Vibrant Classic Wedding in Chippendale

In a whirlwind of vibrant colours, classic styling and an overwhelming atmosphere of love, Pen and Cara said I do. Their elegant wedding was overflowing with bright colours, laughter and lots of fun. Embracing the colour, Fiona and Bobby took on the photography for the day, drawing you right into the moment with each photo.

When mutual friends introduced Pen and Cara, they had no idea they would find love that night, dancing at the Imperial Hotel Erskineville – but the stars and planets aligned in their favour.

Luckily for Pen, Cara wasn’t very observant on the night of their proposal. “I had organised tickets for a show at the Opera House, and secretly had a room booked at the Shangri La afterwards, and had organised for champagne and red roses to be in the room. Cara had absolutely no clue! Even when I was obviously carrying an overnight bag, she didn’t catch on.”

Penelope got her art deco-inspired gown from Karen Willis Holmes, an LGBTQIA+-friendly business. “I was very nervous as I don’t normally wear dresses. I chose this style as it was glamorous, with art deco features, and made me feel beautiful.”

The couple each had one person in their wedding party – Pen’s best friend and Cara’s sister. They both wore matching black one-shoulder gowns from White Runway.

Dressed in a gown from Luv Bridal, Cara looked effortlessly elegant with the simple detailing and beautiful train. “I went initially to try on a few dresses to see which style I liked. However, Leonie, the assistant that day, was absolutely a dream to work with, and I found the perfect dress at number 4. I chose it because it suited me completely; it was one of those moments when “if you know, you know”.

Across the road from their reception/ceremony space, Cara, Pen, and their wedding party got ready at the Old Clare Hotel. “We love Kensington Street, the converted buildings and the history coupled with a fun atmosphere.” For some privacy, the first look was just for the two of them and was an emotional moment.

Fiona and Bobby were the photographers for this vibrant wedding and did a fantastic job shooting the pure happiness and love radiating from this couple. “Our photos are truly beautiful and show a depth of care and artistry that is above anything you’d expect. The way they capture the intimate nature of the day was really touching. Not only are they super friendly and wonderful to work with, including making us feel at ease and comfortable; their photos are worth every cent.”

After the first look and family portraits were over, the wedding party headed across the street to Olio on Kensington for the ceremony. All of these vibrant flowers were done by My Little Peony. “They were absolutely stunning. We wanted the colour to offset our classic wedding look, and they delivered the most beautiful flowers we’d ever seen.”

Pen and Cara walked down the aisle separately, but both walked while an acoustic version of “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles played. One of their favourite parts of planning was with their celebrant, Married by Marie. “Talking to Marie over a glass of champagne and planning all the fun interactive parts of the reception was such a blast.”

They wanted the ceremony to be intimate, authentic and one of a kind, and with the help of Marie, they achieved it. “We wanted everyone to feel the LOVE in the room; our celebrant Marie made that happen. We had submitted a couples questionnaire to Marie prior, and she created a beautiful story from this. Our stories were woven together, and this was the first time we heard it. She asked us for funny stories, and it just made the ceremony so unique,” they described. “We now consider her a friend; the effort she puts into her weddings is unbelievable. A true wordsmith, she created a custom ceremony for us that will never be replicated. She brought personality and created an atmosphere of nothing, both love and laughs and good times.”

Vendors are essential to any wedding, and Cara and Pen couldn’t have been happier with the dream team they hand-picked. “It just went seamlessly – our vendors made it so easy for us, we really picked the cream of the crop. We got so many compliments from friends and family as it being the best wedding they had ever been too.”

It was important for Cara and Pen to plan an event that also focused on their guest’s happiness. “We think a really premium dining experience for our guests was really important as well as keeping the day fast-paced so the ceremony went straight into the reception so our guests weren’t waiting around. Plus a welcome cocktail on arrival!”

The reception was filled with vibrant lights, a custom neon sign, a disco light and a rainbow of lollies for their pick-and-mix station. To show their gratitude and love for their guests, the newlyweds put together a thank you video that played on a projector during the reception – you can find the link to it here!