Shaye and Joy
Shaye proposed beside the Swan River with the lights of Perth glittering in the background. His proposal took me completely by surprise; I hadn’t expected it which is exactly what he wanted! He had won a competition at work for a romantic dinner out complete with limo ride to and from the venue. Dinner was set beside the Swan River and I didn’t think anything of it when he suggested an evening walk to finish off the meal. I think he was pretty pleased he had managed to pull it off without me suspecting!
We started planning the wedding fairly soon after we got engaged and both knew exactly what we wanted. The wedding had to be informal, a fun weekend away with our closest friends and family. We selected Silver Springs Cottages because of the beautiful secluded bush cottages and the open field to set up in– a blank canvas not limited by the restrictions of usual wedding venues. On the day the bridesmaids and I got ready at the cottage overlooking the marquee, spying from the veranda on the guests arriving and sending out messages for finishing touches. We spent the morning producing the flower bouquets, pinholes and table flowers. It was challenging to undertake the flowers as well as all the set up but it was worth the effort, they looked amazing (thanks to some very talented friends who helped!).
The set up started a few days before the wedding as we had to arrange everything ourselves (from the marquee to bathrooms to the photo booth). With the help of many family and friends the whole event, including the marque which was borrowed from the local agricultural society, started to piece together. Even the bar furniture was handmade, crafted by Shaye’s parents from salvaged crates and wooden drums, which fitted perfectly with our casual, rustic theme.
The celebrations kicked off straight after the short ceremony. We were particular on how we wanted the evening to proceed, as we had been to so many disjointed weddings where you wait for hours between ceremony and reception. We made a conscious effort that the evening should flow from one event to another without formalities or large gaps.
Shaye and I agreed a natural theme would work best for the outdoor venue and with the brightly coloured marque, which was yellow and green. The table was decorated with a kraft paper table runner and sprinkled with flowers in jars wrapped with a black and brown chevron detail. The place settings featured a fresh sprig of rosemary and a Homer Simpson quote – Shaye is a mad Simpson fan and it was lovely to see people swapping quotes and having a laugh. The night felt just like we wanted – a big family party.
While Shaye and I went off for a few quick photos taken by our friend, who was also a guest, the handcrafted bar tables were laden with a selection of delicious sharing platters. It was great to see everyone mingling, eating and drinking around the bar furniture before proceeding to the marque for the main meal. Being keen foodies, catering was important and Duncan and Tim from Goanna Gallery understood and delivered brilliantly on our brief for a gourmet BBQ. They produced a fantastic buffet with beef supplied by my parent’s farm.
Dessert was a highlight – serve yourself Simmo’s ice-cream from an Italian style cart. I loved watching the guests all dressed up in suits and dresses tucking into an ice-cream cone and discussing which flavours to pick next. The evening wrapped up with dancing under the light of the full moon and instead of being the first couple to leave, we were the last and walked the remaining guests back to their cottages. The next morning everyone who stayed onsite helped pack up after feasting on a full cooked breakfast and leftover icecream!
Our parting advice for newly engaged couples is if you’re going to tackle a DIY wedding, it’s really rewarding but takes its toll on your family and friends! Ensure you have the full support of your minions as it will take more than you expect to deliver the project and often you will not be around to help!
Ms Gingham say: Mmmmmm, ice cream truck! Now there’s a couple who are thinking of their guest’s enjoyment! Congratulations Joy and Shaye!
Joy says: “Shaye and I got married just a few weeks ago in a little country venue in the southwest of Western Australia. We really wanted a DIY wedding. We had been to enough weddings to know that we wanted, something really casual and heartfelt reflective of us, not a venue, stylist or because we had to do the traditions. The wedding was just what we envisioned, a casual BBQ in a country field under the full moon.”
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