Katie & Stuart – by Katie Harmsworth

The beautiful wedding of Katie & Stuart as featured in Issue 14 ..

We are both Australian lawyers living in London, practising in international law and human rights. We are two big-hearted people who love our families, friends, home, community and nature.  We have been together for eight years. Initially meeting at Monash University law school, and we were friends for several years before becoming a couple.  While we knew each other socially, it was during our time volunteering for the Red Cross together that our relationship deepened. Our partnership is based on shared values of love, trust, engagement with the world and social justice, which give meaning to our life together.  Our personalities are both similar and different in many ways, but what matters most is that we have a deep soulful bond and connection with one another. Every relationship is a journey. For us, dealing with challenges such as long distance has tested our resilience, but ultimately strengthened us as a couple.  Our choice to commit to each other was very deliberate, having been together for so long. We planned the wedding from London, with family spread out around Australia, which was challenging, but to our surprise came off almost without a hitch!  We used the group chat function on WhatsApp to organise the outfits, music and speeches, and had a joint wedding email account to send invitations and details.  We are so grateful to Katie’s parents and several very kind friends in Melbourne who attended site visits and helped us with logistical tasks. We love Autumn for its glowing colours and evening mists, and we are inspired by the English landscape where we live, which is full of spindly trees and wild hedgerows.  For the reception, we wanted to create a warm, welcoming setting for our guests under a canopy of autumnal foliage.  Abbotsford Convent is a very special venue, and the team at Cecilia Fox completely captured our vision.  We handmade the place cards, table numbers and other details.  Our talented friend Alisia Romanin made the luscious flourless chocolate cake with raspberry ricotta icing. Neither of us anticipated that getting married would change our relationship, but it has brought a sense of joy, peace, security and connection that we had not experienced before.  We both have reservations about some aspects of the “traditional” notion of marriage, but we intend to do marriage our way.  We were thrilled that same-sex marriage became lawful in Australia during the period of our engagement; everyone should have this right.  It’s hard to give advice to others; every relationship is different.  Be true to yourselves and to your values as a couple and if marriage is for you, and you know deep down that your partner is the person you want to spend your life with, have courage and take the leap!

Photography: Katie Harmsworth Videography: Me and My Camera Ceremony Location: Good Shepherd Chapel Reception Location: Rosina Room and Courtyard, Abbotsford Convent Flora: Cecilia Fox Bride’s Dress: Jenny Packham Groom’s Tuxedo: Hugo Boss Rings: Hatton Jewels Bride’s Shoes: Rachel Simpson Shoes Groom Shoes: Hugo Boss Bride’s Headpiece: Anna Campbell Makeup: Nicky Reid Hair: Salon Lelu   Bridesmaids: Jenny Packham and Monsoon Reception Entertainment: Rutherford Entertainment Special song: This Marriage & Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man by Nella Fantasia Styling: The couple and friends Catering: Bursaria Fine Foods (Abbotsford Convent)   Cake: Friend, Alisia Romanin Stationery: Nancy Dietz at Paperpoint Celebrant: Father Peter Treloar