Tara and Stephen | Darlington Estate Wedding

“I didn’t think I’d be nervous, but I’m starting to feel a little bit nervous” said Tara, on the way to her wedding ceremony. I was in the car with Tara and her family, driving to ceremony when the cloudy skies had decided to open. The bridal car driven by her brother was being pounded by giant hail stones, the bridal ribbon in the front of the car was being shredded by them, and the windscreen wipers were getting caught in the ribbon. Meanwhile the surrounding ground was starting to look like it had snowed. Now Tara and Steve are a pretty relaxed couple, Tara a yoga teacher and Steve and fitness instructor which is proably a good thing, because those hailstones were big! Whilst everyone did their best to reassure Tara that it definitely wouldn’t be hailing in 45 minutes time when she walks down the open air path to the gazebo at Darlington Estate, Tara resorted to some loud music and seated dancing to calm her down.

After a few more adventures, we arrived at the ceremony, a patch of blue sky appeared, shaped almost like a love heart. I would say Mother Nature was definitely getting into the celebrations, and that was just some giant hail confetti, beacuse the rest of the day went smoothly. There was little more than a sprinkle during the bridal party photos, and the cloudy weather made for beautiful light. We had first met Tara and Steve at Steve’s brother Pete’s wedding a while back… it was great to be part of the celebrations again for such a lovely family and it was great to see Jen and Pete again!

After their ceremony in the beautifully decorated gazebo, the bridal party photos were taken in the surrounding gardens and trees. The reception was also held at Darlington Estate, and the room all setup looked stunning with fairy lights, an indoor tree growing through the roof. Tara and Steve had met in primary school, although it wasn’t until after high school they became great friends, before realising how perfect they are for each other. Their wedding had a rustic, whimsical wedding theme and was a joy to photograph, you’ll have to check out the blog below to see their awesome details, including a school class photograph of them together when they were kids and table decorations with their matching school portraits. The food was delicious, and as expected from their family and friends the reception had hilarious speeches and some crazily, creative dancing!

Thank you so much Tara and Steve for inviting us to be part of your big day :)

Tara and Stephen shelter under a clear umbrella in the rain among fairy-lit trees at Darlington Estate
A kraft-paper save the date card for Tara and Stephen sits among pink carnations and photo tags
A collage of Stephen's preparations, from his red bow tie and carnation boutonniere to family tying his tie
A triptych of Stephen in a navy suit adjusting his tie against a deep blue studio wall
Stephen and a groomsman pose back to back against a blue wall with a collage of cufflinks and peace signs
A collage of wedding details with Tara's diamond ring resting on Stephen's gold band and cufflinks
Stephen hands a blue ring box to a groomsman in a collage of navy-suited portraits against a blue wall
Stephen and his groomsman stand barefoot on a country road beneath brooding clouds in navy suits
Stephen and his groomsman grin in their navy suits beside a kitchen shot of them cooking in novelty aprons
Tara's diamond halo engagement ring and gold wedding band rest on a polished table in warm window light
Tara in a lace robe curls up on a velvet sofa in a moody collage of softly lit morning portraits
A woman in a black lace robe holds a pink flower-girl basket in a collage with bouquets and a wedding car
Tara admires her lace wedding gown hanging in the garden in a collage with heels and poolside details
Tara's lace wedding gown hangs over a poolside courtyard while her ivory heels wait on a timber deck below
Family lift and cuddle the baby flower girl in her white tulle dress across a warm indoor collage
Tara's mother drapes the veil over her daughter's hair in a warmly lit collage of final pre-ceremony touches
Tara in her lace gown and veil laughs with family against a slate-blue wall in a collage of playful portraits
Tara gazes over her shoulder beneath a soft veil in an intimate collage of bridal portraits in low light
Tara and her bridesmaid react as storm clouds swallow the sky during their drive to the Perth Hills wedding
Stephen's family in blue pose beneath festoon lights in a collage with groomsmen and the pergola gathering
Tara greets tearful flower girls and a friend in a yellow jacket before the Darlington Estate ceremony
Tara walks the tree-lined path on her father's arm clutching a pale pink bouquet on the way to the ceremony
Tara and Stephen exchange vows beneath the vine-covered pergola as the celebrant and bridal party look on
Tara's father embraces Stephen beneath paper lanterns in a collage with the pergola ceremony behind them
Tara and Stephen hold hands beneath strings of blue fairy lights as guests watch from their garden chairs
Tara and Stephen exchange vows before a straw-hatted celebrant as guests watch from the lantern-lit pavilion
Ring close-up, a baby flower girl in white, and the couple smiling at each other in the sunlit garden
Tara and Stephen share their first kiss under the pavilion canopy then hold hands in soft garden light
Under strings of fairy lights at night, Tara laughs and claps as Stephen stands close during the reception
Stephen cups Tara's cheek as they sign the register beside pastel bouquets in the garden
Guests gather beneath towering trees around the gazebo at dusk while the newlyweds celebrate with friends
Tara greets the youngest guest and poses with family groups among the estate gardens
The whole wedding party assembles on the red gravel for a group portrait before the evening festivities
Tara and Stephen stand beneath glowing blue fairy lights, her pink bouquet in hand, ivy climbing behind
Close-ups of Tara's pastel bouquet and Stephen breathing in its scent on the garden steps
Tara and Stephen embrace beneath a soft grey sky before walking hand in hand along the estate path
Tara throws her arms around Stephen's neck, laughing as her veil catches the breeze
The couple holds hands among tall garden grasses under a moody dusk sky
The bridal party lounges on a garden bench, the groomsmen in dark suits beside the bridesmaid in blush pink
Tara rests her hand on Stephen's chest in front of the hedged garden wall
Tara and Stephen stroll the garden path flanked by their bridesmaid in pink and groomsman in navy
Stephen kisses Tara's forehead inside the glasshouse as her veil drifts in the low evening light
The newlyweds walk down from the timber pavilion toward lanterns glowing at dusk
The bridal party strikes playful superhero poses on the drive, veils and gowns mid-motion
Stephen pedals a red bicycle while Tara runs behind, her long veil billowing past the hedges
Tara and Stephen hold hands beneath a dramatic indigo sky as darkness settles over the treeline
Stephen sweeps Tara off her feet at nightfall, her veil glowing against the deep blue clouds
Tara and Stephen toast with champagne beneath strung fairy lights after dark
The couple steals a quiet moment together under the festoon lights of the evening reception
The round pavilion dining room set with baby's breath posies, candles and hessian runners
Bride and groom chalkboard jars of pink carnations and baby's breath dress the pavilion tables
Rustic kraft seating charts and childhood snapshots of Tara and Steve pinned inside timber frames
The newlyweds walk in with champagne past their pink cake as guests gather beneath night-time string lights
Tara laughs during the speeches while a groomsman raises his glass beneath hanging jar lanterns
Guests lean in across candlelit tables as the father of the bride's speech gets underway
A groomsman toasts with wine and Stephen grins into the microphone beneath glowing fairy-light bokeh
Tara laughs into the mic as Stephen dips her for a kiss before the cheering guests
The couple cuts their blush-pink Tara and Steve cake beneath a canopy of twinkling blue lights
Tara and Stephen share their first dance in the barn as guests watch from candlelit tables
A groomsman sweeps Stephen off his feet while guests dance the night away in the stone barn
Tara toasts a laughing groomsman with champagne as friends dance beneath the fairy lights
Stephen swings Tara off her feet as dancing guests fill the lamplit stone barn
Guests swing ties and dance wildly across the barn floor under warm festoon lighting
Tara and Stephen kiss mid-dance beneath a canopy of twinkling fairy lights
Tara and Stephen share an umbrella under the falling rain past the softly lit stone walls

Featuring:
Ceremony and reception venue Darlington Estate
Hair Stylist Juans Hair Design
Makeup Artist Ady Orupe
Flowers Made with love by Steve, Tara and family
Wedding cake Made by Tara’s Grandmother
Celebrant Graham Lambert

This wedding, in context

Love this style? Check your wedding date