Lana & Todd: A Kevington Hotel Wedding

Lana and Todd's wedding was meant to happen in January. Bushfires forced them to call off the first date, so they waited, picked a new one and brought everyone to the Kevington Hotel, an old gold-rush pub on the Goulburn River in Victoria's high country, on the fourteenth of March 2026. It was worth the wait.

Jay and Sofia photographed the day from the early afternoon until long after dark, and it was one of the warmest days we have photographed: wonderful people, a family who looked after everyone, us included, and a party that never stopped.

Take II

The chalkboard by the front door said it all: welcome Todd and Lana, Take II, the hotel closed for a private function. They had the whole place to themselves, and nobody was driving home that night, because the guests camped. When we arrived in the early afternoon, the grass among the trees beside the hotel was already full of cars, caravans and tents, with a pale blue Kombi parked among them. The whole weekend had the feel of a family gathering that happened to include a wedding.

Guests' cars, caravans and tents among the trees beside the hotel

Black and white photo of Todd doing up his bolo tie in the pub, a groomsman beside him

Getting ready at the hotel

The men took over the old pub, with its long bar, walls of photographs and memorabilia, and a stone fireplace where their white shirts and Todd's black wide-brimmed hat hung on a rack. There was a game of pool, Todd did up his bolo tie, and he and his groomsmen shared a drink at the bar. Outside they lined up on the bench under the hand-painted Kevington Hilton sign, and Todd, in his dark olive suit and the hat he kept on all day, leaned on a timber fence in the shade. A groomsman planted a kiss on his cheek while Todd held a baby boy. Lana got ready in a room with chandeliers and red patterned carpet, and by four she was in her long-sleeved white lace dress, with her bridesmaids in sage green satin and two flower girls in white tulle.

Black and white photo of a game of pool inside the old pub

Black and white photo of two women doing their makeup in a big gilt mirror

Todd and his groomsmen sharing a drink inside the old pub before the ceremony

The groomsmen lined up on a bench under a hand-painted Kevington Hilton sign

Todd and his groomsmen in front of the Kevington Hotel's painted sign

Todd in a wide-brimmed hat leaning on a timber fence in the shade

Black and white photo of a groomsman kissing Todd on the cheek while Todd holds a baby boy

Lana in white lace with her bridesmaids in sage green and two flower girls, under the chandeliers of the room where they got ready

Lana’s dad hugging her at the front of the ceremony as Todd waits beside them

Down the aisle

The ceremony was on the lawn by the river, under tall trees, with white wire chairs, a white runner and white rugs on the grass. Todd and his groomsmen waited at the front in the shade. The bridesmaids walked through the trees with their bouquets, the flower girls came down the aisle with their baskets, and then Lana came, on her dad's arm, holding a bouquet of dried flowers in rust, peach and cream with long cream ribbons trailing from it. At the front her dad pulled her into a hug, and Todd watched her from under the brim of his hat.

A bridesmaid in sage green walking through the trees with her bouquet

Two flower girls in white walking down the aisle with their baskets as the guests watch

Lana walking down the aisle on her dad’s arm, her bouquet of dried flowers and ribbons in her hand

Todd in his wide-brimmed hat watching Lana arrive, his groomsmen beside him

Lana and Todd smiling side by side at the front of the ceremony

Vows by the river

They faced each other on the white rug, the bridesmaids in sage on one side and the groomsmen in white shirts and bolo ties on the other, with their guests gathered around under the trees. Todd tipped his hat back to look at her. Lana read her vows into the microphone while Todd smiled at her, and then Todd read his, still smiling. It was a hot, clear afternoon, and the trees kept everyone in deep shade, with the bright sun breaking through the leaves only here and there.

Lana and Todd facing each other during their vows, his hat tipped back

Guests gathered around the ceremony under the tall trees

Lana reading her vows into the microphone while Todd smiles at her

Todd reading his vows to Lana into a microphone, smiling under his hat

Husband and wife

At 4.24 they kissed on the white rug, with the bridesmaids on one side and the groomsmen on the other. They signed beside the pavilion, with a bridesmaid and an older woman as their witnesses. Then they walked back through their guests in a shower of confetti, while one of the flower girls fired a bubble gun straight at Lana.

Lana and Todd’s first kiss on the white rug in the grove, bridesmaids on one side and groomsmen on the other

A flower girl firing a bubble gun at Lana as the guests celebrate after the ceremony

Lana and Todd walking back through their guests in a shower of confetti

Out the front of the Kevington

Everyone gathered out the front of the hotel, under KEVINGTON HOTEL painted in white on the red iron roof, for one big photograph, every guest cheering. The family photographs followed on the paved forecourt beside the hotel. Then the bridal party lined up and kicked their legs in the air, Todd and the bridal party downed a round of shots right there in front of the pub, Lana and her bridesmaids raised their bouquets, and Lana and one of her bridesmaids held their dried flowers side by side.

Everyone cheering together in front of the Kevington Hotel

The bridal party kicking up their legs in front of the Kevington Hotel

Todd and the bridal party downing shots together in front of the Kevington Hotel

Lana and her bridesmaids raising their bouquets in front of the hotel

Lana with a bridesmaid, both holding bouquets of dried flowers in rust and cream

Lana’s bouquet of dried flowers and long cream ribbons against her lace dress

Under the trees

A few minutes with just the two of them was all it took. We went back into the trees beside the hotel and along the timber fence, where Lana looked back over her shoulder with her bouquet. They stood close together with the dried flowers between them, the sun came low through the trees and lifted her ribbons, and Lana laughed in the late afternoon light.

Lana with her bouquet, looking back over her shoulder beside a timber fence in the trees

Lana and Todd close together in the trees, her bouquet of dried flowers between them

Black and white photo of Lana and Todd close together among the trees

Lana and Todd in the grove as the late sun breaks through the trees, her ribbons lifting

Lana laughing with her bouquet in the late afternoon light

Lana’s hand with a fine new tattoo of dots and a tiny star beside her engagement ring

Tattoos and bathtubs

At ten past five the bridal party, then Lana and Todd, walked in arm in arm through the covered timber walkway to the reception. Waiting for them was a mobile tattoo artist, set up in a tin-walled corner under a ring light. Lana went first, laughing the whole time, and came away with a fine new tattoo of dots and a tiny star on her ring finger, beside her engagement ring. Todd went next, still in his hat, and one of the bridesmaids had hers soon after. Out on the lawn the beer sat on ice in the bathtubs, guests drifted between the pavilion and their tents, Lana stopped to talk to a flower girl, and a big group of friends gathered around her outside the hotel.

Lana and Todd walking arm in arm through a covered timber walkway to the reception

Lana laughing under a ring light as the mobile tattoo artist works on her hand

Todd, still in his hat, getting a tattoo from the mobile tattoo artist

A bridesmaid laughing as she gets a tattoo at the reception

Lana bending down to a flower girl on the lawn under the trees

Cans of beer on ice in an old claw-foot bathtub

A pale blue Kombi van parked on the grass among the campers

Lana surrounded by a big group of friends outside the hotel, everyone grinning

Todd giving his speech, microphone in hand

Speeches

The speeches started under the pavilion at twenty to seven and went on for a good while: family members and friends, Lana's dad reading from the page while a bridesmaid held the microphone for him, a groomsman, and finally Lana and Todd themselves. Somewhere along the way, Todd skolled a drink at the bridal table while Lana and the two flower girls laughed beside him. The bridal table was a small round one under the pavilion, with a lace doily, candles and blue bentwood chairs.

Todd skolling a drink at the bridal table as Lana and the two flower girls laugh

Lana’s dad reading his speech beside a woman in champagne satin while a bridesmaid holds the microphone

Lana giving her speech, Todd and a flower girl behind her

A stubby holder printed with Todd and Lana, Kevington, the old date of 10 January crossed out above the new one, 14 March 2026

A new date, a cake and a first dance

The stubby holders were printed with their names and the Kevington, with the first date, 10 January, crossed out above the new one, 14 March 2026. Dinner was served under the pavilion as night fell, and the night turned cool. By nine Lana had a white faux fur coat over her lace dress, and they cut the cake on a wine barrel next to the pavilion with a flower girl helping. A few minutes later they had their first dance under the festoon lights in front of the stage, their guests in a circle around them.

Lana in a white faux fur coat cutting the cake on a wine barrel with Todd and a flower girl

Lana and Todd dancing under the festoon lights at night

Black and white photo of Lana and Todd’s first dance under the festoon lights, their guests in a circle around them

Lana dancing with her dad under the festoon lights

The dance floor

Then the dancing simply didn't stop. Lana danced with her dad under the festoons, a guest crouched down for a dance-off with a little girl in a pink jacket and pink cowboy boots, and the guests danced arm in arm in front of the stage. Between songs, friends gathered round the fire pit on the lawn under the poplars. Late in the night Lana was still in the middle of it all in her fur coat, dancing wildly with her friends. When we left after half past ten nobody showed any sign of stopping, and with everyone camped out the back, nobody had to.