K A R A & J A M E S
F R O M T H E B R I D E …
The Proposal…
We were meeting in Perth for a night (I had been in Victoria for the week previous for work and was heading home to Port Hedland and he was going to be in Perth for the following week). I was exhausted and he said we were meeting his friends with their kids. He’d prepared a picnic of champagne and cheese and it was the perfect, simple intimate moment. I couldn’t look at the ring on my finger for about 10 minutes I was so caught off guard!
Wedding Style…
Relaxed! We decided on an East coast wedding because I am from country NSW and we know our future is on the West coast. I didn’t want to have to be worrying about details from across the country so I chose suppliers who I knew I could just trust to come up with amazing things.
Ceremony + Reception Venue…
The Boathouse, Palm Beach. We contacted them and they had one date left in late 2015 and we locked it in. We didn’t see the venue until 3 days before the wedding. It was James’ first time in Sydney!
Pre-wedding Celebrations…
Did you have any pre-wedding celebrations? Because all of our guests travelled (from Port Hedland, Perth, Young NSW, Boston USA and everywhere in between) we had a tapas dinner the night before at The Different Drummer in Avalon which was a great way for all of our friends and family to meet each other and get the party vibe started for the weekend.
Bridesmaids…
None, we wanted to keep it simple. Instead I had my hair and makeup done with my sisters and mum which was a lot of fun because they hadn’t been able to share the dress shopping with me because of our different locations.
The Dress…
It was perfection. Karen Willis Holmes “Matilda”. It was so different to anything I had ever seen. I purchased it from Zanzi’s in Subiaco, Perth. It was unusual, but simple and I could still dance in it! I wish I could wear it every day. I had to be talked out of wearing it to the pub the next day… I truly think it is the most beautiful dress in the whole world!
The Flowers…
Fiona at Japonica in Collaroy somehow deciphered my “White, eclectic, unstructured and looks like it had been picked from a field” brief and created the most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen! The stem was wrapped in lace and tulle from my dress and had a locket with a picture of my father who passed away when I was a teenager hanging from a pearl bracelet James’ parents gave me for my 30th. She also designed the centre piece for the cake using succulents.
Wedding Decorations…
The Boathouse do their own styling which made our lives so easy. They do all the set up and flowers and have a wonderful eclectic and rustic style including everything from furniture, Palm Beach candles, lanterns, fruit displays and bunting. It meant I didn’t have to think about anything. We did supply some old family wedding photos which were strung from the windows and had some signage made up to look like chalkboards for an order of ceremony, the bomboniere and cards.
Wedding Cake…
The cake was made by Kiralee Ciccarelli Creative Cakes from Young NSW.
On the Menu…
Next to dancing, food was an absolute priority. All catering was done by The Boathouse and the food was mouth watering and never ending. We had roaming canapés throughout the evening consisting of:
- Lamb Cutlet, Pork Bagel, Chicken Skewers, Beef Tartare, Rice Paper Roll, Duck Pancake
- PLUS larger meals: Beer Battered Flathead and Grass Fed Eye Fillet
- PLUS an interactive BBQ on the deck with BBQ Green Prawn skewers and Wagyu burgers
- We also had a dessert bar with Petit Fours: Chocolate Brownie, Lemon Curd Tart, Caramel Slice
Wedding Bomboniere…
Handmade fudges from Poppa’s Fudge Factory in Young, and fresh cherries from Lavender Hill Orchard in Young as well.
Wedding Photography…
Emma Hampton Photography. I had been following Emma for a while on Facebook and liked how nothing I saw was ever posed. The idea of posing for photos was something that made us nervous and we wanted someone who wouldn’t pressure us into anything. Emma just let us be us and the photos reflect it. We love that they capture the day. Every person, detail, meal and laugh. We can look at the pictures and it tells the whole story of the celebration, not just the bits we noticed during it. Seeing our friends and family interacting together and having fun, and the moments between us that we didn’t think anyone was watching gives me so much happiness.
Memories…
It was just so fun from the beginning. I think we laughed through the whole thing. The dancing, the brilliant speeches and just seeing all of the people we love in the one place. Somewhere during it all James grabbed a couple of glasses and a bottle of champagne and we sneaked off up the beach, sat on a park bench and looked back over to everyone celebrating for us. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
Wedding Songs…
I walked down the aisle to ‘Islands’ by The XX, our first dance was to ‘September’ by Earth Wind and Fire (I challenge you to play that song and not want to dance!)
Honeymoon…
Maca Villas in Seminyak, Bali for a week followed by a surprise extra 5 nights organised by James at The Chedi Club in Ubud, Bali. The Chedi Club is the most spectacular place I have ever seen in my life. Truly special.
The Future…
A baby! Due August 2015.
Photography Emma Hampton Photography Ceremony + Reception Venue The Boathouse, Palm Beach Bride’s Dress Karen Willis Holmes Hair + Makeup Michelle Mae Flowers Japonica Cake Kiralee Ciccarelli Creative Cakes Bomboniere Poppa’s Fudge Factory & Lavender Hill Orchard
MW x