Tell us a little about yourselves!
Nick and I met in South Africa whilst in Medical school, we then did 2 years long distance before I moved to Australia from London. We’re both Doctors, Nick is a GP trainee and I am an Orthopaedic junior registrar. Given our connection with South Africa, we planned an amazing wedding in Cape Town, which has now been delayed 3 times. However, we plan to go ahead when travel restrictions ease and my family can travel.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Centennial Park in Sydney is right up the road from our first apartment. I have spent hours running and cycling around it training for marathons and triathlons. Nick sometimes joins, so it’s a park we love. We also wanted something simple, easy and casual but a beautiful space for our elopement.
How many guests did you have?
We had seven guests - Nicks parents, two sisters and their partners - plus our baby niece, Vera.
Tell us about your outfits.
We wanted something chic, casual and comfortable, nothing too formal, as it's not reflective of us. We also hadn’t told our guests to dress up, as they didn’t know they were coming to a wedding. We turned up to P Johnson's four weeks before the ceremony date (without an appointment), with the idea of a white or cream suit for Nick. They managed to turn it around in exactly 4 weeks. Nick had his first and final fitting in the actual suit the Friday before the ceremony. We couldn’t have been happier with the service. In terms of my outfit, I wear black 90% of the time, and as it was a short and casual ceremony, I didn’t want something white, which I couldn’t wear again. I wanted something simple and reflective of my usual style, so I went with a white Posse the Label Top and black Incu Skirt.
I have a beautiful wedding dressing waiting at L’eto Bridal, but I’ll save it for the bigger wedding that it deserves.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We planned a last-minute elopement, with a turnaround of only four weeks! We decided to have our nuptials now and wedding later, once restrictions ease. Nick and I wanted something intimate, so it was important to have a celebrant who knew us. Luckily enough, Nick’s school friend who is Lawyer happens to be a celebrant and she flew to Sydney from Darwin. Freya totally understood the MO of the day and was very flexible with the ceremony to insure it reflected us. We also had Nick's best friend Andrew Lange from medical school (who I also met at the same time as Nick in Cape Town) as the photographer. Once again, he understood we wanted something low key, but still wanted beautiful memories.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Nick’s family! We decided to surprise them. They were told we we’re having a picnic in the park for my birthday. They were all in total shock (and lots of tears) when they saw our celebrant and my bunch of flowers from Mark the Florist. It was a special occasion to share with them - during these uncertain times, with lock downs and travel bans.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during Covid?
Do what is right for you as a couple, if that means waiting it out for the big wedding or having a small elopement sooner! It’s your day - I think it’s important to celebrate when you can, as much as you can!
Photographer : Andrew Lange (Close friend) @_langes_ | Ceremony location : Centennial Park, under a Morton Bay Fig tree | Celebrant : Freya Mulvey (Close Friend) | Flora : Mark the Florist | Makeup : Rochelle Spotswood @heyimrochelle_ | Hair : Mercy @__bymercy | Groom's Suit : P Johnson @pjohnstontailors | Bride's Dress : Posse the Label Top + Incu Skirt @posse @incu_clothing | Rings : Natalie Marie Jewellery @nataliemariejewellery | Groom's Shoes : Converse @converse | Bride's Shoes : Funkis @funkis | Jewellery : Vintage pearl necklace + Baroque Chanel earrings from Hawkeye Vintage @hawkeyevintage