Heartfelt Asatru wedding on a farm – Astrid & Corey

It was a long time coming for Astrid and Corey’s Asatru wedding on a private farm near Mt Compass. Astrid had booked me a few years prior, but due to some unfortunate events had to postpone their big day until mid November, 2019. Their day was blessed with some amazing weather, beautiful scenery, some fluffy animals and plenty of emotion!

Preparation

Astrid and Corey were being prepared on the same farm, a short walk apart from one another in separate units that were constructed on opposite ends of the property. While Astrid and her bridal party were having their makeup done, Corey and his groomsmen were busy putting finishing touches on the outdoor reception setting, and I was able to take photos of the dress and any details already set up.

The walk between the main house where Astrid was being prepared and the hut that Corey was to get ready in was a great opportunity to plan out where we would take the glamour photos after the ceremony. The whole farm was a beautiful setting, and we were very much looking forward to seeing the sunset!

Asatru wedding ceremony

In case anyone reading this is wondering, the Asatru faith is a religion which believes in the ancient Germanic spirits and Gods. It was officially recreated in the 1970s in Iceland, but its roots go back many thousands of years. The name comes from two words in a language called Old Norse. It means “faith in the Æsir.” The Æsir are the Germanic gods.

Astrid and Corey’s Asatru wedding involved having the ceremony inside a sacred circle, where each member of the bridal party were to light a flame surrounding an altar while stating pleasantries regarding the bridal couple. Corey had planned on having a Thor’s hammer sigil placed on the altar, but unfortunately it would not stick to the concrete before the ceremony, despite the best efforts of his groomsmen. Their Asatru wedding was presided over by a local Asatru priest, and included the drinking of mead from a communal chalice, the exchanging of swords and a hand fasting ceremony over a hammer.

I’m not overly knowledgeable about the proper names to call each of the aspects of an Asatru wedding ceremony I’ve just described, so I apologise if I have messed anything up. But what I learnt is that the ceremony is very much a family oriented affair, that celebrates the bonds each person involved has with the bridal couple as was wonderful to be a part of!

Glamour Photos

Directly after the ceremony and family photos, Astrid had arranged for a native animal display from a local company to have a chat and bring in some cuddly animals. These ranged from an adorable sugar glider through to a large python and a baby croc – much to the delight of Corey who is employed as a snake catcher.

After the animal display, we went for a walk along the farm land to make use of the dying sun filtering through the lovely trees and wide, open cow pastures for some glamour photos. The jovial nature  of Astrid and Corey meant that the whole photo shoot was full of smiles, and fun times between the two of them.

Farm reception

Out the back of the farm house, on the lawn was where Astrid and Corey held their wedding reception. There were 4 different kinds of mead available on tap, along with a rather speccy ice sculpture where you were to pour your mead inside it to cool it, before recaptureing it pouring out the end. Their wedding cake was also embalzoned by Thor’s hammer. the reception was a fairly casual affair where heartfelt, and emotional speeches were heard, while the house’s decking was used as the dancefloor.

Thanks so much for Astrid and Corey for having me as your wedding photographer. It was a lovely day and I hope you enjoy your photos!