Gary + Jo were married on the steamiest Saturday at one of my favourite places for weddings -
Camp Quaranup. They are a lucky couple as recently the Department of Sport and Recreation put a hold on all bookings for wedding. But I'm really hoping that this unique water-front venue will again be on offer for couples.
Here's the story of Gary + Jo's wedding day in their own words...
Theme?
A black and white theme with a splash of
colour in orange flower arrangements. This proved to be
simplistic with a dash of class, although with our rowdy bunch that was
to be short lived. We had a fair idea of how we wanted everything to
look although it was proving harder to find certain items. In the end we
were suitably pleased with the balance between the black and white and
colour with the ‘props’ we managed to get our hands on.
Flowers?
I
had my heart set on a florist however that wasn’t meant to
be. Only 8 weeks out from the wedding I had to move to "Plan B" and find
someone new. I was in Albany for the weekend and walked into Hot House Flowers and could not have been more impressed by Cath. I explained the
situation and Cath
told me not to worry. I could not have been more happier with the final outcome - my bouquets were everything I hoped for and more.
Jo’s dress?
The
dress was purchased after only the third visit to a dress shop (much to
the delight of the bridesmaids). I was always looking for a lace overlay and with two
layers of lace on my dress this one hit the mark. The under lace
reminded me, as strange as it may sound, of the large flowing lace
curtains we had at home when I was a kid (lucky they were nice
curtains). The shoes were from
attempt number three for shoe purchases. My first pair I decided they
weren’t quiet what I was looking for. After buying a second pair online I
got sent the wrong size and finally exchanged them to fit my foot
perfectly.
Hair & makeup?
Amber
& Chantelle. I have been going to see Amber for 5 years for my
hair, she is now someone I would consider a good friend. Amber had
mentioned one day she had a friend who was a wedding makeup artist. I
met Chantelle and we hit it off immediately and I knew she would be the
best person for the job. The hardest thing was asking ever so nicely if
they would both be willing to travel to Albany. Both agreed without
hesitation. 6 months out from the wedding I find out Chantelle is
pregnant and due a week before the wedding. Although a little concerned I
was assured she would be there for me, even if she had to travel with a
newborn baby. As the date got closer Chantelle mentioned “Dakota” was
not budging, ending up having to drive down the morning of the wedding,
doing hair and makeup and heading straight home (only in Albany for 4
hours) just in case she went into labour. Chantelle went on to do
another wedding the following weekend before Dakota finally arrived.
Location?
From
the moment we started the planning we had our eyes set on Camp Quaranup
for the wedding. It was a venue we both knew well from growing up in
Albany and had everything we both wanted. It was a location we could
hold both the ceremony and reception with the option of people to stay
if they wish knowing we had a lot of people coming from Perth and
beyond.
Your celebrant?
Wendy Edgeley from Denmark. After meeting her for the first
time we knew we had picked the perfect lady to control the ceremony.
Her skills making the ceremony so personal using information we had provided separately was absolutely
flawless! I don’t think could have went any
better. We have had many friends tell us that Wendy’s ceremony was one
of the best they had heard.
Most memorable moment?
Gary
- When Jo was nearing the end of the walk up the aisle and I was still
very nervous and wanted to break the silence so all I could conjure up
was 'Nice Dress'
Jo – When I pulled up in the car and
saw all the guests, everything got very real very quick. I was so
nervous until I got to the red carpet, looked up and Gary was there
waiting for me.
Favourite photos?
The one below - our nerves had are settled, formalities were over, and we were ready to celebrate with family and friends. We also love the one of us at the green boat-shed - we were so relaxed, content and happy to have each other. The lines and colours just all flow.
This is another favourite - a group photo that just captures all of us in the perfect setting.
Did everything go to plan?
I
honestly don’t think the day could have gone any better, we had perfect
weather and all (in Albany!!). The only thing that springs to mind is
when we ran out of Sparking wine only an hour into the reception.
Luckily we had a neighbour of mum and dads who came to the rescue
bringing out another few cartons within ½ hour and problem was solved.
Special mentions?
We could
not thank our friends & family enough. We had so many people help
us out - Pete Hanlon & Don Rattray with the cars and Deb Guest making the
cake just to name a few. It makes you realise how important family and
friendships are.
The party / reception?
We
had always planned on a cocktail reception and wanted to encourage plenty of mingling. The garter games were a huge
hit. The boys having to jump through hoops, Adrian (the eventual winner)
then taking the garter off Gary’s leg with his teeth blindfolded! Gary
managed to sneak off just before the games began to put a stocking on,
adding Jo’s dress over Gary’s leg. Adrian was none the wiser until that
blindfold came off.
Honeymoon?
For
our honeymoon we went for a week to Langkawi and KL, Malaysia. We
didn’t have a lot of annual leave spare, and we had a longer 6 week
holiday planned for the USA in 2013. Langkawi was one of the most
relaxing places we have ever been to outside of Australia. We had a
beautiful villa right on the beach which was only accessible by golf
cart from the top of the property - with wildlife all around (Included
are some attachments of the view from our room)
My thanks to Jan for assisting me in capturing this wedding.
