Luis & Richard

What I love most about Luis and Richard’s wedding is that they knew what they wanted. They cut out what wasn’t working for them in the traditional wedding sphere and did things their way. They got ready together, they ditched the flowers and wedding cake and they walked to their ceremony together.

“Richard and I first met on Twitter back in 2007! We then spent over a year forming a wonderful friendship before officially getting together in early 2009. Although I was oblivious to it, Richard chased me for a year until I realised that I felt the same way about him as he did about me. Towards the end of 2009, I moved to Japan to teach English; something I had planned before we got together. We maintained a long distance relationship which was not always easy, and Richard visited me a few times while I was there. This cemented our relationship, and by getting through those tough months, we knew we could get through anything together! During the first year of our relationship, Richard started sending me text messages every day telling me what “love is”. After a year of daily text messages, he made them into a book for me. Even while I was in Japan, Richard managed to get those messages of love to me every day. They are a wonderful momento of that year of our lives, and something I will always cherish.”

Photographs today are by Kerri Mackintosh who captured the modern influences of the day while capturing the moments that wove their way through the fabric of the day.

Luis remarks, “Richard and I are both very non-traditional. We didn’t think twice about getting ready together on the day, and along with Richard’s 8 year old daughter, and my two oldest friends, we spent the hours before the wedding together at an inner-city boutique hotel. Richard had already seen my dress (he’d helped me try it on a few times), and as there were no bridesmaids or groomsmen, there was no need for us to be apart beforehand. It actually made the day all the more special because we had each other for comfort and support when nerves began to get the better of us.”

Luis and Richard got ready together at The Richardson Hotel, West Perth which also provided a modern backdrop for their pre wedding photographs.

Of their photographer, Luis recalls, “Kerri Mackintosh Photography were both professional and personable; we were all completely relaxed with them around, and the photographs are amazing! We had photos taken while finishing getting ready before heading to Harold Boas Gardens for some gorgeous shots around sunset. We decided to have our family photos taken before the ceremony so we could start our dinner sooner, so we arranged to meet everyone 30 minutes before the ceremony in a street near the venue. Within hours of leaving the reception, a sneak peek of photos were online for us to see while we were still enjoying our dinner. The overall service was brilliant, and we can’t recommend them highly enough.”

The couple held their ceremony and reception at 1907 Restaurant. Luis remembers “Wanting to keep it as simple as possible, we had the ceremony and reception in 1907 restaurant. We’d dined at 1907 several times in the past, and always found the service to be impeccable. The ambience and atmosphere were fitting with our style, and they set up a long table in the middle of the restaurant for our 20 guests. We had the ceremony just after 6pm, and the restaurant ensured there were no other dining guests until almost 7pm to give us that extra bit of privacy for our exchange of vows. We had a five course meal, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Bucking with tradition, we didn’t have a cake. Instead we opted for a choice of exquisite desserts along with a cheese course for those who wanted to indulge. “

The couple were married by Shannon Fleming. Spending the day together also meant that, ” We entered the ceremony together, side by side, just as we saw our relationship; two people joining together as equals. I didn’t walk down an aisle, and I wasn’t ‘given away’ – neither of those things sat right with me, so we didn’t make them part of our wedding. We wanted to make sure Richard’s daughter, Mia, was involved in the wedding as much as possible. So before we exchanged our rings, we gave her a ring to symbolise the special part she plays in making the three of us a family. ”

“We had both written our own vows, but unbeknownst to me, Richard had written me a poem. Ever the romantic, and with such a way for words, there was not a dry eye in the room.”

Guests even joined via Skype! Luis explains, “My best friend, Heather, had flown back to Perth for the wedding, but her husband and daughters couldn’t make the trip. Not wanting them to be left out, they were video-called just before the ceremony began, and watched the ceremony from an iPad. Although it was 5:30am for them, they had dressed up for the occasion – Clay even going to the effort of putting on a suit and tie!”

Luis loved, “Being together for the whole day. Sharing the vows we’d written for each other. An intimate guest list of 20 people, 18 family and two friends. A delicious 5 course meal. Having everything exactly as we wanted.”

Congratulations Luis and Richard on your marriage! Thank you for sharing it with us! Thank you also to Kerri Mackintosh for sharing today’s photographs!