The adorable Saskia and James are sharing the inspiration behind their sweet elopement-style wedding ceremony which took place in Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens.

We chose an intimate wedding ceremony to focus solely on us and our relationship. There were a few practical reasons why we decided to have a small celebration such as our extended families living in different countries and the sheer cost of a traditional ceremony and reception.

Our celebrant Jamie Eastgate was extremely professional from the moment we first made contact with him about our planned private wedding. Jamie was extremely personable and showed genuine excitement and interest in what we envisioned for our day.

The main thing we believe is that everybody’s wedding should be a reflection of their relationship.

We arrived together hand in hand.

Jamie supplied lots of extra information that really made the entire experience stress-free and easy to manage, including a helpful vow writing worksheet.

Here are the vows we wrote to each other:

James’ vows to Saskia

Saskia, I promise that I will be a loving husband to you from this day forth forever. You are a headstrong, determined and inspiring woman who has opened my eyes to the best of this world. Ever since we first met, you have been by my side, as I grow into the man I am on this day, and into the future. I promise to always have you by my side. Together we can accomplish anything, and continue to experience the best of this world through each other. Today, I promise to love, support and respect you for the rest of my life.

Saskia’s vows to James

James, I am so proud to take you as my husband. I love your caring nature, your enthusiasm and your passion. When I’m with you, I can be the person I want to be. Thank you for being who you are. You have helped me become the person I am today. You bring out the best in me, and I cannot imagine my life without you. I promise to always have you by my side; to be with you forever, just as you are. Today, I promise to love, support and respect you for the rest of my life.

A friend and our photographer were official witnesses which kept our ceremony very intimate and relaxed.

Our ceremony was perfect and went exactly the way we imagined!

Having what some might consider a ‘non-traditional’ wedding highlights our unique personalities and traits. A private occasion appealed to us because we could get married stress-free knowing that the day was relaxed and natural, rather than having to worry about following standard protocol and tradition.

Ms Zebra Says: What a gorgeous couple – we wish you all the best in the rest of your lives together! 

About Brisbane City Celebrants: We are a modern, happy and passionate wedding celebrant duo that simply LOVE celebrating love!

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