Kate & Dom met at the ripe young age of 18, but it wasn’t until a couple of years later that the two started officially dating. Seven years of travel and good times led them to Mauritius, where Dom proposed mid canoe ride. Keen to capture their adventurous side, one of Kate & Dom’s very early decision was to book photographer Josh Jay. Kate laughs, “One of the things I knew before I booked my photographer is he tends to take a lot of adventurous photos of couples whether they are on the edge of a cliff or climbing fences to get into paddocks.” A couple of fab photos later and Kate & Dom couldn’t be more stoked with the result. With catering covered by Garnish Creative Catering and suits by M.J. Bale, all other details were well thought out. Scroll down for the rather lush results…
FAVOURITE DETAILS “Harry the holden came with the venue and, although not road worthy, I jumped in at the top of the driveway and made our way down to the ceremony. It was a really cool car and totally fit in with the venue. Also, Driftwood Shed itself. We were obviously blown away from the first time seeing it but even on the day, we found ourselves getting amazed by all the little details here and there. Having the fire pit going as the sunset, having so many interesting locations for our photos without having to leave, and the Shed itself to finish the night was fantastic.”
DIY “I bought kraft paper from Kmart and created 30-50 cones and the day before, at the wedding venue, we filled them all with leaves found at the property. This was a really cool eco-friendly alternative to confetti which we were stoked with. Not so much when we were constantly picking it out of our hair all night, but definitely worth it.”
FAVOURITE MOMENT “My favourite moment of the day was the moment my dad saw me in my dress. My dad is a softy deep down but has a tough exterior, so I really didn’t expect him to shed a tear. Nothing prepared me for his reaction. He was led down the stairs with closed eyes and once he opened them emotion flooded across his face and he burst into tears. I am tearing up thinking of the moment again, we embraced and cried together, happy tears. of course. He had everyone in the room crying and Josh Jay captured the moment perfectly. I will cherish that moment forever. For Dom, he said seeing me for the first time coming down the aisle was his favourite moment. He was so convinced he was going to break when he saw me but said that was the happiest moment for him and he couldn’t do anything else but smile.”
A TOUCH OF TRADITION “For Mauritian weddings, the mother of the groom walks the groom down the aisle before the ceremony begins, so Dom did that with his mum which was captured in photos and was a really beautiful sentiment.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “My advice is to have a realistic, clear image of what you both want and why (creating a Pinterest board really helps with this) then from there create your budget, find vendors that fit in with your vision, look at ways you can DIY to cut costs and remember to leave the finer details till the very last.”
WE’RE GLAD WE “Another pleasant surprise that worked out even better than we had envisioned was getting Dom’s friend Brad, who he grew up with, to MC our wedding. It was such a great choice as he did an outstanding job, filling the night with personal stories and jokes that included everyone there. This was such a nice, personal touch and gave such a warm and fun feel to the night. We definitely recommend choosing a close friend as an MC.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer Josh Jay was definitely a standout vendor for us, he really went above and beyond to build a connection with us before the big day and now we consider him a good friend. We ended up doing a home session with him where he came over and took photos of us at home with our dog, Freddie, which really helped us feel comfortable, not only with him, but in front of the camera and this made a big difference on the day. He stayed in close contact with us throughout the planning process and as result, on the day, it was more special having him there, it was like having a friend there rather than someone you are just paying to take photos. To this day we chat with him often and I am sure we will continue to hang out in the future!”
Keen to climb some trees on your wedding day?! We recommend getting in touch with Josh Jay here and peeping more of his work here. Fancy nabbing some of Kate & Dom’s other fab vendors? You can click through for more from Garnish Creative Catering here, South Coast Party Hire here and M.J. Bale here. But first, do scroll down…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Josh Jay Florist Ivylane Collective Place Cards ConfettiBearDesigns via Etsy Invites DesignMummy via Etsy Venue Driftwood Shed Catering Garnish Catering Cake The Naked Cake Cake Topper Creating Monkies via Etsy Wedding Favours Teavision Welcome Sign Decal FixateDesigns via Etsy Entertainment Lana & Bek DJ XYDJ Celebrant Jacqueline Majer Rings Louise Jean jewellery, Zappacosta Jewels Napkins South Coast Party Hire BRIDE Dress Made With Love Bridal Hair Piece And You Bridal Loungewear ASOS, Cotton On Shoes Windsor Smith Hair & Makeup The Makeup Collective Bridesmaid Dresses Spicy Sugar via Gigiola, Billy J, Showpo Bridesmaid Shoes Spurr via The Iconic, Billini Shoes, London Rebel via Famous Footwear GROOM Suit M.J. Bale Pants Industrie Shoes Staple Superior via The Iconic Watch Nixon Groomsmen Shirts M.J. Bale Groomsman Pants Industrie Groomsman Shoes Staple Superior via The Iconic