Chantique & John

There is a lot to be said for the relaxed, chilled out vibes of a Sunday session in the sun and today’s couple, Chantique and John built their entire wedding day about this relaxed vibe, taking the advice of the bride’s mother to ensure that even the planning was relaxing and stress free. “My mum always told me ‘to just pick what you love and it will always work all together’, that was a really good piece of advice as it made me not think of the overall picture so much and get overwhelmed but to just pick each thing and on the day it will all work, which it did.” explains Chantique.

Alannah Liddell was there to capture this easygoing celebration, from an emotional first look to the fun of the dance floor.

The couple met on a sunny afternoon, quite by chance. Chantique telling “We met at Waroona dam whilst swimming in the water. I know this sounds lame but after speaking all afternoon, I specifically remember the moment when we both looked at each other from across the water and we both just knew.
John proposed overlooking Gracetown Bay, he learnt a cover of a Bob Dylan song on guitar and sang it for me before getting down on one knee. All of my best friends were there. (He had never played the guitar before).”

The bride chose a beautiful Spell Designs gown to wear, remarking “It was a perfect dress for our wedding theme. Like most girls these days I am a sucker for Spell Designs clothing and so who better to order my dress through! I swear Spell uses magic material as their clothes always seem to fit perfectly…. enough so that I felt confident enough to order my wedding dress online without trying it on and I am so glad that I did!

 

My bridesmaids surprised me a with a Samantha Wills gold and turquoise Boho cuff which I absolutely loved. It was perfect because I found jewellery shopping for our day the hardest.”

Chantique and John met before the ceremony for a first look, the bride explaining “We were really happy that we did our photos before we got married. It was so nice to see each other and relax together before having to walk down the aisle in front of 100 people. I think it also stopped us from being complete crying messes during our ceremony as we got it all out during our ‘first look”.

 

Of their photographer, Chantique tells “Our gorgeous photographer Alannah Liddell absolutely nailed our photo location. Although it was a 35-minute drive away it was well worth the time spent there. I wanted natural photos in a field and the fact that the field was golden was even better! The drive there was fun too as we got to party with our bridal party and enjoy a champagne or two.”

A Little Bohemia created lush bouquets of green and white. “I sent my poor florist so many different photos of what I wanted. Boho, wild and colourful. Amy from A Little Bohemia in Applecross did such a great job for us!” explains the bride.

Of her walk down the aisle, Chantique tells “My mother walked me down the aisle, not because I don’t have a dad but because we have always been so close and I thought it would be fun which it was! She helped me to walk slow, which felt like we were walking at a glacial speed (which we weren’t of course). Anyone reading this who needs an aisle song, listen to “Fate” by Grey Reverend – it gets the tears flowing at the best of times.”

It was important to the newlyweds that they celebrate with their guests at Chantique’s grandparent’s home, so they chose a park nearby, where the bride spent time playing as a child, for their ceremony.

Andrew Baker officiated the ceremony, the bride remembering ” I was nervous about picking ‘the wrong celebrant’. I feel that they really do give a whole ‘vibe’ to your wedding. We chose Andrew Baker who was the same celebrant as my brother and sister in law, I cannot recommend him highly enough he made the perfect intro to our ceremony from just a small questionnaire and gave us guidance for the whole thing especially the most important part – the legalities.”

Chantique’s grandparent’s home was the uncontested choice for the reception, the bride explaining “We chose to have a home wedding at my grandparent’s place as my sister who had since passed away, got married there. She was unwell and we put together a wedding there with only around a month’s notice. It was nice having that memory as part of our day. The home is basically our family’s hub. We have all lived there at one point in time. The view is amazing and perfect for our style of wedding overlooking the water.”

Arte Paella created delicious Spanish inspired food for the reception, Chantique tells “We were so happy with our food served. We opted for Spanish Tapas and Paella and it was so delicious and also easy to eat for a standing cocktail wedding. I loved that the girls were serving the food with their gorgeous accents – also it really added to the night! It was also significantly better price wise to do this option. We also served two cocktails. Our ‘dark ‘n stormy’ was about all everyone drank – it was a major hit with all of our guests.”

Chantique’s mother created an amazing dessert table, Chantique remarking “We originally wanted to do a doughnut wall but as the to-do list piled up my mother offered to do a cake table! I loved the idea, and well, mum is an amazing cook. Mum and her best friend Bindi were up until the early hours of the morning for the days leading up to the wedding baking, and thank goodness they did because the cakes were delicious and even more so as breakfast for the morning after!”

For their first dance the newlyweds chose the old favourite “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper.

A big congratulations to the newlyweds! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us! Thank you also to Alannah Liddell for sharing her beautiful work!