Cow gives birth during farmers’ wedding reception at Portland

Jessa Laws’ wedding dress may have ended up “absolutely trashed”, but the arrival of a new calf was all worth it for these farmers. Here’s how it all went down.

Jessa Laws didn’t care about her wedding dress, only making sure the new calf born during her reception was OK.

A Victorian farming couple have had their wedding reception interrupted by the birth of a big red and white heifer calf.

Bride Jessa Laws said her wedding dress ended “absolutely trashed” but it was all worth it for the “unforgettable experience”.

Jessa and Ben Law’s wedding, taking place at their Gorae farm near Portland, was originally planned for October last year – when they weren’t calving – but due to coronavirus was postponed and finally happened on the weekend.

Ben and Jessa Laws’ wedding went smoothly until the reception.

Jessa Laws meeting her farm’s new calf.

Their cow, Fleyas Jacot Drama, was due a few days before the wedding.

“I said with a name like that no doubt she’s going to go at the wedding ceremony,” Jessa, previously Jessa Fleming, laughed.

The morning of the wedding it was looking like nothing was happening and they’d get through the night.

But despite making it through the ceremony, the new guest showed up at the reception.

“A friend came and tapped me on the shoulder and said there’s two feet out,” Jessa said.

“Thankfully we had about half a dozen dairy farmers there so it was well under control.”

When it came to pulling the calf, there was about 15 people watching – both dairy farmers and “very wide-eyed city slickers”.

Jessa Laws' wedding dress after a cow gave birth at her wedding reception.

“It was an easy pulling but she was very big for a first-time calf,” Jessa said.

“I’d had a couple of champagnes, so didn’t care about my dress, just making sure the heifer calf was okay.”

Jessa’s husband Ben was in the kitchen when a friend came to tell him about the successful birth.

“I just said ‘Jessa’s down in the mud, isn’t she?’” Ben laughed.

The calf was named Destiny, which the newly married couple found fitting given her timely arrival.

Jessa and Ben own Evermore Farm & Produce, which includes an organic apple farm, which they purchased about 12 months ago, and a small elite dairy herd to make cheese.

“We’re not commercial yet but it’s something we are building towards,” Jessa, who is keen to keep a micro sale paddock-to-plate operation, said.

They made all the cider and cheese for the wedding, including the cake.

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