Tell us a little about yourselves!
We have been a couple for 8 years, originally from Scotland, before relocating to Australia in 2017. We met at university and created many precious memories together from that point. Currently, we live in Brisbane with our dog, and are kept busy in our social work roles, as well as by consuming copious amounts of tea.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We had always agreed that it would be a small and intimate elopement, consisting of elements that were special to us. We visited the Blue Mountains in 2018 and had fond memories of the scenery and the many hikes we completed. It was a toss-up between a beach setting or the Blue Mountains, but eventually settled on the latter being more ‘us’.
We hadn’t picked our wedding spot until two days before the wedding but had a few possible locations to explore. We loved the solitude of Anvil Rock, and the fannel flowers that were abundant. We owe a lot of thanks to Damien Milan and Nastia for suggesting we visit that area. We also had the privilege of a flexible celebrant, Ms Matrimony, that only required to be given notice of the location on the day.
How many guests did you have?
Two guests: Tilley’s brother, and his partner.
We are both relatively private and introverted people, so the idea of having lots of guests felt more about the needs of others and not what we wanted our wedding to be. Our focus was being present in the moment, enjoy each other’s company and creating a celebration of our relationship.
Tell us about your outfits.
Paul wanted a traditional outfit with a standout piece being the jacket. After many hours of searching online, he found a dark green jacket from Mr Porter - and got very lucky with the fit being suitable when it arrived. For the rest of his tailoring, he visited The Cloakroom for all their specialist advice, they were amazingly knowledgeable and helpful during the whole experience. They really put him at ease and made several adjustments so he could have the perfect fit. Tilley searched high and low for a wedding dress, and fell in love with Bowie Rae’s unique designs, after trying on many full-length dresses. From the first moment Tilley tried on the blazer dress at Bloom Australia, she knew it was the perfect match for her style and personality. Given our wedding wasn’t traditional, the blazer felt like it followed the theme of ‘doing what we want’. Finding a wedding dress was difficult for Tilley and it was a stumbling block for us being able to pick a date to get married! Tilley incorporates polka dots or the colour pink to many of her daily outfits, so pink Jennifer Chamandi shoes and a polka dotted veil from Ann-Marie Faulkner felt like a natural selection for bringing the wedding outfit together.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Making the day a celebration of our love and relationship. Ultimately, we choose all our favourite things, and put them together to design a wedding day.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Tea was a must. We contacted the lovely Kym, from The Steepery Tea Co., who was able to advise on some special teas, and invited us to a tasting to make our selection. We struggled to narrow down on just one, so ended up with two. We had searched far and wide to have someone incorporate tea into a cake. We were so set on having a matcha wedding cake with fresh watermelon from Baked In Space to remind us of a previous favourite coffee shop. We were so glad to find someone who would take a leap of faith with our idea. Being Scottish, on the land of the First Nations, it was important our ceremony included this. Our celebrant went above and beyond by speaking to a member of the local Aboriginal community to acknowledge the land we were meeting on at the start of our wedding. We performed a traditional Scottish quaich ceremony with Caol Ila whisky at the end of our wedding. This was to mark the joining of our two families and sealing our bond; we shared this via Facetime with relatives at home so they could join in our day.
Any tips for couples getting married?
It’s cliché however, try to pause throughout the day to really enjoy and experience the moment. And don’t tell others your eloping!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Lasagne for Breakfast, if you are in the Sydney area you must try it. They were so attentive and the food was phenomenal. We cannot speak highly enough of all the vendors noted, they all added their own special touches to our wedding, making it the day we envisioned.
Photographer : Damien Milan @damienmilan_photographer | Ceremony Location : Anvil Rock Lookout, Blue Mountains | Reception Location : Kookawood Cottage, Rydal | Celebrant : Ms Matrimony @ms_matrimony | Planner : Damien and Nastia Milan @damienmilan_photographer | Flora : The Flowerhead @the_flowerhead | Catering + Beverages : Lasagne for Breakfast @lasagne_for_breakfast | Cake : Baked In Space @baked_inspace | Tilley's Dress : Bowie Rae @bowie.rae from Bloom Australia @bloom_australia_ | Veil : Ann-Marie Faulkner @am_faulkner | Paul's Jacket : Kingsman from Mr Porter @mrporter | Tailoring, Shirt, Pants + Bow Tie : The Cloakroom @thecloakroom | Engagement Ring + Tilley's Wedding Ring : Lannah Dunn @lannahdunnfinejewellery | Paul's Wedding Ring : Brendan Cunningham @bcjewellerydesigns | Shoes : Jennifer Chamandi @jenniferchamandi | Ceremonial Whisky : Caol Ila | Tea : The Steepery Tea Co @thesteeperytea