Zoe & Mark
There is such a sense of joy around Zoe and Mark’s quirky café wedding. The duo chose a café that had a beautiful courtyard garden sheltered by a Manchurian pear tree. By day the space was the perfect place for a garden ceremony. By night, as it was lit up, it made the perfect space for a outdoor wedding reception. The bride and groom’s fun personalities so very clear throughout each moment of the day. Photography by Sarah J was there to photograph it all.
Zoe and Mark tell the story of how they came to be. “We met at a trashy pub in Adelaide. Totally not somewhere you’d expect to meet your future husband. I was there to see a band and Mark was having a drink with a friend. A rather intoxicated Mark asked for my number. I didn’t think much of it at the time but less than a week later he called and asked me out. I’d never been on an actual date before so I thought, ‘why not?’
From that first date it just felt right and we’ve been together ever since. Mark took me to a restaurant that we had been to on one of our first dates. It was a special place for us because I had told him that it was there, sitting across from him at that restaurant, that I’d realised I’d found my life partner. At the end of what seemed liked a normal dinner he got down on one knee and proposed in front of everyone. It was totally unexpected. I love Mark’s sensitivity and his ability to love completely. He is always positive and kind. He is genuinely the best type of human.” Mark adds, “I love that Zoe is caring, supportive, honest and funny. Every moment is better with her in it.”
Zoe wore a gown from The Ultimate Bride, telling, “Finding the right dress was difficult. I originally wanted something vintage but I was open to anything. After exhausting the usual places in Adelaide, I went to Melbourne. I tried on what felt like a million dresses, none were right. Then a couple of months before the wedding I went into a small bridal shop near my work, totally not expecting to find anything. And there it was. It looked nice on the hanger, but when I put it on I fell in love. It was perfect.”
Zoe and Mark chose The Tin Cat Café for their reception, noting, “We had both the ceremony and reception at The Tin Cat Café, a restaurant and gallery set in a historic Victorian terrace. I immediately fell in love with its vintage décor and quirky vibe. The selling point though was the outdoor area with its beautiful Manchurian pear tree that created a magical canopy of leaves over most of the space. We said our vows under the tree and at night the same area became the dance floor. It was perfect. The manager Claire was an absolute legend. She went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly and that I was happy.”
Zoe remembers, “The amazing Frank Loves Joan provided the tunes for the ceremony. I walked down the aisle to her version of ‘I wanna grow old with you’, (originally from The Wedding Singer), which was accompanied by her acoustic guitar.”
Alice Colgrave officiated the ceremony.
For photographs, the couple headed to The Garden of Unearthly Delights.
Of their photographer, Zoe remarks “Having great photos to remember the day was really important to me, so I did my research. I found Photography by Sarah J through the Polka Dot Bride blog and fell in love with her photography style. I positively had to have her. She’s based in Bendigo so we met her for the first time the night before the wedding. I instantly felt at ease with her. She made the whole experience fun and the photos she produced were absolutely stunning. What more could you want?”
Celebrations continued back at The Tin Cat Café.
Illume Flowers created the floral arrangements for the day, the bride telling, “One of my favorite details was the decoration of the Manchurian pear tree, which was the centre point of everything. We hung red flowers in small jars and bottles from the branches as well as festoon lights and randomly dropping Edison bulbs. It created a beautiful setting for the day and night.”
“Claire and Nic from Bulb Lighting did an amazing job lighting the outdoor area. They draped festoon lights with Edison bulbs throughout the trees and under the pergola. We danced under the beautiful warm glow it created. It definitely took the space to next level of awesomeness.”
“The only DIY element was the wedding favors, which were jars of home made tangy apricot jam with personalized ‘spread the love’ labels.”
Zoe remembers, “A highlight of the day was my Poppy’s, (granddad’s), speech. In front of everyone, he told us the secret to a good marriage… ‘Men make the money, women look after the man’s belly and everything that hangs below it’. Highly awkward and totally hilarious! ”
Guests enjoyed sweet macarons from The Mac Factory.
Zoe tells, “Our very informal first dance was to ‘Dancing cheek to cheek’ by Fred Astaire.”
The Smile Factory Film created a film of the day, the bride noting, “Our videographer Thomas from The Smile Factory Film was awesome. He managed to capture all the important moments as well as the overall vibe of the day. The first time I watched the video I cried, it’s just that beautiful. It’s something we’ll treasure forever.”
https://vimeo.com/122961289
Congratulations Zoe and Mark! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Photography by Sarah J for sharing today’s wedding celebration!
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