Serena & Taylor

For Serena and Taylor, they wanted a day that focused on the non-traditional. They chose Serena’s gown together, they got ready together, they ditched a wedding party and they invited just a few of their favourite people to celebrate with them as they eloped to Tasmania. The date and location? On the very anniversary and the very place, they had their first date.

This in itself is just the beginning of what is endearing about today’s story, and what we fell in love with. Luckily for us, they invited Agape Media House along to capture every photo to accompany their tale.

Their paths first crossed in Hobart, even though the pair are from completely different cities. Serena explains “Taylor is from Melbourne and I’m from Sydney, but we met in Hobart. We were both doing 3-month internships for the same company but didn’t meet through work – we met in the kitchen of our student accommodation. We talked for 4 hours straight that night and became inseparable ever since.”

The groom popped the question one romantic eve. “After two 12 hour days working away from home, Taylor took me out to dinner in the city” shares the bride. “We had a romantic stroll in the rain before returning home. Suddenly Taylor gets down on one knee and proposes – turns out he picked up the ring from the jeweller that morning and asked my parents for permission over dinner the night before. I had no idea and was completely over the moon. He told me that he thought about proposing during dinner or our walk but decided it was too public. I was so happy that he chose to propose at home!”

After a few disappointing in-store experiences, Serena found her gown online at Esther & Co. She explains “I wore a dress I purchased online through the Iconic. It was sheer luck because I managed to buy the very last item and when it arrived it fit perfectly, no alterations needed. It was probably the 6th wedding dress I’d bought online and it was absolutely perfect. I’m of a petite build and 150 m tall, so most dresses swamp me or have too large of a bust. I previously tried walking into a bridal store with Taylor but found the experience to be confronting and very unenjoyable. Those dresses were too extravagant, super expensive, and just weren’t “me”. Taylor and I chose the dress together and at the time of the wedding, no one but him and I knew what I was going to be wearing on the day.”

The bride walked down the aisle with her father.

St David’s Park set the scene for the garden ceremony, and the garden also ticked all the boxes for sentimental value. “We chose St David’s Park as our ceremony venue as we had our first date there 4 years ago. We had the ceremony inside the rotunda which is elevated from the rest of the park and very private.”

Serena and Taylor chose Tracey Bruce to officiate proceedings, telling “We wanted our ceremony to be intimate and totally focused on the love we had for each other. We wrote our own vows together in the month leading up to the ceremony and memorised them for the day. Our celebrant Tracey also spoke about our three favourite things about each other which we loved as it really gave a personal touch to our ceremony.”

Serena and Taylor enlisted the help of Pop Up Weddings Tasmania to make their wedding come to life “Pop Up Weddings Tasmania was wonderful to work within the months leading up to the wedding and on the day” tells Serena. “Tracey was always there to answer our questions and keep the wedding planning rolling while placing zero stress on us. My favourite detail of the day was the styling that they put together at the rotunda for the ceremony. It was simple, elegant and didn’t overshadow the event taking place in front of it. It also matched the park setting perfectly – there were lots of natural colours, greenery and even some romantic candles.”

These two skipped having a wedding party, sharing “We decided not to have a bridal party. We thought it was unnecessary as we wanted to keep the focus on each other as a couple. We also wanted every guest to just turn up and enjoy the celebrations and not feel obligated to perform any roles or duties.”

The flowers were kept simple, Spoil Me Gifts creating a bouquet and boutonniere of white. “We chose ivory white roses and lots of greenery” explains Serena. “We wanted a classic and contemporary look with some greenery to keep it really natural and fresh.”

Of their photographer, the newlyweds were thrilled. “His approach was relaxed and non-intrusive which was really lovely as it allowed us to focus on other aspects of the day.”

And after photos, the party continued with an intimate reception dinner at the Henry Jones Art Hotel. Serena remembering “Our first dance song was “Is That Alright?” from the soundtrack of A Star is Born. We loved the movie and thought it was the perfect first dance song. We figured out a simple dance routine the night before using YouTube tutorials. It ended up being a mix of basic steps, turns, and swaying.”

A big congratulations to you both Serena and Taylor! Thank you to Agape Media House and  Pop Up Weddings Tasmania for sharing today’s beautiful celebration.