“We wanted to secretly elope and then have a big, friend-filled wedding later,” says Em and Josh, who did just that. With just four guests in attendence, these two cuties made it official at Perth’s registry office before enjoying an intimate dinner at The Ritz Carlton Perth. The entire day seemed uniquely and perfectly them, and Flossy Photo was along for the ride (thankfully) to take some sweet snaps. Scroll down to see…
THE INSPO “Josh and I never had an overt interest in marriage. We organically came to the decision to marry without any pressure or expectations. So, when it came to our elopement, we both wanted the day to feel genuine to us. We considered what elements meant something to us, and what didn’t. For our private wedding dinner, we had it in a room overlooking water as I love water views. For the dinner styling we had post-modern vibes — amber glass, brass finishes, crushed green and blue velvets, candles, and more flowers — as that is how our house is styled. For our food, we arranged to have it at the Ritz as we like the food from Hearth. Josh was also able to create a pared drinks menu for the dinner, reflecting his interest and knowledge.”
FAVE DEETS “Our flowers [by Scape by S]. Josh and I love natives and everlasting flowers. Jess from Bertie Does did an amazing job matching our flowers with my dress and the styling carried through to our reception dinner. At our elopement my parents, sister, and childhood best friend attended. I wanted them to be a part of the ceremony, so we had corsages and buttonholes made that echoed Josh and my flowers. As they were everlasting, they could then keep them as favours.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “I don’t think there is a such a thing as a bad wedding as long it is genuine to you. Our elopement and eventual “wedding” were wildly different, but both reflected what we enjoy, and we omitted things that were not our vibe. It took a lot of the stress out of the day. We did not feel like we were pretending to be something we weren’t nor asking our guests to do the same.”
COOL CUSTOM “Josh and I wanted to share the same surname, but neither one of us felt comfortable with the idea of only one of us having to change. We decided to both change, taking my Mum’s maiden name. My maternal grandparents were a big part of my life. During our post-ceremony photos, I surprised Josh by gifting him my late maternal grandfather’s signet ring. It is engraved with my grandad’s initials, JP, which was to become Josh’s initials.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “There were three standouts — Flossy Photo, Bertie Does, and the event staff at the Ritz. We planned our elopement in about eight weeks, and all three worked hard (and with enthusiasm) to help make it happen. Our photographer Floss did a great job keeping everything casual. Josh and I wanted candid photos… formal posed photos are not our thing. Floss was organised and very personable, making us feel at ease for the entirety. Apart from loving the photos, Josh and I valued having Floss with us on the day, so it was a no-brainer to ask her back to photograph our ‘wedding’ the following year. When I met Jess from Bertie Does, she was fully on board with the vision and styling elements for the elopement and reception dinner. More importantly, she was not deterred by the short timeframe. Additionally, when I had offhandedly mentioned that I had not found someone to do our cake, she jumped straight in and single-handedly sorted it out.
If you’re just as smitten with these snaps from Flossy Photo as we are, head to her Directory listing here to get in touch, and check out more real brides raving about her shots – and personality – here and here.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Flossy Photo Florist Scape By S Stylist, stationery, signage and hire items Bertie Does Ceremony venue Perth Marriage Office Reception venue Ritz Carlton Perth Catering Hearth Cake The Cake & I Engagement ring Ruth Tomlinson Transport Uber THE BRIDE Bridal gown designer Bec + Bridge Shoes Loeffler Randall Accessories Amber Sceats, BerbilBelle Makeup Irena Willcox Fragrance Frederic Malle THE GROOM Suit & shirt InStitchu Suspenders Cufflinks Family heirloom Shoes RM Williams Barber Weston’s Barbershop