Two months prior to their engagement, Carly (first featured in Issue 13) found herself pretty bummed that Bevan needed to stay in Queensland for a few extra days to £do some repairs…until one night at dinner when the truth came out.
£He’d in fact been to visit my parents in Hong Kong. By this stage what was happening had hit me and we laughed our way through the story of my dad making Bevan wait for a good five hours for his blessing! Finally Bevan took out the most beautiful sapphire ring and across the table, (because kneeling is just not our style), asked me if I’d be his wife. I said yes.
Hoping to tie the knot before Carly left on exchange in Paris, the couple found themselves on a bit of a time crunch. Having toyed with the idea of an elopement (Hi, Mum!) the couple decided on a short engagement instead. £We decided that there were people in our lives who have shaped us, individually and as a couple, and that the day was as much about celebrating them as us, explains the bride, who adds that they steered clear of any set theme’ and hired a tonne of awesome vendors including Jardine Botanic, Dan the Man Cooking and Grumpy Donuts .
£This became the whole point; to do away with all the traditions that didn’t make personal sense to us and just throw a party. That being said, it’s no surprise that Carly chose to opt out of the Cinderella-esque ballroom wedding gown. £There was something I liked about the idea of marking this day as special by wearing white, something I probably wouldn’t ever do otherwise, but the idea of a white gown was a bit far removed from my taste and personality so I decided on some bangin’ white pants. Hello, Bianca Jagger.
While the pair tells us that the whole day (captured by Lover of Mine) was £such a blur, they couldn’t help but agree that their two favourite moments from the day were getting dressed together in the morning and walking back to the hotel at the end of the night, reflecting on the hugeness of what just happened. £Right at the beginning and right at the end, these ended up being the only two real moments of calm and togetherness of the whole day and they were really precious, says Carly, who strongly advises other couples to £consider an engagement longer than six months, but was beyond pleased with how their day turned out.
£We are just so glad we spent the time considering what was important to us and focusing our energy and funds on those things. It set our wedding apart, at least in our minds, and I think it is key both to creating something that reflects the two of you and minimises stress and budget surprises.
Keen to see more lovely weddings like this one? Pick up Issue 14, on sale now, or check out or online store where you can purchase past issues like the Real Wedding Special for all your inspiration needs.
CREDITS Photos Lover of Mine // Florist Jardine Botanic // Stationery Simplethings Press // Ceremony and reception Palm House, NSW // Catering Dan the Man Cooking // Other desserts Grumpy Donuts // Prop and furniture hire Walkers Hire, Vintage Patina and AVA Hire // Lighting hire AVA Hire // Sound hire Turramurra Music // Rings Natalie Marie Jewellery // Bridal gown Elissa McGowan // Shoes Nine West and Rochas // Accessories Ryan Storer // Hair and makeup Desiree Wise // Suit and tie P Johnson Tailors.