Rainbow at the end of the tunnel: Nicola and James celebrate rustic garden wedding

After enduring a three-year long-distance relationship and an equally long engagement, Nicola and James were rewarded with a rainbow at their rustic garden wedding.

“We dated for a few months before James started doing fly in, fly out work to Western Australia and at the same time I got a job in Canberra,” recalls Nicola.

“It would have been very easy for us to go our separate ways at this time but we persisted and after three years James proposed at our favourite beach in Newcastle.”

What follows was another three years of planning (or procrastination!), which was plenty of time for the NSW pair to plan their perfect day. Priorities lay with ensuring both the ceremony and reception were at the same place, everyone to have a good time and to have a unique and non-traditional wedding.

The couple, aged 29 and 30, tied the knot on May 4, 2019, at Willow Farm, Berry, with 97 close family and friends to witness the union.

According to this bride, careful selection of vendors and attention to details are what makes a wedding a success.

“We came into the wedding planning thinking it would be a pretty good day in our lives, but it truly was the best day ever so far!”

Photos courtesy of Ben Howland.

The bride chose a pair of sparkly gold heels to wear with her gorgeous lace gown.

Amanda La Monica hair and makeup artist made sure Nicola looked every bit the blushing bride on her wedding day.

“We locked in Ben Howland as soon as we had a venue, and in fact changed our date so that we could have him as our photographer! We had the pleasure of attending a wedding that Ben photographed and had followed his work for a long time. He was one of our non-negotiables,” says Nicola of their wedding photographer.

‘Crumble wedding’ is playful word-play of the couple’s names, Critchley and Rumble!

Nicola wore her late mother’s veil for her wedding in a loving tribute.

“We enlisted the help of The Wedding and Event Creators to assist on the day, and we did not have to worry about a thing!”