Joy-Filled Spring Wedding in Fremantle

Annette and Sean’s story begins on a dance floor, and in many ways, it never really leaves. Movement and music thread every piece of their wedding day together. It’s a celebration that feels fatefully aligned with our Mindful Issue: thoughtful in its choices, relaxed in its rhythm, and centred around connection. Through the lens of Kitty Loves Love, every laugh and quiet glance is captured in a way that lets you feel right there with them. Let’s get into the details!

On the first day of Waverock Weekender in 2016, Annette and Sean met on the dance floor, under the stars. “We were dancing to Odette Mercy and her Soul Atomics. Although Sean will tell you I had caught his eye earlier that afternoon around the campfire,” Annette shared.

When it was time for that next step in their relationship, Sean went all out. Planning a day trip to Rottnest Island, complete with a picnic full of Annette’s favourite bits and pieces. “We drank Long Island iced teas at Pinky’s before finding a quiet spot at Fayes Bay up high for our picnic, where Sean waited until there was no one around before popping the question. It was all very thoughtful and sweet and very true to Sean’s thoughtful and loving nature. We had the best day, and I had no idea he was planning to propose!”

Annette wanted something fun and non-traditional for her outfit. She had previously hired a dress from Eliya The Label for her 40th and knew she loved their vibe, so she found a boutique in South Perth that stocked them. “I wanted to try it on, and I loved it straight away. It fit the fun brief I was looking for.” She finished out her look with these incredible pink, blue and silver platform heels from Kurt Geiger that we’re obsessed with!

Sean bought his suit from Politix simply because it looked so good on him! He finished off his look with a matching pair of blue suede shoes.

Kitty Loves Love was the perfect choice to capture this first look and wedding celebration! “She’s the best!!!! She captured the love, colour and joy brilliantly. Her personality is perfectly suited to ours as well; she was the perfect choice for us. We love her,” Annette gushed.

“We had our first look followed by family photos and then we arrived at the ceremony together with our Dachshund Diddy to Mark Turner on his Saxophone and Groove Armada Super Stylin blasting from a speaker. We had a drink with all our guests before we started the ceremony. It was perfect!”

Not wanting a ceremony on the beach, Annette scoped out the perfect spot nearby in Jabe Dodd Park. With the chill outdoor vibe and under the big Moreron Bay fig tree, it was just private enough.

Their brief for florals? Fun and Bright! “I showed Floral Army the colours I liked and let them do the rest, and they absolutely nailed it! For the brief I gave them and what I thought was a minimalist order, they absolutely blew me away. The flowers were gorgeous!

Sean and Annette entered the ceremony together, dancing down to their guests as their musician, Mark Turner, performed John Butler’s “Tahitian Blue” on his saxophone.

Their ultimate goal for the ceremony was to make it fun – and they did just that with the help of their celebrant Dilhari! “It was epic! Dilhari from Kiss Me You Fool is one of my best friends and the very best celebrant. She has so much heart, speaks so well and honours your relationship and your marriage in a really special way.”

Annette surprised Sean with a ring box that had a grey and white cat on top to include their cat Wilson in the celebrations! And these shots of him noticing the detail are some of Annette’s favourites.

They finished out their ceremony with a pair of limoncello shots as a nod to Annette’s Italian heritage.

While they didn’t have a first dance planned, Annette and Sean did technically have two dances together: both at the ceremony and both unplanned. “The first one was after we arrived at the ceremony. Once we reached all our guests, who had formed a kind of semi-circle around us, we had a bit of a spin,” she explained.

“The second was at the very end of the ceremony, once we walked back down the aisle, Mark Turner was performing The Pogues’ “Love You Till The End”, and we ended up having a little dance at the end of the aisle. This is one of our favourite moments.”

As far as Annette can remember, her mum has been a wedding cake maker. And although she’s since hung up that apron professionally, she still made this stunning cake for the couple! “We had the cake at the end of the ceremony. I loved doing it here; it felt like much more of a feature of our day rather than it being lost amongst the reception,” Annette shared.

When asked about her favourite shot, she had this to say, “That’s a tough one. At the end of the ceremony, when we are walking back down the aisle, and we turn and smile at each other, that’s definitely up there. When we are walking down the stairs together to start the ceremony. There’s a great one where we are cutting the cake too. I love the ones where I am so chuffed about surprising Sean with the cat ring box too – just having a laugh. The black and white ones are cool, too – the one where we are walking to see our family for photos is very cool.”

Sean fell in love with the Coast Port Beach reception room instantly, and since they wanted to show off the beautiful coastline to their guests travelling from Ireland and Perth, it was the perfect spot! “It is a beautiful venue that needs little to no DIY.”

The top five things that made this wedding all the more special for Sean and Annette included:

“1. Our family and friends

2. Everyone who travelled and made it an almost 2-week celebration

3. The energy and the vibe, it was so joyous, and the love that came from everyone was just so special

4. The music, Mark Turner, was one of the first vendors we booked, and he just nailed it

5. Having our dog Diddy at the ceremony and little nods to our cat Wilson, too.”

The ring box wasn’t the only feline surprise Annette had for Sean – at the reception she organised for her friend Jasmine to come out dressed in a giant cat suit! “Again for a laugh and because it is a big inside joke at home how much our cat and Sean are best friends!”

As a last note, Annette had this piece of advice to share: “Make decisions together and plan a day that is a reflection of the two of you, the love you share and the life you live together.”