Tanya & Eddie

We’re going to be seeing a lot more weddings that embrace intimate guests lists, and only the important traditions over the coming months, And quite frankly? As a team, we’re so here for it. Weddings are wonderful no matter what they look like, but there is something very special about a wedding when you pare back everything that does not matter to you.

This couple invited the ever-talented Ava Me Photography along for their day; lucky for us, so we can share every stunning moment!

Do you know those stories of parents jokingly wishing their children would end up together? Turns out, in Tanya and Eddie’s case, it actually happened! “Not the most romantic story however, Eddie’s mother and my father had known each other for many years and would always joke about setting up their sons and daughters. That day had finally arrived on the Anzac Day long weekend of 2011. And the rest is history.”

Eddie popping the question sometime later, in a simple, yet personal way, shares Tanya. “It was a regular Saturday evening at home after a typical dinner at Cabramatta. We played my favourite song, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and danced away into the night. At the end of the song, Eddie bent down on one knee and popped the question.”

The groom chose a navy suit from MJ Bale. “He chose it because he can wear it to any occasion. Practicality at its best!” laughs Tanya.

Tanya chose a simple, yet stunning Nicole Miller gown from The Wedding Boutique. She shares “It is a modern, minimal and elegant dress with a cowl neckline, ruching and a lace overlay. This dress is basically me in a nutshell and it was one of the very first dresses I pinned on Pinterest. I wanted a dress that was form-fitting, minimal, comfortable and had small details. The whole experience was very positive thanks to Jennifer Go at The Wedding Boutique. She made the whole process simple and stress-free. I didn’t have any hiccups along the way, it was seamless.”

Tanya and Eddie chose the one venue for their day, Gunners’ Barracks.  “It’s such a scenic, intimate and private space to hold a wedding. I loved how you didn’t need much or anything extra to decorate the venue. The “less is more” is very relevant for this venue. I loved how you can move around the venue and you didn’t have to be stuck in the same room during the reception.”

The couple skipped the traditions they didn’t want and embraced those they loved. Tanya explaining “We didn’t feel the need to have the tea ceremony, which is a tradition for the Chinese culture as we felt that we would want the day to feel relaxed and not so rushed. However, we did have the whole ‘do not see each other’ until the ceremony.”

Tanya walked down the aisle on the arm of her mother, to the sounds of Jasmine Strings playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

Tanya’s favourite part of wedding planning? “All the time invested in planning and seeing it come to fruition at the end. I can’t pinpoint one favourite part however seeing the finished product and everything coming together does give a sense of relief and joy.”

One of the vendors Tanya raved about? Her hair and makeup artist Sophie Lau Makeup and Hair. She explains “My hair and makeup by Sophie Lau transformed me into a whole new person, I couldn’t even recognise myself all done up. It was all worth it to see Eddie tear up when he first saw me walk down the aisle.”

The bright and beautiful blooms on the day were styled by Sweet Bride. Tanya noting “Kieu Ha from Sweetbride did a fantastic job in recreating my vision. I wasn’t too picky with the type of flowers or arrangements, however, I did request for the colour palette to be light and dark pinks for the flowers and to also have peonies in my bouquet. Everything turned out beautifully and seeing the flowers in the venue for the first time was one of my favourite highlights for the day. It’s all about the details.”

Did you notice the special guests these two invited? “We had to have our precious dogs at the wedding since they are family and a big part of who we are. Amy from Wedding Paws did such an amazing job at taking care of our puppies at the ceremony, photoshoot and making sure they were transported safely back at home. Thank you, Amy!”

“Joel is auhmazing!! ” raves the bride of the couple’s chosen photographer. “Words could not describe the level of detail and emotion captured by Joel during the day and night. There were times I didn’t even know he was snapping away and managed to capture the most beautiful moments. Joel has such a vibrant personality and is super approachable. He was working in sync with our videographer Taku from Cloud Herd to capture those magical photos from the fortress tunnels, totally worth sneaking away. The turnaround for the photos was phenomenal, we received previews in one week and the whole gallery in 3 weeks. A big thank you and love that you are so passionate about what you do.”

The newlyweds took to the dance floor to  “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden, Tanya remembering “An oldie but a goodie. We didn’t practice at all, which I did regret and wish we had some dance lessons or practised some choreographed moves.”

Tanya and Eddie chose Cloud Herd Film Co to join them on their day to capture this stunning film. Says the bride “Every single one of the vendors was fantastic and I could not fault any one of them as they went over and beyond. However, I do want to give a special mention to Taku and the team at Cloud Herd. From day one they were so helpful in providing something that was well within my means and also going well over and beyond by gifting all the footage taken from the wedding, which wasn’t included in my package. I made a very last-minute decision in deciding to get a videographer and it was totally worth it. Thank you Cloud Herd!”

A big congratulations to the newlyweds! Thank you for sharing your special day with us. Thank you also to Ava Me Photography for today’s beautiful images,