It is always a good wedding at Polka Dot Wedding when we get to share a day absolutely filled to the brim with bright, rainbow colours. Today, it’s the story of Alice and Lochie that brings the technicolour dream to our pages. AND it’s full of amazing music-filled moments (hello impromptu Nut Bush!) so it’s just about the perfect story you need for your Wednesday.

This is the kind of wedding you need to kick off your shoes for (if only so you are free to dance) so we encourage you to do just that, as you pour over the beautiful images by Olive Oates Photography. Settle in for this one!

Let’s kick it off with the tale of how Alice and Lochie met, which was at an impromptu BBQ. In the couple’s own words “Alice was riding home from work one afternoon and trundled past a house where Lochie and his friends were having a bbq. They invited her in for a beer and she only knew a couple of people so she filled the time by drawing a portrait of everyone there on the inside of a ripped open beer carton, including Lochie who she thought was a bit of a fancy pants. Lochie remembers meeting Alice maybe a month later on a weird little walking adventure around the western suburbs.”

Lochie managed to completely surprise Alice when he asked her to marry him. “Alice was led to believe that Lochie wasn’t interested at all in proposing so she didn’t see it coming. They went on a Christmas holiday to an island in Thailand and Lochie proposed on Christmas Eve on the beach during a special private dinner, it was exactly like a date on the bachelor.”

Alice and Lochie chose a family property for their wedding, which really fit in the laidback vibe they wanted, explains Alice. “We wanted it to be outside, and somewhere close and familiar. The location is really beautiful and Lochie and his family spent months working in the garden and trying to time the flowering of plants perfectly.”

Like everything else with this wedding, the wedding party was low key, the couple did, however, make sure to include the bridesmaid who was stuck overseas due to COVID, cardboard style! “We kept it pretty casual, a few close friends. The boys just dressed in formal wear and the bridesmaids wore lilac in whatever style or outfit they felt comfortable in.”

SO much of this wedding was handmade, right down to the stage Alice and Lochie married on. “Lochie built a stage and Alice painted it. We created lots of painted logs from dead trees on the property and had friends help us decorate them and place them around the garden. Lochie masterminded the garden improvements and even built a frog pond. Alice designed earrings for the bridesmaids and the mothers and her maid of honour who is a jeweller put them together, and Alice made her own and flower girl’s hair flowers. We painted signs and ashtrays too!”

Alice went for a sparkly frock, finding her match on MACloth. She tells “I wore a long-sleeved sequin dress that had an open back. I saw a similar and much more luxurious version on the sticks and stones Vegas wedding blog post and have had that style of dress in my mind ever since. I trawled websites looking for a budget option and eventually found a company called MACloth that made a similar style to order. I was super lucky it fit me almost perfectly, I only had to get the sleeves tailored. I hated the idea of spending a huge amount on a dress I would only wear once.”

“I and the bridesmaids (including a cardboard cutout of a missing one) and the flower girl and my father walked down the aisle to ‘Gimme shelter’ by the Rolling Stones.”

Alice and Lochie (who had actually married in secret in Laos years before their wedding, and only told their guests during their speeches!) asked two friends to perform their ceremony. They tell “We kept it pretty simple and read our own vows. There were tears and chuckles, a nice balance of silly and meaningful.

The ceremony was so perfectly us and we did it exactly how it felt natural for us to do it.”

Another gorgeous detail to love? The couple’s wedding rings were made by Anastasia Mannix. “She was super easy to work with, especially when I was a bit indecisive!” admits Alice. “The rings are beautifully made and we loved having an excuse to get something custom made by Anastasia.”

Lochie, by the way, wore pieces from Jack London. He tells “I went for Jack London, it’s a reasonably priced brand that fits me really well. I went for a white jacket and black pants. I now wear my pants for work, who knows might find another occasion for a white blazer.”

Guests enjoyed a casual feast catered by Mannix Flowerday  “Amazing food which suited our tastes was one of our favourite parts of the day” tell the newlyweds.

Alice shares this sage advice. “Plan some kind of honeymoon! We went back to work the week after and it was devastating after the high of the wedding.”

Alice and Lochie loved working with their photographers. “Olívia and her second shooter were great. They were both super friendly and fit right in with all the guests. The photos capture so many moments and details and candid moments. Olívia was super easy to work with and took initiative easily. Couldn’t be happier with our snaps, we’ve had a lot of compliments!”

The flower details, of course, also handmade by the couple themselves. “We just grew them all. Lochie’s aunts who are passionate gardeners also brought flowers and vines to decorate on the day. They also brought bucket loads of rose petals which everyone pelted at us after the ceremony.”

Alice’s favourite photos of the day? “Everyone storming the dance floor for the Nut Bush!” she laughs. “The Nut Bush was a real standout. We initially had intended to do a bush dance wedding but decided against it in the end so it was great to have at least one group dance. We chose Nut Bush City Limits because we wanted everyone to get up and dance with us. Very fun!”

Congratulations Alice and Lochie! What an absolute treat to be able to share your wedding day. Thank you both and thank you to Olive Oates Photography for sharing today’s photos with us!