Step into the timeless love story of Prue and Tim, a couple whose connection began amidst the popcorn-scented halls of a cinema and blossomed into a life filled with shared adventures and beautiful memories. Their retro-inspired wedding at Carclew House in North Adelaide was a celebration of love, family, and vintage charm, with every detail reflecting the unique bond they share. From Prue’s elegant, high-necked gown to Tim’s dashing green velvet jacket, this wedding exuded nostalgic glamour. Captured beautifully by the talented Dani Bartlett, the day was filled with warmth, colour, and heartfelt moments that made it unforgettable.

Prue and Tim met in 2007 when Prue started working at Greater Union Arndale Cinemas. “My brother worked there before me (his name is also Tim, so I refer to him as Brother Tim), and he was friends with Tim before I met him,” Shared Prue. “My first thought of Tim was everything about him was weird, but in the most wonderful way. I found him very interesting, attractive, and intriguing. I could not get enough of him and would count down the days until I got to see him again. I was very happy when he messaged me on MySpace, suggesting that I invite everyone from work to my 18th birthday party. He asked me out not long after, and we have been together ever since!”

Flash forward 15 years, and the last thing on Prue’s mind was a proposal as she and Tim were trying to start their own family. “Tim told me to dress up and that he was taking me out for my birthday. He had printed off scavenger hunt-like cards with directions, instructions, and vouchers. We headed to the city, starting at Electra House for a drink and then walking to Sofitel (which was extremely fancy for us). I was so excited to get my next clue after our cheese platter and wine at the Sofitel that we eagerly thanked the staff and walked out, only to be chased by staff as we had not paid! At one point, I did think this was quite special; I wonder if he might propose. But after dinner at the Hilton, we went home in a taxi. We let the dogs out and gave them some love, and as I got in my PJs and went to bed, Tim gave me one last voucher that said “1 x Bottle of Champagne”. Underneath the voucher, he was holding an engagement ring. It felt so right doing it at home. I called my parents immediately to tell them the news!”

Tim knew he wanted to wear a pop of colour and found this beautiful green velvet jacket from Politix that was the perfect fit! “To top it off, he had the most epic black velvet bow tie. Lots of people commented about how good he looked! And how good the velvet jacket felt to the touch! He was such a handsome groom.”

To go with the retro-inspired theme, Prue wore this gorgeous Tania Olsen gown with its beautiful high neckline and long sleeves. “After trying on five or so wedding dresses in the style I thought I wanted, I saw this one hanging up in the changing room next to me after someone else had tried it on. I said why not? Put it on and had “the feeling” – I teared up! I knew it was the one. It was long-sleeved, had a high boat neck, buttons down the back, an amazing train, and had a beautiful embossed rose pattern all over, which reminded me of Tim’s mum, who loved roses. It was new but looked vintage. I felt elegant, and most importantly, it was comfortable!”

The gorgeous, vibrant bouquet and buttonholes were from Tynte Flowers. They also grabbed ‘pick me up’ flowers in little brown vases from The Flower Hutt to scatter across the reception space.

One of Prue’s favourite details of the day was how much time she and Tim spent together, from spending the night before with their daughter to waking up and sharing breakfast. The only time they were separated was when they quickly got ready! “I think the only time I was nervous was when I was getting ready (and walking down the aisle…!) But as soon as he turned around and I approached him for our First Look, the nerves went away, and I was just so happy. Screw all the traditions, do what you want! The day is about you and your partner getting married, nothing else. And it goes so fast. I am so glad we spent so many magical moments together!”

Throwing tradition out the window was a common theme for the day, so it was no surprise to guests that Prue and Tim didn’t have a formal wedding party. They did however get to have their beautiful daughter Frankie involved on the day! “She wore the cutest white, lace dress from Next, and then later changed into a cute blue dress with red love hearts on it from Jack & Milly.”

Both the reception and ceremony were held at Carclew House in North Adelaide, which is close to home for many guests. “The grounds of Carclew are stunning, and we made it our own, hiring a marquee and all the furniture and lighting from Olympic Party Hire. It was a lot of effort and set up, but it was so worth it to truly reflect us and the type of wedding we wanted,” Prue explained. “There was lots of space for everyone to spread out, and if we needed to, we had access to inside Carclew House, but we were so lucky with the weather; it was perfect. We didn’t even need to leave the grounds for photos, everything we needed was there, which meant more time to be with our family and friends.”

Prue walked down the aisle (although she says most guests would tell you she ran!) with her father on her arm. She walked to “Looking At Me Like That” by Vance Joy. “The lyrics were just perfect for the moment.”

With so many incredible photos from their vibrant wedding, it was hard for Prue to narrow down her absolute favourite. But this moment during the ceremony where Prue and Tim are standing in front of their backdrop smiling from ear to ear about to get married has to be her standout!

Their ceremony was led by their incredible celebrant, Loved Up Weddings with Courtney! Backdropped by this retro-inspired backdrop they found on Facebook Marketplace, it was exactly what they dreamed of. Guests sat on mismatched chairs as they listened to Courtney share Prue and Tim’s love story. “We had songs by Vance Joy and the Beach Boys as we did our signing, and then Tim’s brother, Toby, sang us back down the aisle to Two of Us by The Beatles. Toby then sang and played guitar to a few of our favourite songs as we hugged our guests, and they headed straight to the bar to get the party started!”

Their retro-inspired wedding was unfortunately on the same weekend as the AFL Gather Round, and their venue was close to Adelaide Oval. While this would usually spell out bad news, it became a nice ceremony moment! “I nearly considered changing the date even though we had booked so many vendors already. However, when it came to our day, it didn’t matter at all! In fact, as soon as we were announced husband and wife, you could hear the siren go off and hear a huge cheer from the footy crowd – it was hilarious! All our guests laughed and cheered with us.”

The talented Dani Bartlett was the photographer for Tim and Prue’s wedding, with her signature vibrant, warm style catching their eye. “I found her on Instagram looking for Adelaide wedding photographers. A lot of photos seemed so moody and dark, which was not the vibe we were going for at all. Dani’s photos were all so bright! You could feel the warmth and happiness oozing from each photo, which was exactly what we wanted. I loved the colour and how her photos made me feel. So we contacted her and booked her! On the day, she was great. So relaxed which made us feel relaxed, lots of laughs, she gave great direction without forcing us into unnatural positions. The saddest part of the day was when she left! After spending our whole wedding day with her, it felt like a friend leaving! Dani has since moved to Melbourne, so everyone in Melbourne – BOOK HER!”

Many elements of this retro-inspired wedding were DIY’d! Lots of Marketplace scouring, Savers patrolling, and creative juices flowing. They set up a display with thrifted photo frames that they filled with a photo from each of the past 16 years they’ve spent together, stubby holders with their dogs featured, and so much more!

One of the biggest heirlooms included in their day was Prue’s wedding ring – which belonged to her Grandma! The beautiful gold band matched perfectly with her engagement ring, and when her mum asked if she wanted the ring as her wedding band, it was the easiest yes she’d ever said.

Prue and Tim were super lucky when picking their vendor dream team – as they loved every single one of them! “I was so impressed with all our vendors. Everyone was so easy to talk to and communicate with. It helped me when I didn’t even know what I wanted, but somehow they knew…trust your vendors, they know their stuff!”

“Standouts include our amazing celebrant, Courtney. After booking the venue, the celebrant was the most important thing for me, so we booked her early. We had so many guests ask us after the ceremony if she was a friend of ours, that’s how good she is!

Dani Bartlett Photography captured our day perfectly, and we are obsessed with all the photos she got for us.

Music was very important to us, and we really wanted a vinyl record DJ, as we collect and play lots of vinyl records at home. Subliminal Vinyl (Chis O’Grady) came recommended to us on the Adelaide Weddings Chit Chat Facebook page. We got in touch with him, and he was perfect. Had all the artists we love on vinyl and was so easy to communicate with. The music reflected us, and people were still on the dance floor.

Lew and his team from Adelaide Wood-fired Pizza were also legends. Replied to every email almost instantly, kept cooking pizzas until guests were full, and left us boxes of pizza to take home. And the pizzas were YUM!”

They set up a “Generations of Love” table to showcase photos of their parents and grandparents on their own wedding days. As well as hiring an audio guest book! “I highly recommend it! The messages we got were both hilarious and heartwarming.”

The pair broke many wedding traditions in their celebrations – having no wedding party, seeing each other before the ceremony, no bouquet toss etc. So, instead of tossing her bouquet, Prue gifted her flowers to her mum during her thank you speech!

Their first dance was to Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend”. “We both love Queen, and the lyrics were so fitting, especially “I’ve been with you such a long time,” as we have been together 16 years now! We didn’t rehearse any dance moves; we just talked, swayed, a few dips, a few kisses, and then everyone joined us on the dance floor.”

Being able to include their one-year-old daughter on their special day is something Prue and Tim couldn’t have been more grateful for. “We had a porta cot set up inside the Boardroom, and around 7:30pm, we were putting her into her PJs and sleep-suit and putting her to bed. A quiet, special moment at our wedding! The little champ slept through, with various guests dancing with the baby monitor!”

The top five things that made their day uniquely special included:

“1. The day was about us, and we made sure to have lots of time together,

2. Our daughter was involved in our special day,

3. Even though guests probably don’t listen that closely to songs, the music we selected was important to us,

4. The date – it was Tim’s mum’s birthday,

5. Walking through North Adelaide after midnight, all dressed up, hand in hand, with our vintage suitcase full of wedding cards.”

Please join us in congratulating Prue and Tim on their incredible, retro-inspired wedding! Thanks to Dani Bartlett for capturing and sharing these beautiful photos.