Orla and Bryan decided pretty quickly that a big wedding with lots of attention was not for them, in fact, they decided so quickly there was just eight weeks between that decision and their wedding date! A secluded ceremony with just four guests (and photographers Odd Socks Society, in charge of documenting the day!), right by a river and an afternoon picnic in the redwoods filled with champagne and good music.

A night in St Kilda led the couple to meet. “We had both arrived over to Australia from Ireland. Orla went up to Bryan to compliment him on his locks only to discover that he was Irish too, we got chatting and discovered we had a lot in common, and the rest is history.”

Bryan opting to pop the question on one of the couple’s first post-lockdown hikes. “After months of lockdowns and missed opportunities we finally got away for a few days over the Christmas holidays. We had planned an overnight hike on Mount Bogong in Victoria’s high country. After a hard day hiking in gorgeous weather, we arrived at the top, pitched our tent and went to take some photos of the spectacular surroundings before sunset. Orla turned around after taking some pics to see Bryan on one knee with a ring and a bottle of sparking red. There was nobody else on the mountain it was magical!”

This was a day full of beautiful, heartfelt and handmade details. “At our accommodation, we decorated and our friend Donie created a lovely photo wall. We cooked our breakfast on the morning and drove ourselves to the ceremony also with the tunes pumping in the car! For the ceremony, we wrote our vows and brought along a hessian circular rug for us to stand on. Our friends arranged a gorgeous picnic for after the ceremony in the Californian Redwoods. We had an elopement sign that we got on Etsy which was brilliant”

Orla even added sentimental touches to her look. “My friends gave me something blue in that of a pin with an old Irish coin woven onto it & some blue charms that we pinned onto the bouquet for the day. My friend Jill also gave me something old & borrowed which was a gorgeous gold bracelet that belonged to her aunt from the 80s.”

Okay let’s talk attire – Orla’s sweet lace frock is by  Zimmermann. “With only 8 weeks planning I knew time was not my friend,” she admits “I went for a browse in the high street stores one day and picked out a gorgeous Zimmermann dress, it was so comfortable, had gorgeous details embroidered onto it and was perfect for a forest elopement”. While Bryan combined pieces from Politix, Merchant 1948 and Rodd & Gunn. “I knew I wanted something smart casual, not a formal 3-piece suit. I picked out a linen shirt, a nice blazer and chinos it was smart but quite relaxed.”

Orla and Bryan chose the secluded spot of the Aire River crossing for their ceremony. “We knew we always wanted to get married outdoors, we love being amongst nature. We loved the area as it is where the rainforest meets the ocean and it is so spectacular. We also wanted somewhere private away from crowds that were off the beaten track and we liked that it was beside the water.” Instead of a processional, the couple and their guests arrived at the ceremony together, they played Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold” before they began.

“Our ceremony was intimate and really felt wholesome and happy” tell the couple of the official part of the day officiated by Laura Leddin. We began with an Acknowledgement Of Country and then our celebrant shared our love story along with mentioning our families and friends in Ireland who could not be at the ceremony.

Our friend Emma read the poem Chapter One of a Thousand before us both reading very intimate and personal vows which had our guests in tears. We then exchanged rings and concluded the ceremony by the very unique signing of the register on the rocks beside the river. As the ceremony finished, we had Slice of Heaven by Dave Dobyn playing, our guests showered us with bio-degradable confetti & we popped the champagne!!”

“We kept the ceremony secret from everyone except a few close friends who were attending so we found the planning quite exciting. We loved getting the little details perfectly such as creating playlists for the ceremony and the day, writing our vows and getting our clothes.

We decided to have a very intimate ceremony and with only four guests we wanted everyone to be involved. We asked our friend Emma to read a poem, Mac held the rings and Donie and Jill were our official witnesses. I think this made the ceremony very special for all involved.”

Orla carried a bouquet created by In Full Bloom. “I always wanted Australian natives as I think they are beautiful,” she explains, “there were many of the same flowers in the region and they were perfect for a forest elopement. The girls at In Full Bloom did a fabulous job on such short notice.”

“Right after the ceremony, we celebrated with our friends having a toast on the rocks at Aire River Crossing. We were both ecstatic and it was really enjoyable just enjoying the moment and taking photos.”

“Do what suits your personality and personal preferences not what other people/society thinks you should do. If you are both quite private/shy/introverted an elopement may be right up your alley. If you want a small celebration with only a handful of guests do it.

We had so many people who came up to us in the months afterwards once they had seen our photos and video saying how they wished they had done something more intimate and personal like we had. It made us so proud and happy that we did what was best for us as a couple rather than for everyone else. A lot of the time couples try to please others before putting their own needs and wants first.”

The couple wanted their day to be documented to share with family, and the decision was made to hire Odd Socks Society. “Initially we were nervous about having a professional photographer as we were worried it may take away from the intimacy of our elopement. However, we were delighted to get in touch with Odd Socks Society and following one Zoom meeting with Storm and Xavier, we knew they were perfect for our special day. We decided to get the ceremony fully recorded especially so we could share it with our families at home in Ireland along with getting a highlight reel of the day also. Storm and Xavier were so good on the day and it was like they were our guests, they were so easygoing and everything was quite natural and forced which suited us perfectly. They took great photos capturing the whole day from getting ready in Skene’s Creek, the ceremony at Aire River Crossing and taking more photos at the Californian Redwoods. They also knew the area well as they live not too far away & enjoy spending time in that area.

Odd Socks Society were great. As soon as they arrived in the morning, they made us feel very relaxed and got great natural footage and photos. We had a great time and were constantly laughing as we got our more formal photos after the ceremony.”

Of course that wasn’t the end of the celebration, the newlyweds and their guests spending the afternoon drinking champagne in the nearby redwood forest. “We went to the Californian redwood forest afterwards for some pictures, we had previously been there and seen a really cool log that had fallen over, so we decided to walk out onto it the middle of it & it captured the surroundings and the lush rainforest perfectly. We loved hanging out in the afternoon after the ceremony with our friends in the Californian Redwoods and back in Skene’s Creek at Long Tide Retreat.”

“We did not have the first dance as such but we played one of our favourite songs “This Must Be The Place ” by the Talking Heads whilst having photos taken and eating a picnic in the forest.”

Cheers to the cheers! Thank you Orla and Bryan. How special it is to be able to share your wedding day. Thank you both and to Odd Socks Society for today’s stories and moments!