It’s wedding season and today’s feature story celebrates spring + new love + joyous occasions by introducing you to Christine McKimm, founding owner of Country Wedding Style, whose move to the country inspired her to reconnect with her creative skills and start a curated prop hire + wedding styling business.
Let’s face it, it takes creative vision, skill and hard work to turn a paddock, a dusty lane, a bush track, a shearing shed, a garden or a seldom-used timber hall or rustic church into a venue gorgeous enough to create lasting memories and stunning photos. On my visit to Christine’s home, I was treated to a quick mini wedding-styling session. I watched and clicked with delight as Christine magically brought nostalgia, romance, provincial country charm + a touch of luxe to what had only moments before been a gravel driveway. A vignette crafted of glass jars filled with ‘Love Bubbles’ sat atop rustic timber boxes on which twigs, bird’s nests and flowers were carefully placed. In moments (with a little help from her dog Pip and a curious little chook or two), Christine had set the scene for a beautiful soiree. So much talent + passion and with more great plans afoot – watch this space!
Enjoy! {d} x
Since moving to the country, you’ve established a wonderful wedding styling + prop hire business Country Wedding Style. Tell us a little bit about your background – what led you to where you are now?
Well, firstly, I have always loved renovating furniture. I’ve done it on and off for the last twenty years – when I first moved out of home I had hand-me down furniture that was pretty ugly. I have always loved creating homey living spaces that are ‘aesthetically appealing’, so this was an inexpensive way to do that. When we moved to Kyneton our shed was filled with dusty old pieces left by the previous owner. I spent many hours in the shed seeking ‘me time’ when my baby was sleeping, sanding and painting and creating pieces for our home as well as for sale. And when we ran out of things to renovate (and room to display them), I didn’t want to stop, so I started acquiring pieces to renovate and sell in the local furniture shop (that my in-laws own).
Secondly, I did a career change (one of many) in my late twenties and retrained as a florist. I walked the streets of San Francisco asking for an apprenticeship until I landed a job in a teeny tiny little florist shop in the Marina district where I literally was left on my own to ‘learn on the job’. I then did the same when I moved to Sydney, wiggling my way into some of the best florists in the city. I was exposed to not only the retail styling aspect of these beautiful shops, but the consulting and styling of events and weddings. A lot of stylists came into the florist shops I worked for, and I would help fulfill their vision for a photo shoot or styling job. I gave advice to fashion designer Peter Morrissey once on how to decorate his table for a dinner party he was throwing. One of my last roles as a florist was working for an events company on high-end weddings – it was my dream job, working in a warehouse environment surrounded by floor to ceiling shelves of props.
Your FABULOUS business is a bit of a one-stop shop for modern brides who want to add beautiful bespoke atmosphere to their country wedding. Tell us a little about your project – what services do you offer?
I offer unique, ‘one-off’ vintage furniture for hire that is either in its ‘raw’ state (ie. rustic but not in need of renovation), as well as pieces that I have renovated myself. For example, old Singer sewing tables, bathroom washstands, dressing tables, and chairs. In addition I supply rustic props for brides who want to add a little character to their country wedding. From wooden ladders and timber fruit crates, to tin chests, handmade personalised wreaths, and birds’ nests. If couples want quirky blackboard signs, I hire out standard ones (eg. ‘Drinks’, ‘Reception’) as well as customised versions in any colour or style to match their theme.
While couples can hire their ‘staples’ from regular wedding hire companies, I provide the rustic vintage touches that create talking pieces and personality to a country wedding. They can literally come and pick up one dressing table and style it up themselves. Or, if the couple are not confident in how to display these pieces themselves, I offer an additional styling service using my own stash of personal props and *flair*.
Where do you source all the wonderful props you have to offer?
I’m fortunate that my husband works for his family’s furniture shop in town and they often come across old pieces that people just want to get rid of, not necessarily seeing (or caring for) their potential. I have a homing device set to a local auction house that you can buy straight off the floor in-between auctions. I try to avoid going there too often though, or we would not be able to afford to eat… Every now and then I hit the garage sales, which is my favourite way of picking up bargains. I literally can’t sleep the night before an ‘all town’ garage sale! I find estate auctions a bit pricey, although fun for a day out.
Weddings have changed quite a bit in recent times. Can you describe some of the changes you’ve observed and in particular the modern country wedding aesthetic?
With the advent of the ‘shabby chic’ era, followed by ‘vintage’ and now ‘industrial/vintage’, I do feel this has opened brides up to considering the bigger picture of theme-ing their whole celebration rather than just the cake decoration and table centrepieces. That, combined with the internet (particularly Instagram and Pinterest), has exposed brides to exciting and different ways of approaching their special day. In the past, a ‘country wedding theme’ would have conjured up images of wagon wheels and hay bales, ‘pig on a spit’ roasts and the odd wine barrel bar table!
In many ways now, the modern country wedding aesthetic is about embracing the childhood memories we hold of our parents and grandparents and the furniture and décor; a hark back to that which we grew up with. Happy memories of the past linking happy memories on the big day.
It’s about creating little vignettes or ‘stories’ using vintage suitcases, lamps and books, mismatched jars and glassware, antique clocks and vases, lace tablecloths, old fashioned kitchen scales, Persian-style rugs and ottomans, rustic timber crates, ladders and tin chests, ‘character’ arm chairs and velvet chaise lounges. Wine barrels and hay bales are still being used, but incorporated in a different way. And flowers, of course!
Do you have any advice for brides-to-be who’d like to organise their wedding in the Macedon Ranges? Any tips + tricks to make their planning and preparations a little easier?
Consider the season – winter is cold here so the best time of the year is typically spring, summer and early autumn.
Get in the car one weekend and go for a Sunday drive ‘town hopping’ and talking to local shop owners. The locals know where it’s all at.
There are some excellent local suppliers to the wedding industry (venues, caterers, photographers, florists etc) that are amazingly talented or offer truly unique venues, but they don’t spend money on having their website appear in the top Google search ranking or advertising in bridal magazines.
And remember that as much as DIY is fun, it is also an additional ‘job’ for either yourself or ‘Aunty Joan’ that can work out to be more time-consuming and stressful than anticipated and often more expensive. A lot of brides look back and wish they had taken on only one or two things and contracted out for the rest; so they could relax and enjoy the lead-up and the actual day.
Many of us dream of moving to the country and starting a creative inspired business that we can run from our home studio. Tell us a little about that journey. Is it as dreamy and easy as it might seem?
Sometimes actually, yes! The actual ‘starting’ or ‘doing’ part is to me dreamy, because it’s about actually having a go at something you are passionate about instead of just thinking of doing it. That’s satisfying in itself. And my work ‘environment’ is certainly beautiful.
But sometimes, no, it is not dreamy. It really depends on what basis you are starting from. I don’t have a lot of spare time or cash for setting up and promoting a creative business, and one thing I’ve learnt since I launched a few months ago is to be patient. There is a favourite quote of mine by Richard Branson (amongst many):
“There are no quick wins in business – it takes years to become an overnight success”.
Constantly re-evaluating my goals and my ‘measure of success’ has been part of this experience.
What does a typical day in the life of Christine McKimm the ‘Country Wedding Style Owner’ look like; from when you wake to when you go to sleep?
My Country Wedding Style hat is typically worn on a weekend, when I have the time to go out into the shed and renovate a piece of furniture or work on some chalkboard art. As my little girl {Charlotte} has grown older she has been able to potter around me, helping to sand or paint her own little piece of wood while I work. It may take me weeks to finish something because of the family-work-life balance, but when it is ready, I will set it up in the front paddock and style the piece to take a photograph for my website. That usually involves telling my daughter to keep out of the shot, and yelling at the dog to stop racing in front of my camera. My cat and chooks then usually photo-bomb the picture, but that’s ok, because they are excessively cute, and I’m all about ‘country’ anyway! At the moment, my days are really spent focusing on increasing my range and not spending much time on promotion. I see the business as something that will grow organically over the years.
Where or who or what do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from my own garden, from houses and properties I drive past in the area, from Pinterest and from beautiful lifestyle magazines such as Country Style. Or just by simply looking at a piece of furniture and its potential – that in itself is inspiration to me.
Do you have ‘another life’ or is Country Wedding Style your primary all-consuming project?
I have multiple other lives really, Country Wedding Style is currently my weekend gig. My husband and I have a two year old who is a full time job. I also work virtually full time hours doing freelance marketing and copy-writing from home, while caring for my daughter. She goes to kindy a couple of days a week, which is when I really go hell-for-leather, but trying to be creative in my job while entertaining and caring for my daughter on the other days is tough. Come Friday, I’m shattered. But I love what I do which makes it easier. That is the other ‘dreamy’ part of working from home in a creative role. My main client is a florist chain in Sydney, so I get to write about, and market flowers all the time. I really am living the dream combining my marketing and writing skills with a background in and passion for flowers! And while I do this I look out to my sheep in the paddock and the chickens pecking away at my garden :), or have my dog at my feet and my cats lying next to my laptop. I also try to work from my favourite local café in town, St Beans, once a week, to get out amongst ‘people’.
Do you consider yourself to be a ‘Countryphile’? Do you love country life? Why?
Most certainly yes. I’ve gone from being an all-out beach girl my whole life to whole-heartedly embracing the country life. And Country Victoria at that. I get a real kick out of simple things, like stopping the car to let a family of swans cross the road, entering cakes into the local Kyneton show, learning about animal husbandry, and watching a flock of galahs fly overhead. Recently I went to my first night CWA meeting called the ‘Twilighters’, that is for women who have families/work through the day. I was gutted I’d missed the month before where our mentor did a scone making session. Scones are my thing, or at least I’d like to think so! I have no desire to go into the city or to live back there. If anything, I can see us moving to an even bigger property one day.
What aspect of country life are you loving MOST at the moment?
Spring. My garden is going off and the weather is delicious for digging in the yard. And the gardens in Kyneton (and the Macedon Ranges) are just so beautiful at this time of the year. Lilac, wisteria, rhododendron, rambling roses. Every street you drive down is just gorgeous. Plus daylight savings means we can sit outside of an evening after a long day in the sun weeding and digging for ‘wormies’, with a cold glass of wine and watch the colours change over the valley.
What is the most CHALLENGING aspect of country life? What are the ups and downs of growing a small business in the country?
Honestly, I don’t find anything challenging about living in the country. It would be nice to have a laundry in the house instead of out in the shed, but otherwise it just has everything and more going for it. The ups and downs of growing a small business in the country – I guess there is only room for so many suppliers of certain services and products. We each have to carve our own niche and unique selling point to offer. Plus, during the winter it is really too cold for me to do furniture renovation and painting, so that side of things generally has to go on hold for a while.
Tea or coffee? Do you have a favourite country café? Where and why?
I have lots of favourite country cafes for different reasons. But, in Kyneton, I tend to go to St Beans Provedore when my daughter is in kindy. The ‘naughties’ are really naughty (and handmade), and the owners and staff are lovely :) I also go to Ruby’s Café a lot because it is super kid-friendly, again the staff are wonderful, and they do great baby-chinos. Their steak sandwiches are yum too.
Where was the last great meal you enjoyed/shared in the country?
In my sunroom with the in-laws last week. We had homemade guacamole by our fire pit, then barbequed up some garlic prawns and marinated chicken, had a Greek salad and vino. A family affair eaten with gusto and a lot of finger licking. The best kind of meal.
Would you ENCOURAGE others to live a country life? Why/why not?
Absolutely. Besides one of the more obvious reasons that, for a lot of us, the only way we can afford to enter the real estate market is to do so in the country, I also feel that it offers a pace and a sensory environment that inspires creativity and allows us to re-prioritise what’s important. Take a deep breath of fresh air. Stop and smell the wood smoke, so to speak. It is also the best place to bring up kids, no doubt about it.
What are the Top 5 Tips you’d give those dreaming of making a TREE CHANGE?
1. Be open to career change and re-evaluate your idea of ‘success’
2. Remember if you can’t buy something here, there is always online shopping
3. Rent for a while if you want to decide where you’d like to live
4. Join a community group or committee
5. Pack your bags (and a woollen jumper).
What can we expect NEXT from you/Country Wedding Style in the future?
Over the coming months, I hope to do more furniture renovation to expand my range of pieces for hire. I also have some ‘thoughts’ for further developing my other business Facebook page, Made in the Macedon Ranges. That has gone on the back burner for a while, but a seed is forming in my mind on that one…watch this space.
What would be your DREAM project or collaboration?
Oh snap. I have always wanted to style a shoot for Country Style magazine. But, as far as collaboration goes, I’d love to actually be working with other wedding suppliers in the region as a ‘collective’, along with the local council, to market the Macedon Ranges as the destination wedding region of choice.
Can you list for us 5 specific things you turn to/do when you need of a ‘dose’ of city life?
1. A visit to the South Melbourne Market to buy fresh seafood
2. Highpoint Shopping Centre – the closest shopping mall to Kyneton and wow – it has escalators!
3. Alley-hopping in the CBD
4. Café-hopping around Fitzroy
5. I’m stuck on the fifth, because to be honest we don’t ever really need a dose.
Christine McKimm
Country Wedding Style
Made in the Macedon Ranges
What great photos and fabulous article about Christine, her creative new business, Country Wedding Style and country living. I wish her all the best and hope that brides planning to marry in the Macedon Ranges contact her and that her local wedding supplier ‘collective’ comes off and is supported by the local council to attract more weddings to the region.
Oh, thanks Kelli – we wish Christine great happines + success too! Danielle xo
Danielle, Great post. Very excited to see one of our ( Kyneton Twilighter’s CWA ) being mentioned. I started the group back in July, following an article in Kyneton Connect seeking expressions of interest. A number of young women had approached me stating their desire to participate in CWA but were unable to join the day group because of work and family commitments. The Twilighter’s is great fun and each month we explore new a skill , hence the scone making. Thanks again for another lovely and informative post. Regards Peg
Sent from my iPad Peg Higginbottom.
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Oh, thank you Peg! A big warm congratulations on setting up The Twilighter’s CWA! What a great offering to the country community! Warm wishes, Danielle xo