There is nothing quite like a backyard wedding. Megan and Michael looked for ages for venues that suited them before returning home and deciding that their backyard was the best spot for a garden party wedding with their two daughters. They tended the garden, made a cake, borrowed furniture from friends and celebrated with an acoustic guitarist as the warm afternoon sun warmed their spirits and souls. Their day was captured by Tigs Macallan.

"We met through a mutual friend at Golden Plains music festival 7 yrs ago and barely gave each other a second look. 2 years and lots of gigs later, we were inseparable. Shortly after that we had a baby. Then another

And then it was time to get married!"

Megan wore a gorgeous floral gown from Collette Dinnigan. Flowers on the day were supplied by Pomp And Splendour. Megan remembering, "We loved the beautiful Petra Cremming at Pomp And Splendour! Petra made my bouquet, Michael's buttonhole, and also delivered 3 gorgeous buckets of colourful blooms which my girl friends divided into hanging bottles (from Hills hoist) and small vases for the tables. Small flower girl posies were also pulled together by a friend from the flower mix provided."

On their decision to marry at home, Megan explains, "After looking into two venues for our wedding and feeling constricted creatively, we went full circle and decided to take full control and have a backyard wedding. We have two small children, so in many ways a wedding at home made sense. Even though we were renting, we had created a safe & happy home for our family here, and the backyard is GiGANTIC with a well established (though somewhat dishevelled before A LOT of hard work) garden. We basically turned an unloved suburban backyard into a beautiful 'garden party' themed venue."

Decorating the backyard was one of Megan's favourite adventures, she remembers, "I (Megan) put months of brainstorming, planning, and then implementation to create the desired space. I rekindled my love & skills for sewing for a start. Hand sewn bunting in beautiful fabrics lined the whole fence line of our huge backyard. My Aunty had a large part in sewing the bunting, with help from myself. The final day of putting it all together was a real 'girls day' with my mum, aunty, and another family friend which resonates in my memory. I made all the tablecloths and cushion covers to match."

Guests enjoyed a DIY bar, Megan remembering, "A girlfriend made homemade lemonade for the arrival drink, served in old milk bottles."

Gena Rose Bruce played all the music for the day, including the song Megan walked down the aisle to. "An acoustic version of Cat Power's cover of 'Sea of Love' performed by Gena Rose Bruce. Gena is an old family friend and an up and coming ROCK STAR."

The ceremony kicked off with Michael reading "Guess How Much I love You?" to the couple's two little girls.

"Michael & I begged, borrowed and stole from the neighbourhood to source enough outdoor furniture & pot plants to make our garden party all I had imagined. This included old green milk crates for extra seating (covered with Megan's handmade cushions), secondhand retro furniture picked up from Coburg market, and a collection of antique side plates sourced especially for the wedding cake, made by me!"

"The special details were firstly and fore-mostly our 2 beautiful children, Nina & Saskia, aged 2 & 4. The day was as much about them as it was Michael & I. They were flower girls & ring bearers, in between sandpit rampagers, circus trampoliners, and crazy lollipop sucking social butterflies! They were excited, involved, and at the end of the day EXHAUSTED."

"The garden, the garden, the garden - I spent months working on, sculpting, LOVING the garden! All for good reason. The roses were in full bloom, the petunias a beautiful array of colour, all providing the background for a gorgeous garden party wedding. A special thank you to my neighbour & gardening GURU, Rosemary!"

Guests enjoyed dinner catered by Banh Mi Boys. Megan recalling, "The catering by the Bahn Mi Boys food truck was SCRUMPTIOUS, and not only was their food exceptional, but their warm friendly and casual interaction with our guests, made the day relaxed and enjoyable for everyone."

The bride made a chocolate wedding cake.

Of their photographer, Megan tells, "I (Megan) have (has) a photography background and had a certain style in mind when it came to capturing our (their) special day. We definitely wanted a documentary style approach, rather than a staged shoot. I stumbled across Tig's photographs online and loved her style. But the crunch for both Michael & I was meeting her. There was an instant rapport on meeting. A feeling of complete comfortableness, faith in her ability to understand our story, and desire to capture it as it is (was). Tigs is not only technically sound, but a huge creative. And her personality plays a large role in her telling a couple's story. For without the relationships that she builds, the camera can't penetrate as deep as her images portray."

Megan and Michael, congratulations on your marriage! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us! Thank you also to Tigs Macallan for sharing today's wedding with us!