In the heart of the tropics, amidst the greenery and whispers of palm trees, Grace and Josh had a wedding full of romance and magic. Their celebration took place in a secluded Australian private property, where every design element was carefully considered and realized by the couple themselves. The ceremony, surrounded by lush tropical scenery, flowed seamlessly into an exquisite banquet under a marquee, where every detail – from vintage vessels and elegant candelabras for tablescapes (carefully collected by the bride herself), reflected their unique style. The stand out moment? The gorgeous vintage 1940s silk wedding gown personally sourced by the bride, adding a touch of antique glamor to this magical day.
Our Love Story
The Day We Met
Josh and I met in high school and started seeing each other in year 10. We’ve been together now for 19 years.
The Proposal
Josh took me to my favorite creek-side spot in the Northern Rivers (where my family now lives). I remember it being a beautiful sunny day, and we were sitting amongst the trees. It was a very low-key proposal.
The Engagement Ring
Josh spent months researching diamonds and finding someone to custom make the shape I had hinted at, a simple pear-shaped solitaire on a thin gold band and delicate, elevated setting to catch the light. He really went to so much effort to learn the 4 C’s (Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat) and source a high quality stone and get the design exactly right. It was made by Apkar Ervan in Sydney.
Our Wedding
The Vision
The vision for the wedding was moody and romantic on a lush tropical backdrop. I wanted a dark color palette to complement the venue, my brother’s rich green five acre property that’s like its own private rainforest. It was really important to us that the day was completely ‘our own,’ so we formulated and designed the entire event ourselves and I everything I could source vintage I did.
The Venue
After deciding on the Northern Rivers as a general location, we checked out a few venues around Byron and Tweed but didn’t like the prepackaged feel we got. We decided we wanted to orchestrate it all ourselves, so my brother Matt kindly offered us his beautiful property called Rainbow Valley.
Rainbow Valley is the namesake of one of his albums, his first home when he moved north and now where he has built a studio to record in. It is somewhere very special to him and to us, nestled in a remote pocket in northern NSW with established tropical grounds. It is a magical place that has to be seen to be believed, with multiple clearings throughout which we staged various segments of the day.
The Ceremony
The ceremony was in a beautiful, tree-lined clearing that came to a natural point at the end, it was the perfect shape to line with bench seating with an aisle down the middle, with Josh and I standing at the end. We did not want to be framed by an arbor or any fuss, and on the day, the greenery and the angle of the sunlight created the most heavenly backdrop for the vows we wrote each other. Joey, the photographer, did amazing work in these moments, the images he captured here were my favorites of the day.
The Reception
The Reception was held in a marquee 200m away in a different clearing. We had a toast and grazing table directly after the ceremony, and later a sit-down Italian share feast of entrées and three pastas for mains. It was done beautifully by Anise Events. For cake, we had 150 Portuguese tarts from Baker & Daughters in Mullumbimby. And afterward, a disco DJ’d by Levins.
The Special Touches
Being a vintage collector and curator by trade, I spent two years sourcing hundreds of vessels and candelabras to use in the tablescapes. Everything I could source vintage I did and we transported it 800km from Sydney to the property and back.
I worked with Georgie Taylor of Flowerista Murwillimbah to select the flowers from local farms and the Brisbane flower markets, and then my bridesmaids and I collected them and put all the arrangements together the day before. It was chaotic, exhausting, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, however we had so many friends eager to help it was so touching. In hindsight, coming together as an amateur event team in the week leading up to the wedding was one of the most special and memorable parts of the whole process. I will never forget how helpful our rag-tag team was, we still owe them.
Our Favorite Moment
We both loved the ceremony. For us, it had a calm and magical feeling, where the chaos of the event construction melted away and revealed the point. I loved reading my three-page vows and sharing with my loved ones why Josh is such a special man and why I had chosen to tether my life to his.
Our Style
The Bridal Looks
Being a vintage collector and curator by trade, my looks had to be vintage! It felt wrong for me on a cellular level to opt for a ‘new’ gown. Not only because I'm a vintage fanatic, but because the act of hunting for a second-hand dress, customizing it and ultimately wearing it imbued the sense of creativity I neurotically craved within the process of wedding planning.
I searched tirelessly across multiple online marketplaces until I eventually found my incredible 1940s champagne silk gown with its dramatic ruching. I’d not seen anything remotely like it. I loved the texture and the way light caught on the drapery. When it arrived, I worked with a local dressmaker to modernize the neckline and shorten the train. My inspiration was the sculptural, surrealist offerings at Danielle Frankel and the playful opulence of Vivienne Westwood. It is a heavy, handcrafted vintage treasure that made all the searching worth it.
I went with a simple pair of matte gold clip-on earrings and black fabric heels, placing a sheet of tulle across my shoulders and around my neck for the ceremony and attaching it to my bun afterward. For the reception, I changed into a 1980s monochromatic silk contrast gown by Michael Casey and vintage Roger Vivier platforms.
The Groom Looks
Josh’s suit was from Belance Tailors in Paddington. It was the most luxurious silk & linen blend. A double-breasted bespoke tuxedo with a silk bow tie and vintage Dior Homme shoes I sourced for him. He looked so handsome.
Our Bridesmaid’s Looks
I worked together with my bridesmaids to put together their looks. I had been set on chocolate since 2019, and we sourced two Albus Lumen silk gowns that were the perfect shade. Liz and Leisa lightly customized them to make them their own. Lydia wore an ’09 Alexander Wang silk velvet gown and Laura an absolutely fabulous 1980s Victor Costa one-shoulder ruffle dress I tracked down for her. They all wore vintage earrings I sourced. Their bouquets were simple calla lilies tied with organza ribbon that Leisa made. The girls looked so beautiful.
Our Groomsmen’s Looks
All our groomsmen wore bespoke tuxedos from Belance tailors in Paddington.
Our Advice
For The Planning Process
We found an invaluable planning checklist online that was our guide throughout the process, one that let us know what should be done 12 months out, 6 months, and then the closer countdown. Being organized is key, having your vendors saved, having spreadsheets you can refer to.
Building your wedding from the ground up in a private venue is not for the faint of heart. There are so many unglamorous details you initially don’t think of like portaloos, rubbish removal, electricity logistics. We hosted ours in the Northern Rivers only 6 weeks after a major flood event which had left the grounds sodden so we had our original marquee company cancel on us 5 days before the event and had to find a last-minute replacement and to come up with multiple mud-managing solutions the week of. If you choose the private venue route it will be memorable and special but so much work!
For On The Day
We hired an on-the-day wedding co-ordinator, Steph from Blossom Events and she was the point-person for any issues on the day, shielding us and letting us enjoy the event. I definitely recommend having someone on board at least for the wedding day who is across all your vendors and logistics so you can focus on relaxing and connecting with your loved ones.
For Post-Wedding
We loved our day-after event which we held at a private riverside venue in nearby Tumbulgum. It was another catered feast but much more low-key. The energy was more relaxed and it was really nice to feed everyone again and spend time with them. It’s obviously really common to have a day-after event now but I wanted to emphasize how worthwhile we found ours, despite it being an extra extravagance some might consider forgoing.
Vendors
Photography: Joey Willis
Wedding Planner & Stylist: The bride, Grace Corby
Wedding Coordinator: Blossom Gatherings
Venue: Private venue, Rainbow Valley, Northern NSW
Florist: Flowerista Murwillumbah
Stationery: D&D Letterpress
Cake: Baker & Daughters
Catering: Anise Events
Celebrant: Rachel Johnson Celebrant & MC
Music: Andrew Levins
Hair & Makeup: Candice September
Style
Vintage Bridal Boutique: Art Garments
Wedding & Engagement Ring: AE Design Jewellery
Groom & Groomsmen: Belancé
Bridesmaids: Albus Lumen , Art Garments
