Katie & Amy - Heaven Gardens Wedding, Salt Ash

Amy and Katie are a couple who took their time before finally getting hitched...... 14 years and several proposals, to be exact. But it was all 100% worth it to have the most magical wedding with all their favourite people present.

I first met Amy & Katie for coffee after Amy reached out for a Port Stephens wedding photographer and said they were planning a wedding for two months time. After being together for so long, they didn't want to wait any longer to make it official. The timeline didn't stress Amy too much, being a great planner, and Katie was excited to finally marry the woman she loved.

But to throw a spanner in the works, the initial wedding venue they had booked had unfortunately double-booked them, and another wedding was on the exact same date. Cue a few stressful phone calls and emails, and Amy & Katie were blown away to find an even better place to say 'I do"; Heaven Gardens at Salt Ash NSW.

Heaven Gardens is one of Port Stephens's best wedding venues, as it is set over 5 acres of lush private gardens with abundant open space and DIY possibilities. Amy and Katie couldn't believe their luck finding a venue so beautiful, and their day turned out better than they could have expected.

We started the day at bride prep for Amy at a stunning Airbnb in Boat Harbour that looked across the ocean. Amy had their daughter Lara-Jane as their bridesmaid, and they both got ready together in a very relaxed and casual start to the day. Being such a planner and organiser, I thought Amy would be stressed, but I couldn't be further from wrong. She was so calm and relaxed, and it made me excited to see how excited she was. Lara-Jane got ready in her beautiful Shona Joy dress, and Amy put on her stunning gown from Belles and Beaux Newcastle. Carrying their breathtaking bouquets from Newcastle Flower Markets, they were ready to head to the ceremony.

One of the many great things about a wedding at Heaven Gardens Port Stephens is that the ceremony and reception can all be in one place. No one needs to travel elsewhere besides the 20 metres from the reception space to the bar.

The ceremony and reception space were perfectly adorned with flowers from Newcastle Flower Markets, with white, green, and toffee-coloured roses. Katie got ready at home and met her parents onsite at Heaven Gardens, suited up and ready to go.

Amy and Katie had each of their parents walk them down the aisle, which was a beautiful gesture and sentiment. Marry Me Mel officiated their ceremony and provided great backstories and an entertaining experience. Mel is excellent at ensuring guests are energised and genuinely involved in the ceremony.

After saying "I do" and a massive round of applause from the guests, we captured family photos before heading off for their couple's photos. Amy and Katie organised a fantastic white wedding jumping castle from Stella Events and a classic vintage caravan bar from Memory Lane Events to ensure their guests were well entertained. It's hard to say who enjoyed the jumping castle more; the kids or the adults :)

We snuck off for photos and wandered around the stunning property, finding beautiful pockets of light piercing through the trees. After the rush of the day, Katie and Amy could finally take a breath and connect with each other, which made for the most gorgeous photos. They ended up on the jumping castle, reliving a childhood joy, surrounded by all the kids and having an absolute blast!

Their reception was laid-back and fun, exactly what Amy and Katie wanted. They hired OMG Booths as a photo booth which was perfect for guests, and everyone was kept entertained and in the party 'vibe' with incredible live music from Teasha & Mari.

Everything about Amy & Katie's lush garden wedding was perfect, down to the styling and even the weather. I am so grateful to have been able to photograph their special day, and I can't wait for my next fantastic wedding at Heaven Gardens.

VENDORS

VENUE - Heaven Gardens

CELEBRANT - Marry Me Mel

FLOWERS - Newcastle Flower Markets

PHOTO BOOTH - OMG Booths

CARAVAN BAR - Memory Lane Wedding and Events

JUMPING CASTLE - Stella Events

BALLOON WALL - Stella Events

NEON SIGN - Newy Event Co

DRESS - Belles & Beaux

BAND - Teasha & Mari