So, a while back we did a Color Day post on our friend Jen's "button inspired" wedding. Photographer Angela Ferro exquisitely captured their day and, as promised, we're finally going to share some of our favorites with you! Jen and her hubs, Tavis, tied the knot on a beautiful, albeit rainy, day in Brisbane, Australia. Australia is close to our hearts as PDR's Jen spent some time studying there in college and these photos bring back warm memories of BBQ's, relaxed and carefree vibes, and true Aussie hospitality. Destination weddings are super hard to plan, particularly when you want to include as many personal touches as possible. Luckily, Jen had brilliant wedding planners in her now mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Her mother-in-law put her creativity and crafty skills to use with a number of DIY projects and the end result was a wedding bursting with character and charm. We love the care taken to personalize this wedding and see Jen's warm personality and artist flare in pretty much every little detail.
Jen was happy to share her story and helped to shed some light on her overall wedding style and favorite moments.
On the importance of personal touches...
We also incorporated a few unexpected and nontraditional elements in the day. For instance, the initial plan was to play lawn games during the cocktail hour and use this time to take photos in the gardens. Unfortunately, it rained all day. One unexpected wedding event quickly turned into another as I told myself that I was wearing a one-use dress and was going to get the most out of it, even though it meant that Tavis and I were quite wet by the end of the photography session! Also, Tavis thought it would be funny to read his vows from his iPad and I then read my vows from my iPhone which I secretly had his best man carry for comedic effect. The ceremony was performed by both Tavis' brother and his best man and was both sweet and hilarious. For example, the first line of the ceremony was "Hello. This is a wedding." It was important to us to have a few personal details that really reflected us as a couple and I think these examples certainly allowed us to achieve our goal!
On choosing to have a small, intimate wedding...
The wedding was cozy. Tavis and I both think that marriage is very intimate and personal and we wanted our wedding to be a great celebration of us. In fact, Tavis often referred to the wedding as a "party." We decided that the two things we wanted most out of celebrating our marriage were to be with the people we really love and take an awesome honeymoon. We happily remained true to ourselves and on budget by keeping these things in mind!
On her favorite moments of the day...
There were three really fantastic moments that stick out to me when I reflect on the day. The first was when I saw the cake. Planning the wedding from the US made me feel a little removed from the event. It wasn't until I saw the cake that it finally felt real and I became much more present; it was as though all the work had paid off and everything was going to be perfect. I am still in awe of how beautiful the cake was. The second of my favorite memories of the wedding was walking in the processional with Tavis' best man behind two bag pipers. The pipes made the most beautiful, heart-wrenching sound that set the tone for the ceremony, which Tavis wrote. Finally, was the first dance. Tavis and I danced to The Smiths "There is a Light that Never Goes out" which quickly became a sing-along for us and our guests. Then, at the end of the song, Tavis spun me around the room several times making everyone laugh and cheer. It was such a joyous event. The entire wedding was absolutely magical but these moments were definitely the most memorable for me.
Photography: Angela Ferro Photography
Venue: Home of the Groom's Parents - Brisbane, Australia
Floral Design: Brisbane Bouquets
Invitations: Keg Design
Catering: Wine & Dine'm
Wedding Cake: Josie Staines
Bagpipers: Brisbane Boys College
Bridal Gown: LoveJune
Bride's Shoes: Seychelles
Hair: Jackie Trout Hair Design
Rings: Tiffany & Co.
Bridesmaid's Dress: Andrew Marc
Bridesmaid's Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Men's Suits: Bill Paul Ltd.
Groom's Shirt: Sebastian Gray Clothiers
Groom's Shoes: Dr. Martens
See more details of Jen and Tavis' Wedding and read the story of how they met over at Style Me Pretty!
Thanks, Jen and Tavis for sharing these with us. We wish you a long and happy marriage!
XOXO
Jen & Saira
