Rachael & Reilly

Spring for us is full of blooms, so we knew we needed to include weddings with epic flowers during this The Spring Issue. I am sure you will agree that today’s wedding with its lush, oversize bouquets of Australian natives, the most gorgeous of flower crowns, floral print bridesmaid gowns and cascading garlands of blooms certainly ticks all the boxes.

We’re delighted today that we get to share the beautiful images of Rachael and Reilly’s day, captured by the talented Amy Skinner Photography, because this day has every bit of that joy-filled charm we’ve come to love from our Perth brides and grooms!

“We met at a house party when we were eighteen at our best man, Sam’s house” says bride Rachael of how these two came to be. It was on a weekend camping trip that Reilly decided to make things somewhat more official. “We were camping near Geraldton with our 7-month-old spoodle puppy, Oscar for our 5 year anniversary. On the afternoon of our anniversary, Reilly took me for a walk on the beach with Oscar and he surprised me with a diamond. We celebrated back at our camp with champagne, beer and music. It was the perfect most relaxed proposal which is so us!”

Every little detail was carefully thought out for the day, right down to the bride’s jewellery. “My two necklaces were hand stamped with our wedding date in Roman numerals and our initials and my bracelet has Reilly’s dad’s initials (who has passed away) stamped on it” she tells. “I also added a charm to the bracelet which was my mum’s as a child which is a doe and it’s baby to signify my bond with my mum as well as my nanna who has also passed away.”

The bride chose the most dreamy of gowns, a cream lace gown designed by Kite & Butterfly from Through The White Door. She tells “I have had a Pinterest board of wedding dresses for a very long time but when it came to looking for my actual gown it was so hard to find one that suited my body shape as well as the relaxed boho vibe we were going for. I found my Kite & Butterfly gown on Pinterest and then found a stockist in Fremantle. Visiting Through the White Door I was so anxious that the dress wouldn’t be perfect and I felt like it was my only option in Perth! But Vicky put me at ease and the gown was a perfect match. ”

Rachael and Reilly met before their ceremony for a first look, guided by their photographer Amy, Rachael remarking “Having our photos done before the ceremony was the best thing! We had a great day walking around Fremantle with our closest friends and when we got to the venue we were ready to celebrate and party.”

Amy and I are kindred spirits! We think so much alike and have the same ideas about what makes a great wedding. She is also a genius photographer who not only can take a great photo but can put two of the most awkward, camera-shy people (Reilly and I) feel at ease and look natural!”

The bride even customised her own denim jacket for the day.

The oversize, lush floral details were styled by Lime Flowers. “For our flowers, we went with Australian natives with heaps of gum leaves to match our invites. Lime Flowers were beyond amazing and created my vision perfectly. The bouquets we unstructured with muted colours but they still stole the show! The flower crowns and buttonholes we just enough without being too much.”

The quirky cafe setting of Moore and Moore Café set the scene for the twilight ceremony and sparkling reception. “We had our entire wedding at Moore & Moore which was the best, most stress free decision ever!” remarks Rachael. “We both instantly fell in love with the heritage building and the whole vibe that the venue has to offer. It is equal parts relaxed and magical which complimented our vibe perfectly.”

Rachael walked down the aisle with her youngest brother to “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers.

The couple chose Belinda Clinton – Love Your Way to officiate their day. “Our ceremony was perfect!” remembers the bride. “We wanted a very relaxed vibe which was personal and sweet but also funny. Our celebrant, Belinda nailed it! She had everyone laughing and crying the whole time and had Reilly and me so relaxed. All of our vendors were amazing but Belinda our celebrant just felt like she was part of our family! In the planning stage, she was very straight-talking and told us (novices) what was going to work best for the ceremony and her service sounded like it was written by someone who had known us a lifetime.”

“Our favourite part was having people there who loved us unconditionally” remembers the bride. “You could really feel the love.”

The couple began the dance floor with a tune that they adore, the bride remembering “Our first dance was to “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. It is a song that never fails to get Reilly and I singing and you can’t go past the “home is where ever I’m with you” message!”

Oh, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful day with us Rachael and Reilly! What a joy it was. Thank you also to Amy Skinner Photography for today’s stunning images!