Clare and Ryan’s Perth nuptials were anything but textbook, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Wed amongst the palm trees at University of Western Australia, their day was fun, energetic, colourful, theatrical and packed with personality.
In practice, this looked like ceremony sing alongs, a roaming magician, merch giveaways, hand painted cards, a gelato cart, a bold red love heart photo station, temporary tattoos, a choreographed wedding party dance, sentimental family moments, a father-daughter acoustic performance, and a live saxophonist to assist in seamlessly transitioning guests from one loved-up space to the next.
Below, we hear more from this bride in blue and groom adorned in custom embroidery (a Perte D’Ego design Ryan paired with M.J. Bale button down). Plus, more ear-to-ear smiles caught by Perth photographer Bayley William.
University of Western Australia wedding: a meaningful Perth wedding venue
“We wanted to get married somewhere that was meaningful to us and that was close enough that the majority of people didn’t have to spend money to come to our day and could arrange for babysitters. The two locations were either going to be Mandurah, where Ryan grew up or at the University of Western Australia, basically where I grew up. My Dad was formerly the Director or Research at the campus, so my brother and I spent many hours in the gardens, at our Dad’s office, after hours care, swimming lessons and outdoor movies, a very formative part of my life. We also chose this venue as in the past couple of years, palm trees have been a very symbolic part of our lives as a couple. From our engagement in Hawaii, living in Queensland, countless adventures around North Queensland and the two palm trees that were growing in our house, this became our symbol for our wedding. This was displayed in many of the hand drawn elements on the day.”
The bride on wearing a non-white wedding dress
“When I was ten years old, I went to my chosen aunty’s wedding, in which she wore the most beautiful hot pink dress. From then on, I realised I want my dress to be a colour, it is more me and why wouldn’t I want to wear the most beautiful dress in a colour that I loved! On top of that, It was so special to me that she wore this dress on my wedding day a very symbolic full moment for us both. I remember one of my bridesmaids and I over ten years ago, would buy magazine after magazine looking through weddings. We stumbled upon Teuta Matoshi dresses about ten years ago and from then, I decided they were exactly what I wanted. They were fantastic to work with as this dress that I wore was a custom dress. They sent me material examples, colours and helped me through the entire process. I had such a beautiful experience with them and the colour was my dream!”
The groom’s custom embroidered Perte D’Ego suit
“So from the jump we both agreed that I would never wear plain black or grey suit so we started looking online and we found these super cool embroidered suits from a designer, Perte D’Ego. After going back-and-forth on exactly which one we wanted, we found one called Amore Mio, which was a perfect light pink. From there, we reached out and asked if we could remove one or two of the special embroidered patches and add some custom details, so we added our wedding date and our names and our names to the jacket as a real nice custom finish.”
A circular wedding ceremony designed around the guests
“We’re so glad that we made it our own, that we truly prioritised ours and the guest experience and having fun above all else. An example of this was having a ceremony in the round, we were standing in the middle with all our loved ones around the edges of the round space. We were able to face everyone and it made the space feel more intimate.”
The colourful wedding details that made the day their own
From the palm tree motifs and hand-drawn details to the red heart photo station, gelato cart, temporary tattoos, merch and live entertainment, Clare and Ryan filled their Perth wedding with details designed to keep things playful, personal and very much their own.
More unique Perth wedding ideas and colourful bridal style
Quirky, unique weddings: we bloody love ‘em! Check out more here. We’ve also rounded up, just for you, unconventional non-white bridal style inspo and ideas for styling your circular wedding ceremony — enjoy! Then head to our wedding suppliers directory to get in touch with this awesome Perth photographer, Bayley William, browse M.J. Bale’s latest suit offerings, and connect with our favourite wedding vendors in WA.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Bayley William Content Creator Hype Up Studio Florist Flower Motel Stationery Clare (Bride) Ceremony Venue Tropical Grove, The University of Western Australia Garden Party The University Club Lawn Reception Venue + Catering The University Club of Western Australia Conference & Events Manager Julie Harrison Wedding Favours Boozie’s Hire Items Black Label Events Photo Booth Perth Social Booth Sound Hire Streamline Entertainment Entertainment The Matt Bizzle,Beto Quintero Celebrant Ruby Lou Celebrant Rings Michael Hill Magician Magic Dale Gelato Cart Good Perth Choreographer Samantha Gaunt (Friend) MCs Daniel Dosek & Adrienne Patterson (Friends) THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer & Veil Teuta Matoshi Hair Piece Superior Hair Extensions Getting Ready Peter Alexander Shoes LaDuca Shoes Hair Sarah Towers Hairstyling Makeup Hayley Wilson Makeup Artist Fragrance Giorgio Armani, FCUK Bride Ensemble Outfits Alli Marye, AJE, Politix, Forever New THE GROOM Suit Perte D’Ego Shirt M.J. Bale Shoes Wild Rhino Watch Seiko Grooming Joanne The Barber Groomsmen Suits Gazman
