We met in the gardening section at Bunnings! Ant was working there at the time and I was a customer. Let’s just say I bought a couple of unnecessary pot plants and our relationship flourished from there. When we first met, we knew nothing about each other and had no mutual friends, so we got to know each other from scratch, without any preconceived ideas. Ant is now a mortgage broker, and I’m a photographer and graphic designer. We respect each other and enjoy each other’s company, and although we’re different, we share the things we find most important in life. We wanted our day to be a cherished gathering of our closest friends and family – only our very nearest and dearest, paired with good food and good wine. We had 43 guests, including ourselves. Our venue was small and cosy. We didn’t have a bridal party because we didn’t feel comfortable making a select group wear something specific. We wanted everyone to be equal and included. The styling was done by us and our friends. I was quite particular about using cotton for our white hue rather than flowers and Ant wanted greenery, so we combined the two, with hanging greenery and balloons filling one corner. I really love design and interiors, so I was more excited about picking the plates than the flowers, which is probably not typical. Ant watched me spend many frustrating hours searching the internet to find the ‘right plates’ with the ‘right lip’ and ‘right texture’. A highlight for me was our cheese board. I had a strong vision in my head about what it would look like and spent months looking for unique chopping boards and rough-textured marble pieces I could layer to create something different. In the end, I managed to find exactly what I needed in the off-cuts bin at a local stonemason’s, which I traded for a carton of beer. We have so many great memories from the day. We loved hearing all of the special things those closest to us had to say during their speeches; the feeling of holding hands tightly throughout the ceremony; our first dance, and drinking tequila shots out of paper espresso cups! It was such an emotional, happy day and we wouldn’t change a thing (except maybe do it all over again at a slower pace and eat more cheese).
Photography: Damien Milan Groom’s tux: InStitchu Bride’s dress: Rachel Gilbert Venue & catering: That Place on Sturt Styling, invitations, signage & menus: The bride Bride’s earrings: Mimco Processional song: ‘Wedding Song’ (Live) by Angus and Julia Stone Balloon Installation: Lush Balloon Co Entertainment: Live singer Rhys Gillman Celebrant: Hayley K Makeup: Beauty by Sevi Hair: Katie from Lux Aestiva First dance: ’Georgia’ by Vance Joy Flora: The Secret Garden Hire: Ede Events Wedding bands: Jewellery by Design Bride’s ring: Sarah & Sebastian Custom made candles as gifts: Milk Bar Candle Co. Cake: Paper and String
