Ed, a pilot, surprised the love of his life Tammy by pulling out a ring box mid-flight! When it came to their wedding, they wanted an elegant and timeless celebration that reflected them both. Choosing a serene waterfront location for their ceremony and reception, they included thoughtful references to their professional careers and created a relaxed day filled with music, games and laughter.
The Planning Experience
“We planned most of our wedding remotely, so we spent many hours emailing back and forth. This definitely made things more challenging, but fortunately we were able to fly to Perth once during the year to meet with vendors and organise our attire. Due to our living arrangements, DIY wasn’t an option so we knew we needed to trust and rely on professionals.”
Special Touches
“Our ceremony reading included quotes from children’s books to reflect my career as a primary school teacher. Ed is a pilot, so we incorporated his passion for aviation. We had our reception in the ‘Catalina Room’ which is named after a World War II aircraft, and had a wooden model of it made with our names and wedding date engraved on its stand. We also had aeroplane place card holders as part of our bonbonniere and our MC performed a safety briefing with a life jacket and oxygen mask, much to the delight of the pilots in attendance.”
Finding the Dress
“I only had a few days available to try on dresses. I went to several shops searching for a dress with sleeves only to discover that they looked too overwhelming on my short frame. When I went to a boutique a second time to try on the same strapless dress, the lovely assistant suggested we add some off-the-shoulder sleeves. When she pinned a pre-made lace strap over my arm, I knew this was the dress I was going to walk down the aisle in. In that moment, it just felt right.”
Entertaining Guests
“As our ceremony and reception were at the same location we provided lawn games, canapés and drinks between events. The reception was definitely a party with wedding speech betting, dress ups, games, plenty of music and lots of fun. We had an iPad for guests to take photos and a small printer so they could be attached to our guest book or kept by guests.”
Best Advice
“Write a list of three things that are important to each of you and three things that you can go without. Share those lists with each other as a starting point for discussing your priorities and how you will spend your budget. Once you’ve made a decision together, stick to it and do not continue researching! Planning can be very confusing so trust your instincts.”
The Team
Location: Western Australia | Photography: Trish Woodford Photography | Venue: Matilda Bay Restaurant | Officiant: Chris Temov | Flowers: Poppy’s Flowers | Stationery: Lala Design | Entertainment: Dolce Ensembles (Ceremony) & The DJ (Reception) | Wedding Dress: Bridal Affair | Hair & Makeup: Lush Hair and Makeup | Suits: M.J. Bale & Penguins Formalwear