A perfect balmy sunny day blessed Narrabri residents Marlee Palmer and Kodie Wales for their spring garden wedding held on November 5, 2022.
Marlee is the daughter of Sara Palmer and Michael Smith (dec) from Narrabri and Kodie is the son of Debbie Wales (née Collett) and Mark Wales (dec) from Yarrie Lake.
One hundred and ten guests attended the celebrations with the ceremony conducted by celebrant Danielle Perry in the garden of the home of David and Wendy Nairn at Kaputar Road, followed by a reception at Kodie’s sister Ashlee Wales and partner Shannon Johnson’s home, with a marquee set up in a paddock on the property on the Newell Highway just north of Narrabri.
The groom was attended by best man Mitchell Guest and groomsmen Ben Dowdle, Jye Smith and Kyle Thurston.
Marlee was attended by maid-of-honour Jerrah Palmer and bridesmaids Makayla Guest, Amelia Fish and Caitlin Greenwood.
The finishing touch to the wedding party were the five young attendees, which included flower girls Remie Johnson, Trinity and Davinda Palmer, and ring bearers Darcie Wales and Zeb Johnson.
The bride was adorned in a white satin gown with a cross-over bodice leading into a full skirt featuring a high split with a low v-back, belt and pockets.
The maid-of-honour and bridesmaids wore recycled steel grey satin slip dresses.
The bride and her attendants carried fresh seasonal bouquets made up of peonies, dahlias, feverfew, yarrow, garden roses, Columbian roses, cosmos, billy buttons, carnations, lisianthus, and complemented with wax blue gum foliage.
The groom donned a blue suit and white shirt with tan belt and boots, and the best man and groomsmen were fitted out in white shirts, blue pants and tan belt and boots.
Guests enjoyed an array of canapés and dinner boxes followed by a red velvet cake made by the bride’s mother Sara Palmer and decorated in a fun theme with original glazed donuts.
The role of master-of-ceremonies was conducted by friend of the family David Nairn, with speeches made by best man Mitchell Guest and maid-of-honour Jerrah Palmer.
With roads flooding and temperamental weather leading up to the big day, there were trials and trepidations to overcome before what turned out to be the perfect day.
“I really want to say how amazing Narrabri is and how all the local business supported us so much,” said Marlee.
“Not only suppliers but also locals who donated time and machinery to help fix our road to the property as it was washed away due to flood water the week before.
“And we will forever be indebted to the family and friends who let us hold our wedding ceremony and reception on their properties.”
In March the newlyweds will be enjoying a honeymoon along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria and are making their home in Narrabri.
Marlee and Kodie have known each other for as long as they can remember.
“We both can never put a place or a date to when we first met as we have always known each other,” says Marlee.
“There are high bets on it likely being a horse event such as pony camp or stock horse camps.”
The pair were friends, and the friendship later turned to romance not long after Kodie took a last-minute position as Marlee’s debutante partner when her original partner was unable to attend.
The clouds soon cleared not long after, and the happy couple look back on the story of how they ended up together with amusement.
It was now 2013, and the romance officially began in April during the 79th annual Wee Waa Show and the famed launch of Daft Punk’s Australian tour staged in Wee Waa.
The story will hold fond memories for the happy couple for many years to come.
