting this one.  Both Grant and Fleur have been friends of mine for near on 20 years (we were all in the agricultural industry, way back in the day), so when their paths first crossed a few years ago, I was thrilled for them.  And then even more thrilled when Grant proposed to Fleur, and they asked me to cover their wedding day for them!

As most of you know, I love a good country wedding, and this one had it all, including a fabulous lineup of local vendors and suppliers, a chaotic bridal party full of kids and family, both beach and farming landscapes for formal photos, a bunch of street machines to move everyone around, a sunset second to none, a vintage caravan serving expresso martinis, and of course those incredible teepees at the centre of it all.

And the following selection of images shows how it all came together, in all its eclectic, boho, rustic, DIY glory!  Special thanks to the following vendors and suppliers for providing their professional touch, and for bringing Grant and Fleurs vision to fruition, and making it such a fabulous day. Ceremonies by Charmaine (celebrant), Fred Porter (MC), The Yard Bar (teepees & caravan bar), Amour Flowers (flowers) Anne-Maree Hopkinson (styling), Muteaka Creations & Hire (tables & stools), Daniel Crivelli (videography), Tarts & Co Catering (catering), Sophies Sweet Spot (cake), Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul (hair & makeup), Spell Designs (gown), Tea Princess (bridesmaids and flower girls), Leon Baker Jewellers (rings), and Songbird (entertainment). 

Congrats Grant and Fleur, I'll look forward to sharing another martini with you both soon!

 

 

 

 

The Wheatbelt Collective | Launch | The Grand Northam | 26 July 2017 {Avon Valley & Perth Wedding & Event Photographer}

Recently, I teamed up with the lovely ladies from Confetti & Co and Petallica Flower Co, to form The Wheatbelt Collective, a collaboration between like minded wedding and event specialists, based in the Avon Valley, just east of Perth in WA.  

A stylist (Sarah & Holly), a photographer (Angie), and a florist (Sarah), we aim to provide an innovative and fresh approach to weddings and events held in both rural and urban areas, but with a particular focus on events held in the country.  The Avon Valley and Wheatbelt offer a stunning backdrop to any style of wedding or event, and being local to these regions, we have an intimate knowledge of rural venues and suppliers, which means that together, we can help you plan a unique and exciting day that runs smoothly, is loaded with personality, and most importantly, reflects you and your event.

So in preparation for our launch, we put our heads together to produce our first styled shoot, which was held at The Grand Northam, an incredible old hotel, currently undergoing renovation as a wedding and event venue, right here in our beautiful Avon Valley. 

The aim of this shoot was to showcase what we can offer you in the country, should you choose to keep it local.  We wanted it to be fresh, creative and unique, and to incorporate some local product, which might not be found easily in the city. Hence the amazing venue, and the golden wheat heads and lustrous macrocarpal that Sarah used in her floral creations! 

Sarah and Holly (Confetti & Co) provided a brief for a bold, wintery, bohemian look, full of golds, blues and a hint of blush, and Sarah (Petallica Flower Co) began sourcing rich velvety roses, cascading eucalyptus, sea holly, andromeda scabiosa, banksias, queen proteas, the macrocarpal and wheat, and some super moody black and burgundy calla lilies, for the floral arrangements.

We then cleared an area amongst the renovations at The Grand, in front of the majestic dining room fireplace (under that amazing print of Napoleon Bonaparte!), and set up our table, complete with gorgeous gold chairs supplied by Event Artillery, and some stunning tableware by Orielle.  In addition, Sarah and Holly created an incredible rustic grazing table outside on the deck, to showcase the idea of picnic style dining, which is of course, so well suited to many country events.

And voila!  This is the result, and we couldn't be happier with it!  Now you know what's possible out here in the country.  Plus we had a heap of fun creating (and then eating!) beautiful things, so we can't wait until it's off-season again, so we can do it all again!