Describing their wedding theme as “relaxed, welcoming and a little bit farmy”, Erin and Adrian ultimately just aimed for a down-to-earth and relaxed atmosphere. Their love for nature and passion for sustainability played a significant role in shaping the day, from their outdoor ceremony, their use of native flowers and even the bride’s sustainable dress, which was made from the fabric of the one her mother wore when she got married.
“We wanted something that felt down to earth and relaxed like us, and incorporated lots of natural elements,” Erin explained. “The Gumnut blossom was a central motif for the wedding – I wanted them in my bouquet, on the tables and my dress was supposed to be like a giant Gumnut blossom. We are also very conscious of waste, and wanted to make our wedding as sustainable as possible.”
Skipping things that didn’t feel right for them, such as the first dance and wedding cake, allowed space to include extra things which they really liked, such as a gelato cart and having their dog there. Their main highlight was their celebrant-led ceremony though.
“Our ceremony was THE BEST!!” Erin said. “We absolutely loved our celebrant – she really set the tone for helping everyone feel welcomed and relaxed and did an amazing job of sharing our story. Because we’d been together for 7.5 years, we wanted to walk down the aisle together. We also have a little dog, Ponyo, who has been a big part of our whole relationship, so she walked in with us too! We walked down the aisle to Hall & Oates’ Dreams Come True, again because we wanted it to feel fun and relaxed and like a celebration. Your ceremony and walking in is the very first moment of the day, so it’s important that it sets the tone. I would’ve been so stiff and uncomfortable and awkward if I’d had to walk in by myself, slowly, to a gentle folksy song. Everyone was cheering and clapping us in, it was perfect!”
Although they only had five months to plan everything, Erin and Adrian took a hands-on approach to the wedding. Erin designed the wedding invites and name cards, and her mother handpicked and dried the rose petal confetti. “Seeing a vision come to life and the DIY bits was my favourite part of planning”, continued Erin, “also just hearing the feedback from guests that they had a good time!”
Erin and Adrian’s advice to future couples is to stay true to yourselves and not get too caught up in convention. “Make sure it’s everything YOU want,” Erin concluded. “Find good suppliers who you click with, and figure out where you need to spend and where you can skip.”
