Oliver + Charlotte by Damien Milan

We knew we wanted an outdoor, elopement style ceremony with no fuss. We invited only our immediate family which created a really intimate space. For us, the importance was on honouring our commitment to each other and the bringing together of our two families.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what do you do, what you love …
I am a midwife and Oliver owns his own business as a handyman. We live in Canberra and have recently bought a block of land near Tathra beach to build a sustainable family home. We love bush-walks and cups of tea in the sun.

How/when/where did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met at a rooftop bar in Melbourne through mutual friends six years ago. (CE) My first impressions of Oliver are clouded by wine and good cheer. However the more I spent time with him I came to understand he is an intelligent and driven man with a beautiful soul.

(OW) Charlotte was good company and easy to get along with, she has a warm smile and gentle
personality.

When did you first realise this is someone you would like to spend the rest of your life with?
(CE) I fell in love with Oliver slowly and then all at once camping along the Murray river a month after we met. We spent the days swimming and the evenings playing cards. His company was easy and it felt like we had known each other a long time.

Was there a proposal?
(CE) Oliver asked me to marry him at a restaurant along the Darling Harbour esplanade during a holiday in Sydney. He says he was very nervous the whole 3-hour train ride there, I never suspected a thing! Even though we had talked about getting married a lot, I really didn’t think he was ready. It was the loveliest surprise, simple and intimate.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or styling of your wedding.
Our aim for the day was to keep every detail as minimal and stress free as possible. We wanted everyone to be present in the moment and not worry about small details or planning. We knew we wanted an outdoor, elopement style ceremony with no fuss. We invited only our immediate family which created a really intimate space. For us, the importance was on honouring our commitment to each other and the bringing together of our two families.

(OW) Walking hand in hand through the bush towards our family waiting for us on the rock edge and seeing them with big smiles and tears was very special.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
(CE) A good wedding photographer was important to me and was the only element we splurged on. I knew we needed Damien Milan to be a part of our day before we were even engaged! We planned our wedding date around his availability and were inspired to have our ceremony in the Blue Mountains after
seeing some of his work.

(OW) I had been quite nervous about our sunset photos however it was one of my favourite parts of the day. Spending time with Charlotte after the excitement of the ceremony to be together and soak up those moments was lovely.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight?
Just as our celebrant announced us as husband and wife and said “you may kiss the bride” a big gust of wind blew my 84 year old grandfather backwards over his chair. The ceremony stopped and everyone rushed to help him up. Thankfully he was okay and got up without a scratch! A few seconds later Oliver and I got our first kiss as newlyweds. It made for quite the story.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
(CE) I tried on some very beautiful and very expensive dresses in bridal boutiques in the lead up to our wedding, however none felt like me. It took up until a month before our wedding date to find the right dress. My sister ended up finding it scrolling through Instagram one evening together. It was by the very talented Stephanie Downey of Dress Up in Melbourne. It fit the brief perfectly, handmade, ethical and something I could re-wear. I contacted Stephanie that night and thankfully the last dress in my size was being returned by a customer that week! It was meant to be and I felt beautiful.

(OW) I had been a little nervous about finding an outfit as I rarely wear suits and don’t feel comfortable all dressed up. I found my outfit in Sportscraft after realizing that I could wear whatever made me feel good. The process ended up being quite easy and more enjoyable than I had expected.

Ceremony location: Landslide Lookout, Katoomba Blue Mountains NSW / Reception location: Pins on Lurline Restaurant, @pinsonlurline / Photographer: Damien Milan Photography, @damienmilan_photographer / Celebrant: Fiona Mason Marriage Celebrant, @fionamasoncelebrant / Flora: The Flower Head – Nastia Gladushchenko as part of Damien Milan’s elopement package / Charlotte’s Attire: Dress Up by Stephanie Downey, @dress_up_clothing / Oliver’s Attire: Sportscraft Mens, @sportscraft / Rings: Arnold and Co Jewellers, @arnoldcojewellers / Shoes: Myer, @myer