In keeping with our Minimalist Issue, we’re so happy to share with you Kate & John’s classic & minimalistic elopement captured by Red Eclectic. It was intimate and private, just the couple, their celebrant and photographer, and two close family members. “We were so relaxed,” says Kate. “From the moment we decided to get married to saying I do!” Sometimes less is more is the perfect choice when it comes to the most memorable wedding day. Kate remembers their beautiful elopement…

We dated super briefly in high school but after school ended we went our separate ways. Many, many years later, with 5 kids between us, we reconnected! Deciding to get engaged was very non-romantic. We had been talking about getting married for some time. We have both been married before so wanted something different. Then one night on the couch, we just decided to elope.

I wanted something elegant and classic for my dress. Cocktail style but wedding vibes. It is Mossman from David Jones and I’ve had so many comments on it. John wanted to wear a tux. We see so many grooms in suits and ties and we really wanted something he would not normally wear.

I was so relaxed planning our wedding. I reached out to a friend’s sister who is a florist – Honeybloom Florals – and basically gave her free-range. I love peonies and said it would be nice to have but really just wanted a classic-looking bouquet.

I loved that our day was so relaxed and chill. We woke up and prepped some platters for later that day. Lit the fire (was a rainy, cold, down south day) greeted our guests, and then had someone come and do my hair and make-up. When our celebrant and photographer arrived we got changed from our trackie pants and got married. We were both so relaxed and enjoyed every minute of it.

We had John’s cousin who he is very close with and her husband. And our celebrant and photographer!

We hired a beautiful property called Boomerang House just outside Dunsborough, and we held our elopement there in October 2021. We did everything at Boomerang House. This venue made for amazing photos and was so luxurious we didn’t want to leave. Our venue was so different. It was a stand out to what we had seen when viewing locations and being able to stay a few nights made it even more special.

We left the ceremony planning up to our celebrant – Celebrations by Candice – as she’s the professional. We did write our own vows however left the readings to Candice. We walked “down the aisle” together to “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis.

Our photographer Kat from Red Eclectic was amazing. Her style was exactly what we wanted, edgy and stylish. Just cool. She was so easy to work with, gave us direction, and really let us do our own thing. The photo of us against the white tiled wall is our favourite.

Our photographer and celebrant worked together and travelled down south for our ceremony – they were so easy to deal with and totally contributed to our relaxed vibe.

It was so special being able to ring our family and close friends and share the news. Our photographer made sure we had a selection of photos the very next day so we had something to share with them.

Thank you to Kate & John for sharing their stunning elopement with us! And to Kat from Red Eclectic for the images that showcased their day beautifully!