Jacinta Palmer – our 2017 Bride of the Year winner

Jacinta and Mitchell wed in a rustic barn at Jacinta’s family home. Alongside their family and friends, the pair worked tirelessly to bring their wedding vision to life, and on the day Jacinta’s happiness was evident to all. She tells us more about their special day…
 
‘It was always a dream of mine to get married at my family home in Nelson, so after Mitch proposed we never questioned where we would get married. However, we never imagined that our wedding on the farm would result in my parents building a barn with a pond. It was the ultimate venue!

I think we all underestimated the work involved in building a venue. It did make our two-year engagement go very fast! I cannot express how amazing my beautiful parents are. All the help we had from family and friends was unbelievable. A few days before our wedding, we still had a large list of things to do, including planting a hundred trees, bailing hay, and rolling ready lawn. We were up until midnight every night before the wedding, but all the hard work that everyone put in made our day even more magical than we had imagined.

We wanted a rustic wedding and the barn was a dream come true. It was set in a paddock with the hills in the distance, and had a rustic yet romantic feel. We filled the barn with lots of fresh white and blush flowers and soft lighting. Some of my favourite touches were the big wooden barn doors, frames made from chook netting that we styled with white hydrangeas and asparagus fern, crystal decanter lights over the bar, wooden trestle tables made by my granddad, and the stage made out of wooden pallets.

We decided to do a first look and our photos before the ceremony. We wanted to take a moment to have some intimate time with each other, and it meant we could both freshen up after the tears from seeing each other for the first time. It was relaxing and so much fun roaming around the property getting photos.

We held the ceremony on a big lawn area, surrounded by gorgeous gardens and a view of the pond with the sound of the water in the background. My two brothers walked my mum down the aisle, before I walked down with my dad. I thought I would be emotional but I was too excited; I was about to finally marry my best friend.

After the ceremony, a huge grazing table was set up on the deck of the barn with a selection of meats, cheeses, chutneys, focaccia and walnut breads, eggplant caviar, and rock melon wrapped in prosciutto. We had live acoustic music while everyone mingled and played garden games on the lawn.

We snuck out of the reception just in time to get some sunset photos. It was a surreal feeling being alone together as husband and wife for the first time. Everyone asks us what our favourite part or the highlight of the wedding was, I always answer: the whole day! It was an absolute dream!’

Photos: The Love Collective
Bride’s gown: Martina Liana
Flowers: Willow Floral Design
Groom’s attire: Ted Baker

Jacinta has won a stunning 9ct white gold and diamond circle pendant and chain from Diamonds on Richmond, a gift card from Savar, a Remington Straightener, George Foreman Mix & Go with Chill Sticks and his and hers fragrances from Elizabeth Arden and John Varatos.