Daisy & Gabriel

In the middle of Perth, sits a secret little garden that is just pure magic. Discoverers, Daisy and Gabriel knew this sweet spot would make for the most beautiful wedding venue – draping sparkling lights and filling it with beautiful flowers and their favourite people for the most gorgeous Perth outdoor garden wedding, captured in all of its stunning glory by Merge Photography.

The couple, who although they went to the same primary school, didn’t actually meet until they both moved to Sydney separately 15 years later, and congregated at a mutual friend’s home for a celebration.

Daisy kicks it all off with the story of how Gabriel made things official. “Gabe proposed on a normal ‘Sunday’. We had a gorgeous lunch at the Boathouse in Palm Beach and then walked up to the Lighthouse. Gabe proposed about halfway up the hill and I had so much adrenaline that I almost sprinted up the rest of the hill.”

A grand college set the scene for the day, the couple marrying in the college chapel against the stunning stained glass window, before adjourning to the courtyard garden for the reception. Daisy tells “It sounds cliche but we wanted something different and definitely wanted to stay away from a wedding at a ‘venue’.

We wanted it to be outside and it to feel like it was in a secret garden. Perth’s weather is pretty reliable and it is pretty safe to plan an outside wedding in summer.

We were also very keen to make the logistics for our guests as easy and simple as possible so being able to have the ceremony and reception at the same place was very appealing to us.

The college has an amazing Gothic style chapel so we got married in that and the reception followed immediately afterwards on the College’s walled lawn, ‘the quadrangle’.”

The bride was preceded by five gorgeous flower girls. She explains “When I was a kid my only dream was to be a flower girl, I spent hours making myself flower garlands. Sadly, I never got the opportunity! Hence the fact that I had so many flower girls at my own wedding. They were honestly one of the highlights of the wedding! We had five and our littlest flower girl didn’t quite make it down the aisle but she looked absolutely gorgeous.”

Daisy walked down the aisle on the arm of her father to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In love With You”.

Daisy remarks “We were married by two Chaplains that were long-time family friends. That made the ceremony actually! We wanted the ceremony to be inclusive and to involve as many family and friends as possible. Our siblings, cousins and friends were either ushers, did readings or read prayers.

The pews actually faced each other, rather than facing the altar, which guests later said they loved because they could see everyone and wave and smile while they were waiting for the bride.”

Of her favourite part of wedding planning, Daisy remarks “I think it was just seeing things unfold as we imagined during the planning stages. When we first paid the deposit for the venue, then when we sent the final version of the invite off to get printed and got the first RSVP etc. It was fun seeing it all come together.”

Of their photographer, Daisy tells “Jodie was great! Jodie knew what she was doing, was so organised, reassuring and understood what we wanted.”

“Gabe had six groomsmen. Five friends and his brother. I had three bridesmaids – my cousin, my oldest friend and one of my best school friends. I also had my little cousin, who was a ‘baby bridesmaid’ (definitely not a junior bridesmaid – hate that word) she was superb and her big job was looking after the five flower girls we had.”

Daisy worked with designer Nelder Jones to create her modern off-the-shoulder gown, telling “I really wanted to feel comfortable. I had my dress made by Nelder Jones, two great sisters who have been making dresses for years on Oxford Street in Paddington. Their shop was about 250m from my house so it was perfect!

I wanted it to be really simple and they nailed it. I hadn’t seen anything on the racks that I loved, so I showed them a picture of the type of top half I wanted and the style of skirt – they joined the two together.”

Masses of flowers were important to the bride and groom, who remembers  “We wanted flowers everywhere – the more the better! We were happy to get whatever was in season. The Thursday before the wedding was one of the busiest days of our lives. We did all the flowers and worked like Trojans. Gabe and the groomsmen were in backyards cutting down ivy and carting it to the venue. My brothers were in the back of the ute with a chainsaw getting magnolia from another friend’s tree. Bridesmaids were scaling fences to get greenery and out the back of Perth at a hydrangea farm buying up all the seconds. And, my aunt and uncle carted amazing hydrangea from their farm in the south-west.

A family friend who is a florist did our bouquets and two phenomenal arrangements in the chapel. She was also kind enough to do all the ordering at the markets and supplied a lot of the vases etc too.”

Guests celebrated in the courtyard with a garden reception, with plenty of food at the bride’s request. Daisy explains “Our caterer Gary Rishworth (Rishworths Catering) was worth his weight in gold. Everybody raved about the food throughout the night and afterwards. He met us at the venue on four separate occasions to ensure we were all on the same page.

As we were having a cocktail reception we were anxious to ensure guests were not struggling to get food and left hungry (my greatest fear!). Gary’s staff were faultless, as was his food. At the end of the night when I spotted a platter of sliders sitting on the bar I knew that was a good sign – the fact that they were there meant everybody was full and not on the hunt for food!”

“Our MC and speakers put so much effort into what they said and the stories they included. We were so grateful for their efforts and the amount of time they must have put into writing them.”

The newlyweds chose an old favourite for their first dance. “The first dance could have been a little better rehearsed but we jumped on the dance floor having not practised once and danced to Hunters and Collectors, Throw Your Arms Around Me” remembers Daisy.

Like almost every other detail of the wedding, dessert was a family and friends affair, with ten guests contributing their favourite sweet treats for an amazing table of delicious.

A big congratulations to you both Daisy and Gabriel! Thank you for sharing your special day with us! Thank you also to Merge Photography for sharing today’s celebration!