Alicia & Dave's Candlelit Garden Banquet Wedding

After their fur baby delivered a ring one Boxing Day, Alicia and Dave began planning their beautiful garden ceremony and candlelit outdoor banquet reception, filling their wedding with vintage inspired details and clever DIY!

The Planning Experience

“We had a great time with our DIY projects and learning what we can accomplish as a team. Seeing the finished product had not only us, but our fabulous suppliers wishing to do it all over again – that feeling is something special and we will never forget it! The only thing we would change? Not have an eighteen month engagement – the longer you have to plan, the more you look at and rethink!”

Ceremony Styling

“We built timber walls as a back drop, adding green foliage and florals for contrast and colour. We also had mismatched chairs, a round jute rug and bottles filled with greenery for chairs lining the aisle. We left the rest up to our stylist and loved the masterpiece she put together! Crates filled with white candles nestling on greenery, surrounded by brass vases filled with pops of colour. Having our initials cut in wood to hang behind us was a last minute decision and definitely sealed the style together for us – we were stoked with the end result!”

The Girls

“I wanted the bridesmaids to be in dresses they felt comfortable in and was very open to different styles and colours. I’m a huge fan of burgundy and that soon became the choice for the girls. I carried our vintage inspired vibe through by gifting each of my bridesmaids a gold locket containing a photo of us together at some point in our lives.”

The Boys

“Dave is a huge fan of blue and straight away decided that’s the coloured suit he would like to wear. In his planning for the guys, he came across a photo where the groomsmen wore a different coloured jacket to the groom. He loved this concept and it fitted so well with the bridesmaids, so it was a must in the end!”

Meaningful Music

“Dave worked on multiple playlists – everything from before the bride arrival at the ceremony to the group shots after the I Do’s. It added so much to the atmosphere of our day being able to listen to all our favourite songs in the most perfectly thought out plan.”

Processional: ‘I Won’t Give Up’ by Jason Mraz

Signing the Register: ‘Latch’ by Sam Smith

Reception Entrance: ‘Feel Again’ by One Republic

Cake Cutting: ‘You Are So Beautiful’ by Joe Crocker

First Dance: ‘Free’ by Zac Brown Band

Father Daughter Dance: ‘Roll Me Away’ by Bob Seger – a song I grew up listening to with my Dad.

Reception Styling

“Our style was a fusion, ‘Classy in the Gardens’. We wanted a backyard banquet vibe with a U-shaped table and lounge area. We hung mason jars filled with candles to set the mood, as well as festoons to light the space. Hanging baskets of green foliage were suspended above the tables, and timber trays held brass and crystal flower-filled vases and hand-cut beer bottle candle holders. Neutral linens and burgundy napkins added elegance to the look, and our wedding favours at each place were timber coasters and succulents.”

DIY Projects

“The more we kept building and seeing our finished products, the more ideas we wanted to try out and see how we’d go – there were times we thought we’d bitten off more than we could chew! My dad and Dave worked on the timber projects including ceremony and reception backdrops, signage, the bar and centrepieces to name a few! In addition to the lighting, our families also made the table linens, guest book and our masterpiece Dessert Bar.”

Best Advice

“Remember it’s a day about both of you – you’re a team! Do as much planning together as you can and stay true to yourselves – what you decide will shape the outcome of your day.”

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