C H L O E & J A M E S
F R O M T H E B R I D E ...
The Meeting...
10 years ago in Margaret River (WA) while I was working there on my university break. We both grew up in the region but went to different schools. He remembers me getting off the school bus! According to James it was love at first sight and he says he knew then I would be his wife.
The Proposal...
Valentines Day 2012 at Harvest, North Fremantle. It was very cozy and I think we had lots of onlookers!
Wedding Theme...
We now live in Perth, but knew we wanted our wedding in the Margaret River region as we both have that personal connection. We wanted an outdoor civil ceremony with lots of colour, I wanted to wear shoes (!) so a beach wedding was out, and so we choose a garden ceremony under the ancient Peppermint Trees. I also wanted venues that were all in close proximity, including accommodation. We wanted a compromise between formal and casual as we wanted it to be relaxed, intimate and a little chic.
Ceremony Location...
Yallingup Garden Art Studio.
Reception Venue...
Lamont's Winery
The Dress...
For me the hardest part about wedding preparations was finding The Dress. We are quite limited in Western Australia, I visited some of the bridal boutiques several times and eventually narrowed down what suited me, came pretty close but still couldn't find The One. I was going to commission custom couture, however I came across a beautiful Jim Hjelm gown on a wedding blog and decided that was my dress. I had it sent over from California, US, and it was perfect. I barely had to alter it. Before I started dress shopping I'd already chosen my shoes, champagne mary jane Jimmy Choos.
Flowers...
My bridemaid's aunty Carmen Breidahl did an amazing job and went above and beyond my expectations. I wanted bright flowers, and chose peonies, David Austin roses and orchids. The bouquets were all unique, as were the groomsmen's pinholes. The "alter" flowers she did on the beam of the pavilion were stunning.
Reception Decorations...
I visited swap meets for months to collect mismatched vintage crystal vases and candleabras which were used at the ceremony and reception. I had 4 long tables with lace table runners, tissue poms and fairy lights. Living Roses transported standard roses from Perth to decorate both the reception and ceremony venues and they were absolutely beautiful. I hired a large gold mirror and had names written on it as my seating plan.
On the Menu...
Canapes were on the deck: oysters with mango salsa, goats cheese tarts, venison chorizo, crab guacamole
Entre: Salmon cerviche or poached chicken salad
Main: Angus fillet or confit duck
Desert: Pannacotta or sticky date pudding
Wedding Favour...
Guests took away a boxed up piece of wedding cake
Memories...
- Thunder in the background during our ceremony and vows
- When guests applauded at the end of the wedding our gorgeous golden retriever Marley let out one "woof" in excitement
- Neither of us can dance, so we had lessons and practiced for weeks. On the day we got it right!
- We signed someone elses wedding certificate! At the reception Kate Lamont had to explain to us there had been a mistake and we had to resign our paperwork. It was priceless!
Wedding Soundtrack...
London Grammar, Coldplay, Daniel Beddingfield, Pete Murray, Avicii, The Cat Empire, Ben Harper, Bryan Adams
Wedding Photography...
We chose Ben Yew based on his talent for capturing shared moments, landscapes and light. I spent ages researching. I work in PR and its really important to me to have beautiful photos that capture the moment perfectly. They are candid and simply stunning
First night...
Yallingup Luxury Retreat. I can't recommend it enough.
Honeymoon...
SALA Samui at Koh Samui Thailand.
Now...
We are currently living in Perth and working with an architect for a massive renovation of our house. We need more space for a family hopefully one day!
Photography Ben Yew Ceremony Venue Yallingup Garden Art Studio Reception Venue Lamont's Winery Bride's Dress Jim Hjelm Bridesmaid Dresses Lisa Ho Groom + Groomsmen Suits Tony Barlow Flowers Carmen Breidahl Styling Aisle Style Wedding Cake Natalie Muzinich
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