Ali & COdy Heffernan Wedding - Moravia Park - Lovedale

Ali and Cody's wedding perfectly reflects them as individuals and as a couple with their Moravia Park wedding. Moravia Park is a rustic barn-style venue in Lovedale, Hunter Valley. The couple got ready in their onsite bridal suite and a spacious second dwelling. With the property's exclusivity, they could bring their dogs to be a part of the day, and those pups wore their bandanas with pride. They also brought their horses along, one who drew the carriage in which Bride Ali arrived at the ceremony. If I were to summarise Moravia Park's vibe in a phrase, it would be "Rustic Elegance" I could say the same about this couple!

Groom Cody is a well-known and successful professional bull rider. The week following his wedding saw him win the 2022 PBR Australian Bullriding Championship, and he holds the title of 2016 PBR Australian Bullriding Champion, & 2018 ABCRA Australian Bullriding Champion.

But come the wedding day, despite what you may think, it wasn't all Akubras and Ariats (although they came in abundance!); this couple had style. An insane amount of florals flooded their ceremony and reception, which was breathtaking.

Bride Ali also has some titles, winning Miss Australia 2020! And being an experienced model, Ali knows how to work a camera. Ali & I collaborated on countless shoots in the time leading up to the wedding for local businesses and creative expression. So the pressure was on to create some outstanding images for their special day. Ali brought so much style and elegance to their day, from her stunning lace dress to the gorgeous natives in her bouquet. A family member & owner of Singleton Florist styled the wedding with an abundance of florals and went all out; like I said, breathtaking.

A huge theme of this wedding was friends & family. Ali had some beautiful photos of loved ones in small vintage frames tied around the base of her bouquet. It was a small detail that brought so much warmth to the day.

Ali had her close family at bride prep, with her Mum helping her into her wedding dress before walking out to see her Dad for a first look. An extraordinary moment. Ali also decided to do a first look with her brothers, who were quite stunned and couldn't wait for the wedding to begin.

Ali's bridesmaids were the perfect hype girls; their energy kept everything rolling along nicely, and even with a few changes & dress complications, their positive vibes ensured everyone remained super chill.

The ceremony took place in front of the barn. The weather shifted to a mix of sunny conditions, but a few dark clouds loomed. Thankfully, the weather held out, and the sun shone as they kissed and made their way back down the aisle as husband & wife. After all the congratulations, hugs & kisses, we made our way through the couple's family photo list.

It was quite an extensive list, so once we knocked this over, a drinks break was in order for the couple and their bridal party.

Between this and heading out for photos with the bridal party, Ali & Cody were keen to see their reception before the guests, so we snuck inside. The barn was absolutely filled to the brim with florals, gold plates & cutlery; intricate details made the space come alive. We captured some images of the newlyweds in the room while empty. The glow of the neon sign & vintage bulbs, strung from an old wooden ladder, created a warmth that matched the intimate, quiet vibe of these portraits.

Back with the bridal party outside the barn, it was time to kick it up a gear. Moravia Park is quite stunning. The long tree-lined driveway, gardens, open golden fields and many other features make for incredible photographs. Also, being close to an old bridge & many vineyards, olive groves & open spaces meant the options for their bridal portraits were endless. After 40 mins or so of cruising around the property, we piled into my car with the couple, & Sam from Hunter Valley Video to head offsite.

The first stop was the old bridge. Its character and rough textures were the perfect contrast against the elegance of Ali's dress. From there, we found a spot not too far from Saltire estate, mountain views, an old homestead off in the distance & an overgrown grassy driveway that seemed to go on forever.

Arriving back at Moravia Park for their reception, each couple in the bridal party danced their way between the tables for their entrance.

The energy in the room was high and the guests loved every minute of it. A few meals were served, and several speeches later, as the sun began to set over the mountains, we snuck outside with Ali & Cody. The sunset was gorgeous! The images we captured, especially when Cody placed his hat on his bride's head, were truly magical. It was approaching time for the couple to do their first dance, and we could tell they were a little nervous. So, before making our way back into the reception, we asked Ali & Cody if they wanted to practice this in front of the barn as the last of the sunset faded away. Practising their dance alleviated those nerves and enabled us to create some amazing photos as they ran through their routine.

Back in the reception, a few more speeches on, it was time to cut the cake. This led to the first dance, which the couple nailed. From there the dancefloor was open and the guests all got up, carving up the dancefloor for the rest of the evening.

One of the last events of the evening was a sparkler circle, which took place just outside the barn's doors. All the guests held sparklers around the couple as they cheered, laughed, danced and celebrated the evening. As the night drew to a close, the guests all departed the reception room. Cody & Ali had planned to do a final dance, just the two of them in the room once the night wrapped up. It was such a beautiful moment. The perfect way to finish off what was a fantastic Hunter Valley wedding.