It started with a night of live music and laughter at a Bruce Springsteen concert and ended with a bold and colourful wedding celebration at Circa 1876. Ash and Phil’s wedding reflected their journey as a couple—bright, full of life, and sprinkled with inside jokes. With joyful tears and heartwarming laughter, Ash and Phil proved that love, like their flowers, blossoms beautifully in colour. Deanne from Little Black Bow was the talented photographer for the day – and one of the first vendors the couple locked in!

It was during a Bruce Springsteen concert at Hope Estate that Ash and Phil’s paths crossed for the first time. “We met at work, Phil was one of the bar managers and I was a bartender. I was paired up with his then-housemate, and when I noticed him, I asked who he was. She kindly gave me all the information I needed,” Ash explained. “Girl code first: I did check in with her to make sure they weren’t dating or had any complicated feelings, to which she said no, and over the course of the evening, we were introduced and had a great night talking and listening to “The Boss” whilst discovering our similar interests. This is still such a fond memory for the both of us.”

At the height of the COVID panic, Phil was holding on tight to a diamond ring he’d had for about 8 months – waiting for the perfect moment to pop the question. They both share a deep love of snow and snowboarding, so it was a no-brainer for him to propose to be surrounded by their favourite terrain. “After a phone call to one of my best mates, my rubbery arm was twisted, our accommodation was booked at Perisher Valley Hotel and the ring was packed.

Our close friends Bec and Tony came down with us – both were in on the proposal. The first day was absolutely magical for riding. A little dusting of snow overnight and blue skies on the horizon. After lunch I had organised that Tony and I would ride ahead and get the girls to meet us at an isolated spot that had beautiful views. When the girls arrived, Ash and I had some pictures taken together and as Ash was about to walk away…I dropped a knee and opened the ring box,” he shared. “Ash was in awe. Her first words were, “Oh my god, it’s upside down” – in my panic, I didn’t check which was the right way up. So I righted the ring box and asked again – “No”. I was stunned and shocked, but a quick kiss and a “Of course, yes” eased my mind.”

For how non-traditional their wedding was, Phil had always loved the look of a classic tux for himself and his wedding party. So he picked out a black tux from MB Apparel and paired it with black RM William’s boots. “I am no man of fashion, so creating the tuxes was stressful for me. Thankfully, the guys at MB Apparel were amazing and helped me through each step and stage. We wanted to keep all the suits as similar as possible, with the only difference was my silk lapel to have a subtle distinction. I also had our wedding date embroidered on the inside pocket.”

Ash wore this bold and beautiful Madison James gown with its full A-line skirt and fitted bodice. “I had quite the dramatic train, especially with the veil. Truly, it was not what I originally had in mind, and I can’t say I had a ‘that’s the one moment’, but I loved how beautiful the dress was and how it felt. The added bonus of pockets was a must. My experience with Newcastle Bridal House was incredible. I was quite freshly post-partum – so emotions were high, and my relationship with my newly changed body was strained, which meant I was not in a place where I wanted to try on dresses. I was given so much help and support from the staff and having my friends around me that the uneasiness was removed, and it became more about the joy of creating something fun to fit our whole wedding vibe.”

Before the official ceremony, the couple had their first look with their daughter, taking a quiet moment for just them. “Our first look was the best thing: Phil and I got a moment to be with each other and have a breather.”

We have to talk about these incredible colourful flowers! The bold collection of oranges, pinks and yellows popped so beautifully against the neutral tones of the wedding. “My flowers were incredible; however, I cannot take credit for choosing a single flower; that was all Sophia Wilde. All I did was say that I wanted big, colourful and unstructured. Sophia was given carte blanche on what was included on the day, she did not disappoint. The photos do more justice than what I could even describe.”

Within their wedding party, Ash had her Maid of Honour, Jake, and her bridesmaids, Rebecca, Jessica and Emma. The bridesmaids wore an ivory Nicoletta Evening dress, while the MOH styled himself to match the ivory dresses.

Phil had Billy as his Best Man and Tony, Kent and Trev as his groomsmen. They each wore a matching tux from MB Apparel.

They had the wedding party photos before the ceremony so Phil and Ash could spend as much time as possible enjoying the canapés with their guests after. “One of the best shots was before the ceremony, at the wedding party shoot – we are all on the steps just posing in all different ways and we were having so much fun doing it.”

This gorgeous arbour was made by Tony, one of the groomsmen, with sheer curtains so they wouldn’t have to walk as long down the aisle. “He is such a beautiful man, and I’m grateful to him.”

Their venue was Circa 1876, a no-brainer as Phil and Ash had worked there together after they’d started dating, and both fell in love with everything about it. “We loved the venue, the staff, the food and how comfortable the guests were made to feel. We knew how they operated, and we knew that was what we wanted for ourselves. The exposed timber framing and large fireplace makes for a beautiful room and the incredible staff that just made the whole night magical. It left like coming home.”

As Ash and her father walked down the aisle, her sister sang an acoustic version of “Simply The Best” by Tina Turner.

Their ceremony was full of tears of laughter, with sprinkles of ‘aww’ along the way. Ash and Phil wanted to keep things simple but very honest, and their celebrant Monty Haron did the perfect job – and spared no detail! “As I mentioned before, we wanted to make the event fun, and he absolutely delivered a cracker of a ceremony. There were whips, there were budgies, and there was a mention of a car accident; it was all happening. It had the serious moments with a touch of silliness that is very much our style as a couple.”

When looking at their wedding shots, Ash can not only recall exactly how she was feeling in each and every moment, but they also make her think of their photographer, Deanne from Little Black Bow. “She is an incredible photographer who is such a fun, vivacious presence and she worked beautifully with the other vendors on the day. It was the dream team,” she gushed. “Phil and I booked with Dea about two-ish years before our wedding because we love her work. We said we wanted bold and colourful, and she delivered more than we could have ever expected.”

Since they hand-picked each and every vendor meticulously, there wasn’t a single vendor that disappointed Ash and Phil. “Our photographer, Dea (Little Black Bow) and videographer, Toby (Stripy Shirt) immediately made us all feel so at ease. Our florist Sophie (sophiawilde) created the most phenomenal arrangements. Kat (Wonderland Kitchen) creating our delicious cake and cupcakes, and Court (Heycookieparty) customising personalised cookies. Monty (holymatrimonty) creating the best ceremony that entertained all, and Bryce (hutchmusic) letting me take creative control with having my sister sing and not only learnt the song i wanted but allowed my sister to rehearse and sing with him. Ryan (Mane Events) delivering the best music that kept the dance floor full and feet moving. Plus all the other vendors that contributed in helping us put together our day. We are so grateful.”

Later in the night, they had 100 cheeseburgers delivered to the venue for guests to enjoy! “It was the best idea ever!”

The top five things that made Ash and Phil’s colourful wedding day so special included:

“1. Our daughter being there with us

2. My sister sang me down the aisle, and our first dance

3. Circa 1876, it felt like going home

4. THE FLOWERS, my goodness the flowers

5. A private dance before the sparkler exit.”

Their first dance was to Blink 182’s “First Date”, sung live by Ash’s sister and guitar played by her father. “Phil and I are Blink fans, and when we heard this, we were so excited to have this as our song, which transitioned into “Shut up and Dance” by Walk the Moon to kick off the dance floor.”

Congratulations, Ash and Phil! Your bold, colourful wedding was a pleasure to view – and we’re sure it was even better to experience. And thanks to Little Black Bow for sharing it with us.