Meg + Luke - McGuigan House

Apparently, acts of kindness and nature evoke the greatest sense of awe (in that order). But we'd argue that weddings like this one belong in the same basket.

Truly gobsmacked by this Hunter Valley wedding at McGuigan House, Meg and Luke created a celebration that was stylish, playful and highly entertaining (quite literally - they had four different live music acts including a roaming live band).

Wanting to create a memorable experience for their loved ones, they set-up multiple break out areas for their guests to explore in-between formalities including an Aperol Spritz bar in the conversatory bar's courtyard, and a surprise disco cowboy themed after-party on the tennis court.

It was all epic, and we could go on (their celebrant Hailey Romeo, styling by Honey Lone and flowers courtesy of Two Wild Hands are also worthy of a mention) but really, these photos and video by Alex Jack and Ripple Weddings say it all.

Check it out.


The venue: We wanted a venue that offered a country feel with enough space to host almost 300 people on the guestlist. We wanted multiple areas to activate to create a unique and memorable experience for our guests… McGuigan House offered that perfectly.

We loved how close the property was to nearby accommodation for all our guests and it was easy to bus them all in and out for the wedding.

The sense of arrival, a vineyard lined grand driveway, is a beautiful starting point for guests to truly feel they’ve arrived to a wedding set in the heart of the Hunter Valley.

We loved how we could activate the conservatory bar and courtyard area with an Aperol spritz bar, and there was private gardens that we created a photo shoot moment and intimate sitting areas with live music in the background.

It truly was an amazing experience and all of our guest enjoyed discovering each of the spaces as they moved through the property and gardens.

Wedding vibe: Classic country wedding, elegant and stylish. Our planners, stylists and florists nailed the brief! We allowed the natural surroundings to take centre stage in an understated and elegant styling concept, complimented by the soft colour palette of greens, whites, and blush. We mixed a range of foliage, greenery and wildflower nests at key locations to create beautiful moments of style and design.

For the afterparty we switched it up a notch and took guests to a secret location. The second marquee was styled like a disco cowboy bar, with cowboy hats and disco balls, mirror chandeliers made from silver tinsel and neon signs everywhere... FUN!

Hit (or near) miss: Hit: Luke and I took a few minutes aside to ourselves during the reception dinner, we walked up to the top of the lawn to look back on the reception marquee... it was all lit up and everyone inside was having the best time. We took a minute or two to soak in the day and laugh about how special it all felt.

Miss: Rain sprinkling just as I walked down the aisle and people popping the umbrellas up that we hoped not to use!

Best thing you did? So many things! Our favourite part of the night was the surprise venue - a hidden after party marquee that was located on the tennis court. We created an exciting experience for our guests with a seven piece roaming band (Hot Potato Band) appearing after speeches and taking everyone from the reception to the after party where more entertainment was ready to party! We had an eight piece party band with a DJ, and the marquee was styled like a disco cowboy bar, with cowboy hats and disco balls, mirror chandeliers made from silver tinsel and neon signs everywhere.

I also really loved the sense of arrival. I had two Rolls Royce wedding cars transport us into the venue which looked so elegant and set the tone for the ceremony.

Luke and I decided to use the courtyard area of the house for a pre-dinner cocktail Spritz moment, which worked so well as it gave our guests another area to explore and enjoy throughout the photograph hour.

Best wedding planning resources? I did most of the planning myself and passed all my suppliers over to the amazing team at Honey Lane to prep for the day.

Honey Lane worked tirelessly on our wedding for weeks prior to, and on the bump in days leading up had a huge team of staff creating magic and pulling it all together for us... incredible!

Wedding splurge
Entertainment.

Wedding save
Friends that are hair and makeup artists.

First look?
No.

Best thing you ate or drank on the day?
Food by Fennel & Co was amazing!

Aisle song
"You Got the Love", by Florence and the Machine.

Party starter track
"Sweet Dreams", by Eurythmics.

Ceremony or reception (which won)?
Reception!

On-budget or over-budget?
Over - but so worth it.

Honeymoon destination
Bali.

CREDITS: Photos Alex Jack // Video Ripple Weddings // Florist Two Wild Hands // Celebrant Hailey Romeo // Catering Fennel & Co. // Cake Project Cake // Planning and styling Honey Lane // Signage Maddison Jayne Design // Bridal gown and veil Helen English // Bride's shoes Jimmy Choo // Accessories Valentino and YSL // Bridesmaid dresses Sir The Label // Suits and ties M.J. Bale // Rings Cerrone and Ryder Diamonds // Hair Liz Tieu // Makeup Brooke Low // Music Fine Lines Ent., Hot Potato Band, Seani and Dj Lavida // Transport Grape Experience // Drone Sprinkler Media // Bar team Kubarz // Furniture hire Simply Seated, Beavis, Timbermill, Event Hire Sydney, The Treasure Room, Lights To Party, The Pretty Table Hire // Marquee Event Marquees.