A Relaxed Festival Wedding on an Alpaca Farm

The thing I love most about Kelsey and Matt’s wedding is the simplicity of the day. No bridal party, no suits, no seating plan, no cake or fancy accessories; just the two of them and their loved ones in one spectacular location.

Kelsey and Matt tied the knot at Jalbrook Estate in Australia, a charming alpaca farm, and it was the perfect setting for their laid-back festival wedding. They said their vows under a beautiful tree with a macramé ceremony backdrop.

Kelsey wore a stunning boho bridal two-piece, Tillie top and the Natasha skirt by Karen Willis Holmes, and Matt kept things casual in trousers, shirt and pumps. Their outfits really reflect the relaxed, festival style of their wedding. They wanted their wedding to feel more like a party than a wedding, and it sure has that vibe.

The couple and their guests enjoyed drinks served from a really cool caravan bar and ate delicious traditional paella.

These pictures taken by CJ Williams Photography really show how relaxed the day was. Enjoy!

Unromantic but Perfect

“Matt proposed on February 11th on Great Barrier Island off New Zealand. Matt bought us tickets for the trip as a Christmas present and it was just magic. We had a cosy little chalet on top of a hill overlooking the ocean.

“One day Matt suggested that we go for a bush walk, but he pretended to forget his lighter so he could run back up and set up the ring/proposal. When we got back we were both sweaty and hot, and when I saw the box on the table Matt said “Shall we get married?”. It was so unromantic yet so perfect.”

Two Become ‘The One’

“My ‘dress’ was a beautiful two-piece from Karen Willis Holmes. I wore the Tillie top with the Natasha skirt. Although I was definitely not planning on buying a two-piece wedding dress, as soon as I tried it on I knew it was the one for me! I actually found my dress in a magazine, but at the time KWH only had stores in the Eastern States. By some wedding miracle their Perth store opened just in time for me to order my dream dress.”

Magical and Whimsical

“We had many scouting missions ‘down south’ to the Margaret River Wine Region in WA looking at venues. We were pretty specific in what we were looking for — somewhere to have the ceremony, reception, photos and accommodation, and the freedom to style the venue ourselves. It was pretty hard to find something that ticked all the boxes.

“On our way back to Perth one weekend we decided to ‘go the scenic route’ and thought it would be fun to check out the local alpaca farm. It blew us away! Everything about it was amazing, and lots of our friends told us how magical and ‘whimsical’ it was.”

Relaxed, Festival Vibe

“We definitely wanted a relaxed vibe with a festival theme, and wanted it to feel more like a party than a wedding. We also broke tradition with my mum walking me down the aisle.

“After being introduced as husband and wife, we’d agreed we would go to straight to the caravan bar. People could congratulate us as soon as we had a drink in our hands.”

DIY Projects

“Matt’s complete lack of styling skills became apparent during the planning. It wasn’t so funny at the time but is when we look back now. When I asked Matt his opinion on the ceremony backdrop and if he had any idea what he’d like to hang in the tree, Matt had a good long think and finally answered “What’s that stuff you use to decorate Christmas trees? Tinsel?”. I took over after that.

“I did lots of DIY projects leading up to the wedding, but I changed my mind so often that hardly any of them were actually used on the day! However, I did write the chalkboard signs myself and made the covers for the hay (although that wasn’t very hard!). Matt made all of our flower boxes for the tables and they turned out great!

Glad We Stuck to Our Guns

“We didn’t have a first dance, despite much pressure from family and friends. It just wasn’t Matt and I, and I’m glad we stuck to our guns because it was our wedding and we could do what we wanted — so there.

“Our photographer, Carly Williams, was great. She put up with Matt being a really grumpy photo subject, and somehow managed to get heaps of shots in the limited time Matt would go without a beer on the day!

“Our wedding was just like a big party with all of our closest friends and family. It was exactly what we’d hoped for.”