LARA & ANGELA’S CANBERRA WEDDING

This geologist and foreign policy advisor sure are on the same page. So much so, they even planned surprise proposals for each other on the same day, folks! And they celebrated their “intimate” wedding together at The Boat House with a select number of guests- 52 to be exact. “We’re really glad we kept it small. Everyone was able to mix and mingle and there was so much love in the room!” Read all about it below, and get ready to swoon over all the pics from Kelly Tunney Photography– we certainly did.

THE PROPOSAL “We were enjoying a holiday in Bermagui and on our first anniversary, we went for a picnic on the beach. Angie played me a song that she had learnt on her ukulele as an anniversary gift (Love Seranade by The Waifs). She told me she couldn’t imagine spending life with anyone else and asked if I would do her the honour of being her wife. I cried and of course, said yes. We danced on the beach to Nina Simone and Otis Redding and popped champagne. After lunch, I gave Angie her anniversary card. In it, I had written down my proposal (which I read to her) and in the envelope was the ring. It was the best counterproposal ever and so joyous.”

THE VENUE “We loved The Boat House as soon as we saw it. It is very ‘us’. Great food, delicious wine, stunning views and exceptional service without any wank factor. James Souter is an absolute professional who takes all the stress out of planning a wedding. The staff were incredible as well. Brodie took such great care of us and knew what we needed before we did.”

THE DRESSES “We both bought our dresses from LOVER. We were a bit too casual about the dress and all of a sudden we were three months out and didn’t have an outfit! We spent an intense period of time looking. It was pretty stressful trying to find a wedding dress that was us– feminine, but not extremely bridal. We stumbled across Lover in the Strand Arcade and instantly knew that we had found our designer. We both left that day with dresses in hand.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “Listen to your gut instinct and follow it. There are so many opinions floating around and you need to back yourselves and the decisions you make. Also, try to keep perspective about what is truly important. We did well to recognise when we were overthinking a detail, or decision. It is good to continually pull ourselves up and think ‘will anyone really notice this?’ If the answer is no, make a snappy decision and move on. Also, be prepared for the fact that the day will just fly by and it will be difficult to have a proper conversation with all your friends and family. It is ok– they are all just happy to be there! Also, be prepared for it to be much more emotional than you could ever expect.”

WE’RE GLAD WE… “Got ready at home, surrounded by our sisters and mothers. It was such a relaxing way to ease into the day. Our immediate family then turned up and we had a low-key reveal, while sipping on champagne. Also, we gave a few people a chance to speak (both sets of parents, both sets of siblings, and ourselves) and we limited their time accordingly to ensure speeches were not a drawn-out process. The breadth of stories covered added a lot of depth and sentimentality to the day.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Definitely Kelly Tunney. It felt like we were with a good friend, who also happened to be a whiz with the camera. Kelly made us feel at ease and like we could be ourselves. It meant she captured some precious moments. We also loved our florist Moxom and Whitney. They were so much fun to deal with. We told them a few aspirations and they did the rest with their skill and creativity.”