Meet C & R, a couple who didn't want to get stressed out with planning a traditional wedding - and didn't! Family and friends travelled from all over the world to be at this relaxed, mindful wedding by the water at Lake Monger at sunset.
Mindful weddings focus on what is meaningful to the couple
C & R wanted maximum time with their guests, so minimised the time spent in formalities. They dropped any traditions that didn't light them up and leaned into non-traditional wedding elements. This gave them more time to catch up with their favourite people.
They both love dancing, so it made sense to invest in hiring a dance floor and spending time putting together their perfect playlists for each different section of the event - pre-ceremony, during the ceremony, dinner and dancing.
They had a photo of their beloved cat on the signing table, had their love story told as part of the ceremony, wrote their own vows, and everyone there - including C & R - had an amazing time.
C said:
We met Sally when we first started planning our wedding and she gave us the best advice - weddings don't have to be stressful, people make them stressful because they think they have to be stressful.
This advice is representative of how Sally operates, she is helpful, organized, uncomplicated and considerate.
Non-traditional Perth wedding venue
A bowling club might not be the first place you think of for a wedding, but for this couple it was the perfect venue. With a magnificent water view of Lake Monger, plenty of parking and a bar already in place, only a few things needed to be sourced, like the dancefloor, festoon lights and an arbour with florals. A pizza truck sorted out the catering. And the laid-back vibes matched the relaxed and fun energy that C and R were after. Think outside the box for your non-traditional wedding location.
R said:
Sally's process for creating the ceremony felt very collaborative and we ended up with a truly special day that felt completely our own.
Group photos before the ceremony
Staggered timing of wedding invitations meant some guests arrived earlier than others. This let the couple have photos with certain guests - like older family members - before the ceremony. It's a great idea because everyone is still looking their best at the start of the event and you get group photos done early, meaning you're not running around trying to get everyone coordinated at the reception.
Non-traditional guest seating
They didn't hire chairs for a traditional ceremony set up, but made use of the large steps for guests to stand on so everyone could see. For those guests who needed seats, the chairs and stools provided by the venue for seats worked fine.
Making guests feel included in the wedding ceremony
With family and friends travelling from all over the world for this non-traditional Perth wedding, it was important to honour the effort people had made to be there - and also to introduce people who didn't know each other.
I did a shout-out to all the different groups of people and where they had travelled from at the start of the ceremony, so all the disparate groups of people could get an idea of who everyone else was. A special touch was getting everyone to wave and shout hello to a much-loved family member who was livestreaming into the ceremony all the way from Copenhagen.
C said:
There were no stale cliches, Sally's words were personal, warm and in touch with what we wanted. She would be my first recommendation for any couple planning a wedding.
Marriage Vows combined with ring exchange
As well as the legally-required vow wording, C & R each wrote personal vows that they shared with each other during the ceremony.
C said:
Sally gave us questions to help us write our vows, met with us to run though things and ease any nerves, she distilled down the formalities and helped us create a ceremony that suited us.
The vows finished with a ring exchange.
Toast to the newlyweds
One of my favourite ways to keep guests busy during the signing of the legal paperwork is to ask everyone to top up their drinks, or get a drink if they don't have one yet. Everyone then has a fresh glass in their hand for the final part of the ceremony, and we can include a toast to the newlyweds at the end of the ceremony.
Whole group wedding photo to end the ceremony
The ceremony concluded with the couple turning around to stand with the guests while the photographer took a whole group photo. This is a great way to capture the moment in time while guests are already in a group together. We then moved easily into guests congratulating C & R.
Perth at sunset
Many couples chose to marry in Perth at sunset - but you don't have to be on the coast for it to be beautiful.
Wedding reception - pizza, drinks, speeches and dancing
After the ceremony and congratulations, the pizza truck started cranking out the delicious pizzas, the bar continued to be open, the music pumped and the dancing continued into the night - with just a couple of speeches and some more toasts.
Vendors
Venue - Lake Monger Recreation Club
Photographer - Kat at Red Eclectic
Celebrant - Sally Bruce Celebrant
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R said:
Well organised, friendly, and a great communicator, Sally made sure that we always knew what needed doing and what was coming up. On the wedding day she was a total pro and helped keep things moving for us.
More than all of that she helped make the wedding better. At each stage Sally was available to offer additional help, advice, rehearsals, whatever we needed.
R said:
Wedding planning is only as stressful as you make it - and with Sally it felt like a dream.
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