With a theme idea of an Eclectic Garden Party meets Sophisticated Children’s Party, Sara and Zac had an absolute blast planning their October wedding. Instead of following tradition, they created a celebration that was colourful, guest-focused, and full of personality.

The planning wasn’t without challenges though. “I struggled with decision-making,” Sara admitted. “It was hard to balance choices that would impact our guests with ones that only affected me, like my dress or make-up. But once I embraced the unusual, it all came together.”

From the beginning, Sara and Zac prioritised what made them happy. Bold hues of pink and orange dominated the decor, accented with green, gold, and silver. They skipped many traditional elements in favour of playful details such as having a McDonalds delivery of a late night Happy Meal for everyone! Heavily inspired by the 70s aesthetic, they also incorporated decor such as the welcome marquee with a fun play on words, library book check-out bar menus, vintage-style matchbook favours and disposable cameras for their guests to capture the fun.

One standout moment was their basketball game-style reception entrances. Guests cheered as the couple and their wedding party ran through a tunnel of friends, high-fiving like sports stars.

“I wish I had realised from the start that I could make unconventional choices”, Sara continued. “I began with an eclectic vision of how I wanted everything to come together, but it took several revisions before I felt comfortable embracing the unusual. I now understand that the quirkiest details were the best ones and that mistakes became cherished memories.”

Transforming their venue into a whimsical space was a real labour of love. The couple worked with Blake Events who helped make their ideas a reality, and took on numerous DIY projects such as designing the stationery to crafting a prosecco pong table. One of her proudest creations was the guestbook, modeled after a yearbook, complete with a timeline of events. They had everyone sign it like a yearbook and then sent out copies to each guest afterwards so they could enjoy it long after the wedding.

“I loved using my imagination,” Sara said when we asked her what her planning highlight was. “The creative process and collaborating with our vendors was incredibly rewarding. We worked with people who truly understood us and felt like friends, which made everything more personal.”