Katie & Lloyd

When Katie and Lloyd decided upon a sweet intimate wedding at Stanley Park, they kept their guest list small – only thirty guests joined them to celebrate their big day. The couple, who were engaged while living in New York, wanted to celebrate making it official with a day that was intimate and relaxed, so they cut the guest list, added a dessert table and hired Ava Me Photography to beautifully capture every little moment.

The couple met at a share house and bonded because of a very tasty drink (which also made an appearance at the wedding!) Katie explains  “Lloyd and I had a mutual friend, whose birthday party was hosted at Lloyd’s share-house. Lloyd and his housemate had formulated a very tasty beverage, which I drank in abundance not realising just how much alcohol had gone into it. The ‘gunch’ (goon-punch) took its toll on me, and, without going into too much detail, I was not very well! Lloyd was very kind in looking after me, and I had no choice but to go on a date with him later that week to apologise!”

Katie and Lloyd chose the beautiful  historic homestead,  Stanley Park for their wedding, explaining “The venue was an 1800’s homestead on 28 acres. My grandparents knew the previous owners of Stanley Park and had spent a lot of time there over the years, making it a special venue for our ceremony and reception. We had the ceremony in the sunroom, which overlooked the cove and our reception was in a marquee on the grounds.”

The bride wore a strapless lace Demetrios gown from Shazzam, telling“I thought that I would have to search high and low for the right wedding dress; as luck would have it, this wasn’t the case! I found my dress in the window of the second store I looked in! I fell in love with the colouring of the dress – ivory and gold – and the intricate beading. As soon as I tried it on, I knew I wouldn’t have to look any further.”

 

The bride’s grandfather walked her down the aisle to a song chosen by the couple – “Boxes” by The Goo Goo Dolls.

Emma Wood officiated the wedding ceremony, Katie remembering “Lloyd and I opted for a non-traditional, relaxed ceremony and chose to write our own vows. It was short and simple, with lots of laughter (and some tears!).”

Katie tells of the couple’s photographer “Our photographer, Joel, from Ava Me Photography was just incredible. I remember looking at Joel’s website for the first time and knowing that he would be the perfect photographer our wedding. His photos are so natural and manage to capture the emotion. Joel is not only an amazing photographer but also an incredible person. We loved Joel’s company on the day; his relaxed and down to earth nature had us and the guests feeling at ease – it was just like having another friend at the wedding!”

A fun cocktail hour outside was complete with giant Jenga – handmade by the groom!

Many of the details – including the wedding favours, were handmade. The bride remarking “Most of our wedding was DIY, as we were trying to stay within a budget! Mum and I spent a lot of time researching ideas online and were able to buy most of the materials we needed online too.”

Fennel & Co catered a beautiful feast for the guests, which they celebrated in a clear marquee, The bride remarking “Our caterers, Fennel and Co, were just wonderful. Having a small, informal wedding, we chose a banquet dinner. The food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious – so much so that guests were raving about how good it was for weeks after the wedding! The staff were incredible and went above and beyond for us, helping out however they could; nothing was a hassle for them and they made the day so much easier.”

For their first dance, the couple danced to the same song the day began with, Katie explaining “We also had our first dance to ‘Boxes’ by the Goo Goo Dolls. Halfway through the song, we had all our family and friends join us on the dance floor, which was a very special moment.”

A big congratulations to Katie and Lloyd on making it official! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us! Tank you also to Ava Me Photography for sharing today’s celebration!