Tash and Gary | A paddock ceremony and Talbot Hall, York

When I first met Tash and Gary, they didn’t quite know where they would be holding their wedding, but they knew it was going to be cowboy inspired, have a lot of hand made elements and near a paddock somewhere… The Vintage Western theme fit in perfectly with Gary’s roots in Oklahoma, USA and sounded pretty photogenic to me!

On the day we first visited Gary and the Groomsmen Opie and Jim, and Groomslady Amber getting ready in Jane Brook, before heading to Tipperary Church near York where the girls were getting ready. It was a warm, still day, and they looked amazing decked out in cowboy gear, complete with leather boots, and Gary had a chunky belt buckle and cowboy hat. Lucky these guys are super tough! Tash and Gary’s wedding was something of a modern day fairy tale, crossed with some authentic props..flies, red dirt, spiky prickles and cow dung. :) I think this is the greatest number flies cloned out of photos in the history of wedding photography, but it was totally worth it!

The ceremony was held down a dusty red dirt track, in a paddock near Talbot Hall. The bridal party stood under the most beautiful tree, upon a ridge overlooking a vast sea of green and yellow fields and trees. There was one uninvited guest, a dark coloured snake that was sleeping under the tree next to the ceremony. With a few guests on snake patrol, I think Gary make a wise decision not to tell Tash about it until after they were married and she had signed all the paperwork! The outdoor location was perfect for a cowboy theme, complete with the blazing sun and plenty of red dust and wheat fields. The bridal party photos were taken around the ceremony location and also in the property “accross the road” that their friends let us borrow (big thanks, the garden and wheat fields were amazing!) When I say across the road, that does mean almost a 10 minute drive… properties out there are pretty huge!

Their reception was held back in Talbot Hall, which was an old school house from 1911-1944 and is now the local town hall. Tash and Gary had strung up coloured lights and white lanterns, and these looked perfect with the wooden bench seats, rustic floor boards and tin sheeting walls. Dinner fit in perfectly with the cowboy theme, a hearty buffet and some amazing deserts!

Thank you Tash and Gary for an amazingly unique and photogenic day. And, along with your bridal party for being so adventourous and fun… like when I was just wondering if I could convince you to sit in the wheat field for a photo and you guys asked me if you could dive and roll into it!! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Tash and Gary walk through golden paddock grass at sunset, her veil lifting in the breeze at York
Pair of black embroidered leather cowboy boots waiting on a polished timber shelf
Cattle skull mounted on a rustic wagon wheel against the rich timber wall of the farm shed
Close-up of hands fastening an engraved buckle on an embossed leather belt in soft window light
Gary checks his reflection in a carved timber mirror, black cowboy hat and vest in place
A groomsman in a black hat clips a bolo tie clasp onto Gary's vest before the ceremony
Gary adjusts his collar in moody sidelight, tattooed forearms and dark vest, in the farm kitchen
Diptych of the groomsmen joking on the veranda and Gary smiling with an Australian flag round his shoulders
Two-frame portrait of Gary fastening his bolo tie, black hat brim casting soft shadow indoors
Three groomsmen in black hats and vests laugh together beside a timber bench outside the shearing quarters
Vivid purple jacaranda blossoms spread against a deep blue summer sky above the York property
Red-brick bush chapel with white trim and tin roof rises among gum trees and garden beds
Vintage case of pressed eyeshadow powders in plum, bronze and blue tones catches soft morning light
Weathered garden statue bows before the red brick chapel, Tash's white gown blurred on the path beyond
Double exposure blends Tash's hair trial by the bay window with eucalypts and paddocks outside
Back view of Tash's curled bridal updo as a stylist pins the last wave in garden light
Close-up of Tash's heirloom bouquet of brooches, pearls and fabric flowers against dappled green
Tash's ruffled lace gown hangs from a gum branch beside a second dress on a garden arch
Pair of embroidered tan leather cowboy boots resting on a sunlit veranda ledge
Two-frame scene of the stylist clouding hairspray around Tash's curled updo before the ceremony
Makeup artist brushes colour onto Tash's eyes as she sits in a green robe on the veranda
Three brooch-and-pearl bouquets cluster together on weathered timber boards in the garden
Soft profile of Tash, curls and veil falling over her shoulder as she looks down with a smile
Bridesmaid in white fastens an earring while Tash waits veiled in the timber-lined room
Two-frame bridal portrait of Tash in veil and strapless gown against dark timber
A flower girl in a white dress hugs the smiling bride beneath her veil against dark timber panelling.
A split frame shows the bride having her lipstick applied and posing with two bridesmaids by the barn.
Dust billows down a sunlit gum-lined dirt road as a car arrives through the trees.
Wedding guests gather in the shade of a lone tree in a wide golden paddock beneath a hazy sun.
The beaming bride peeks from the back seat of the bridal car holding her white bouquet in soft shade.
Tash and Gary walk their bridal party across a dry paddock toward an orange sedan under clear blue sky.
Groomsmen in black hats and vests line up under a gnarled tree as the celebrant waits beside a covered table.
The bride watches the ceremony with a soft smile while an older man in sunglasses stands close by.
A split frame of the bride walking the dirt track with her father and a tearful hug from the hatted groom.
The bride embraces her father beneath the ceremony tree while guests and the celebrant look on.
Tash and Gary exchange vows in the open paddock, flanked by their bridal party beneath a sprawling gum tree.
A close-up of the couple's joined hands and wedding rings against sunlit white lace and a dark vest.
The celebrant reads from his folder as the bride and her hatted groom hold hands with a flower girl watching.
Two views of the vow exchange show Gary reaching for the ring while the couple laugh beside the flower girl.
Guests in blue-print gowns and black hats circle the couple as they marry under wide country skies.
A distant view of the whole wedding party clustered around a lone gum tree in the sunburnt paddock.
Tash gazes at Gary over a microphone during their vows, her curled hair catching the afternoon light.
Sunlight flares through gum branches above the couple as their bridal party watches across golden farmland.
A flower girl's small hands steady the white ring pillow as the groom lifts a band from its bow.
The groom slides the wedding ring onto Tash's finger in a soft-focus close-up of lace and gold.
Gary says his vows with quiet focus while his best man and the celebrant stand beside the veiled bride.
A close crop of the bride adjusting her new ring against sunlit lace, her groom's arm at her side.
Two frames of the first kiss: Tash pulling Gary close as the celebrant and flower girl look on.
The newlyweds beam at each other in the golden paddock, his black hat tipped beside her soft curls.
A small snake coils among sun-dappled rocks and leaf litter in moody shadow beneath the ceremony tree.
Tash smiles past the camera while Gary watches her sideways in warm late-afternoon light.
The signing party of four beams at the white-clothed table flanked by hat-wearing witnesses.
Laughter erupts as the maid of honour walks the laughing newlyweds back across the dry paddock.
The full bridal party laughs together under a sprawling gum tree against brilliant blue outback sky.
Gary hugs a guest in sunglasses amid a sunlit crowd of family and a small girl watching on.
The bride hugs a dark-haired friend in a striped dress, her bouquet slung over one shoulder in bright sun.
A tender newlywed embrace beside a candid of a tattooed guest and guest in black striding through dry grass.
Guests in jeans, red dresses and hats trudge single file through waist-high golden grass under the sun.
A vast blue sky dwarfs the couple standing hand in hand in the middle of a harvested brown field.
Tash's long veil trails through golden grass as the couple stroll past gnarled gums in the midday sun.
A woman trims pale pink hellebore stems while a smiling guest in purple watches across the room.
Two poses of the couple before a corrugated-iron barn and a sun-baked dirt clearing under deep blue sky.
The bride and two bridesmaids in white-and-blue dresses pose with lace parasols before the weathered shed.
The whole wedding party lines up before the tin shed, bridesmaids with parasols and groomsmen in cowboy hats.
Bridesmaids giggle behind parasols as Tash spins in her ruffled gown outside the grey shearing shed.
Tash and Gary walk hand in hand under a huge pale sky, her veil and his black hat catching the light.
The bridal party strides away along a dusty track, parasols and hats silhouetted against the blazing sun.
A wide shot of the couple and their party standing along the fence line beneath an immense cobalt sky.
Tash and Gary lead their laughing party down the red dirt road, parasols raised against the afternoon sun.
Groomsmen fling their black hats skyward as the bride and parasol-twirling bridesmaids cheer in the paddock.
Three groomsmen in black vests and cowboy hats square up to the camera before the corrugated shed.
The bride chats over a farm gate beside a gum tree, plus a back view of the couple walking the dirt road.
Gary and his hatted mates clown for the camera among sunlit bushes and golden late-afternoon grass.
Massed purple statice blooms glow against dry grass and deep blue shade in the garden at Talbot Hall.
The newlyweds stand forehead to forehead among golden wattle and feathery grasses in warm garden light.
Close-up of Tash and Gary leaning nose to nose, his hat brim dividing the frame in warm light
Tash and Gary walk hand in hand down a sandy bush track, backlit by low golden afternoon sun
Split portrait of Tash and Gary nose to nose, his black hat brim between them in golden light
Tash and Gary sit on the homestead steps flanked by their wedding party at the veranda railing
A wide evening view of the couple dwarfed by grass trees and wildflowers under a vast blue sky
Tash and Gary embrace in a sunlit clearing framed by tall grass and yellow wattle
Close-up of Gary in his black hat beside beaming Tash, golden foliage blurring behind them
The couple stroll hand in hand past weathered slab huts as the sun bursts through trees
Gary offers Tash a bunch of dried purple flowers beside the timber hut in warm afternoon light
Tash in cowgirl boots sits laughing beside Gary on a timber bench, then they lounge in hay at dusk
Tash and Gary walk hand in hand across a rocky rise, sunset flaring through the trees behind
Tash leads the bridal party through a farm gate on the dusty paddock track in hazy sun
The whole bridal party wades waist-deep through a golden oat field under glaring sun
Bridesmaids and groomsmen line up shoulder to shoulder in the wheat, hats on, sun overhead
Gary sweeps Tash off her feet in the stubble field beneath a deepening dusk sky
Tash laughs as she leads Gary through the tall oats, sun flaring low behind them
Gary lunges through the backlit oat crop, arms flailing, sun blazing on the horizon
Gary flicks a spray of oat stalks into the air mid-field under a clear evening sky
The wedding party lounges in the oat crop, groomsmen tossing straw skyward behind Tash
A distant view of the couple crossing the vast harvested field under moody dusk light
Tash and Gary sit nestled in golden straw, his hat in hand, warm light on their faces
Seen from above, Tash rests her head on Gary's chest as they lie back in the hay
Twin dusk silhouettes: the couple nose to nose by a gum, then strolling towards the sunset
Tash and Gary sit close in the dry grass, sunlight flaring between them at dusk
The couple embraces beneath a sprawling gum tree as the sun sinks behind it
Gary wraps his arms around Tash from behind in a dusk field, seed heads framing the glow
A four-wheel drive kicks up golden dust on the farm track as the sun drops behind trees
Tash and Gary wander hand in hand through backlit grass, the orange sun sinking low
The pair stroll hand in hand under a leaning tree, silhouetted against the last daylight
Silhouetted against the sunset, Tash leads Gary by the hand past a paddock fence
Gary opens a lace parasol by the farm gate as Tash's veil drifts on the evening breeze
The couple pause in a soft-focus meadow at dusk, Gary twirling the closed parasol

On a rocky outcrop Tash's long veil streams sideways in the wind beneath a darkening sky
Tash and Gary stand small beneath a bare gum, torchlit against the last orange dusk
A dusk diptych of the couple on the rocks: hand in hand, then face to face at twilight
Dusk silhouette of the couple as Tash's veil billows sideways against the fading sky
Tash lifts her gown to reveal cowgirl boots while Gary gathers the parasol after dark
Tash gathers her flowing gown on a dirt track as Gary watches, holding her bouquet
Tiny silhouettes of the pair walking beneath a wind-swept casuarina in deepening twilight
Oat seed heads nod in silhouette against the orange afterglow of the York sunset
Twilight shot of the Talbot Brook school-site sign glowing beside the corrugated hall
Reception guests fill the lantern-lit shearing shed, gold sashes trailing down the trestles
A groomsman in white cradles a laughing flower girl inside the festooned reception shed
Lace-wrapped milk bottles dress the table under string lights in the rustic shed
A grey-bearded guest in a bolo tie grins beneath the paper lanterns mid-reception
A laughing groomsman raises a toast between seated guests beneath the paper lanterns
Tash cracks up at the bridal table as a groomsman buries his face beside her
A guest in a grey vest folds his arms and listens intently under the swag of lanterns
A chocolate 4WD tyre leans against the white tiered wedding cake waiting to be cut
A pink hellebore bloom crowns the ivory cake, chocolate drips edging the tiers
Chocolate-drip cake with pink blooms beside Tash and Gary at the cake table near the gear shed
Tash and her father applaud beneath white paper lanterns as guests clap along in the shed
Tash & Gary wedding photos at Talbot Hall, Perth — Albedo Photography — photo 2675
Tash and Gary dance beaming beneath coloured festoon bulbs and paper lanterns in the barn
Tash and Gary sway through their first dance, sunlight rimming her hair against the shed walls
Tash swaps heels for brown boots as an older woman in lilac looks on in the lantern-lit shed
Tash and Gary kiss beneath the symmetrical corrugated roof strung with lanterns and fairy lights

Featuring
Bride’s preparation: A big thanks to Helen at Tipperary Church, York
Ceremony and reception venue: Talbot Hall arranged via Roger 9643 1068
Brides dress: Vera Wang from Couture Gowns
Bride’s boots: Ariat Boots
Groom’s boo’s: Justin Boots
Grooms Vest: Kazzmazz Leather
Grooms Hat: Stetson
Veil: Vera Wang – Cathedral Length from Couture Gowns
Hair Stylist Kali Delich
Makeup Artist: Salena Marie
Flowers: Inflorescence – Flowers by Jill Cavenagh
Celebrant: Chris Temov
Jukebox: Upbeat Party Solutions
Wedding cake: Denna Wheatcroft (Grooms mum)
Bridesmaid dresses: Merpher.L
Stationary: Handmade
Catering: Golden Roast Catering

This wedding, in context

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