Imagine sharing secret love letters with each other at a beautifully personal ceremony? That’s exactly what Chelsea and Beau did at their fresh coastal wedding! Their story features great practical advice for skipping wedding planning stress, sentimental details and stylish choices that stayed on budget – the ultimate celebration for this adventure-loving couple.
Love Story
“We met whilst volunteering as ambulance officers. We quickly became friends and a few years later it turned into something more. We moved to Perth so I could pursue my career as a paramedic and on my 29th birthday Beau organised a camping trip. My present was two kayaks, and whilst we were out on the river exploring Beau got on one knee in his kayak and proposed. The proposal was so him and represented everything we love in life, the outdoors, exploring, adventure and each other.”
The Planning Experience
“It was overwhelming at some stages but easy at others. We booked the first venue we saw, I bought the first dress I tried on and secured our amazing photographer and florist through friends’ recommendations, so that was all incredibly simple and enjoyable to plan. I found the finer details overwhelming to coordinate. Attempting to ensure everything worked together and fit in our budget was definitely a challenge.”
The Ceremony
“We wanted our vows to really reflect us as a couple, so we wrote secret love letters to each other that were read out at the ceremony. Our incredible celebrant gave us a hard copy of each along with our marriage certificate, so we can keep them forever.”
Finding the Dress
“I went for an initial scout around the bridal shops with my mum before taking my bridesmaids along to purchase. The first shop we went into, the girl helping me pulled a dress she thought I’d look great in, but it wasn’t anything like what I had gone in wanting to try on. It turns out she was right and that first dress was absolutely perfect. I tried on a few more at different shops but I couldn’t get it out of my mind and it’s the one I bought in the end.”
Meaningful Music
“Beau was in charge of all our music choices. He has infinitely better taste than I do and has a knack for finding music that has great lyrics but is fun and upbeat. Our first dance song was ‘Compass’ by Lady Antebellum. It was a song that we first heard on one of our many road trips and made for a fun opening of the dance floor.”
The Reception
“We were incredibly conscious of the budget when styling the reception and our floral stylist was very accommodating and understanding of this. We chose a simple palette of white and neutrals for the flowers and complemented them with foliage and candles to create a soft and fresh looking reception. We loved everything about how the reception looked.”
Personal Touches
“I love DIY touches at weddings but time constraints and being a huge perfectionist meant that DIY just wasn’t feasible for our wedding. Our amazing vendors did a much better job than I would have been capable of!
We did have a slab of raw timber laser engraved by a friend’s father with the GPS coordinates and dates of our first “I love you”, “Will you marry me?” and “I do”, which our guests signed.”
Best Advice
1. Things will go wrong – don’t take it personally and try to relax so you can find a bigger and better alternative! Try to remember that you’re the only one who knows what something should have looked like. Your guests won’t notice or care if something is slightly different to what you chose, but they will notice if you look unhappy or stressed on the day.
2. Be prepared – don’t leave things to the last moment. The to-do list leading up to the day grows exponentially, so take care of things early so you’re not running around stressed out.
3. Pack a comfortable pair of shoes for the reception. After walking around for hours during the ceremony and photos your feet will thank you for the flats you packed for the dance floor.
If you love the beachside vibes of this celebration, you’ll definitely want to check out Jacqui and Rhys’ green and white coastal wedding! Sheree and Ben also nailed this rustic romance look at their chic foreshore wedding.
Location: Western Australia | Photography: Bird on the Wall Photography | Venue: Coogee Beach Surf Lifesaving Club | Officiant: Andrew Pickering | Flowers & Styling: Katie Cooper Floral Design | Hire The Little Lending Collective | Entertainment: Entyce Entertainments | Photo Booth: In The Booth | Catering: Amor Paella | Wedding Dress: Bridal by Aubrey Rose | Bridesmaids: The Iconic | Hair: Elegant Edge | Makeup: The Pretty Parlour | Suits: Pierre Cardin (Groom) & yd. (Groomsmen)