When Samara and James tied the knot on their eighth anniversary, they made a weekend of it inviting guests along for celebratory drinks, pampering and of course, plenty of celebration. And what do I love about the way they planned it the most? (Apart from the beautiful images by Rachel Gutierrez of course!) The way they planned a day that was so reflective of who they are and the life they lead together. Says Samara  “We wanted our big day to be designed around everything and everyone we loved; and after meeting in Melbourne, falling in love in Buenos Aires, living back and forth over many cities and now settling in Sydney, we wanted to share with our family and friends, the city that we live in and a glimpse into our life. Most of all, we wanted a big party where everyone could let their hair down and run a little wild!

My favourite part of planning was coming together as a couple to figure what was really ‘us’ from food, drinks, guests and music – all the things we enjoyed before we were married and what we wanted to create for our first steps into the future.”

The couple met in Melbourne eight years ago. “I had just arrived in Melbourne after graduating from university and James and I found ourselves starting the same day at this sales job in the city” remembers Samara. “From that first day we were drawn to each other. The connection was fast, and we knew something was happening but weren’t sure what to do as we were both planning to leave Melbourne as soon as we had saved enough money to go travelling. I was heading to South America and James was heading to Canada, so we kind of knew we only had a couple of months together. Then, in a turn of fate, James’ Canada plan fell through, so we decided to run off to South America together, not knowing what would happen or how long it would last. But that first month in Buenos Aires really solidified it for us. We fell deeper and deeper in love and have been inseparable ever since.

It was during lockdowns that James popped the question. “We walked to this spot by the cliffs just south of Coogee beach. James had organised for two of our friends to set up the proposal spot for sunset but as it was on the rocks and it was starting to get dark, he couldn’t find it. I honestly thought we were lost in the wilderness and wanted to turn back but he kept reassuring me that he wanted to show me a special place. Then he pointed out a bag and said let’s sit there. At first, I was like, “James I think someone else is sitting there, there’s a bag there. Turns out it was a bottle of champagne and glasses, and then he proposed on the cliffs by the ocean under the moonlight. Then our friends came and congratulated us. They were hiding in the bushes behind us, making sure we found the spot.”

Samara chose the most beautifully tailored Toni Maticevski gown as her wedding dress pairing it with jewels from Amelie George and heeled Alias Mae sandals. She tells “It was a dream to wear a Toni Maticevski. I tried a few different wedding gowns but none felt like me. When I put on the ‘Notorious’ gown, I knew that it was my wedding dress. I was wanting something simple and elegant but also unique and modern, and this dress made me feel like I was wearing a piece of art.”

The couple skipped a wedding party but did invite a select group of friends to celebrate with them and support them throughout the festivities.  James, wanting an outfit he could keep forever, had a two piece charcoal suit tailored alongside his dad and brother.

Samara has nothing but endless praise for the couple’s photographer sharing, “Rachel was a superstar, she made us feel comfortable as we’re both quite awkward in front of the camera. We were looking for more of a documentary of the day, she captured the day perfectly, paparazzi style. Finding the quiet and big moments, in a blur of all the raw emotions that are happening on the day. We loved everything Rachel created and felt like it matched our personalities. We knew from our first call with her that she was the one for us!”

“Both our parents sort of eloped when they got married, so we didn’t have any heirlooms as such but we’re hoping that we’ve created some of our new traditions that we can carry on. We loved spending the night before/waking up together the morning of the wedding and feeling that nervousness together, having family and friends all together the night before and getting ready together, saying our vows,  and the tears and heartfelt moments with our friends and family on the day.”

The couple made the most of the facility of the beautiful Sydney venue The Old Clare Hotel for their wedding, tells Samara,  “We did everything at The Old Clare Hotel. Which was both disarmingly beautiful and friendly. We loved the idea of a boutique hotel, somewhere we could do a bit of a wedding takeover – where we could all stay together, have the ceremony and then kick up our heels at night. Plus we loved the design of the hotel, and we didn’t need to do any styling or bring in anything. It was perfect the way it was.

Although we lived in Sydney it was a destination for most of the guests. So we decided to make it a wedding weekend and took over The Old Clare Hotel. Who took care of us with cocktails on the rooftop, pre-wedding drinks and arrival areas, hair and make-up artists, room and concierge service. The main event was in the restaurant downstairs, we got married on a heritage staircase before having a cocktail reception. The main thing for us was that our guests could just enjoy themselves. As so many people flew in, we didn’t want them to have to worry about anything and just have fun. Booking out a boutique hotel helped us do that and The Old Clare was amazing and took care of everything.”

Samara walked down the aisle, arm in arm with her dad to  “The Book of Love” by the Magnetic Fields. “Our dad’s were really the heart and soul of the party” remembers Samara. “They went around and met everyone, shed some tears and they shared with us an enormous amount of love.”

The couple were married by Megumi Carver says Samara “We wanted our wedding to be as inclusive as possible. So we decided to have a non-denominational ceremony. Megumi, our celebrant, was amazing. She shared a story about how we met and before we exchanged our vows and rings.”

   

James’ favourite memory? “Having a big party with all the people you love in one room, where you share your love with each other in front of everyone, is worth doing, even amidst cancelled flights, a plague, wildfires and floods. Love conquers all!”

And with the formalities over, the celebration began! Samara switched into a Solace London dress for the party, and the ultimate surprise for James. “We organised for one of James’ favourite punk bands (Repo Man) to come in for a surprise show for James – it was loud and possibly shocked some guests, but worth it.”

Congratulations to you both Samara and James! Thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding day story with us and thank you to Rachel Gutierrez for sharing today’s beautiful images.