Leah and Chris' enchanting wedding at Winwood Garden

After a night out with work colleagues saw them seated next to one another by happenstance, Leah and Chris knew they were onto something special. “We just clicked,” says Leah. A few years, and a beautiful daughter later, the pair wed in an outdoor ceremony at Winwood Garden.

Leah and Chris knew that one of their “must-haves” for their October 8, 2022, wedding was a romantic venue ,where they could celebrate from ceremony to reception with no need to travel in between. The sprawling gardens and charming event space of Winwood Garden were a tailor-made fit!

On the morning of their wedding, Leah dressed in an ethereal white gown with billowing sleeves and a voluminous train. Surrounded by her wedding party, who wore autumnal colours, the bride celebrated with champagne before preparing to walk down the aisle. Chris and his groomsmen wore beige Institchu suits with elegant, understated buttonhole blooms.

The ceremony was set nestled in the gardens, overlooking the river. When it came time for Leah to take to the aisle, in a meaningful twist on tradition, Leah’s seven-year-old son accompanied her. In front of 70 guests, it was a joyful and family-focussed ceremony with the couple’s nine-year-old daughter singing Taylor Swift’s ‘Everything Has Changed’. “There was not a dry eye in the crowd. It will forever be special to us,” says Leah.

After the big “I do!”s, the guests flowed seamlessly into a cocktail hour with an acoustic duo for entertainment, while Leah and Chris clipped away to have some portraiture with BLUSH Wedding Photography. In perfect planning and a bit of good luck, they caught a stunning golden hour and still conditions for their romantic shoot. “Vanessa from BLUSH Wedding Photography was amazing. She captured every emotion and special moment from the day and I will forever cherish the memories she captured,” says Leah of their wedding photography experience.

A spirited entrance saw the wedding party and happy couple arrive at the reception to overjoyed cheers from the guests who were seated at long tables, leaving ample space for a dance floor. Winwood Garden served a three-course feast and speeches dotted the evening’s proceedings. After the cutting of the cake, Leah slipped into a second wedding dress: a gorgeous, fringed two-piece set made for dancing… And dance she did!

“If I could give any nearlyweds advice, I would tell them to just do it all their way. It should be a day totally dedicated to the love of Chris and I. Nothing else matters,” explains Leah. “One other thing: try to be present and in the moment. The day goes by so fast!”

One of the most important things we were looking for when selecting a venue was the atmosphere and overall aesthetic, and Winwood Garden was everything we dreamt of and more. We fell in love with the space and the surrounding bushland. Being able to hold the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in one venue took a lot of stress out of the day. Our guests also loved that it was just a 5-minute drive from the CBD and kid-friendly.