A simple, elegant Kings Park elopement

Mar 6
3 min read

A relaxed, simple and elegant elopement with just the couple, their beautiful baby and two witnesses in the quintessential Perth location of Kings Park.

Bride in white dress and groom in black suit hold hands, smiling in a sunlit garden with green foliage and path in the background. It's a Kings Park elopement with Sally Bruce Celebrant.

Couple and ceremony photos featured in this post are by Channon Williamson Photography

When this couple first contacted me about their elopement, they knew they were keen for an outdoor ceremony, but they weren't sure about the location. I shared a few suggestions and they decided on the iconic Perth location of Kings Park.

With sweeping views across the Swan and Canning Rivers and the city skyline, Kings Park is one of the world's largest inner-city parks. And it's a haven for biodiversity - two-thirds of the park is protected native bushland, plus it's home to over 3000 different plant species featured in the WA Botanic Gardens. No wonder it's beloved by locals and visitors alike.

Booking a space for a Kings Park elopement

I always recommend booking a covered space for your Kings Park elopement. This guarantees your claim to the area at the time of the ceremony, as well as providing some shelter from the sun or rain in less-than-perfect weather.

Nestled in a quieter area of the park is the Water Garden Pavilion. S & S's ceremony was the first elopement I've done at this pavilion. With a little bridge just made for photos and tiny ducklings running in and out of the neighbouring water during the ceremony, it's a delightful location for an elopement.

Gazebo in a park with lush trees and a curved path. It's the Water Garden Pavilion in Kings Park, Perth — Water Garden Pavilion, Kings Park.

Privacy when eloping in Kings Park

Kings Park is a public and very popular park. It's especially busy during wildflower season, but you never know how many people may be exploring the park close to your ceremony location. Even on this weekday morning, there were crowds of visitors walking past the ceremony space.

Booking a space means we have claim to that space, but not the surrounding areas. It's human nature to want to stop and watch when they see a wedding - and on this day several people did. I can ask people to move on if they're being disruptive or intruding, but the reality is that people watching, and perhaps photographing, your ceremony is just a risk you take when getting married in any public space.

If you really don't want to be observed by the general public, I recommend you elope in an AirBnb instead, for guaranteed privacy.

Legal witnesses at a private elopement

According to Australian marriage legislation there has to be 5 persons present at the ceremony. That's the couple, the celebrant, and two witnesses (over the age of 18) who observe the entire ceremony and then sign the marriage certificates.

That's not many people, but for couples wanting a totally private ceremony, it can still be stressful working out who to choose as witnesses.

To keep things private, this couple asked their photographer Channon Williamson to act as one of the legal witnesses to the marriage. A friend of mine came along to be the second witness, and was also happy to hold the baby during the couple portrait photo session after the ceremony. This helped keep the ceremony under wraps.

Simple, relaxed elopement ceremony

I marry lots of couples with babies and young children and I know that kids don't always stick to the plan! My ceremonies are relaxed and the kids come first. If we need to take some time for parents to tend to their little ones, that is absolutely encouraged.

We kept the ceremony short and simple by only including the necessary legal bits and a few special elements that S & S chose.

We started by signing the pre-ceremony legal paperwork.

They each said "I do" and answered together "we do" to supporting each other to be the best parents they could be.

Bride in white dress holds a wooden vow book engraved "Our Vows," Sally Bruce Celebrant outdoors with blurred greenery. Her expression is calm and focused.

They personalised their ceremony by writing their own vows which they spoke to each other, affirming their promises by placing their partner's wedding ring on their hand..

Man in a black tuxedo smiling, reading from a wooden book. Outdoor setting with green foliage and soft lighting, creating a joyful mood.

After vows and rings were exchanged, we signed the marriage certificates.

And as simple as that, they were husband and wife!

It really was a beautiful, relaxed, simple and elegant elopement.

They said

Thank you so much for being our celebrant, we had such an amazing day, we’re so grateful and couldn’t have asked for more!

Wedding scene with a smiling groom in a black suit, bride in a white gown, and woman in a colorful dress with lilac boots. Bush backdrop. It's a Kings Park elopement with Sally Bruce Celebrant.

Full review

"We could not be more grateful for the effort Sally put into making our day perfect for us as a couple.

She made the process very easy and was there to help with anything we needed.

She really helps to make your wedding your own and to customise it to what suits you as a couple.

I would highly recommend Sally's services to anyone seeking an elopement or small wedding who wants to keep things calm, stressful and beautiful on your day.

Thank you so much Sally :)"