Tara and Matthew moved away from tradition for their October wedding, instead embracing their own style to help craft the wedding day of their dreams. They weren’t interested in having a big wedding, so decided to elope (with a couple of carefully chosen close family members) opting for an all-in-one package from Goosewing Cottage in the Hunter Valley, and making it their own with special details.
They took inspiration from their wedding date – October 31st – and added a few Halloween touches in the form of pumpkins, hand-carved by the couple together the night before the wedding, and Halloween masks and candy for their reception. The pergola they were married under in the grounds of Goosewing was decorated with fresh flowers, and animal skulls.
Tara wore a vintage black lace and tulle ball gown, with Demonia zombie hells and a skeleton hand headpiece. Matthew’s suit was by Pierre Cardin, accessorised with a surprise Halloween mask, intended to scare Tara but instead making for quirky photo ops. Without bridesmaids or bridal party to dress, their plans were fuss-free and they were able to splurge a big portion of their $5000 AUD budget on their rings. “We were happy to have our rings be our biggest expense,” said Tara, “since they’ll be with us forever.”
Their ceremony was short, sharp and to the point. The couple’s favourite part was running around the grounds with their photographer for their post-ceremony photo shoot.
“Our elopement at Goosewings holds so many joyful memories,” said Tara. “The day was full of quirky, beautiful touches, divine flowers, delicious cake, exciting photo opportunities and stunning hair and make up. We could never of imagined that our day could be so perfect, the whole experience exceeded our expectations and more. If there are other brides and grooms not interested in having a big wedding, we would wholeheartedly recommend considering an elopement package; it was stress free, removing the pressure of organising a big ‘do’, and we were able to inject our own personalised touches to make it our own. The only regret we have is that we didn’t stay longer!”
