After a solid eleven years together, this dashing duo felt “compelled to silence the crowds”. Ben proposed at the couple’s favourite swimming hole with a ring stashed in his boardies. “I don’t think he actually said ‘will you marry me?’ but from him crying and waving this amazing ring in my direction I got the gist and we both sat in the middle of the river, hugging and crying, for a good while.” Once they had managed to remove themselves from said river, Karlie and Ben, fashion designer and creative director respectively, utilised their super skills to create something special. Luckily for us, Damien Milan Photography was on hand to capture it all, so, you best scroll down for the goods…
THE VENUE “We wanted a space we could bring our own personal style to. A lot of places have a set aesthetic and would be too restrictive for us. The Palm House in the Botanic Garden’s is the oldest greenhouse in the southern hemisphere and as soon as we saw it we knew it was the place we were going to be married. It has a lot of personality on its own but is also a great canvas for couples to imbue their own personality as well.”
FAVOURITE DETAILS “The floral arrangements were a big thing for me and the work that Stella came up with was unforgettable. She was really collaborative and took the time to get to know us personally and I feel like that really set the stage for her to interpret our vision so perfectly.”
DIY “Ben made all of the candle holders himself. They were minimal white cylindrical holders of all different lengths that he made with some dowel, a drill and gloss paint. He’s taking orders if you’re keen.”
FAVOURITE MOMENT “After walking down the aisle with my Grandmother and my Father I reached the front and Ben gave me a sneaky kiss. In all of our rehearsals we were told to wait until the end but I could tell Ben was overwhelmed and excited and followed his instincts instead.”
LITTLE LOL “There are some really great photographs of our guests showering us with lavender after our ceremony. I’m definitely smiling in the photographs but I’m literally chowing down on some botanicals that I did not ask to be put in my mouth. I was having a coughing fit for a good while after that when all I wanted to do was grab the nearest champagne and join the party.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Damien Milan was tremendous. We still haven’t narrowed down our photo selects because it is just so hard! We both hate having our picture taken but he made it very comfortable and captured every moment we could have wanted.”
Like what you see? We have plenty more goodness from Damien Milan Photography here. We particularly loved Cat & Chris’ Wooloomooloo wedding which you can find here. But first, you know what to do…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Damien Milan Photography Event Planner, Stylist & Catering Radish Events Florist Stella Ottolina Stationery Icon Printing Venue Palm House, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Cake Flour and Stone Entertainment We Play Records Celebrant Pip Best via In Light Ceremonies Rings Julia DeVille (bride) NC Austin (groom) BRIDE Dress Gabriela Hearst Shoes Prada Earrings Sophie Billie Brahe Bag Lucy Folk Hair Laura Spinney Creative Makeup Mikele Simone Makeup Artist GROOM Suit Roger Tait Shirt Ami Paris Shoes Common Projects
