Spicers Hidden Vale Wedding Photographer

Not only is Spicers Hidden Vale a gorgeous venue with everything on site at your finger tips but the staff are hands down some of the best we have worked with. Nothing was too hard, everyone was genuinely happy and ready to help with whatever came up and no place was off limits on the property. If you’re looking for a quiet, picturesque country setting for your wedding then this is the place for you!

From prep and pampering time in the private cottages to the ceremony on the shady lawn, portraits all over the fantastic country side including cattle and the reception in the gorgeous old barn you really can’t ask for more. Not only does having everything on one property cut down on transport cost, time, and traffic but the day just flows so easy and stress free. Plus your guests can let loose and have a great time knowing they only have to walk back to their cottage at the end of the night!

Michelle, her beautiful Bridesmaid Kate and her Mum stayed in a sunlit private cottage with views of the countryside while they had their hair and makeup done by Lyndell from MCM Hair Studio. Another bonus to having everyone at the one place was Ben could go off to shoot the boys getting ready while Hope stayed with girls so no one missed out on having their morning prep documented. It may not seem important but having all the nervous excitement of the morning activities documented along with all the details like the dress, shoes and ring all add to the story of your wedding day and shouldn’t be missed. Michelle chose the Amity Silk dress from the Anna Campbell ‘Forever Entwined’ collection. It has a beautiful jewel encrusted neckline and scoop back and the silk skirt was perfect for those soft wind blown photos.

The ceremony was held on the lawn under the big fig tree overlooking the views of the valley. We were blessed with a blue sunny sky and shade from the trees making it a pretty perfect spot to get hitched.

Looking for a young and fun celebrant? Check out Paul Voge! There are a lot of boring run of the mill celebrants out there (we know, we’ve seen them) and if you want someone to just read a standard vow and be done with it then you don’t have to look too hard. But if you want someone with personality, someone to add some fun and bring out your own personalities for your ceremony and make it unique then Paul should be at the top of your list. Just look at his website.. pretty cool yeah?

Andrew is another typical groom who doesn’t like getting his photo taken. We know these types too well and know how to make it easy and fun to get the best out of your portrait session! You can’t help but smile and relax when you’re having fun right? We utilized the farm at the back of spicers as it has big open fields and Andrew is a country boy so it suited them perfectly. We had a little stampede of cows come check us out which I’ll be honest scared Hope a little and she was ready to run at any moment! But being familiar with farm life Michelle + Andrew didn’t miss a beat. The cows actually added to their session and made it extra sweet!

We love a good barn reception, and Spicers Hidden Vale was the perfect size to host Andrew + Michelle’s gathering complete with a bar and pool table. Michelle’s decorations added to the rustic charm. Festoon lights hung from the outdoor courtyard which hosted all the dancing a laughing through the night. It really was such a great day with a gorgeous couple and fantastic vendors all coming together to create the perfect country wedding.

To hear what Michelle had to say about her day and vendor list check out the bottom!

From Michelle…

“Our wedding day was perfect. It was exactly how we wanted it and reflected Andrew and I perfectly (thanks to some very hard working vendors). From the getting ready to the tossing of the bouquet it truely was the most magical day!

We started with the venue, which Andrew actually chose. Driving down the beautiful driveway at Spicers Hidden Vale and then meeting the wonderful staff and spending an afternoon wondering around the retreat Andrew claimed that it was his favourite by far. Venue was locked in! My beautiful Anna Campbell gown and belt was the next thing I sorted, I found Anna Campbell online and very quickly made my way down to Melbourne to find my dress- it was love at first site!

We didn’t hire a stylist which meant that we hand picked everything!! For months I went to garage sale after garage sale, op shop after op shop collectingg crystal candle stick holders and spent hours scouting and cleaning old bottles from my parents property for the table decorations. Collecting lace table runners and candle sticks became a full time job. It was a massive effort but completely worth it in the end! Spicers were amazing with the menu, catering chef designed Australian BBQ menu followed by dessert and our wedding cake made by a wonderful lady from our home town, and also or MC’s mum! We also got our favours from a our favourite homemade jam shop near my parents property, we spent an afternoon taste testing all of the jams and chutneys, for research of course, until we found the right ones!

Our day wouldn’t have been the same without our AMAZING celebrant, Paul Voge!! He had everyone laughing from the get go and set up such a great vibe for the day! By the end of the night everyone was laughing, dancing and having a truely wonderful time, which is exactly what Andrew and I wanted!

Ben and Hope captured every single moment of our day for us so we can forever go back and look upon what an amazing day it was, you guys a absolute stars and we are so great full that we found you and that you were apart of our day!!”

Venue: Spicers Retreats, Spicers Hidden Vale

Dress: Anna Campbell

Hair & Makeup: MCM Hair Studio

Shoes: Nude

Flowers: Laidley Florist

Jewellery + Cufflinks: Underwood’s Fine Jewellers

Party Favors: Jamworks of Glen Aplin

Celebrant: Paul Voge

Photography: Ben + Hope Photography