Picture this: a sun-dappled garden, golden-hued bridesmaid dresses, and a dungeon after-party to top it all off. Tara and Mitch’s fairy garden party wedding at The Fitzroy Inn was as unique as their love story, filled with laughter, sentimental details, and an explosion of colourful florals. And with friendship bracelets, a homemade wedding cake, and Charlotte Fraser capturing every moment, this was a celebration to remember!

The moment Mitch was crowned Mr Oktoberfest, he had no idea how much his life was about to change! “We started talking after he was chosen as Mr Oktoberfest, but we were both in our own situationships. Slowly we started becoming friends, and three months later after some serious hinting from Tara about her feelings, we finally started dating.”

After they had enjoyed a Michelin star dinner on the Isle of Skye, Mitch insisted that they drive to the edge of the island to watch the sunset – not at all deterred by the fact the sun was already setting and the sky overcast with rain. “Tara flew around the streets of the picturesque Scottish Island, where we finally parked and were able to catch the last purple and orange haze of the setting sun, and Mitch got down on one knee.”

Mitch wore a gorgeous emerald green suit from Institchu paired with his RM Williams boots. “I always wanted to take a risk with a unique suit colour, and I loved it. Earthy tones suit my skin tone, and it worked out really well.” His wedding party consisted of his brothers, who were wearing dapper grey suits from David Jones.

Tara’s wedding party included her childhood friends, each wearing a stunning Billy J gown in lemon butter yellow – perfect for this fairy garden party wedding!

To truly appreciate Tara’s incredible look, we must look at three main components – the first being her pearl necklace, gifted to her by her mum’s mother and used as the basis of her dress-shopping experience! The second is her classic gown from Brides of Beecroft, with a cowl neckline, dreamy skirt and thigh split. And last but definitely not least, this whimsical embroidered veil from La Voile Rose! “I think my whole life, I knew I wanted to incorporate flowers into my outfit, and when I was younger, that was a flower crown (how millennial of me). When trying on dresses, I kept getting drawn to the floral one but felt it didn’t fit. It wasn’t until the stylist placed a floral veil on me with my dress that I knew it was the one, and the tears started to flow. I actually purchased the veil off Etsy, and it brought my personality into the whole outfit,” she shared.

Speaking of vibrant florals, Celine from Caloonaa Floristry is the magician behind all of the flowers you’ll find throughout this fairy garden party wedding! “I am a firm believer in bringing the colour to floristry for weddings, and Celine did this tenfold. I knew I wanted the flowers to surround Mitch and me, but my budget didn’t allow for too much extravagance. Celine listened to my budget and internal monologue of what I envisioned, exceeding all expectations. It felt like being married in a fairy garden, and I am forever in awe of the moment.”

When Mitch and Tara were looking for their dream wedding venue, they had three things on their must-haves list: an outdoor ceremony space, an all-in-one venue where guests didn’t have to travel between the ceremony and reception, and on-site accommodation. They found all of this and more at The Fitzroy Inn! “Mitch was the one that we insisted we visit at the venue. The Fitzroy Inn was stunning on the day that we saw it, even at the end of winter. The history that was steeped in the building and the luscious gardens were incredibly appealing. The dungeon after party was an incredible bonus we had never considered,” they shared. “We knew it was the one when a song came on over the radio as we were talking with the owners, and it was a song Mitch associated with a deceased friend. He said it felt like she watching down on us.”

Mitch walked down the aisle with his mum, as “Better Man” by Paolo Nutini. “Seeing as Mitch only has brothers, he thought it would be nice if he walked down the aisle with his mum to make the experience special for her.”

Tara followed soon after with her dad on her arm to “How Long Will I Long You” by Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney and Ben Coleman.

For Mitch, the anticipation of the ceremony is the most memorable part of the day. “I remember the day dragging out as the girls were getting their hair and make-up done, but I wasn’t allowed to go to certain areas of the property. I was clock watching until 12:30 pm when our vendors arrived, then the day flew by. My favourite moments from there were:

  • Walking with my mother down the aisle and seeing most of our guests for the first time
  • The blur of Tara’s white dress in the distance and the immediate emotion that came over me just before the bridesmaids were about to walk down.
  • To marrying my best friend with special vows and it being the most perfect day.”

On the legal side of the ceremony, Mitch and Tara brought in a celebrant, and then had their friend run the rest of the ceremony. “Having her made the experience much more intimate and special as she had seen our relationship grow and blossom. She spoke from the heart about us, and we are forever grateful for her involvement. Mitch and I chose to say our own vows to make it special for us.”

Their favourite photos from the day come directly after the ceremony, with Mitch’s being their dip kiss and the confetti floating in the air. Tara’s favourite includes the shot of her and her Nan (who had just turned 100) embracing!

Charlotte Fraser was the incredible photographer for this fairy garden party wedding, seamlessly fitting into the day. “She was incredibly involved in the planning process up until the day of the wedding. Keeping in constant contact and even going above and beyond to make an aesthetic run sheet off the Excel we had provided,” Tara explained.

“She was the best hype girl you could have on your day and, as evidenced by our sensational photos, is excellent at what she does. She has an eye for capturing the heartfelt moments and kept Mitch and me at ease throughout the whole day. At times, she felt less like someone working the wedding and more like a friend who was taking photos.”

One of their favourite memories from the day was this quiet moment on the grass, where they got to really soak in the day. “Having a moment to ourselves to reflect on what we had just done was a short reprieve that we needed and an exciting moment to look at each other and realise that we were married!”

The top five things that made this garden wedding so unique included:

“1. Being able to stay at the venue meant we felt like we were on a trip with our family and friends to celebrate our love.

2. Sitting down with each other to have a break and reflect on the ceremony we had just done, and have the realisation we were married.

3. Having so many friends and family contribute to key roles in the wedding – celebrant, DJ, MC

4. Using our own personal vows

5. Dungeon After Party.”

To add a touch of Swiftie flair to the reception, Mitch and Tara hand-made friendship bracelets as their wedding favours / name cards! Tara also made this incredible wedding cake, and Mitch got up early in the morning of their wedding to decorate it by hand.

With such an amazing vendor dream team, Mitch and Tara wanted to shout out the three that really made their day. “All of our Vendors were incredible. Celine from Caloonaa Floristry exceeded all my expectations and absolutely blew me away!

Charlotte was like having a best friend at our wedding, making Mitch and me comfortable and at ease.

Tim, our Videographer, was a rock for us with all the planning. When our initial celebrant fell through, he was the one who provided names and contacts. He kept us grounded throughout the whole process, guiding our timelines and providing crucial assistance, from suggestions for photo locations to tips and tricks for writing our own vows.”

Some advice they’d like to leave for future married couples is this: “Book your vendors early, and then just take your time with everything else. The stress of vendor booking is real, but once it’s done, it’s an enjoyable ride. Also, don’t feel like you have to conform to the trend of the moment. Have the wedding that you want to have, and let it be your own fabulous celebration.”

For their first dance, Tara and Mitch chose a stripped-down version of Sara Bareilles’ “I Choose You”. “Tara is often dancing around the apartment, and whenever this song is, she always insists Mitch dance with her. Being able to take something that we do in our everyday life and enhance it has now made our everyday mundane more heartfelt and full of romance.”

To finish off the night on a wholesome note, they also included a father-daughter dance with Tara and her dad. The song they picked out was the song that was on the radio when he was leaving the hospital right after he was born!

Congratulations, Tara and Mitch, on your beautiful garden party wedding! Thanks to Charlotte Fraser Photography for sharing these incredible photos with us.