You may recognise this playful pair from our first annual Real Wedding Special – a coffee table-sized edition featuring the best of the best real weddings across Australia and New Zealand. Ly and Jose’s day was an intimate and relaxed affair and we are chuffed to be brining it to you online with a boat load more images by the one and only Jessica Tremp of Brown Paper Parcel Photography.
Jose, clearly keen to take Ly by surprise, proposed in front of family and friends at his very own birthday party. £It turned into a mini-engagement party which was amazing! says Ly who had plenty of time to pick out the perfect pair of leopard print heels before the big day, as Jose’s two older brothers had recently gotten engaged as well (and being the youngest Jose drew the short straw). Though Ly tells us that going last was actually a good thing. £It turned out perfectly since we were so lazy for a long period and didn’t do any planning.
They may not have been planning per se, but they certainly kept themselves busy thinking about how they should celebrate. Since the idea of hosting a grandiose wedding excited them about as much as a parking ticket, they decided to do the opposite and have an intimate gathering instead.
£We just wanted the focus to be on the actual marriage rather than the wedding itself. We wanted it to feel like a casual boozy lunch celebrated with family and our closest friends rather then a big lavish affair, says Ly who applied that same casual approach to organising everything from their invitations to her stunning gold hair piece by New York designer Jennifer Behr and even her dress.
£I actually had the dress before we got engaged! I saw the Lover dress and loved it. I tried it on and bought it straight away. I was alone when I bought it. It wasn’t a huge deal Ly explains ever so casually.
Following their traditional ceremony at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Sydney, Ly and Jose made their way arm in arm with photographer Jessica Tremp to Porteno, a nearby Argentinian restaurant where guests enjoyed quality wine and a few kind words from Ly’s father – an impromptu yet favourite moment of which Ly tells us, £My dad was adamant that he did not want to do a speech as he was shy. But he ended up hijacking Joey’s dad’s speech anyway!
Once the speeches were wrapped up you’d think all that was left to do was cut the cake… or was it? £No cake. No time for cake. More time for drinking and dancing! Ly says with a smile.
If you missed out on our Real Wedding Special make sure you pick up a copy of issue nine, on sale now at selected newsagents nationally or via our online store. To see more real weddings from the uber-talented Jessica Tremp click here, here and here or jump onto our online directory to see a full list of Hello May’s fave photographers.
CREDITS Photos Brown Paper Parcel Photography // Bridal gown Lover // Hair piece Jemnifer Behr via Desordre // Shoes Kurt Geiger via Shopbop // Flowers Sydney Flower Markets // Rings Diamond House Jewellery // Grooms suit Ralph Lauren // Grooms shoes Carmina // Ceremony St. Peter’s Catholic Church, NSW // Reception and catering Porteno // Stationery Rachel Marvin Creative via Etsy // Hair Oscar Oscar // Music Jeremy Gregory.