When Courtney and Joshua were married at Courtney's parents' farm in Alstonville, roughly half way between Ballina and Lismore, the long farming history of this area was borne home - not simply through the seating on the old tractor, but also with the whole vibe of the area. Lismore is a centre for farmers, timber getters, water transport and used to be a rail centre though it is no longer. Despite severe past floods, the most recent and devastating in 2022, the locals have such a love for their area they are determined to rebuild and remain.
Many local couples get married on their own farms or their parents' farms and it's delightful. Casino and Kyogle are busy centres close to Lismore and I've performed so many weddings in this region over the past 8 years. From weddings by dams, under big old fig trees, in back yards and gardens, and in paddocks where the farmer forgot to remove the cattle until the day before the ceremony (eek very messy!!), in macadamia orchards and local halls ... again local couples have so much choice. If working with a tight budget, local halls are community treasures. But even if you aren't working with a strict budget, value for money is easy to find.
Casino and Kyogle claim to be the cattle capitals of NSW. It's possible a few other towns might challenge that claim, but let's just agree cattle and agriculture are critical elements in the local area surrounding Lismore. Again, those who live and work in farming communities tend to prefer outdoor weddings. Some of my more memorable weddings took place in Kyogle. My first wedding out there was on a big farm where Warren the groom was in his fifties and had never married. His wife to be, Rebecca (Bec), was delightful and had 4 children from her previous marriage. What amazed me was that Warren was such a softie. They were both so smitten. Marrying them was a delight almost "marred" by the best man who was a joker from way back. Tim pretended to have lost one of the rings! I remember looking to the heavens and wondering what we could do ... When he suddenly slipped the other box out of his trouser pocket and said, "Only joking!" We all burst out laughing, and I do mean the guests as well. Please refer to the photo below?
I married another young couple (Ally and Anthony), friends of the family, on the same farm a few years later. That day the ground was so wet I had trouble getting speakers to stand upright! They kept falling over so I had to use crates to stabilise them. The bride and groom arrived on time and I worried about the bride's beautiful white leather high heels. Strangely she wasn't too worried. The ceremony went well with people chuckling in all the right places and the bride and groom happily walked away after being declared as Mr and Mrs Callaghan. By the time I retrieved my sound gear and managed to load up my car, my shoes were sodden. Unfortunately, no glue could survive that much moisture and suction from mud below!
So far, none of my weddings has been washed out. Some have been postponed for up to half an hour; and where hay bails have been uncovered and rained on, adults chose not to sit down during the ceremony. The kids on the other hand ... let's just say a few times big wet patches on children's derrieres have been obvious. It just goes to prove wet weather contingency plans are necessary where any outdoor wedding ceremony is planned.
Many local couples get married on their own farms or their parents' farms and it's delightful. Casino and Kyogle are busy centres close to Lismore and I've performed so many weddings in this region over the past 8 years. From weddings by dams, under big old fig trees, in back yards and gardens, and in paddocks where the farmer forgot to remove the cattle until the day before the ceremony (eek very messy!!), in macadamia orchards and local halls ... again local couples have so much choice. If working with a tight budget, local halls are community treasures. But even if you aren't working with a strict budget, value for money is easy to find.
Casino and Kyogle claim to be the cattle capitals of NSW. It's possible a few other towns might challenge that claim, but let's just agree cattle and agriculture are critical elements in the local area surrounding Lismore. Again, those who live and work in farming communities tend to prefer outdoor weddings. Some of my more memorable weddings took place in Kyogle. My first wedding out there was on a big farm where Warren the groom was in his fifties and had never married. His wife to be, Rebecca (Bec), was delightful and had 4 children from her previous marriage. What amazed me was that Warren was such a softie. They were both so smitten. Marrying them was a delight almost "marred" by the best man who was a joker from way back. Tim pretended to have lost one of the rings! I remember looking to the heavens and wondering what we could do ... When he suddenly slipped the other box out of his trouser pocket and said, "Only joking!" We all burst out laughing, and I do mean the guests as well. Please refer to the photo below?
I married another young couple (Ally and Anthony), friends of the family, on the same farm a few years later. That day the ground was so wet I had trouble getting speakers to stand upright! They kept falling over so I had to use crates to stabilise them. The bride and groom arrived on time and I worried about the bride's beautiful white leather high heels. Strangely she wasn't too worried. The ceremony went well with people chuckling in all the right places and the bride and groom happily walked away after being declared as Mr and Mrs Callaghan. By the time I retrieved my sound gear and managed to load up my car, my shoes were sodden. Unfortunately, no glue could survive that much moisture and suction from mud below!
So far, none of my weddings has been washed out. Some have been postponed for up to half an hour; and where hay bails have been uncovered and rained on, adults chose not to sit down during the ceremony. The kids on the other hand ... let's just say a few times big wet patches on children's derrieres have been obvious. It just goes to prove wet weather contingency plans are necessary where any outdoor wedding ceremony is planned.
Why Choose Caz for your Marriage Ceremony?
Because where I live is in the heartland of Northern Rivers, I can easily reach any location between the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Ballina and Lismore. So if you want to work with a local who isn't afraid of travel and roads that sometimes are potholed, why don't you fill in the form below or give me a call? I'd be delighted to hear from you if you want to marry in Northern Rivers area.
