Let’s not beat around the bush (or in this case pine forest!), weddings are a huge undertaking and we have nothing but respect for anyone who dabbles in the tiniest of DIY projects in the name of tying the knot. But to take on the sheer amount of tasks El and Dan set for themeselves, and to pull it off without a hitch, deserves a standing ovation in our books. Captured by The Robertsons and La Lune Cinema (the later of which you can read more about in issue eight, on sale now!), this wedding, first featured in issue seven of Hello May, was a true creative feat.
£The whole wedding was a DIY project for us, says El who goes on to explain £We love creative projects so it was so much fun to think about how to piece together our day. Everything from painting each individual pine cone, to finding the perfect lace for the canopy. Making all the tassels for the tent, painting signs, planting the cacti and succulents for table decorations, as well as sourcing rugs and fabrics to suit the theme.
Married at Forest Park Retreat, only an hour north of Sydney, this pair always wanted their ceremony to be somewhere that highlighted their love for the outdoors. £We ultimately wanted our wedding to be an expression of who we are, our tastes, styles and the things we love says El, who wore not one but two custom made gowns, both of which left Daniel feeling like the luckiest bloke alive.
Fast forward to their reception, inspired by warm Moroccan and European colours and their giant tipi courtesy of SamiKata Tipi Events where guests were greeted by an eclectic mix of hay bales, Moroccan rugs, succulents, brightly coloured bouquets and paella food stations.
Crowded around the fire pit El and Daniel were treated to an impromptu performance by Dan’s brothers. As a thank you gift, Dan gave his £best men harmonicas which they mistook as an invitation to perform. £When they went to play it they couldn’t stop laughing, says El. £As you can imagine its hard to play harmonica and laugh at the same time. It was a long time until they finished and thanked everyone for listening to their musical masterpiece.
CREDITS Photos The Robertsons // Bridal gowns Designs by Melanie Ford (ceremony) and Jennylee Sanford-Roach (reception) // Flowers Salamander Village Florist // Shoes Bloch // Hair Woohoo // Bridesmaids dresses ASOS // Grooms suit Assembly Label (jacket), ASOS (shirt) and M.J. Bale (pants) // Bow tie Mukshy via Etsy // Rings Matthews Jewellers and Natural Jewellery via Etsy // Ceremony Forest Park Retreat, NSW // Reception Knottapharm via Stayz // Catering Paella Casa // Cake Euro Patisserie // Cinematography La Lune Cinema // Marquee SamiKata Tipi Events.