This is the story of a sweet elopement, where the bride wore an epic, second-hand gown you simply must see and the groom, a ring from our friends over at Kavalri. “We postponed in March of 2020, then cancelled the postponement and decided to elope in August 2020 (and tried for a baby instead!).” They found the “rustic Australian bush” vibe at this incredible ceremony spot at Pearl Beach and their advice is to “Take advantage of the great excuse that COVID gives you to do exactly as you damn well please,” so it’s safe to say we like them. You can scroll down for all the details and Damien Milan’s perfect pics…
FAVE DETAILS “Marry Me Nicky’s ceremony was perfect. We opened with an Acknowledgement of Country, to pay our respects to the traditional custodians of the area, the Guringai people. She then acknowledged the complicated history of marriage, which prompted laughs from everyone as they assumed Emily, who was very vocal about her resistance to the patriarchal legacy of marriage in the lead-up to the wedding, had put this the ceremony herself. It really set the tone for what was a casual and non-traditional ceremony.”
REFERENCES “Hello May’s directory!”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “After a lovely meal at Pearls on the Beach, we gathered around a picnic table by the beach to share speeches and our delicious cake, all by the glow of smartphone flashlights. It was such a unique and intimate moment that we got to share with our newly united families. All the different characters that we brought together shone and it just felt right.”
MARRIAGE MEANS… “Marriage to us means having the courage and conviction to say ‘I love you and I believe in the staying power of our love.’ It was also very much about the wedding and creating the space to celebrate our love with our families. We don’t think married relationships are any more legitimate than non-married ones so it was really just about committing to each other, joining families and creating happy memories.”
LITTLE LOL “Damien Milan, our photographer, was so focused and passionate that he managed to fall into a flooded ditch. The dedication to the craft was clear when he was waist-deep in mud, with both cameras as far from the water as possible, bone dry. Not only that, but he managed to climb out of the ditch unfazed, though a little soggy and took some beautiful photos to immortalise our day.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Didn’t overcomplicate things with personal styling, decor and music. It was cheaper and chiller, and still really beautiful. We are also really glad that we got married in a place that we will be able to return to and that was already significant to us. We kept the day tech-free, and as a result, it was very intimate, albeit ephemeral. It was a shame to not have everyone there, but we decided that we had spent enough time juggling Zoom calls in 2020 to leave that in the past.”
If you want to check out more from photographer Damien Milan, don’t miss his Directory listing with us, where you’ll find a whole heap of real weddings we have recently published, linked to his profile. Also, if you’re still on the hunt for jewellery, head to Kavalri here – just like Brendan did for his wedding band. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Damien Milan Florist The Flowerhead Ceremony Pearl Beach Arboretum Reception Pearls on the Beach Cake Lillie Cakes Celebrant Marry Me Nicky Rings Alexis Russel, Lott Studio & Kavalri Confetti Kooka Paperie THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Les Habitudes LA (Second Hand) Shoes Country Road (Second Hand) Accessories Gnostic Rocks Hair Sarah Baird (Family) Makeup Bride (DIY) THE GROOM Jacket Officina by Marlane Shirt David Jones Pants Studio Italia Bow Tie Blaq via Myer