This Fashion Photographer Bride Wore Micro Shorts For Her Magical Outdoor Wedding

The location itself needed little styling. “The setting is just pure magic,” she says. “I honestly don’t think we had really any decor. You don’t need any in a place like Bovina. The smell of fresh cut grass, freshly bloomed flowers [and] muddy ground were the decor.” The ceremony was an outdoor affair, taking place in the garden. “We asked that everyone stand in a circle during the ceremony because we wanted to see everyone and actually be surrounded by the people we love,” Chloé explains. “I don’t think there was a dry eye in the field – so much so that by the time it was over and I was taking portraits, people were still crying.” After the ceremony, the bride had everyone line up (with drinks in hand of course) so she could photograph each guest. “It’s funny because most of the portraits are of people crying.”

It makes sense that photography would play a central role in the celebrations. Rather than outsourcing the job to a stranger, Chloé asked three close friends (also photographers) to shoot the weekend however they liked. “I wanted to remember the weekend the way I saw it,” she says. “And also through their eyes, which I trust deeply.” For portraits of the two of them, she waited. “We went to Little Mill Abergavenny in Wales for our honeymoon. I knew I wanted to wait for this because I knew we wouldn’t be stressed out about any wedding details afterwards. Just him and I and my camera in the garden.”

In keeping with the fuss-free celebrations, Chloé skipped the corsetry and went for a handful of simple, bridal looks including pieces from Doên, Eveliina Vintage, Chanel and The Gathering. Her friend Charlie (of Charlie Beads) even made fabric flowers to tie onto her flower girls’ baskets. “Every piece I wore had a story,” she says. “I wanted something simple as I knew I would be running around the field all night,” she explains. “My dear friends at Paloma Wool agreed to make my wedding dress. I am so lucky to have a custom wedding dress from the hands and minds of such wonderful people. We have watched each other grow from afar for so long. It felt only right to wear something that was made with love from friends.” On top of the custom wedding dress, it was a pair of Araks micro shorts worn for the welcome party that became the standout look of the weekend. “Comfortable is sexy,” Chloé says. “That’s how Araks always feels to me.”

In classic Brushland spirit, the food was equally uncomplicated. “I don’t think I ever saw a menu,” Chloé laughs. “I didn’t need one.” There was a barbecue on the first night – burgers, hot dogs, vinegary potato salad – and a candlelit dinner on the second: steak with fresh peas, devilled eggs with chive blossoms and “immaculate vesper plates.” Everything was seasonal and local. “The kind of cooking where every bite becomes a memory,” Chloe says.

The soundtrack was a mix of oldies and country classics, culminating in Chloé’s walk down the aisle to Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms”. “I was definitely most excited about the time of year in Bovina,” she adds. “The start of the summer here is truly magic. The green is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The flowers sprouting give off this feeling of relief that they have made it through the harsh winter. Everyone in the town is just so happy to be in a short sleeve working in the gardens. It feels like the feeling of waking up after a much needed nap – refreshed and relaxed.”

If she has any advice for couples planning a wedding, it’s this: “Relax. Think about the person you’re marrying – and remember that nothing else matters but the love you’re growing.”