With a theme revolving around great music and whiskey, Shell and Chris’ wedding was always going to be a hit, as this fun-loving couple tell us. “We wanted our day to reflect who we are and those in our lives. A lot of our mates were the backbone of our wedding. Knowing some pretty talented vendors in the wedding community made it a no brainer to make those decisions.” One of those- the talented James Simmons Photography– was there to ensure the memories will last forever and we’re not mad about it…

THE VENUE “For the ceremony, we wanted an empty space that we could design ourselves. Stackwood (the ceremony) is organic and was close to our reception. Fremantle Tram Tours tours picked up our family and friends and did a wee tour of Fremantle (apparently this was amazing!) en route to the reception. This was perfect as so many people flew in from Ireland and Brisbane. The Odd Fellow (the reception venue) is our favourite whisky bar in Fremantle. Our friend Clare runs it. They have never done a wedding before, but Clare was so excited for us that they shut the bar that night just for us. Nothing was too much to ask and the welcome whiskey cocktails and whiskey-infused food was amazing!”

FAVOURITE DETAIL “The flowers and set up by Kristy. The girls at The Bohemian Flower Collective worked so well together. I had no idea how it would look, but trusted them implicitly. Love being able to give people some words (dark, unstructured, wild) and end up with this result. That’s talent! Our band were also brilliant- Jon Clements is an amazing musician. He played all blues. Think Louis Armstrong, Eric Clapton etc and our DJ, Kester from Jarrah Records (she manages John Butler Trio/The Waifs etc) got to know what we love. She played vinyl only, and mixed the best shizz ever! We even had Rage Against the Machine feature! Bliss.”

THE DRESS “I’ve never seen myself in a typical white dress. I tried one on and that just verified how I felt about it. Rachel Gilbert has some beautiful beaded and intricate dresses and when I saw the emerald green colour, I just fell in love with it. I felt like me in it and it was fun!”

REFERENCESJames Simmons Photography– a great friend and mentor and an amazing photographer and artist. He was a no brainer. We also wanted him to be a part of our day and we were so grateful that he was happy to shoot it, and man he nailed it. All our vendors are people I know and love. That made it so easy!”

A WORD OF ADVICE “1. Get a stylist. Kirsty is worth her weight in gold. Made it all SO EASY. 2. Make sure your plans are all about you and how you want to do it. Don’t do what you ‘think’ you should do. There are no rules on your wedding day, the more it reflects you as a couple, the more fun you will have! There are no right or wrongs.”

STANDOUT VENDORSFlights of Fancy by Kristy was incredible. Kristy made our lives so easy leading up to and including the day of the wedding. We were both blown away by how incredible the space looked. The Odd Fellow put on quite an event for us as well. We couldn’t have had a better venue- from the welcome drink (old-fashioned with Michters bourbon), to all the tasty food and the superb bar service. Claire also recommended a friend to be our DJ, and she made sure the dance floor was full until the end of the night.”

This wedding was originally published in our 2018 Real Wedding Special. If you’d like to check out more from this issue, limited copies are available via our online store. While you’re there, check out our past issues, as well as our Little Book of Let’s Get Shit Done Planner & Notebook. Happy shopping!

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer James Simmons Photography Cinematographer 503 Indie Films Event planner & Stylist Flights of Fancy by Kristy Florist The Bohemian Flower Collective Stationery Perth Pro Lab & Discus Digital Print Ceremony Stackwood Reception & Catering The Odd Fellow Grazing Table Little Pallet Company Photo Booth Little Wooden Booth Co. DJ Kester via Jarrah Records Entertainment Jon Clements Celebrant Lesley Gasmier Flower Girl Outfits JJ’s House Transport Fremantle Tram Tours THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Rachel Gilbert Rings Rohan Jewellery Hair Coho Hair Studio Makeup Erin Maie THE GROOM Suit, Shirt, Bow Tie Jack London Wedding Band Staghead Designs Cufflinks In Retrospect Shoes Aquila Watch Tissot Groomsmen Suits Jack London