Colourful Fiesta Inspired Wedding

Emily & Shannon

It’s time for a bright and fun wedding today as we share this colourful fiesta wedding of Emily & Shannon captured by Kat Stanley. A private farm held the key to the ideas of this special handmade celebration.

Emily starts us off with the story of how she and Shannon came to be. “Shannon and I met at a mutual friend’s party in mid-2012. We instantly hit it off but both were not looking for a ‘relationship’. We became good friends, spending most weekends and mid-week enjoying each other’s company. I went on a trip to Japan with some girlfriends at the end of 2012 and start of 2013. When I got back Shannon told me that his feelings had changed and he liked me more than a friend. A week or so passed, I realised I did also have feelings for him. So from January 2013 we were officially a couple (Even though all our friends and family had said for months we were more than friends and we were just not telling them).”

Emily chose her gown from Forever Vintage, her bridesmaids wore brightly coloured dresses from Batik Amarillis. She tells, “The dress was a 1940 knee length tea dress in pale pink and white. I wanted a fun dress to reflect the party Mexican fiesta. I also wanted a dress that allowed me to move around on the day in comfort and not be damaged by the length being stepped on or getting dirty on the farm. I had looked for a while, even travelled to interstate to visit bridal stores trying on dresses. It was on a trip to Forever Vintage with my maid of honour (my older sister Sarah) and one of my bridesmaids (future sister in law Tracey) that I found my perfect dress.”

“It was important for me to use friends and family in the wedding/event industry so our day felt very personalised to us. I loved the planning. Shannon knew the photographer Kat, I went to school and am good friends with Lauren (makeup artist), and Morgan (Amity Blooms). Shannon’s cousin Mel owns and operates (Enchanting Celebrations) and her best friend Gemma did the hair ( Red Carpet Glamour). I am friends with Megan from McKean studios (the bridesmaids’ bracelets).”

The couple wed on the bride’s parent’s farm Otford Farm Trail Rides , she tells, “The ceremony was held on a section of the farm where Shannon and I are planning to build a home, so it was a very special location for us. Guests had to walk up a tree covered path to get to the venue which was covered with beautiful pom pom decorations made by the guests. Shannon’s grandma Ruby had passed away not long before the wedding. She was a keen knitter, I was given all of her wool and began making pom poms. They were so colourful and a lovely way to remember her so we then asked all the guests to make pom poms in her memory to be used for decorations through the day.”

Emily walked down the aisle to Cat Power’s “Sea Of Love”.

Of their photographer, Emily notes, “Kat and Shannon were already friends. It was important for Shannon to be comfortable with the photographer as he hates having his photo taken. Kat was amazing, it was like I also had known her for years. We didn’t want many photos of just Shannon and I. We just wanted candid shots of the day evolving around us. Kat captured this perfectly. We are so happy with the photos, they show exactly how much fun the day was and also how relaxing it was.”

The wedding was truly a handmade affair, Emily noting, “We sourced all the decorations ourselves from op shops/shops, as well as some friends making our decorations. One of the bridesmaids was in Mexico just before the wedding and got us the Mexican flags for inside the marquee. The day before the wedding we set up the marquee and ceremony with all the decorations with the help of many friends, we had a BBQ dinner with a few drinks – it was a beautiful group experience. Pom poms were used everywhere in the ceremony and the reception, including the bridesmaid’s bouquets. Mum made the cake. One of the bridesmaid’s Emily Nicol made the cake decorations.”

Food with Flair worked with the couple to create a taco bar for guests. Emily tells, “We did not want typical wedding canapé food. So with help from Tim at Food with Flair, our Mexican food dreams came true. We had a DIY Taco bar. It was a hit, everyone loved making their own tacos.”

“We loved having our closest friends and our families there to witness us get married. We had many people travel (internationally and interstate) to be there and that made us feel very special that they wanted to be with us for our day.”