When Alex and Lauren set out on planning their wedding, they knew exactly what they wanted. As Alex explains, “We wanted simple and easy. The ceremony was in the John Forrest National Park, and the ceremony was in our backyard. A big party full of friends and family. The theme was native plants, outside on the lawn with candles and festoon lights.” The couple’s stunning day was captured by Red Eclectic and was set amongst quintessential Western Australian bushland, with the pair coming home to their family and friends dancing the night away in their backyard. Alex tells the story of how he and Lauren met, and their wedding day…

I was playing in a band at the time that we met, and Lauren came along to a gig to wingman her friend who was seeing our lead singer. We got talking after the gig, went out in freo after, and then shared a kebab together at the end of the night. As I was about to leave in a taxi, I ran back inside to grab Lauren’s number.

We had been dating for about 6 years and living together for 5 so I guess it was always heading that way (of getting married). For the proposal, we went camping down south near Dwellingup. Even though I knew the answer would be yes, I was still nervous all day and looking for the right moment to ask. It rained all day so that didn’t help, but that evening the weather cleared and I proposed to her after a picnic next to the lake.

My groomsmen and I wore navy blue suits from Oxford with floral ties and native flowers, which were picked to be simple and match the theme of the day.

Lauren had her dress made by a local business – Le Vow Bridal. It was based on a picture of another dress that she saw. Great, no-fuss experience with the business, and the dress was great.

Lauren walked down the aisle to “One and Only” by Adele.

John Forrest is a clearing in the hills overlooking the native forest. We wanted a native bush feel that was easy to access and near great photo spots for our ceremony. We found the place about 6 months earlier.

We wanted a relaxed and fun ceremony. It had been raining in the morning so we were a bit worried but the sun came out just in time, and the birds also put on a show. The ceremony was short and simple, with my sister reading a poem she had written. Our celebrant Lisa Webb was awesome. Nailed the vibe perfectly and was so easy to work with.

Lauren did all the flowers herself with help from bridesmaids. It was based around proteas and gum leaves and some dried flowers. We also made a large hanging centre piece made with pampas grass and other dried flowers. Colours were mostly pale pinks, oranges, and whites.

Kat from Red Eclectic is unreal. We originally planned to elope, so hired her as an elopement specialist. 2 months later, we sprung a 150-guest list on her and she took it all completely in her stride. She was so good at making 2 introverts feel completely comfortable getting photographed all day and just made the whole thing easy. And the photos were unreal.

We particularly love the ones on the rocks after the ceremony overlooking the forest in the hills.

A note from Kat, their photographer: Alex and Lauren read some vows at their ceremony and then afterward we went to the rocks so they could read their longer, personal vows in private (which came back to their original plan to elope!).

There wasn’t much that wasn’t DIY. A family friend did amazing grazing boards and also helped serve alcohol all night. Lauren’s mum made the cake and her dad made the cake stand from some native wood. We literally spent 2 years turning our backyard from an unkempt veggie garden the previous owner had into a venue space. Lauren and friends did all the flowers, decorations were borrowed from other friends, and cars were supplied by my dad and friend (50s Chevy enthusiasts…). My brother made the ceremony arbor, and Lauren’s brother and friends helped with a lot of the setup. My brother’s wife did the makeup. We had so much help from friends and family, it was amazing.

The caterers By Word of Mouth were unreal and received nothing but great feedback. Very easy to work with as well.

Our first dance was to “Stuck on a Puzzle” by Alex Turner. We are both not spotlight people, but we literally choreographed our own dance with the help of a few wines and YouTube videos. It was short and simple.

The reception was in our yard in Bayswater which we had been renovating for nearly 2 years. Largish lawn open space with festoon lights, and a patio for the dance floor.

It was just a lot of fun and low-stress. It just felt very relaxed and like a big celebration. Our advice would be to do things that you actually want, not because people/social media/traditions say you should.

Thank you, Alex and Lauren, and Kat from Red Eclectic, for sharing their gorgeous day, especially during The Western Australia Issue.