New South Wales Party Wedding
This wedding from Lara Hotz Photography may not be busting at the seams with details or a large guest list, but it’s still topped the list of one of my favorite weddings from this year. Perhaps it’s the eclectic choice in reception venue – the newlyweds took their party to a private Elvis Presley themed room of Surry Hill’s The Winery. Whatever it is, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll fall in love with it too!
From the bride, Michelle: When we started planning our wedding we both had no idea what to do. The basic vision was the best party ever and everything feel into place around that. We just wanted our close friends in a good environment where everyone could let loose and have fun. We also didn’t want to spend a fortune so that encouraged us to think outside the box and not do things super traditional. The planning process was a chaotic journey filled with a lot of snap decisions that we’re thankful worked out in the end. We’re both terrible planners, who had no clue. We kept it simple and made quick decisions based on how we felt. If we liked it and both felt good about it then we went with it. We also tried to get friends involved as much as possible because they know what you like and they understand what you’re trying to say when you ramble random wedding gibberish at them. They’re also great at telling you when you’ve lost the plot.
The wedding day was a giant blur of amazing moments. It went so fast and was a lot of fun. The one thing that really struck me about the day was how much we all laughed and joked around. Everyone was just having fun and hanging out. We had morning tea at our place before the ceremony so everyone could get ready together and relax before the chaos began. My best friend made scones and homemade raspberry jam which was out of this world. We ended up falling behind schedule to leave for the ceremony so everyone was scoffing cake and scones while they tried to get dressed. We also realised we had no confetti so we madly pulled the petals off bouquets we’d received from friends and family in the lead up to the wedding. Everyone was running around like crazy getting ready, destroying flowers and stuffing their face. It made everything hilarious and all the laughing really banished any nerves or stress. The rest of the day was spent in random locations around the inner city taking photos as we went along. It was nice to be spontaneous and go where inspiration struck on the day. We’re very thankful to our wonderful driver and photographer for stopping anywhere along the way and turning that into an amazing moment. The wedding day was us to a T, a disorganised chaos that came together at the last moment to be an amazing experience.
Any advice for other couples planning their weddings now? Make gut decisions and go with what you want. Listen to other peoples advice but keep the day true to you. It’s your day so when you’re planning be true to your vision to make it a day you’ll love. Get a good photographer that matches your style. Pick a photographer because they capture photos that amaze and inspire you not because they’re cheap! At the end of the day the photos are all you really have left and a great photographer makes the whole day so much easier. Relax! It’s one day. If something goes wrong or doesn’t work out it’s not the end of the world. Just take a breath and laugh about it. You’ll feel a lot better if you just roll with it. Don’t waste your day stressing because it will be over before you know it. Have fun! P.S Don’t decide to get your dress made from scratch when your heart is set on a fabric you saw two years ago that you now can’t find anywhere. It’s a headache worth avoiding unless you have divine sight and know beforehand that you will chance upon the exact fabric on Etsy!
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Music:
We didn’t have set songs for certain moments just a big party playlist and that suited the kind of wedding we wanted. Luke and I have very different taste in music so we had some friends help us to make a giant playlist full of all our favourites. We had a little bit of everything… Default – Django Django, Elephant – Tame Impala, Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield, Love is a Battlefield – Pat Benatar, Future Starts Slow – The Kills, I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston, Down in Mexico – The Coasters, Kickstart my Heart – Motley Crue and a smattering of Elvis since we were in the Gracelands Room at The Winery.
We didn’t have a first dance at the reception because Luke hates being the centre of attention. Instead we waited till the end of the night till it was just us in our living room with “I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springfield.
Wedding Location: New South Wales, Australia / Photographer: Lara Hotz Photography / Florist: Sami Sweeting / Venue: Gracelands Private Dining Room, The Winery / Wedding Dress Designer: Sandie Bizy / Wedding Shoes: Topshop / Jewellery and Accessories: vintage clutch, necklace borrowed from a friend, antique sapphire ring from my sister for something blue / Groom’s Attire: Montagio Custom Tailoring Sydney / Wedding Rings: Victoria & Albert Antiques / Celebrant: NSW Registry / Entertainment: spotify and an iPod / Wedding Invitations: Georgia Hill / Car Hire: Kombi Style
Such a cute idea. And I just love her bouquet!
This is the kind of wedding I would love to have! Gorgeous!