Real Weddings

Article by

Sophie

Posted on

10/03/2022

Posted in

Real Weddings

“The options were endless but one thing we knew right from the beginning was that this day had to be for us and no one else,” say Mo and Cam of their decision to whisk each other away for a super-intimate elopement in the NSW Roayl National Park. “We both follow an ancient Indian tradition of living, so we decided to implement certain aspects of that into our day. Whether it was walking barefoot on approach to the waterfall to feel the earth supporting us, feet washing in a river as a sign of love and respect or having our spiritual mentor to meditate with and bless us on our day, every little detail came together perfectly.”

Even though these two had no guests in attendance, their amazing vendors helped make the day super-special, and the photographs courtesy of Emma Wand sealed the deal. “We were so lucky, all our vendors exceeded our expectations,” they share. Read on for all the delicious details!

THE VENUE “We had three-and-a-half years to discuss what marriage meant for us and what kind of ceremony represented who we are and how we want to perceive each other. We planned a wedding trip, where we were going to get married in three different states of Australia and live in a van for a while, but the whole setup caused too much stress and that was not what we were aiming for. It wasn’t till the last six months that we realised we wanted a day where we could be fully present, peaceful and we could enjoy each others company to the fullest. Cam and I always had a thing for waterfalls, not for their magnitude but for their simplicity. So there it was, the perfect waterfall wedding right under our noses, just waiting for us.”

THE VIBE “Cam and I researched a ton of wedding traditions and rituals, what they signified and whether or not those meanings had anything relatable to us. We chose a more bohemian/gypsy style to represent our freedom and the simplicity in the way we lead our lives.”

FAVE DETAILS “Staying in a teepee in the Royal National Park by a river on a private property with a fire pit and good wine is pretty hard to beat, even considering the two days of torrential rain in the lead-up to the big day. Our wedding planner, Alison Hughes Weddings, was so good she found the only Russian honeycake (from Christina’s HoneyCakes) that is made in Sydney for us to have on our day… If you haven’t tried one you’re missing out! Our stylist, Lovestoned Styling, outperformed in meeting the boho theme, coupled with perfect colour and flower combinations.”

THE DRESS “My dress was purchased the month after the proposal – I had it hidden in a wardrobe for more than three years. After the proposal, I was walking around the local shops at a time when I didn’t even know if I wanted to have a wedding party or just get married in a registry. That’s when I saw, from the corner of my eye, the most simple, humble and happy white dress. It represented what I wanted for the day and for our relationship – humble, simple, peaceful and happy. So I bought it, not knowing if I was ever going to wear it and in the end I did.”

MEMORABLE MOMENTS “Every second of the day was special because we were together and we had no external distractions, we were able to connect on a deeper level. Getting up together for our special day in a teepee in the middle of the nature was a great start, getting ready together was fun and exciting, and when we went for rituals down by the river, it was calming and unifying. But not till we were walking together down the ‘aisle’ did we realise the magnitude of what we were about to enter. Everything after was a celebration, so many emotions, we had to have some deep breaths every now and then to ground ourselves because everything about that day made us fly.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Our wedding planner, Alison Hughes Weddings, was super detail-orientated and so organised, she went above and beyond to find the perfect vendors for all day. Our stylist, Lovestoned Styling, made it look like we were in a magical, faraway land – she understood what we wanted from the first five minutes we chatted and she carried our preferences all along. Our photographer, Emma Wand, and videographer, Til Death Do Us Party, were the kindest and most fun people on the day, they made it such a natural experience which helped as neither of us have social media or are at all used much camera action. Our cake was made by a professional Russian cake maker (Christina’s HoneyCakes) and decorated beautifully by Chaos & Couture, what a match! My make up artist, Ash Quinn Makeup Artistry, was very talented and did an awesome job at gaining my trust from get go. And we couldn’t have had better celebrant than Andrea Calodolce, she understood the uniqueness of our ceremony and was very accomodating.”

This epic au natural wedding was first spotted in our 2020 Real Wedding Special but we loved it so much, we just had to show it off again! Grab the latest Real Wedding Special over on our online store to get even more epic inspo for your big day.