Travis and Erin challenged themselves to spend no more than $5000 on their wedding – and they did it! One of the key things about this wedding was that they kept it a secret from their guests. That’s right, they had no idea they were going to a wedding that day… they all thought they were just there for an engagement party! The day was held at The Briars Homestead Garden, Mount Martha, Australia.
“We both wanted a day where everyone felt relaxed, with a beer in their hand and a belly full of good food”, the bride explained. “My family used to love going on picnics when we were young and we thought that would be the best way to translate what we wanted to achieve; a day in the sun with friends, music, food and booze. So our theme was a laid back picnic engagement party turned SURPRISE WEDDING with splashes of red and blue!”
“Our wedding could not have been more ‘us’ if we tried”, she continued. “Having a formal wedding with table names and a directory on where you have to sit for the whole day just isn’t us. Travis and I are a weird mix of punk rock, rockabilly, geeky, penny saving and slightly disorganized tattooed weirdos. I think our wedding was exactly that.”
“Our celebrant was definitely a massive part in making our wedding unique. One of my greatest friends summed her up perfectly ‘…the waitress did a Cinderella and became the most incredible celebrant on the planet’. She was so full of crazy good vibes, humour, heartfelt honesty and truly conveyed the strength and honour of marriage. Coco the celebrant put words together in a way that made us all laugh and cry and burst with love. Not to mention the fact she read our vows from my favourite illustrated version of Alice In Wonderland and dressed the part too; stripey knee-high socks, an adorable illustrated apron and top hat!”
The bride’s favourite moment from the wedding was obviously when they finally revealed to their guests that they were actually there to get married! “I’ll never forget watching the colour drain from Trav’s face and look of panic when I whispered ‘I’m going to get changed in 10 minutes!’,” she laughed. “And of course the screams and cheers when dad and I stood at the top of the steps waiting for everyone to click that I’m now wearing wedding dress, holding on to my dad’s arm waiting to fang it down the aisle!”
The Gallery
Suppliers
- Photography: Jessie Lou
- Officiant: Coco
- Venue: The Briars Homestead Garden
- Bride's Dress: Alannah Hill
- Bride's Shoes: Melissa
- Bride's Bouquet: Nic's Button Buds
- Hair: Luke Hally from Salon D'Cazba
- Cake & Flowers: DIY
- Guest Book: Small Spines