Michelle & Andrew — DEEP DJ CO

Having a Great Southern Wedding is an incredible thing. But, as many of us know, it can also be tricky. Picture this - your dream wedding day is here & you’ve done all the hard work in planning & organising a whole plethora of amazing people to be in Elleker, at the stunning Gardens at Bullimah and the only variable that is out of your hands doesn’t come to the party. Yep, the weather.

To say the ol’ weather gods are a funny bunch on the south coast would be an understatement - 4 seasons in one day couldn’t be more true when it comes to the average day in the great southern, but thats what makes it such a special place. The beauty couldn’t be as such without the wild edge that the untamed southern ocean weather provides regularly to the lucky people who call this place home.

So here we are, mid September and its one of those days. Lots of rain falling in the 24 hours before and more on the horizon, an epic thunderstorm the night before with no real end in sight. 4 o’clock comes around and we’ve all been watching the trusty radar to try and predict the unpredictable. But its time to make a call. One shower rolls on through and the decision is collectively made to go for it - now or never. The horizon looked “OK” everyone had umbrellas in tow and the sunken garden came through as the location that Michelle had dreamed of marrying her man.

Celebrant extraordinaire Anna Cameron led the nuptials with her signature flare while I huddled under an umbrella protecting my laptop & her speaker to cover the audio. Vows announced, rings traded between Michelle & Andrew & signed off with a the most insanely timed crack of thunder as they paraded back down the aisle, they were husband and wife.

It was with a sense of urgency that all the guests retreated to the safety of Potters Well & it was well justified - within 5 minutes of the conclusion of the ceremony the heavens opened up with an almighty downpour. Perfect timing.

The newlyweds along with photog extraordinaire Lee Griffith (the legend responsible for these amazing images) ventured back out, dodging showers to capture the wild afternoon and the new Mr & Mrs in all their glory, then right on dusk it was time for the grandest of entrances. In pairs, from the western entrance the huge vibes were electric right from the moment the first foot of the wedding party stepped in, culminating with The Lister’s jaw dropping, hands up in the air, full superstar entrance to the massive sounds of Ellie Goulding’s “Love me like you do”. What a start to the reception! Tone officially set, now it’s party time!

Always the biggest highlight, the first dance came around and Michelle & Andrew took to the floor to the unmistakably gritty & soulful tones of Chris Stapleton’s “Millionaire”. This is one of those songs that when you hear it, all the emotion in the lyric transcends whatever you are doing at the time and makes you stop and listen, and with the Lister’s in the moment together on the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife, the emotion was felt through the whole room - not a dry eye as they say.

I truly encourage couples to give me the music selections that speak to them - not just the standard wedding cheese - it’s all about making the mood feel like them. As with the whole wedding, the playlist they gave me was absolutely bang on. A sprinkling of country, a healthy dose of booty shakin’ hip hop and a couple of the wedding anthems we all know and love was the order of the night & some solid dance moves from family & friends while moving through the decades and genres kept the vibe high for the rest of the night.

Theres an old saying that rain on your wedding day is good luck & a sign that your marriage will last, as a wet knot is almost impossible to un-tie & as Mr & Mrs Lister begin their next journey together, its clear that they are no exception to this rule.

Like Luke Bryan said, rain is a good thing.