Sometimes it can feel like your not only planning a wedding with your fiance but with your entire family and all of your friends. Everyone seems to have an opinion so when it came to planning their vintage wedding at the Perth zoo this fun-loving couple took matters into their own hands and created a sensational soiree that was totally them without letting anyone in on any details until the big day. And the amount of details they packed into their celebration is totally awesome! Every single one tells a story and stays true to their quirky personalities. Objektiv Photography must have had a blast shooting in this unique venue! See all their images in the full gallery!
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From the Bride… I proposed to Paul on Dec 9, 2010. We have a homemade Christmas Advent calendar, and each day, we take turns putting a little gift for each other in the pockets. On this particular day, it was Paul’s turn to open one, and I’d had a silver dog tag pendant made for him with our son’s fingerprint imprinted on it, and the words, “Will you marry me?” inscribed into the back. We decided we didn’t want a long engagement, so we got planning straight away. I work in events, so there were lots of possibilities and themes on the table, but we ended up back where we started — a morning ceremony and lunch reception with a vintage feel. Very early on it became obvious that everyone had an opinion about where we should get married, when, how much to spend, which traditions to follow and which ones not to — the list went on. So we decided to plan our wedding our way and not tell anyone about it until we were ready to send out invites (immediate family included). This meant we got the wedding we wanted and could focus on what was important to us. The result was a wedding that we fell in love with, and was totally “us,” as we didn’t have dozens of outside influences trying to make their mark on our day.
We are members of the Perth Zoo and our son loves it there, so we picked that location (in particular the Elephant Amphitheatre) as it was a little different, and it was somewhere Connor was comfortable with so he was less likely to freak out on the day. It was beautiful, and green really worked in with the vibe we wanted. We never seriously thought that we’d end up at Indiana for the reception, but the minute we walked in the door, we knew we had found the right place. We had funky hand fans for the outdoor ceremony, old-style theatre programs as we met working in a live theatre, individually-wrapped tissues for guests at the ceremony, water bottles with personalised labels, and at the end of the ceremony, the elephants did a spray painting which is now framed and hanging in our lounge room. We wanted to make sure our guests had fun, so we did our own photo booth at the reception. I spent a year collecting props and making a backdrop and bunting, then a friend who is a great photographer volunteered his time to man the booth and take the photos all afternoon. It was a hit, and we have some brilliant memories from the photos — it turns out our friends and family are hilarious! Possibly the single item that took the most amount of time (and love!) were the vintage cake forks our guests took home at the end of the day, tied with brown string to the top of an individually boxed lemon meringue cupcake. I spent a year collecting vintage and antique cake forks from swap meets and shops, and I hand-stamped each guest’s name into the fork for them to keep. People were touched at the work that went into them, and I was really proud of them.
Marriage equality is something that is very important to both of us, so we both wore white knots during the ceremony and had a bowl of them on the “treasures table” as people arrived, and we invited those who shared our sentiments to wear one as well. It was also vital that our celebrant shared our views, so we spent a fair bit of time finding the right person, and I’m so glad we did — she was absolutely perfect. It was a brilliant day, and the icing on the cake was my perfect dress. I could have twirled in it forever!
Photography: Mladen Males of Objektiv Photography / Ceremony: Perth Zoo in Perth, Western Australia / Reception: Indiana in Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia / Day-Of Coordination: Ivana Brekalo of Gravy Events & Projects / Cinematography: John Wilson of Launch Film Productions / Celebrant: Josephine Arnold / Cupcakes: Nicola of Cake From Heaven / Photo Booth Photography: Joff Crabtree (0418 968 446) / Photo Booth Sign: Em and N Designs / Ceremony Musician: Melanie Bromley (0415 681 980) / Wedding Invitations + Save-The-Dates: Vistaprint / Ceremony Programs: Invite Me / Transportation: Back in Black London Cabs / Strawberry Chilli Sauce Bomboniere: Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company / Vintage Cake Fork Bomboniere: Forks Collected + Hand-Stamped by the Bride / DIY Resources: Offbeat Bride / Wedding Dress: Justin Alexander via Tuscany Bridal / Hair + Makeup: Nicole Forde / Bride’s Shoes: Whittner / Groom’s Shoes: Converse