There is a beautiful sense of relaxed whimsy about Kira & John’s wedding day. The puppies, the sunshine after the (very big) storm, the pretty flower crown, the endless handmade details. Their story, like them, is an utterly charming and perfect way to kick off your morning.

With photos by Billie Devine, this is a story you’re going to want to settle in for.

The couple first laid eyes on one another 14 years ago while they were both working on the checkouts at Target. Remembers Kira “After a few months of hanging out and going out with “friends” which ended up most of the time just being myself and John, I decided to just bite the bullet and just ask him to be my boyfriend. I misheard his response thinking he said “why not” when in fact he said “of course”. And the rest was history!”

It was another 10 years before John decided the time was right to ask Kira to marry him. “He was just waiting for the perfect moment… at Disneyland under the fireworks.!” she laughs.

Cutting it close, John found his wedding day attire just the Thursday before the wedding. “He picked out the fit all on his own and he did a great job with the mismatched suit” notes Kira.

Kira found her Karen Willis Holmes gown at Penrith Bridal Centre. “Being a plus-size girl I was extremely nervous looking for a dress for my big day, breaking out in a nervous rash the morning of. The girls at Penrith Bridal were amazing they were so welcoming and picked up on my vibe and were able to give me the most beautiful gown.”

The flowers for the day were styled by Blue Flowers. Kira noted “I let my florist have complete creative liberty with my bouquet, sunflowers and sea holly were my only request. She used eucalyptus and white roses in the girl’s bouquets and then added sunflowers to mine. She also constructed the most beautiful flower crown for me with eucalyptus and white roses. The boy’s buttonholes were white roses, with eucalyptus and sea holly.”

And of course, these two included sentimental touches. “I had a broach that was attached to the bouquet that was gifted to me by my grandmother which belonged to her grandmother and had been handed down to her. My husband had a very special heirloom gifted to him for our special day, a pair of cufflinks that belonged to his recently departed Grandfather. There was not a dry eye in the house when his Mum handed them to him.”

The couple chose to make the most of their time together and opted for a first look with photographer Billie. “Billie from Billie Devine Photography was our photographer on our big day and I honestly couldn’t have asked for anyone better to capture our day. She just got our vibe, has vision and mountains of talent and is just an all-around amazing human. I love her candid, organic style, nothing felt overly posed and I had complete trust in her to capture all the moments I wanted in my album and she completely delivered.”

The first look also happened to be John’s favourite part of the day. “I just felt so relieved to see Kira and there were just so many emotions around that one moment. It was nice to have a quiet moment to ourselves before the ceremony, it calmed both our nerves and I was just so happy to see her.”

You wouldn’t have guessed the region had had epic floods just a few days before now, would you? “The week leading up to the wedding was the terrible floods that hit Hawkesbury, the bridges that allowed access to our wedding venue were closed, and we were praying and praying for the weather to clear. And the day before our big day at 3 pm the bridges were clear and the sun was out and shining. We had someone looking out for us that day.”

The couple chose the country wedding venue Chapel Hill Retreat for their wedding. “It was the perfect spot for us, we had our ceremony on the deck area which overlooked the valley and the view was to die for.” remembers Kira. “Chapel Hill had so many amazing spots for us to capture our bridal photographs and we were able to have our first dance out on the deck, under twinkling fairy lights.”

 

Kira walked down the aisle with her grandfather to Disney’s Tangled “I See the Light”.

The ceremony was officiated by Jordan Vassallo Celebrant, who also acted as MC for the night. Says Kira “We had such a relaxed and personal ceremony which was full of so much laughter, tears and love. John and I wrote our vows and we had his sister read a poem, was very intimate and one of my favourite parts of my day.

All our vendors were beyond amazing but our Celebrant/MC Jordan Vassallo made the day so fun. From the custom ceremony to the perfectly run reception, he had everyone laughing and made sure everything was exactly how it should be. He is super passionate about his job and the joy that he feels doing what he does shines through.”

Kira gives this golden advice. “Just do you! Don’t worry about traditions and what other people think you should do, it’s your day! Wear what you want, eat and drink what you want, and give yourself time to be in the moment with your lover and enjoy what a wonderful memory you are making.”

The first dance was a beautiful moment under the stars. Kira shared “We danced out under the stars on the deck area to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” By Kina Grannis which slowly faded into “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance to get the party started.” The night ended with a very special, quiet, intimate moment. And Kira calls it her favourite. “We did a final private last dance at the end of the night, we danced to one of our favourite songs by the Lumineers “Sleep on the Floor”. Whenever I hear it now I well up with tears, it was the best way to close off such a beautiful day.”

Congratulations Kira & John! Thank you for sharing your wedding day and thank you to Billie Devine for sharing today’s beautiful story.