Julia & Didier
I love Julia and Didier’s modern The Flour Factory, Perth Wedding. The couple spent from sun up to sun down with each other – making their day the most comfortable and most like them it could be. The bride’s dress stunning, the decor equally as beautiful, but the heartfelt smiles and loved up moments – the best. Julia and Didier chose Jasmine Skye Photography to capture their day.
Julia fills us in on how they came to be. “We met about 12 years ago when my media production company volunteered to help a charity that Didier set up called Rafiki Surgical Missions. The charity sends Perth medical teams to Tanzania to operate on children and adults with cleft lips and other conditions needing reconstructive surgery. Didier and I were always good friends that just ‘clicked’ and shared a mutual respect for each other. A couple of years ago, that friendship became love, and we’ve been loving life even more ever since.”
The couple spent the entire day together, Julia explaining, “Didier and I got ready together at home, travelled together to the venue, greeted our guests together and stood together before the ceremony (I didn’t walk down the aisle). We were by each others side most of the time. He is my rock, and I loved that we spent those moments together, rather than doing it a more traditional way. I enjoyed having drinks with our family and friends before the ceremony. It really calmed the nerves to see familiar faces and know that you are among your favourite people.”
Ae’lkemi created the bride’s stunning gown. She tells, “Initially I was going to go with a very simple cocktail dress, I wasn’t phased about style or colour, and didn’t see myself getting something that looked like a traditional wedding dress. Unfortunately, my search wasn’t going too well. About 8 weeks from our wedding date we were with our friend Fiona, who also happens to be our jeweller, choosing our wedding bands. She asked about my dress and when I told her I hadn’t got around to it yet, I think she nearly had a heart attack! She messaged Alvin from Ae’lkemi and sent us straight to his studio. I chatted to Alvin about a few elements I thought would be good, chose a lace I liked and he ran with it. I couldn’t believe I could actually have a dress made to fit with so little time before the wedding! Alvin is just awesome, he knows what’s going to suit your body and has such a great eye for style. I love my dress and I’m really lucky, especially given my complacency and lack of time (sorry Alvin), that it all just fell into place so well.”
Of their photographer, the bride remarks, “Jasmine from Jasmine Skye Photography has been a friend of mine for about 8 years and I’ve watched with awe as she’s built her business so successfully. She’s always pushing herself to be better, she’s very hard on herself and it shows in the results. I am a photographer myself, so I’m pretty picky, and I’m just over the moon with what she captured from the day. I’m so much more comfortable behind the lens than in front of it, but she managed to make us feel comfortable and captured moments that I didn’t even realise she was photographing.”
The couple chose The Flour Factory for their wedding, noting, “The Flour Factory was the perfect venue for us. Kahla, the Events Manager, was great to deal with from the very start to end. No request was too much and she was always very calm and easy-going. We decided on a Sunday wedding so we could book the entire venue. Having drinks and canapés downstairs first worked really well, and the blank canvas space upstairs lent itself to some amazing styling by Owl & Bear. On the night the staff were great, the food was delicious and the beer, wine and champagne selection were excellent.”
Owl & Bear styled the wedding working with florist Katie Cooper Floral Design. Julia remembers, “We loved the room! The long tables, flowers and styling were just awesome.”
“We were really lucky that Jasmine our photographer; Blake our MC; Kelly our Make Up Artist; Josh and Fiona from Stefan Diamonds; and Chiara and Matt from Owl & Bear and Matt Milford Music were all friends. They all also support our charity, Rafiki, by donating their time or for our annual ball, which is the main fundraising event. This year Jasmine is donating her time to photograph the event, Blake is the MC for the fifth time. Chiara and Matt have been helping us for many, many years by styling the room and providing an awesome band for the night. Josh and Fiona have been supporting the charity since day one and donate beautiful (and expensive!) jewellery pieces for the auction every year. It meant the world to us, that not only could we deal with friends for our wedding planning that are so very talented, but also to know they are awesome people.”
Kristy Wright officiated the ceremony, Julia remembering, “Our celebrant, Kristy Wright, just got us. I guess we did things a little differently, and she was always encouraging us to do it the way we wanted. We loved that she was young and fresh and gave great energy to the room. We kept the ceremony fairly short and wrote our vows together. Didier’s children Sarah, Matthew and Emma passed the vow cards and rings and it just worked out beautifully.”
“I got ready with my great friends Ellen and Kelly (who also did my makeup) at home, which was relaxed and fun. Didier and I came home that night to orange roses and petals spread in our bedroom – I love those girls! Our closest family members all had a role. Our mums were the witnesses, Didier’s children gave us the rings and vow cards during the ceremony and our dads welcomed everyone before the meal.”
Of their first dance, Julia remembers “Our first dance was to Billy Joel’s ‘She’s Got a Way’ and sung by Matt Milford Music . I loved that they learnt a (slightly obscure) song just for us. A few days before I had said to my friends ‘please don’t leave us hanging out there by ourselves, get up there as quickly as possible!’ But to be honest, at that moment, I didn’t notice anyone else in the room except my husband.”
Congratulations on your marriage Julia and Dieder! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Jasmine Skye Photography for sharing today’s celebration!
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