Join Us As We Celebrate Georgia + Adam’s Wedding At The Book Barn
We love love at The Fold and are absolute suckers for gorgeous wedding pics!
And these ones got us wondering about the whole story…..
We spoke to Georgia and Adam about their memorable special day at Bendooley Estate in Berrima.
It was the next best thing to being invited!!
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
1 :: Tell us where and when the proposal happened.
Adam proposed on our 5-year anniversary at TarraWarra Estate in the Yarra Valley in April 2019.
I had an inkling it might happen when Adam [who usually isn’t much of a planner] suggested we go away for our anniversary two months earlier.
But I was thrown off the scent when he told me shortly before leaving that he actually hadn’t made any plans for the weekend.
The result?
An 8-hour drive from Sydney to the Yarra Valley that I spent talking myself down whilst Adam was psyching himself up!
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
2 :: Love it! So, what made you decide on The Book Barn at Bendooley Estate for the wedding.
Adam and I live in Sydney, with our families spread between Canberra and Sydney.
We knew we wanted to get married somewhere in between the two and the Southern Highlands holds a special place in our hearts as it’s where we spent one of our first trips away together.
I also lived here for a year while I was in medical school.
We love the beauty of the Highlands, its distinct seasons and the people that make up the community.
Bendooley Estate is so unique and beautiful whatever the season.
We had already fallen in love with the venue before we had actually set foot on the grounds, but when Mark first showed us through the estate we knew it was perfect for us.
We wanted an outdoor garden style ceremony, and the lush Lakeside Gardens provided the perfect backdrop for that.
Adam is a huge bookworm, and my Dad is an author, so when we visited The Book Barn we knew it was “us”.
Aside from its beauty, we also knew we wanted a venue with great food and wine and Bendooley Estate absolutely has that nailed – it ticked all the boxes!
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
3 :: Speaking of great food and wine, what was on the menu?
The food at Bendooley Estate is incredible. Weddings aside, we’d highly recommend using any excuse to drop in for a meal, browse the books and have a glass of red!
After the ceremony our guests enjoyed drinks and canapés at the Lakeside Pavilion before moving up to The Book Barn for more canapés and drinks while we finished off our photos.
For mains, guests shared platters of pumpkin and ricotta tortellini with burnt sage butter and walnut amaretti crumble, free-range chicken breast with onion soubise, mixed legumes and sourdough crumble and slow-roasted whole lamb shoulder with red wine and rosemary jus.
These were served with sides of peas, beans and asparagus salad with feta, mint and sumac, roasted chat potatoes with confit garlic, flat parsley and rosemary and a soft herb salad with saffron vinaigrette.
Dessert was a range of sweet treats served on the Bendooley Dessert station, and of course our incredible wedding cake which was lemon cake, with lemon curd, vanilla bean buttercream, and fresh raspberries, made by local Julia Daly of Cooked by Julia.
To sip, guests enjoyed the NV Bendooley Estate Cuvee, Bendooley Estate Riesling [or Chardonnay for Grandpa!], Bendooley Estate Rose and the Bendooley Estate Sangiovese.
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
4 :: What look, style and feel did you want to achieve at the reception?
The style of our wedding was minimalist, modern and romantic.
We wanted the day to feel intimate and relaxed without too much distraction – after all, one of the perks of Bendooley Estate is that it’s so beautiful as is!
The talented Caroline from Flowers on the Mill brought the vision to life with her styling, and the warm tones of the flowers really complemented the hues of The Book Barn.
Events Pro Shop hung fairy lights over the dance floor and down the bookshelves which added a touch of magic.
We were blown away when we saw the reception space – it was even more beautiful than I could have imagined!
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
5 :: What was the most memorable or fun part about planning the wedding?
Oh goodness! Trying to plan a wedding in the middle of a pandemic was certainly memorable but not always fun!
Our wedding date came after two postponements, so I think the anticipation of getting to the day was our most memorable part of planning!
I really have to credit Kelly and the team at Bendooley Estate and all of our suppliers for being so amazing during what was such a stressful time for the wedding industry.
Through our postponements and in the lead up to the day, Kelly and the team were so supportive and positive despite juggling a huge workload.
The most fun part would have to be our menu tasting – a relaxed long lunch visiting the grounds and enjoying the food and wine we would later have on our wedding day was such a nice way to build anticipation and excitement in the lead up to the big day.
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
6 :: What was the most memorable moment of the day for you both?
Georgia :: I’d have to say the walk down the aisle and seeing Adam – who said he didn’t think he’d shed a tear – bawling his eyes out at the end of it! And exchanging our vows which we each wrote for each other.
Adam :: The moment I first saw Georgia. I was crying as soon as the music started, but to see her finally walking down the aisle after we had to wait two years due to Covid and postponements was truly special.
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
7 :: Where was the honeymoon?
A week on Lord Howe Island.
8 :: What advice would you give to other couples planning a wedding in the Southern Highlands?
The Southern Highlands will always hold a special place in our heart, and we couldn’t recommend it more as a wedding destination.
The region is easily accessible, beautiful in every season, has amazing venues to offer with great local vendors, and plenty to do for your guests to enjoy a weekend away.
And if you’re not fortunate enough to call the Highlands home, you’ll never need an excuse to plan a getaway for anniversaries – how good!
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
Big shout out to all the amazing suppliers!
Venue :: The Book Barn at Bendooley Estate
Stationery :: State of Elliot
Flowers :: Flowers on the Mill
Wedding Dress :: Toni Maticevski
Photographer :: Sonja Cenic
Videographer :: La Lune Cinema
Hair and Makeup :: Kristin Brett at Bride to Be Makeup Company
Live Music :: Charli from Tillee Music
DJ :: XYDJ
Lighting :: Events Pro Shop Bowral
Celebrant :: Lillian Lyon
Cake :: Cooked by Julia
Guest transport :: Kennedy’s Coaches
Grooms suit :: Ted Baker
Groomsmen suits :: MJ Bale
Bridesmaid dresses :: Black dresses individually picked
Surrounded by books, the roaring fireplace and the beautiful gardens of the estate, The Book Barn at Bendooley Estate is a stunning location for your Southern Highlands wedding. For more information about booking your wedding at Bendooley, head to their website here.
Photo by: Sonja Cenic Photographer
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