If there’s one thing we love to see, especially during the Mindful Issue, it’s couples planning their days exactly how they want. For Alex and Chris, that was a micro wedding in the Rocks, complete with pops of red against the winter backdrop. With Gillian Keough Photography behind the lens, it was breathtaking!

While Alex and Chris technically knew each other from work, neither was interested until they connected at a mutual friend’s birthday party and realised they had that spark.

While Alex’s family were in Sydney for the weekend, Chris utilised their help to set up a surprise proposal by the beach! “He had set up a picnic at Balmoral Beach Headland and told us we were going for a nice walk on the beach with our dog Rigby. I was suspicious as he told me to look nice, but it was a nice surprise to see the picnic!”

Since their micro wedding was in winter, Alex wanted to contrast the grey weather with a vibrant pop of red. Paired with her beautiful champagne dress from Shona Joy, she picked out red heels from Zara and held a bouquet of red roses. “I wore my mum’s earrings from her wedding, which made it all! I love the pop of colour in photos, but I am not a bright colour person, so this was perfect. It felt timeless to me,” she shared.

“The red roses were an easy pick as I wanted them to match the exact colour of my shoes. These ended up matching the red hidden around in the rocks.”

Chris opted to wear his MJ Bale tuxedo with a suit to match the classic style Alex had gone with. “This tux was also very classic and suited our red theme!”

Their entire micro wedding took place at Harbourview Hotel in The Rocks. “We wanted to keep the dinner party relaxed and intimate, and we love the photo location by the water,” Alex explained.

Gillian Keough Photography captured the brightness of the celebration (despite the gloomy weather) alongside Alex and Chris. “Gillian is the most professional photographer and makes you feel so comfortable. She guided us through every photo and really captured exactly what we wanted on the day. There are so many fun photos. We absolutely loved the whole experience,” Alex gushed.

Since it was a small ceremony, Alex and Chris walked into the space together. “Our friend married us and welcomed us both into the room. Everyone made a tunnel for us and we danced into the wedding,” she explained.

“We wanted a casual ceremony as we are not very serious people. It was very comfortable and we had some really nice moments to share with our loved ones.”

If there was one piece of advice Alex would share with couples debating a smaller wedding, it would be to do it! “We would absolutely say that a small, intimate wedding was just so magical and did not feel rushed. We always recommend this now to our friends!”

Every shot Gillian captured is one that Alex and Chris will treasure; the moments at the dinner party hold a special place in their hearts. “The photos were so fun for us both, and having Gillian guide us was so easy. We loved the dinner party and how intimate it was. We would definitely recommend this for anyone considering a small wedding,” Alex explained.

“I also remember how nice it felt to be surrounded by family on that special day. It was so nice to have something slow-paced and we got a chance to speak to everyone at dinner,” Chris added.

Their first dance was to Leon Bridges “Beyond”, surrounded by their loved ones. “It was an intimate circle and then everyone joined in.”

A huge thanks to Gillian Keough Photography for sharing these incredible moments with us. And congratulations to Alex and Chris on this heartwarming celebration!