Maria and Chris’ wedding was non-traditional, colourful and full of fun! Maria wore a short dress with a long veil and sparkly boots and their industrial loft venue was decorated with flowers in vibrant colours, neon signs and disco balls.

“We had the perfect mix of vintage and modern vibes”, Maria told us. “I took inspiration from Vegas elopements, without actually going to Vegas or eloping. I scoured Rock n Roll Bride magazine and the internet and pulled from all my favorite elements. We also both love (and have) traditional tattoos so we knew we wanted lots of art up on the walls, like the tattoo flash we have in our home.”

Music was a huge part of the wedding too and they curated most of the playlists themselves including having the wedding party walk down to I’ll Be Your Mirror by The Velvet Underground and Maria arriving to Han Solo and The Princess from Star Wars. “We wrote our own vows and out of everything at our wedding, those are what we got the most compliments on. We’ve been together seven years and have gone through a lot of difficult moments, including the death of Chris’ mum and leaving our religious beliefs. Our vows described all the ways we’ve already built a life together and how we promise to keep growing together in the future. We were both shaking from the emotion of the moment and couldn’t stop smiling.”

The reception was then just a huge party full of all their favourite music. The playlist curation continued with a mix of old school classics, punk and rock music that they love. Their reception entrance was to the Menzinger’s version of After the Party, which kind of ended up being the weddings unofficial theme tune.

“We love to dance so we kicked back and let our DJ go crazy to get everyone on the dance floor”, the bride continued. “We loved getting to let loose with our friends and family after planning for so long. We had a photo booth and signature cocktails themed to our pets. Chris and I shared a private last dance to Stand by Me by Ben E King.”

When asked if there’s anything they’d change about their wedding planning experience, Maria admitted she found it tough communicating with some of their vendors. “I’m very type-A and organised, so not getting timely responses led to a lot of frustration in the planning process and some minor hiccups on our actual wedding day”, she said. “The wedding industry felt like a lot of ‘hurry up and wait’. There was a big push to book vendors fast and far ahead of time and then it felt like they weren’t ready to talk until the month of and even weeks before the wedding.”

“I’d really recommend talking on the phone rather than emailing or texting if it’s an option. It might have gotten me follow up in a timelier manner. Also brides… be confident and stand up for your needs and your day! I’m naturally a people pleaser and between that and being scared to be a ‘bridezilla’, I didn’t assert myself as much as I could have. Be kind, but don’t be afraid to get your money’s worth for the services you are paying for!”