For most of us, job interviews are the worst! But for Eli it would mean meeting his future wife Taygan for the very first time. ” … Eli had just moved to Melbourne from Byron Bay with his band. They met on the day Eli was job seeking…”, explains their photographer Aleksander Jason. Both fans of the 50s and 60s, they found themselves a few years later tying the knot at The Billinudgel Hotel in northern New South Wales where Eli tells us his Mum and Stepdad have played in their own band for years. “We would probably describe the “theme” as “a vintage-kitsch cocktail party”, although there wasn’t a particular plan as far as that goes…”, says Taygan who took on a boat load of DIY in order to create their dream day.
“Taygan made her seven bridesmaids dresses and flower girls dress from vintage fabrics bought off Etsy, and made the groomsmen bow ties from the remnants. She hand-cut and sewed together 800 plus paper hearts to create the backdrop and chair banners for the ceremony”, say Eli impressed by everything his wife had done, including the bouquets. Initially she’d thought about sewing her own dress too, but later pulled the pin. “I was initially going to make my own dress, however the pressure was too much so I took to the internet as there are not all that many places to buy vintage wedding dresses around here. It’s a late 1950’s, handmade, circle-skirted, huge-collared lace affair that I purchased from Trunk of Dresses on Etsy.
Like all good things, everything turned out as it was supposed to, including their beautiful cake handmade by a family friend. “We wanted a simple, fun day. We were just inspired by what we like – which is vintage fashion and music, and having a great time with our family and friends”, says Taygan pleased that she managed to be relatively organised. “If you choose not to hire a wedding planner, make sure you have people (or at least one person) involved that understand your vision for the day. I was lucky enough to have my sister (who can basically read my mind) helping me to explain all my weird ideas to the rest of the bridal party”, she laughs before adding, “Make sure you have a really great photographer and videographer who can capture everything from the tiniest details to the whole vibe of the day. It passes in such a blur you’ll be grateful to be able to look at all the photos and video later on and get a feel for what was actually happening while you were busy marrying the love of your life and smiling so hard your cheeks felt like they would explode.”
CREDITS Photos Aleksander Jason Photography // Bridal Gown Trunk of Dresses via Etsy // Veil Miss Fairchild Milliner // Shoes Modcloth // Grooms jacket Custom made in Vietnam // Shirt Conner // Pants Dr. Denim // Flowers Ocean Petals // Rings Larsen Jewellery // Ceremony, Reception & Catering The Billinudgel Hotel // Hair and makeup Dead Gorgeous // Celebrant Kim Campbell // Cinematographer Lone Goat Productions.