When you want to keep your wedding small, simple or short and you don't want to spend a small fortune, what are your options?
In Australia, the Births, Deaths and Marriages offices in the states and territories conduct registry office wedding ceremonies where you can attend with your fiancé, two witnesses 18 years of age or older and up to 55 guests.
But there are some compromises you need to consider, such as:
- not being able to personalise your ceremony to align with you and your fiancé's values and preferences
- not being able to meet with your celebrant before the ceremony
- having all photos indoors
- not being able to share food or drink onsite directly afterwards
- not having a picturesque/outdoor photo location
- being restricted by the registry office's opening hours/meeting times
There's always the option of eloping; running away in secret to get hitched privately. Unfortunately, some couples discover after the fact, that the potential for hurt and misunderstandings that come from eloping were not what they had intended.
But what if there were some middle ground?
Mentored by the incredible James Day, Alex is all about connection. His perception of his role in a wedding celebration is not limited to just the art of taking, producing and editing photos, but as a facilitator of wonderful memories cherished for a lifetime.
We were speaking recently about the difficulty in explaining to Brides and Grooms the value of a great wedding supplier and Alex had some thoughts that he wanted to share.
If you're not in Adelaide, you may have missed out on Unbridely's first-ever, interactive wedding planning event; Unbridely Live.
Hosted at the awesome Published Arthouse in the heart of the city, myself and 11 award-winning, experienced and generous local wedding suppliers presented to an eager audience of engaged couples and local wedding industry identities.
Focusing on the core message of creating authentic, imaginative and heart-felt wedding celebrations, the Unbridely Live team pulled together a fresh and entertaining night of equal parts ideas and advice.
From the post-event survey, it seemed that the most valuable part of the evening was the app-driven Q&A Session; 8 wedding pros tackling the attendees toughest wedding planning problems.
While we covered a lot on the night, there were still some questions that we couldn't get to, so I went to the Unbridely Live team and got them to write this article.
And, if there's anything that we can help with that we didn't cover, something you're really dying to ask, drop me a line anytime at hello@unbridely.com If I don't know the answer, I have at least 11 good mates that will!
Award-winning Adelaide wedding photographer, Luke Simon, is a big fan of first looks. Unbridely managed to catch him sitting still just long enough to get his perspective on the reasons why a first look helps the couple getting married, their guests and their photographer too.
Not a lot of people (and until recently, me included) know what a professional MC actually does or understands the role of an MC at a wedding.
But what I have noticed, when I talk to my brides and grooms about their wedding planning, is a definite trend towards hiring an experienced MC, rather than asking (read: begging/bribing) a relative to do them a favour.
So is hiring a professional MC the right choice for your wedding and what in the hell do they do anyway?
DJBen gives us the inside story..
I hear (read!) wedding photographers chatting amongst themselves on social media and when I notice the same topics come up time and time again, I write a blog post about it.
Because there's zero point in wedding professionals banging on about how brides and grooms 'just don't get it' when you're only planning on doing this once in your life and you've never been told. You don't know what you don't know, right?
So here are some of the hot-button subjects at the moment and expert tips to help you to form a better relationship with your wedding photographer and in the end, get better photos.
We've pulled together the most common causes of newly-engaged angst and how to sidestep them in the hope that you can keep yourself wrapped up in the warm, comfy blanky of your love for just a little while longer..
Bianca follows bridal fashion religiously - it's her passion. She has helped to style everyone from high-profile, London society brides and celebrities to Persian princesses. She knows where it's at!
Unbridely are thrilled to welcome Bianca Velt-Herron to our ever-growing list of wedding professionals and guest bloggers.
Bianca trained and worked at Harrod's London and is currently the Australian representative and stylist for American label, Jasmine Bridal, and several other international brands (follow on Facebook or Pinterest)
This week Bianca offers us a look at 5 slightly unconventional, but fun bridal styles that allow a bride to express her personality more freely than with a classic princess silhouette: Sequins, Rockabilly, Spanish Senorita, Modern Grecian Goddess and Red Carpet.
We hope you love her take on these Unbridely styles and in particular get some inspiration from Bianca's top styling tips and accessories suggestions!
Quick Vows by Unbridely is a simple way to get a little of you and your fiancé into your wedding ceremony. It's a basic, 1 minute process and is meant to be a starting point for more detailed and intimate vows; a springboard for your creative genius to flow.
Have a go and remember to share it with your fiancé!
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) advises that learning to handle stress in healthy ways is very important - whether it's in the leadup to your wedding or just on an average Tuesday.
Fortunately, it is easy to learn simple techniques that can help you almost immediately and in the long term too.
Here are the APS top 7 ways to look after your mind and body and reduce stress and its impact on your health:
We can certainly empathise with how, when you are considering ordering rehearsal dinner centrepieces, bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony aisle decorations, flower petals for the aisle, arrangements for the bathrooms or entrance of the reception, bridal table and guest table decorations and hanging installations, your wedding budget for flowers can take a big hit.
But we've got 3 clever styling tips that will have your bridal blooms doing double duty, which can stretch your budget further, all while making your wedding celebration look and feel more beautiful.
Kiera Blanden is a little obsessed with colour and texture.
"I could quite happily spend an entire day in Bunnings or trawling through Spotlight and (apart from missing my adorable family) walk away feeling completely energised and inspired by a heap of new ideas."
As the founder and team leader of Rapture Events, Kiera has worked on almost 900 beautiful celebrations. Recently rebranded as Kiera Blanden Events + Styling, she has an excellent eye for design and an almost intuitive understanding of which style elements work best together to create an exceptional wedding experience.
One of the growing trends in weddings is for Brides to take on the task of styling their big day themselves - which is why Kiera also offers her couples the option of hiring out her elegant and extensive range of furniture, accessories, linens and games.
Unbridely asked Kiera to give us some insider tips for styling your own wedding. We feel honoured to be given a glimpse 'behind the curtain' and to tap into her 7+ years of experience.
You know you should be looking after your skin, but what exactly does that mean?
What should you be doing in preparation so your complexion is at its absolute best on your wedding day?
Liv Rooney is a professional makeup artist based in Adelaide, South Australia, who believes that "every woman on this planet is beautiful and unique."
We love her work and her attitude too.
Unbridely are happy to have Liv give us some realistic (i.e. no botox involved) advice on how to make the best of what we've got.
Thanks Liv!
Lee Bouras runs her thriving, nearly 10-year-old business, Wyld Orchids, from the flower studio at her home. And although her studio is bigger than most average-sized shops (not counting the shedding for her extensive range of vases and accessories) and she employs a flower courier plus the added help of other florists in peak season, she still prefers to keep her work in house and bespoke.
"I like to do all of Wyld Orchids' creative floristry myself because I am a perfectionist!"
Striving to ensure that her unique creations exceed her client's expectations, Lee believes that the honest relationship she fosters with brides and grooms during the course of their planning makes all the difference to (and in fact, enhances) the final product.
Lee joins the ranks of Bridechilla Club's expert supplier contributors with her first post for budget conscious couples. Here she outlines her 4 key tips to working with your florist in the hope that it will help you gain maximum effect from your gorgeous blooms on your wedding day and be a fun process too.
Unbridely are proud to have Kate Pardey, a photographer with soul and substance, as one of our growing team of expert contributors. She is an accredited and award winning member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers, and also volunteers her time and skills to the amazing organisation, Heartfelt.
We have asked Kate to weigh in on a (sometimes) contentious issue of wedding timelines; to get her take on how to best plan out your day to make the most of natural light and maximise delightful photographic opportunities.
Take it away, Kate!
