High school sweethearts of six years, Esther and Levi wanted a super-relaxed, casual picnic in a leafy green backyard. £A gathering where friends and family could eat delicious food and just hang out, says Esther. And that’s exactly what they got.
£Levi and I were going to wait until 2014 to get married, but then I found my wedding dress down at The Vintage Bridal Boutique in Adelaide, and I didn’t want it to sit in my cupboard for too long! said Esther. £So we ended up planning it all in a couple of months. It was easy with everything split down the middle, Levi did half of the organising while I did the other, and my beautiful mother-in-law and auntie did all the food. Many, many tears were shed on the day and for only good reasons. I still find myself getting emotional looking through the photos, and many of our friends have said the same, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
The talented person behind those tear-inducing photos was American photographer Andria Lindquist. Esther tells us, £I found Andria on Tumblr, the first time I saw her photos they made me cry, the pictures were just so incredibly perfect. We got to talking a little through email and the rest is history!
Amping up the emotional quota for the day was their vows. £My absolute favourite moment was reading our vows, said Esther. £You know you have an enormous love for someone, and they have an enormous love for you, but there’s something really beautiful about putting it down in writing and saying it out loud.
Following their relaxed day, Esther has the perfect post-wedding piece of advice for brides- and grooms-to-be. £Don’t stress. Seriously. The day is a celebration of your love for one another, and if you keep that in mind throughout the entire planning process, you won’t freak out over the small stuff that doesn’t matter. Little things like the way everything looks aren’t the focus of the day. Halfway through our wedding my dad came up to me and said, we’re about to start bringing the food out, where did you put the cutlery?’ It was at that point I realised I knew exactly where I put the pretty wooden cutlery. On our kitchen counter. One and a half hours away from the wedding venue. Cue Dad going to the dollar store and buying a whole heap of cheap plastic cutlery!
“The day was a truly memorable experience and went exactly how I had envisioned it in my head. I will never forget it for as long as I live”, says Levi. We haven’t forgotten it either, which is why we’ve shared it with you here after featuring it in Issue three of Hello May. If you’re keen to read more about their gorgeous day, it’s not too late to grab yourself a copy here.
CREDITS Photos Andria Lindquist // Bridal gown The Vintage Bridal Boutique // Shoes Country Road // Flowers Allira Florist // Rings Efratdeutsch and Endeavours both via Etsy // Bridesmaids dresses Asos and Camilla & Marc // Grooms suit, shirt and tie Ivy League // Grooms shoes General Pants // Ceremony and reception private property, South Australia // Stationary Mike Dann // Hair and makeup Brittany Read // Music Abbey Howlett // Celebrant Vittoria Shaw