Tom and Olivia

Mutual friends introduced Tom and I in 2006, and after four years together, we knew it was forever. After a lunch in the city one Saturday, Tom surprised me with a trip to the jeweler. We got engaged on the 13th of November, 2010, and set our wedding date for a little over a year later.

We discussed, at length, the best venue for the wedding, and after spending Christmas in my hometown, Albany, in the south of the WA, we decided we couldn’t go past its picturesque beauty. Our reception venue, Carlyles, perched on the side of Mount Clarence, offered 180 degree views of this historic town, and offered us the relaxed, intimate setting we longed for.

Living in Perth, the prospect of organizing a wedding in a town some 400kms away was fairly daunting, and ripe with logistical challenges. Added to this was the sporadic presence of my husband-to-be, as he had just started to work in the Pilbara. At times I felt a little overwhelmed, but on reflection, I actually couldn’t have asked for the process to be any more straight-forward – I found the vendors I used in both Perth and Albany to be consummate professionals, and they made the planning of our wedding not only easy, but enjoyable. I am also lucky enough to be surrounded by enthusiastic, caring and reliable friends and family, and a husband who trusts my judgment and taste implicitly!

I knew from the outset that I wanted a soft, romantic, vintage-inspired feel for our wedding day. I also knew that I wanted Leanne from Catwalk Bridal to make both my wedding dress and my bridesmaid’s dresses. She had made dresses for a number of my friends (as well as a bridesmaid dress for me), so not only was it a bit of a tradition to go with her, I knew her work was beautiful. I found the design I wanted and she found me a stunning French corded lace. I knew I had definitely made the right decision when one of my bridesmaid’s announced she was pregnant and would be 8 months along at the time of the wedding, and Lee incorporated modifications into the design of her dress, completely unfazed.

My three bridesmaids, my sister Laura, and my two friends, Brooke and Kelly, and I, got ready on the morning of the wedding at my parent’s home, surrounded by my loved ones and all the symbols of childhood; my mother’s quilts, our golden retriever, Chloe, and black and white photos of family weddings of the past. My bridesmaid, Kelly, my personal hairdresser for 10 years or more, graciously offered to style our hair for the day. Samatha Pitman, a local make-up artist, completed our look, with clear eyes and my signature red lipstick (I wear it everyday!). I had hunted high and low for a pair of beautiful shoes, and eventually found the appropriately named “Sweet Dreams, Baby” flats by Alannah Hill.

Our bouquets were styled by Hothouse Flowers, as were our table settings at the ceremony. We went for roses, carnations, hydrangeas and lisianthus in shades of pink, mauve, apricot, white and cream.

We travelled to the ceremony in a pair of vinatage 1950s Jaguars supplied by Albany Wedding Cars. Tom was standing in the garden with his groomsmen (twin brother, Michael, and childhood friends, Chris and Matt), beaming with pride and happiness and everything felt so right. I walked down the aisle with my father, Russell, to the song “Here, There and Everywhere”, by The Beatles. My gorgeous niece, Ebony, was our flowergirl. Our ceremony was short and sweet, and included a reading of the poem “The Confirmation” by Edwin Muir. Music was an important part of our ceremony – “Whole Wild World” by Wreckless Eric and then “I Believe When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever” by Stevie Wonder played while we signed the register.

Photographers Ellen Clements and Madeleine Hurley, and friends, Zara Mizen, Chris Darmody and Kelly Fels

Ms Gingham says: What a gorgeous combination of flowers. I love lisianthus, roses and hydrangeas!

Olivia says: “Hi! I am a 29 year old high school English teacher from Perth, Western Australia. I love everything pretty and vintage. I got married to my husband, Tom, on November 26, 2011.”