Liv & Bec

Bollywood flash mobs, bowling clubs, sequinned jackets. Tasmania might be known for its stunning scenery, but as of today, let it be known for its the ability to host a fun and colourful celebration. Because for Liv and Bec? There was nothing less than a bucket load of fun as they made their vows and celebrated with their very favourite people. This was a day that was not just about a wedding, it was a day that was about celebration, a celebration of their favourite people, of those who have paved the way, of each other, and of Tasmania itself. Cassie Sullivan Weddings joined this duo for the ride and this story? It’s one we can’t wait to share.

It was a random meeting for these two, but they definitely knew there was more to each other the moment they met. Liv fills us in. “We met when Bec joined a committee I was on which organised social events for the Tassie LGBTIQ community. Bec says she saw me across the room (when she arrived late) and decided she needed to get to know me a bit better. Everything flowed from there.”

Liv and Bec dressed for the wedding together, the brides choosing pieces of gold and raisin tones from a selection of stores – including Asos, GFW Clothing and Portmans. That gold sequin jacket? Jack London! Liv shares “Neither of us wanted to wear a dress and certainly wanted to steer clear of the traditional white for something more fun and fabulous. Bec had her heart set on a sequinned jacket from very early. I eventually found the gold sequins, and she loved it and bought it immediately. I then went about finding something that would complement it! It was a lot of fun finding something that went with our theme and really made us feel fabulous as well.”

Liv and Bec crowned their wedding party “Team Belivia” and note their presence as one of their favourite parts of the day. “Having our Team Belivia around us for the whole night and day leading up to the ceremony was really wonderful as well. We hired a cottage nearby that we could all stay in, and shared dinner, played board games, had a walk together in the morning, all got ready together, and had all our team photos before the ceremony. It was such a special time and meant that we got in some serious team bonding before the main event!”

Beautiful Rosny Farm set the scene for a beautiful Spring day, and a wedding ceremony to unfold. Shares Liv “Rosny Farm is nestled between the local golf course and the largest under-cover shopping mall in Tasmania. You’d never know, though, and even our local guests were surprised at the beautiful and tranquil oasis that it was. Prior to European settlement, this area was home to the Mumirimina people of the Oyster Bay tribe of lutruwita/Tasmania. We wanted to honour the original and ongoing custodianship of this land by contemporary Tasmanian Aboriginal people. When Europeans first came to this area on the eastern shore of the River Derwent, this site was a land grant given to an ex-convict as early as 1806. It now features native gardens and heritage listed sandstone buildings, and is managed by the Clarence City Council as a space for art, music and community events.”

Once their guests were seated, Liv and Bec walked down the aisle together. Liv opening “After much consideration, we chose “She Keeps Me Warm” by Mary Lambert. It’s the song that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis sample in “Same Love”. The lyrics of the full song are so touching and meaningful and brought us both to tears every time we listened to it leading up to the ceremony. Neither of us actually cried on the day as we were so swept up in the moment and too busy smiling like Cheshire cats. We removed some of the ‘traditional’ (patriarchal) elements such as having our fathers walk us down the aisle and give us away (they witness the signing of the certificate instead, and we walked down the aisle together), and some of the other commonly used passages and readings used in wedding ceremonies. We had a dear friend do the only reading we had.”

Liv and Bec chose Zana Forster to officiate their ceremony, their directive was only “let it be full of joy”. “We felt really strongly about it having a celebratory feel and that people could be as involved as possible.” They explain, ” We asked the celebrant to tell people they should feel free to express their joy, love and support through cheers and clapping whenever and as often as they wanted. In keeping with extending that involvement of the whole of our community, our celebrant suggested including a “ring warming” where our rings are passed around everyone for them to hold and pass their well wishes into the rings.”

The newlyweds could not speak more highly of their chosen photographer Cassie. “Cassie is not only the sister of Liv’s sister’s best friend but also one of the most talented photographers in Tasmania. We decided not to scrimp on this aspect of the day, and our decision was rewarded when we saw her work. She was super easy to work with, making the process relaxing and fun, and her images are amazing.”

 

The crochet buttonholes were just the beginning of the handmade elements of the day. “We had many friends and family contribute with their amazing DIY skills” explains Liv. “Aside from Bec’s mum crocheting the buttonhole flowers, we had a crack team of volunteers do the decorating of the reception space with borrowed homemade bunting from Bec’s sister’s wedding, fairy lights and the tulips. Bec’s dad made a sign to point our guests in the right direction of our ceremony. We designed all the stationery using an image of a piece of art our ceremony-reading friend had painted for us. Some other fab friends made our cake – an incredible visual display of our life-paths meeting, complete with kunanyi/Mount Wellington and a Lego bicycle for each of us. Finally, another friend created a timber cover for our guest book, on which she etched one of our favourite photos of us.”

Bec and Liv chose Rosny Bowls Club for their reception, the couple choosing it for its community filled, vintage vibe. “We loved the idea of using a community space like a bowls club, and their drinks at “genuine 1970s prices” was a bonus. As is the case with many old bowls clubs, it is on prime waterfront real estate so there are great views over Bellerive Quay from the venue. Keeping it local also meant we had some amazing locations within 5 minutes drive to have our post-ceremony photos of just Bec and I in some pretty spectacular locations with kunanyi/Mount Wellington and the Tasman Bridge as the backdrop as the sun was setting behind them.”

Even the tablecloth the cake sat on held special meaning, tells Liv. “There were a few significant family pieces that have traditionally been used for family weddings. We used the same signing table that Bec’s parents used at their wedding. Liv wore a brooch that has been handed down and worn by all brides in her maternal grandmother’s family, while Bec wore a brooch from Liv’s paternal grandmother. The cake also sat on a tablecloth crocheted by Liv’s paternal great-grandmother.”

Tulips adorned the tables “We chose not to carry flowers for the ceremony, using them as decorations at the reception instead. Bec’s dad’s family is Dutch, and in keeping with our style of bright colours, we decided to go with tulips. The north-west coast of Tassie, where we also have family origins, is famous for the Table Cape Tulip Festival, so we just ordered a whole bunch of different colours and varieties direct from a supplier.”

For Liv and Bec, their day was as much about honouring the people important to them, as it was about themselves, Liv explaining “We made sure we planned the day in a way that allowed us to include everyone we wanted to include. So we chose venues that would be big enough, rather than being forced to limit the number because of the venue size. Sharing the day with everyone who was important to us was a big priority.

We were also sure to acknowledge that we were able to get married because of the strength and perseverance of our LGBTI community elders and leaders over many years.”

These two? They ditched a traditional first dance, instead, they surprised their guests with a Bollywood flash mob! Liv fills us in “We chose The Cure’s “Why Can’t I Be You”, but we were also keen to continue the community involvement into the reception, so we planted the seed for a flash mob/ group dance. Our hens day featured a Bollywood dance lesson and a core group of friends committed to a few rehearsals in the lead-up, so when the DJ switched to Punjabi MC’s hit Mundian To Bach Ke, they all stormed the dance floor and we pulled it off in style!”

A big congratulations to you both Liv and Bec! Thank you for honouring us by sharing your beautiful day. Thank you also to Cassie Sullivan Weddings for sharing today’s beauty with us!