Amy & Tim's The Gardens at Bullimah Wedding

THE DRESS "I remember walking into Samantha Wynne after only visiting one other store earlier that day. We were greeted with kindness and excitement in finding a dress for me to fall in love with and did they find a dress! I remember trying on the Brittney gown for the first time. I always thought it was slightly clichéd when I heard of someone knowing their dress was “the one” but I truly believe the dress chose me. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and it didn’t take long for me to say yes to the dress over a glass of champagne with my Mum and sister.

The dress made me feel beautiful from the moment I tried it on, to the moment I said yes to my now husband on our wedding day. I credit the huge smile on my face to me feeling a million dollars in my beautiful gown, and stunning hair and makeup. I wore my Mum’s veil for the ceremony and a ring that belonged to my Grandma. Samantha made a beautiful veil for me to wear after the ceremony which was made of English soft plain tulle with scalloped edging that matched my Mum’s veil.

Samantha focuses on the details, makes the journey personal and exciting and I will never forget how she made me feel- comfortable and beautiful. She was flexible in arranging fittings to suit when I could travel up to Perth from Albany and I feel so lucky to have booked a fitting with her. My Mum came with me to every fitting which was special to me."

HOW WE FIRST MET "Tim and I met when we were in our early 20’s on a night out in Albany. I had recently moved to Albany and Tim was a country boy. We instantly felt comfortable with one another and although the romance was slow to blossom, we always found ourselves being drawn to one another. On the 18^th of April 2021, I arrived home late from travelling back from Perth and Tim suggested we order some takeaway and take a beer down to the foreshore while we waited. There were lots of people down there at the time, fishing, walking and I remember Tim rummaging behind the passenger seat of the car. I asked him what he was doing, he pulled out a stunning ring he had custom made and asked me to be his wife. I burst into tears and of course, I said yes! 9 years later, we are married, built a house on a beautiful 3-acre property with sheep and chickens, and we couldn't be happier!"

THE VENUE "Our wedding was held at The Gardens at Bullimah in Elleker. The venue is truly magical! The property has a purpose-built reception venue (Potter’s Well), the sunken garden, beautiful gardens, surrounded by rural land. Jen and Emily at The Gardens at Bullimah were so lovely from the moment we met them and shared our excitement as we planned our big day. From steam ironing our dresses, making cups of tea to a beautiful breakfast the morning after our wedding, nothing was ever too much trouble and they made me feel important and relaxed."

FAVOURITE MOMENTS "2021 was a wet year in Albany and unfortunately only a few days before the wedding, Jen told us that we were unable to use the sunken garden for the ceremony as it was too wet. We picked an area nearby which was perfect, and we loved that we were the first couple to hold their ceremony in this location. Although the weather was changeable all day, there was a gap in the weather and the rain stopped and sun came out for the duration of the ceremony and bridal party photos. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

We scheduled 30mins after the bridal party photos and before we entered the reception for the bridal party to go back to the accommodation. Jaq from Kirby’s Catering and Emily brought over some canapes, and we sat and ate some food and had a drink. It was a perfect moment to stop and soak up the magic of the day (and it meant we didn’t miss out on any of the incredible food!).

It is true what everyone says- that your wedding day really does fly by and whilst I do have some gaps in my memory, I clearly remember how I felt- when the stunning flowers arrived, when I ate a perfectly cooked seared scallop with minted pea puree and crisp prosciutto, laughing and joking with the hair and makeup artists and when I saw my hair and makeup for the first time (and cried because I thought I looked “too good”), quiet moments with Mum and Dad, a first look with my bridesmaids and most importantly, standing next to the love of my life in front of the people we adore and reading our vows to one another."

ADVICE FOR FUTURE BRIDES "My advice to future brides is to trust your gut and make sure everyone you involve (designer, photographer, guests) are people you whole-heartedly feel comfortable with. Don’t spend too much time scrolling through Instagram or focusing on trends or predicting trends, do what makes you happy because at the end of the day, above anything else, you will remember how you felt.

We met with all our vendors before the wedding day- shared a meal and a beer with Levi from DJ Deep Co, had some engagement photos with Lee Griffiths, caught up for coffee and exchanged many emails with Jaq from Kirby’s Catering, had a makeup and hair trial. The time spent with all our vendors, made us feel so relaxed on our wedding day and made it even more personal and special for us.

We made everything as personal as possible- our beautiful celebrant, Megan, had known Tim and his family from Nyabing, our caterers served us exquisite food when we dined at their restaurant in Denmark when we first started dating. 

I recommend that when you go dress shopping that you go in with an open mind. The dress I ended up with was nothing like what I had in my head. Trust yourself and trust the experience of the designer and you will be sure to find the dress of your dreams.

Finally, do your best to be fully present on your wedding day. We felt so grateful all day for the beautiful people we had surrounded ourselves with. With all that is happening in the world with COVID and associated travel restrictions, Tim and I felt so fortunate to have had our loved ones with us on our most special day. My bridesmaids are my best friends and their support, love and calmness, had a significant impact on how much I enjoyed the day. Choose your bridal party wisely!"

BEST WEDDING SPEND "Other than my beautiful dress- of course, Lee Griffiths and Harry James Blyth captured our day perfectly. I can’t tell you how many times I have scrolled through the photos and watched our wedding videos, and they will be such special memories to look back on and to one day, show our children. It was easily the best money we spent! We were so happy with our choice of venue, everyone raved about the food and Levi from DJ Deep Co had everyone of all ages up and dancing!"

SHOP OUR BRITTNEY GOWN