Joanne & Joel

There is something very special about Joanne and Joel’s pretty Swan valley wedding. I’m not sure whether it was the stunning photographs, the indoor (thanks, weather!) wedding ceremony that caught my romance-loving heart,  or the stories of “disasters that actually turned out for the best. Whatever it was, I am pretty happy iZO Photography  was there to capture it and allow us to share this gorgeous day with you!

Joanne starts the story with the tale of how these tow lovebirds came to be. “We had sort of mixed in the same circles for years but after a chance encounter at the Kalamunda Hotel on Joanne’s 18th birthday Joel got her number from a mutual friend and the rest is history. It was a bumpy road but we got there in the end.”

Joanne and Joel chose Little River Cafe for their wedding, the bride explaining “We always knew that when we eventually got married it would be at Little River. It’s such a beautiful spot in the Swan Valley overlooking the beautiful vineyards. It has a beautiful rustic aesthetic that suited out wedding to a tee and even more importantly the business owners Lucy, Neira and Bruno are absolute legends.”

Joanne chose “Beauty” by The Shivers for her walk down the aisle.

Nina Guelfi performed the ceremony. “We wanted a ceremony that was personal to us. We kept it short and made sure we didn’t take ourselves too seriously. Our celebrant Nina from Swan Valley Celebrant did a great job and kept it light and funny. She also did a great shout out to marriage equality that our guests loved.”

The bride chose a gown from Self Portrait – who saved her from a dress disaster! “I initially had a dress disaster when there was a mix up when the dress that was being made to size arrived about 3 sizes too big three weeks before the wedding. Before it arrived I’d been having the dreaded “dress regret” so I took it as a sign and that afternoon I went online knowing that one of my favourite labels Self Portrait had recently released a ready to wear bridal line. Within minutes my new dress had been ordered and was on it’s way from the UK. They say you know the right dress as soon as you see it and I absolutely loved my new dress.”

The first dance was short and sweet, the bride remembering “Joel and I both have a tendency to be a little self-conscious so we wanted to keep our first dance cheese free and short. We picked a song that we both love from one of our favourite bands Best Coast called “I don’t know how.” It changes pace halfway through the song from a ballad to more of uptempo rock song to encourage everyone to come up and join us.”

Laura’s Little Cakes created a two-tier semi-naked cake with fresh flowers, Joanne telling “One of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever eaten and absolutely beautiful as well.”

Guests enjoyed a food truck feast by Comida Do Sul. “Best food and the coolest staff who did a great job at making sure everyone was fed and happy.”

Dj Aslan was an important choice for the day. “I know it’s cliche but we just wanted everyone to feel as though they were at a celebration. Our families like to party so the music was always going to be very important. We were lucky enough to have DJ Aslan who did the best job with the music. From Bowie to some classic DMX there literally was something for everyone and there were people on the dancefloor from start to finish. It helps that Ash is a great guy and DJ. One of the most special moments for me was just having fun with my parents and extended family on the dancefloor.”

Congratulations on your marriage Joanne and Joel! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us! Thank you also to iZO Photography for sharing today’s beautiful wedding with us!