Lessons in love: Teachers Jemma and Josh celebrate rustic country wedding

Country couple Jemma and Josh wanted their rustic country wedding to be as relaxed and laid-back as they are.

Jemma, 28, and Josh, 35, grew up in the same small Victorian town of Coleraine. “Although we were always friends, our love story only began years later when we both went to university to study teaching,” Jemma says.

After a stint teaching in Arnhem Land, the couple settled down near Geelong, before Josh popped the question on holiday in New York.

“We knew we wanted to our wedding to be relaxed just like ourselves and when we found King Parrot Cottages in Pennyroyal we just fell in love,” Jemma says.

“It reminded us of our years together living in the bush up north. The sounds of the birds in the trees surrounded by nature was exactly what we were after.”

The couple and their 110 guests had the sprawling venue in the Otways to themselves for the weekend. Friends and family enjoyed a relaxed barbecue on Friday night, before the main event on January 20, 2018.

“Our ceremony took place in the bush with my aunty decorating the arbor with beautiful flowers. We both wrote personalised vows which so many people commented on which was really beautiful,” the bride says.

“Our ceremony was followed with ice-cream from an ice-cream cart. Then guests walked up the hill to the reception area/vintage caravan bar. After dinner we danced the night away.”

The couple says their wedding “encapsulated all that was so uniquely us casual, relaxed and natural”.

“It was so beautiful to see so many of our friends from complete different walks of life laughing and dancing together as if they had known each other for years,” Jemma says.

Photos courtesy of Ryan Forster Photography.

After falling in love with “multiple dresses”, Jemma’s mum helped her settle on this floaty, embellished dream gown. “I loved how comfortable it was on the day,” the bride says.

“The world could have been falling down around me and I would not have cared when the day finally arrived… I was marrying my best friend!” Jemma says.

Josh and his groomsmen went tie-less to match the relaxed theme, teamed with navy suits from Roger David.

Fabulous Catering kept the food coming at the rustic country wedding. “Everyone commented on how amazing the food and service was,” praises Jemma.

Jemma says she has never been one to wear a lot of jewellery, but fell in love with this embellished cuff. “Just the right amount without being overly girly,” she says.