Steph and Phil wanted plenty of festival spirit for their summer wedding and judging by their photos, they achieved just that! Spread across three days, with a formal ceremony on the Friday followed by a big outdoor party on the weekend, with a nod to both the bride and groom’s Jewish and Catholic roots in their ceremony and plenty of bohemian flair.

As Steph works as a fashion designer, she called on her own expertise to not only dress herself and her bridesmaids in her own label, but also to pull together all the decor and props – with plenty of macrame, wicker and rugs, they worked with the natural environment and pulled in succulents, fairy lights strewn through trees and stars made from canes and flowers. They hung tea lights in glass jars, vintage picture frames as a photo booth, and provided guests with light up flower crowns to take the party way into the night.

Despite having a legal ceremony a couple of days before, they still had a ceremony on the Saturday, with their wedding party and their guests hiking to a nearby hill to exchange vows and get the party started. “The ceremony was full of fun and jokes,” said Steph, “and an excuse to begin the festivities really!” Despite their relaxed approach, they still managed to include meaningful aspects with a homage to their Jewish and Catholic religions; albeit in a lighthearted manner, as they had actors play a Rabbi and the Pope to conduct their ceremony! 

The biggest expense for Steph and Phil was the catering – they hired food trucks for a genuine festival feel. They saved money by DIY-ing all their decor, thrifting rugs, tablecloths and furniture and using what they already had. The one thing they wish they’d thought of was to have a day of co-ordinator – with so many DIY elements, it was a lot of work to put together and the couple struggled to let go and enjoy themselves until after everything was sorted. They made up for it by partying into the next day!