Amy & Cam — November Wedding
“I don’t even know where to begin to start to describe our wedding experience at Mona Farm. From the moment that we first walked through Mona Farm with Romy, Cam and I knew that this was the place for us. It was calm, understated, elegant and it took your breath away. Everywhere you looked there was something beautiful to appreciate. From the architecture and the artwork, to the gardens, everything was impeccable” — Amy & Cam
Here’s Amy & Cam’s Wedding — through the lens of PETTER KARLSTROM and Motion Reel Films
A love note from Amy & Cam
I don’t even know where to begin to start to describe our wedding experience at Mona Farm. From the moment that we first walked through Mona Farm with Romy, Cam and I knew that this was the place for us to get married. It was calm, it was understated, it was elegant, it was classic, and it took your breath away. Everywhere you looked there was something beautiful to appreciate. From the architecture and the artwork, to the gardens, everything was impeccable.
When I walked on the Croquet Lawn that day, I knew that was the place that I wanted to marry Cam. It was grand but understated, it was sophisticated, elegant, and timeless and it gave me goosebumps. Walking down the aisle on my wedding day I felt so calm, so ready and so happy and that was because of the team at Mona Farm. I knew that everything was thought of before I could think of it, I knew that if anything went wrong it would be sorted, I knew that every single one of my guests was being looked after and that anything they needed would be done for them with a smile. I was able to just relax and enjoy the entire weekend and for that I want to say thank you so much.
Back to that first site meeting….Meeting Romy I knew that the organisation and the operations side of the business was going to be seamless. So often you have wedding venues that are beautiful but are let down by the organisation, but this is so not the case with Mona Farm. I got the sense that Mona was a family operation, that people really cared about each other and what they were trying to create. I love working with passionate people and I can tell that everyone that works at Mona is passionate about what they do, and it was one of the big reasons we wanted to get married there. You should all be unbelievably proud of the team that you have at Mona. From the beautiful souls in housekeeping, to the groundskeepers, to the hospitality staff, to the office staff, every single person there takes such pride in what they do, and it shows in the experience that you have at Mona Farm as a guest. Running businesses ourselves, Cam and I understand what it takes to manage staff and to run such a tight ship, but you guys have done it and it is a testament to how hard you work and how much you care about what you do.
To Romy, Paisley and Sarah thank you so much for organising this wedding with me and making it a seamless as it can be. You were there answering all my questions and you gave me so many incredible suggestions. Romy, when we said to you that we were overwhelmed by having heaps of events over the weekend you said to us “why don’t you get married on the Friday and then have a recovery day the next day and have everyone stay the Saturday night so they can really chill out.” That honestly was the best suggestion you could’ve given us. The recovery picnic day was an absolute dream. Everyone was so relaxed, Cam and I were able to actually have conversations with everyone that weren’t just focused on the wedding, and most of all I felt like I had time to just take it all in and digest what happened at the wedding and enjoy the bliss that is Mona Farm. You listened to us, you understood who we were and what we wanted, and you gave us suggestions to match that and I wanted to say thank you so much for that. Sarah and Paisley nothing was too much trouble you were always there answering my questions when I needed you, giving me suggestions and helping me and Cam to create the wedding of our dreams. Our wedding was honestly the most beautiful, perfect, weekend of our lives and that is so much in part of the work you put in beforehand. Thank you so much for your dedication to me, I can’t even imagine what it must be like organising as many weddings as you do but you made me feel important and you made me feel like nothing was too much trouble. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Julien, how do I even describe how incredible you are! It is so rare to find someone that cares as much as you do but you genuinely wanted the entire weekend to be as amazing as it could be, and it showed in everything that you did. You were fun, you were organised, you were diligent, you were the right amount of pushy when you needed to be but everything that you did was with the upmost care and love. I loved having you as part of our weekend you were our 11th bridal party member. I loved your suggestions to try and make it as good as it could be and for always thinking of the vibe. I’m so thankful for your suggestions which made it even better than I could’ve imagined (that dance floor at the start of the reception was epic!). You were literally there holding my dress for me right before I walked down the aisle and you even got the platypuses to make an appearance. You checked in with us at all times, but you were never in the way or over the top. You created such a fun vibe with me and Cam and the bridal party and you were there for every single guest if they needed you. You dealt with my micromanagement moments with ease and made me laugh all weekend. Mona Farm is so lucky to have you. You should be really bloody proud of what you’ve created with your team. Thank you so much for making the entire weekend incredible, we appreciate you so much and think you are just a great human being.
To Tristan and your hospitality team. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us and filling our bellies with amazing food all weekend. At the welcome dinner you literally battled the elements when that freak hailstorm hit. Even though the place was flooding, and it looked like it had snowed at Mona there was so much hail, you all kept your cool, never looked stressed and just had a the show must go on attitude. I remember we were sitting in the new stables the night before the wedding, torrential rain was pouring, things were flooding, hail was falling, and people said to me are you stressed? And I said no. I knew that no matter what happened the team at Mona would sort it out and it just allowed me to laugh at the moment and to say let’s hope the freak hailstorm doesn’t hit tomorrow but knowing if it did you would all find a way to make it work. Our recovery brunch was beyond anything we could’ve imagined. So many people commented on how impressive it was. The coffee cart, the selection of food and the beautiful set up. Sitting there in the sun, everyone reminiscing on the day before and talking about the nights shenanigans was such a special moment and the brunch just topped it all off. I have loved watching the evolution of Mona from when we first looked at it in 2020 to now. The way you are growing your produce, taking such pride and care in what you produce and cook, and creating memorable food moments. I can’t wait to continue to visit and keep enjoying your creations.
To the wider team at our reception, the bartenders, the servers, people driving the buggies, people on set up and pack down. Thank you all so much! Every single guest commented to me on how incredible the service was. Their drinks were always full and anything they needed was done for them with a smile. It’s not often that you go to a wedding, and you comment on how incredible the service was but so many people commented to me, and I wanted you to know how appreciative Cam and I are. You all made our day so special, and you made everyone feel so welcome. I loved hearing from guests that they ran into some of you in town the next day and had a good chat, getting to know you more. How special is that!
To the housekeeping team, you are like secret angels. Making sure that everything was beautifully presented but never being obtrusive. I loved seeing your smiling faces throughout the weekend and feeling the warmth you brought. The fact that you came in and cleaned the New Stables the morning after the wedding was above and beyond. When we went to bed, we were all pulling straws for who was on clean up duty but by the time everyone had woken up it was done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to us all. Thank you so much.
To the landscaping team. We didn’t get to meet you personally, but I wanted to let you know what an incredible job you do at Mona. My word, those gardens are the things of dreams! From the first time we visited in 2020 to now, the gardens have just gotten better and better ( I didn’t think it was possible). There were so many moments over our wedding weekend where I just stood still and took in my surroundings. I would watch the trees moving in the wind, see the birds and butterflies flying around, and listen to the animals calling to each other and it made me feel so calm and grounded. Those aren’t two words I think a lot of brides would use to describe how they felt during their wedding, but this is exactly how I felt. Thank you for giving me that special gift. Every guest commented on how impeccable the gardens were and how relaxed they felt staying at Mona. You have created a slice of heaven in what you have done. You are obviously all so passionate and talented at what you do and it’s a pleasure to have experienced it and been a part of it. I also want to thank you for planting that wildflower paddock which was the exact same colours of my bridesmaids dresses, I couldn’t have planned it better if I did it myself ha-ha it was meant to be!!!
My final thoughts about Mona Farm… I just feel like the lake at Mona was the centrepiece for everything. On the Wednesday night when it was just Cam and me, we made a cup of tea and wrapped ourselves up on the lounge on the Lake House deck. We watched the most beautiful sunset over the lake, with pink and orange colouring the sky. From that first sunset I felt like the lake was present throughout my whole weekend, my grounding centrepiece. The morning of the wedding we did yoga by the lake listening to birds waking up and the trees slowly swaying in the wind, as Cam got ready with his groomsmen the lake was his backdrop bringing a sense of calm before the wedding, as I walked down the aisle it was there looking magnificent against the clouds, at brunch the next day the lake was the most beautiful backdrop to all my friends and family reminiscing about the wedding that was, throughout the whole picnic day the lake was there with people swimming in it, lying in the shade next to it, playing frisbee and gathering to catch up with each other. I showered every morning and night looking at the Lake and every time I did I said how grateful I was to be in such a special place celebrating mine and Cam’s love – what a privilege! Before Cam and I left on Sunday we went and stood out on the Lakes edge. I literally had happy tears streaming down my face because I just felt immense joy and gratitude for the weekend. Thank you all for giving Camand I this gift, thank you for the way you treated us and our guests, and for the way you made us feel all weekend. We will never forget our wedding at Mona Farm, and it will always go down as one of the best weekends of our lives.
As many of our friends said, “Can we have a wedding reunion every year at Mona Farm?” I think it’s a bloody good idea, as long as they are paying!
Love,
Amy & Cam
THE DETAILS
The Welcome: The Coach House
Ceremony: The Croquet Lawn | 25.11.22
Post-Ceremony Drinks: The Homestead Lawn
Reception: The Marquee
The Recovery: The Croquet Lawn
THE CREATIVES
Florist: Muscari
Celebrant: Adam Seeney
Music: DJ Nathan Zammit
Photographer: Pete Strom
Videographer: Motion Reel Films
Hair: Travis Bandeira
Makeup: Jessica Peris
Catering: Simon Ekas
Bus: Braidwood Buses