I know lots of you probably follow Jonas Peterson’s blog, so you may have already seen shots from Claire and Nick’s darling wedding, but it’s just so darn sweet that I figured you wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Especially since I have all sorts of fun info from the bride about the day!

You know why I love Jonas Peterson’s work, but it’s always nice to hear why a bride and groom love someone they’ve hired. Says Claire, “We found our photographer Jonas Peterson before we even had a venue! He was an integral part of our wedding. Even though he just walked quietly around the venue taking snaps, barely saying a word to anyone – there was something about his quiet presence that really defined the day. There was no cheesy posing, no tying a tie that had been done hours ago. His sense of humor and honesty captured the true spirit of the day. Our photos reflect that.”

Nick wore Levi’s and a corduroy jacket he already owned. Claire purchased her Karen Willis Holmes gown off the rack.

Why did you choose this location for your wedding?  Trying to find a place that offered garden ceremonies with a marquee reception in Sydney was proving incredibly difficult and expensive. We found out about Terrrara House from a friend and instantly fell in love with the place – we booked Terrara the same day we found it! Rosie Jennings and her husband actually live on site, and host weddings in their spare time on weekends. The love and commitment they display in making every wedding perfect is just mind boggling, and their team went above and beyond anything we had ever hoped or dreamed of for our wedding. They coordinated everything for us from the food to the flowers and took the stress out of planning our big day. Plus there was the day spa at the venue!

What inspired you when you were planning your wedding?  We weren’t really concerned with a theme. It was important to us that our guests feel comfortable at our wedding. We wanted people to have a good time. An out of town wedding can be a pain if you do it the wrong way, and we didn’t want people to feel burdened by the long trip. My mum owns a homewares store, Papaya, so we took a lot of inspiration from her store, and used a lot of her stock for decorating. Mostly, though, the wedding came together as a result of thinking about How can we make people feel at home? How can we make this an experience? The rest just happened organically.

What was your favorite moment or part of the day?  There are too many to count, but the Irish dancing was a highlight. Instead of the traditional father-daughter waltz, my dad and I danced an Irish jig while Nick – who is a classically trained violinist – played the violin. Soon all of my dad’s family got involved and everyone had a great time reeling it out on the dance floor. My 12 uncles and aunts are all gold-medal winning Irish dancers. I had never been formally trained so my uncle and Dad to taught me the basics three weeks before the wedding. Somehow I picked it up. Sort of. I’ll remember that moment for the rest of my life. And if my memory starts to fade – I’ll always have the YouTube clip for posterity! (See below.)

Did you include any traditions in your wedding?  We lit two memorial candles to remember those that had passed. Nick’s father passed away when he was very young and my grandparents both died a few years ago, so it was important for us to do something that honored their memory.

What was the best advice you received as a bride? What advice do you have for other brides?  Be low maintenance. People will love you for it.

Vendors

Photography: Jonas Peterson / Venue: The Verandahs, Terrara House Estate in New South Wales, Australia / Bride’s dress: Karen Willis Holmes / Bride’s shoes: Salvio’s Dancing Shoes / Bridesmaid dresses: Forever New / Groom’s shirt: Nigel Lincoln / Flowers: Rosie Jennings for Terrara House Estate / Stationery: Peppermint Press / Music: The Baker Boys Band