LesFest: A Farm Festival Wedding in the Otways

Steph and Marita stood in a paddock in the Otways and decided to turn it into their very own LesFest. Steph’s family farm became the setting for a wedding built from the ground up, with music at its centre and pasta firmly on the menu.

Their story began at work and carried through a first kiss in Bright, landing back on family land surrounded by their village. From embroidered suits stitched with tents, cockatoos and carbs to a first DJ set instead of a first dance, every detail felt them unmistakably. Their mission? Feed everyone well, play the music loud, and dance like it’s a festival.

From Documents to Bright Weekends

We met at work, on the same team. Steph had seen Marita’s name on documents beforehand and imagined some mysterious Eastern European traveller. Instead, she got a Geelong local and an instant connection.

After months of our housemates hearing, “But what if she just thinks we’re friends?!”, Steph invited Marita on a weekend away with friends to Bright. Our first kiss happened that weekend, and it’s a place we still return to often.

Seven years later, we’re getting married on Steph’s family farm, surrounded by everyone we love.

Spreadsheets and Selective Splurging

We’ll be honest, the budget went over. We’re both impulse people and never set a strict one to begin with. Being some of the first in our friendship group to get married, and planning something far from traditional, we didn’t really have a benchmark.

The hardest part was deciding what actually mattered. For us, that was food, music, and building a celebration that felt like us. The rest, we let go. Spreadsheets became our best friend.

Building LesFest From the Ground Up

We got married on Steph’s family farm, Yan Yan Gurt West, tucked into the foothills of the Otways. Sustainability and care for Country are at the heart of everything the farm does, which made it the perfect setting for our LesFest. Even the lamb for the ragù was ethically raised right there on the property.

Having family land meant no restrictions. Just music, dancing, and our community coming together. We started with a bare paddock and built a tiny festival village from scratch. It was a mission, but completely worth it.

LesFest: A Farm Festival Wedding in the Otways – photo 1

LesFest: A Farm Festival Wedding in the Otways – photo 2

Spend Where It Sings

Honestly, we’re probably not the best people to ask. We went over budget and have no regrets. Spreadsheets helped us track vendors and payment dates, but our biggest advice is to decide early what matters most to you and spend your money there. And try to keep something aside for those last-minute expenses.

For us, the priorities were food and music. We wanted our guests to have an epic party. Everything else we kept simple or DIY’d, leaning on our closest people to help bring it to life.

Surrounded by Our Village

We invited everyone important to us, which honestly felt less stressful than trying to decide who to cut. Having a family farm with no strict capacity limits gave us that freedom, even if it made drawing the line a little tricky.

In the end, we just wanted our community there. And that’s exactly how it felt on the day: surrounded by our village.

Finding Our Person Behind the Camera

Marita: Kyra Boyer came to us through multiple recommendations, and from our first Zoom call, it immediately clicked why. She was bubbly, warm, and kind, and we knew straight away she was our person.

We weren’t after stiff, staged photos. We wanted the real stuff. The fun, the relaxed, everything in between. On the day, Kyra brought such an easygoing energy that made it all feel calm, even in the chaos. She made us feel ourselves completely, and it shows clearly in the photos. Honestly, anyone who can make me not look awkward in photos is an absolute winner.

Farm Chic, With a DJ Set Twist

Farm Chic with a touch of Mardi Gras. Comfortable shoes. Something warm so you can dance all night. That was the vibe.

We wanted a mini Meredith Music Festival. Friends and family DJing, Boggle the Band playing, the most un-wedding band but the most us band. Instead of a first dance, we did a “first DJ set”.

Made by Many Hands

So much of our wedding was DIY. Our nearest and dearest helped our friend Luke bring our food vision to life using local, sustainably sourced produce. We’re especially proud of how low waste the day was. One small bin for the entire wedding, everything else composted or recycled.

The lamb came straight from the farm. The beer was brewed by our friend James at Hawker Brewery. The wine was kegged from Old Palm Liquor. Friends and family decorated the marquee with flowers, hand-sewn bunting, and even hand-painted tambourines for the dance floor!

Suits, Sequins, and Pasta Motifs

Marita: I had one clear vision, Reigner Suits. I wanted embroidery that actually told our story. Tents and mountains for our love of hiking, flowers from the farm, black cockatoos we always hear overhead, and yes, pasta. A pasta maker was the first thing we bought together, so it had to be in there. Tents, cockatoos, flowers and carbs, all stitched into one suit, with mesh sleeves for a femme touch that felt important to me.

Steph: I knew I wanted two outfits. My ceremony look was Natasha Richardson in Parent Trap meets First Wives Club power suit. Ultra fem but powerful. Honeymoon Studios created a bandeau and column skirt with an embroidered blazer, finished with LMS blue heels because I couldn’t be completely colourless.

For the party, I changed into a champagne gold sequinned number with cape wings, tailored for dancing. The white was never going to survive the farm. Kyra brilliantly timed the outfit change with golden hour and captured us running around the paddock.

Quad Bikes, Pasta, and a Paddock Dance Floor

We got ready together at our Airbnb with our best friends, siblings and parents. Makeup, breakfast, champagne, and complete chaos. We did a first reveal with our family and Lesbesties, then escaped for some quiet before the ceremony. Kyra captured it all. Note to future couples: no one tells you to clean your room first. Sorry, Kyra.

We toured the farm then met our Lesbesties at the woolshed for a few pre-ceremony bottles – straight from the bottle because we forgot glasses. Whoops. The bridal party arrived on a trailer and we rolled in on a quad bike.

The ceremony was hot, hilarious and teary. Lynne was incredible. Birds flew overhead at the perfect moment. Afterwards, we wandered to the reception for canapés, speeches and pasta (obviously), pesto and ragu with dough from Maria’s Pasta in Melbourne. Beers chilled in canoes and tractor trays.

Friends and family ran the bar in shifts. We danced to Boggle and DJ sets with tambourines, then ended the night around the fire making cheese toasties.

Sunglasses On, Guests Moshing

Our first DJ set was the highlight. Making our guests dance for us felt perfect. Steph and I were up on stage in sunglasses, watching our family members mosh to our ridiculous lineup of songs.

Pure magic.

The Dream Team Behind LesFest

We were so lucky with the people who brought this day to life. Kyra Boyer was beyond cool and effortlessly professional, bringing a calming, fun energy and capturing everything so beautifully. Lynne Hume guided us through the entire process with so much warmth and patience, even giving us sneaky vow “homework” that helped us slow down and stay connected to each other.

Yan Yan Gurt West Farm, with its deep care for Country and sustainability at its core, was the perfect setting for our LesFest. And Luke, technically retired, came back just for us. His care, generosity and love of food made the meal feel incredibly special for everyone.