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Dancing With HerCELEBRATING WOMEN IN LOVE
ELOPEMENTSByron Bay | Gold Coastwww.hitchedinparadise.com.au
THE TEAMEDITORTara BakerCREATIVE DIRECTORArlia HassellWRITERJosephine Baytonjosa.bayton@gmail.comCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSSmith + Archer, Marnie Hawson Weddings, Singrid Peterson PhotographyThe Wanderers, Kymberlie Dozois, Leila Scaro Meghan Watson Photography, Someplace WildFRONT COVER IMAGELeila ScaroBACK COVER IMAGEFox & Owl (UK)SUBMISSIONSwww.dancingwithher.com/submityourstoryADVERTISING & WHOLESALE ENQUIRIESpartnerships@dancingwithher.comGENERAL ENQUIRIESeditor@dancingwithher.com
DANCING WITH HERP.O. Box 609Coolangaa, QLD, 4225JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITYwww.dancingwithher.comfacebook.com/dancingwithherinstagram.com/dancingwithherpinterest.com/dancingwithherDancing With Her acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this naon. Weacknowledge the tradional custodians of the lands on which our company is located and where we conductour business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. Dancing With Her is commied tohonouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples unique cultural and spiritual relaonships to theland, waters and seas and their rich contribuon to society.© 2018 Dancing With Her All rights reserved. Reproducon in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited.
AMY & HELEN009AMY & ELISE019REBECCA & SIMONE029MEGAN & SARAH041DWH | 3
JEN & MEAGHAN049MEGAN & TAYLOR063KIPYN & LAUREL075CHELSEA & KATIE083CONTENTSDWH | 4
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU.IF YOU CHOOSE RIGHT HOPEFULLY YOU’LL BE LEFT WITH A BEAUTIFUL MEMENTO THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. BUT HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU?Ask yourself; Do they love their work? Are they inspiring? Do you like their style? And then there’s chemistry. You’ll spend most of your wedding day with your photographer, so you need to feel comfortable with them and in front of their camera. LJM Photographers get the highs and lows, the stress and the awesomeness of the event.When asked about their photographer Chloe & Dani XXX said “From the moment we met Lauren from LJM we felt completely comfortable and knew we had made the right choice. From her stunning folio to her warm, cheeky personality-there wasn’t a thing we didn’t love about working with Lauren!”TO SEE IF LJM PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU GO TO LJMPHOTGRAPHY.COM.AU OR CONTACT LAUREN DIRECTLY ON 0412 138 289 OR EMAIL HER AT SAYHI@LJMPHOTOGRAPHY.COM.AU
HELLOMarriage Equality is now the law in Australia.It’s been four months since Dancing With Her magazine launched and there has been one huge change in the wedding landscape in Australia - we nally have marriage equality! It was a turbulent me but the resilience of the people around us was incredibly inspiring. This volume gets to share some weddings that took place in Australia just aer legislaon was passed. Weddings that were emoonal, excing and a true celebraon of what love and inclusivity looks like.With changes in the law we hope that we will start seeing a shi within society. There is sll so much work that needs to be done around diversity and representaon of all sexualies, bodies and genders, specically within the wedding space and we are so proud to be paving the way. We have some incredible projects being released in the coming weeks that will see us working closer with vendors and those who are on the forefront of the wedding industry. We know that it is so important to start conversaons about inclusivity now so that we can start to shi societal norms and challenge what has been for such a long me. Keep an eye out for theirlove.co – coming soon! In this volume we are taking you around the world; sharing weddings from Australia, Canada, Mexico the US and Italy. Each and every story is unique and beauful, but also very dierent from one another. We also decided to expand the team for this issue. It is so important to us that we give each story its deserved limelight and so we welcomed Josephine to our small (but mighty) team. Josephine is a writer and she’s been able to communicate each story with a level of depth and honesty. We know you’ll be inspired. Lastly, we wanted to take me to say a huge thank you. If you’ve come back to us for another volume, thank you for your connued support. If you’re new to our magazine, hi! We hope you love this second volume – we are so proud to share it. Be proud of your love. Be proud of you.Love,Tara & ArliaDWH | 6
DWH | 7If sweet, smooth, simplisc, beauful danish design gets your heart a uer like it does ours, you must check out Skagen’s neweset collecon. While the black mesh and rose gold is our current obsession, we love that when we get a lile bored of it we can swap out the band to something dierent; maybe one of the 20 dierent coloured leathers is more your style?And, if you’re ready to step up your watch game, Skagen is so good at incorporang technology into their watches; making the wearable even more wearable! A watch that you can connect to your smartphone, have Google Maps on the watchface and you can ask it any queson to get all the answers, we’re in!Watches are avaliable around the world.skagen.comWe usually love the look of a leather bag, but don’t love the impact that its producon has on the environment and to animals. If you’re in the same boat, Urban Originals might just be for you. Their ‘Splendor Tote’ is the perfect size for a night away.The whole Urban Originals collecon is made up of PETA Approved vegan leathers and the producon process includes low amounts of harmful chemicals. If it isn’t a bag that you’re aer, Urban Originals also stock a large collecon of wallets, clutches and beach totes! We think they make an excellent bridespeople gi too if you were looking at geng those in the wedding party something nice, yet aordable. Designed in Australia, they don’t jut look good, they are good. uo.com.auThrow out the grundies, we’ve found a (just as comfy) replacement! Undergarments that are sustainable, ethical and beauful - Nico Underwear is an Australian label that blends minimalism with silk and shows a whole new face to what environmentally concious underwear can look like. They’re also perfect, not just for your wedding day, but every other day too. Comfortable yet oh so beauful. Nico are transparent about all their processes and you can jump online and nd out where each fabric comes from andwhat the supply chain and producon lines look like for this ethically concious brand.They also ship around the world so that no one misses out!nicounderwear.com
THINGS WE LOVEDWH | 8A good candle can be the dierence between being in a good mood, or not. Work and wedding planning just isn’t producve without one! Basalt have poured the most gorgeous collecon of delicious smelling candles into industrial paint ns, burning for a whopping 50+ hours. We’re head over heels for their ‘Sweet Tabacco’ scent, but if you’re aer something a lile dierent, ‘Dark Tides’ is a close runner up with it’s sweet, zesty scent. If you’re feeling extra stressed, add a jar of volcano dust face mask to you online cart - this clay based mask, also by Basalt and complete with real volcano dust, will soothe all the stress, leaving your face feeling ghtened and refreshed. The added charcoal will also give you a deep cleanse!basaltbasalt.comYou thought wedding planning would be a breeze. People say it gets stressfull, but how could it? It’s just a big party?! Wedding planning can be stressful. It’s also a me when people forget to treat themselves. Step away from the spreadsheet & spend a lile me with yourself in a gorgeous milk bath. It’s usually in these downmes that the best idea will spring to mind and you’ll nd the perfect soluon to a last minute vendor switch.Brisbane based, Soak Society, knows exactly how to make you feel good about yourself again. With a selecon of organic blends to relax into as you sip from a glass of red. Our favourite blend? Sleep. White clay and oatmeal with lavender infused. It’ll be the best 20 minutes of the week.soaksociety.comIt’s no secret that we are huge fans of handcraed jewellery - there’s a romance about being able to have something craed specically for your loved one. Having input into the design of a new engagement ring means there’s an opportunity to really put meaning behind every design decision. Plus, choosing a stone that is ‘the one’ is an experience that you just can’t match. Katherine Bowman has been making jewellery for close to 20 years from her Melbourne studio. Using mostly gold and precious stones her work is inuenced by nature and the history of art. It is contemporary, wearble art.She has been kind enough to give our readers a giant 15% o* a piece either from the collecton or a custom piece that will wow your new bride to be; just use the code CELEBRATINGLOVE at the checkout.katherinebowman.com.au*Oer ends April 2018, avaiable worldwide
AMY & HELENPHOTOGRAPHY BY SMITH + ARCHERRIDDELLS CREEK, AUSTRALIADWH | 10
AMY & HELENS BACKYARD WEDDING WAS INFLUENCED BY THEIR SHARED LOVE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY SHOPPED LOCAL, ATE VEGAN AND ONLY SOURCED FROM SUSTAINABLE VENDORS. When Amy rst saw Helen standing underneath the enormous pine tree outside Mount Macedon Hotel – where they were to have lunch aer meeng on Tinder – it was a rare and precious moment of love at rst sight. In the stolen glances and awkward hugs iconic to rst encounters, the couple had almost instantly fallen for each other’s sweet, charming personalies.Amy and Helen had picked their wedding date months before Australia’s marriage plebiscite was announced, and were determined to wed unhindered by the surveys outcome. When the ‘YES’ result was released, the couple were disheartened to discover that their January 6 wedding would miss lawful recognion by only three days. Luckily, their special day was approved for early acceptance into the new marriage laws; like many other Australian couples, Amy and Helen – despite their perseverance – were awash with relief and excitement.The couple decided to host the wedding under a marquee at Amy’s parents’ house in the Macedon Ranges, coined Frog Pond Farm for its lush green grounds. In addion to the abundance of natural foliage and owering gardens, Amy and Helen pioneered a magnicent collecon of DIY projects for the big day. As commied environmentalists who spend their free me planng vegetables, researching edible weeds or making their own cider, it was important for Amy and Helen to create a sustainable, savvy atmosphere for themselves and their guests.Not only did the couple raid op shops and Spotlight to source materials for matching denim jackets and confe cones, constructed from old music sheets, but their loved ones also contributed to the day’s DIY projects. While Amy’s father constructed wedding signs from old pallets, her mother used old sheets and twine to cra impressive rows of bunng. As lovers of rusc, vintage items that tell a story, the couple also picked some wooden crates and bits of n from Amy’s grandfather’s collecon to restore for the big day.Etsy and Pinterest served as constant sources of inspiraon as Amy and Helen planned their wedding day; the couple purchased homemade macrame hangers, various templates and a ‘Mrs and Mrs’ wire cake topper from the online shopping emporium. The couple also created a ‘bouquet bar’ where guests could pick their own owers from the surrounding gardens, and take them home in refurbished jars as wedding favours. Along with two n bathtubs – one for gis and one for glass recycling – Amy and Helen opted for buet-style catering, and bamboo cutlery and crockery, in an eort to minimise food wastage and plasc use.As well as remaining sustainable and local, Amy and Helen were determined to serve only vegan food and hire cruelty-free vendors. When the couple asked District 3429 – a Sunbury restaurant where they frequently dine – to cater their wedding, the owner was eager to accommodate their plant-based needs, and curated a delicious, family-style spread. Amy and Helen also hired ‘A Country Aair’, a pale blue bar-a-van where Kirsty, the owner, concocted alcoholic beverages for guests throughout the recepon. Aer the ceremony, which began in thirty-eight degree heat, Amy and Helen were delighted to kick o their heels and run through the sprinklers alongside their niece and nephew. The couple then wandered to the nearby yellow elds with their photographer, Ali Bant, for a dreamy, inmate shoot with only the hills as their witness. Alive with the aernoon breeze, and gilded by sunset’s light, the tall grasses of the meadow whispered to Amy and Helen as the couple embraced each other, nally, as wife and wife.DWH | 12
Accessories Brit Creave Store | Wish, Dangereld, Portmans, Auguste | Cinematographer Lensure Videography | Cake sister Claire & Sara Cake Topper The Heavenly Hangers | Catering District 3429 | Caravan Bar A Country Aair | Ceremony Venue Frog Pond Farm | Celebrant Sweet Wonderful You Desserts District 3429 | Engagement Ring Michael Hill, Prouds | Florist Frog Pond Farm | Gowns Sacha Drake, Sweet Dahlings Company | Hair Monique’s Hair and Beauty Studio | Festoon lights, Kyneton Party Hire | Makeup The Healthy Beaucian | Photographer Ali Bant | Robes Coon On | Printable Moment, Paper Point | Signage Handmade | Shoes ALDO, The Iconic | Wedding Rings Michael HillDWH | 16
GIVING BRIDAL GOWNS A SECOND LIFEDWH | 18With Josie at preownedweddingdresses.comWHETHER YOU’RE IN THE MARKET FOR A BRIDAL GOWN, OR YOU’VE WORN YOUR DREAM DRESS AND CAN’T BARE TO THINK OF IT JUST SITTING IN THE CLOSET ONLY TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY EVERY SO OFTEN WHEN YOU WANT TO REMINISCE, YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PREOWNEDWEDDINGDRESSES.COM. WE SAT DOWN WITH FOUNDER, JOSIE DAGA, AND HAD A CHAT TO HER ABOUT WHY THE WEDDING DRESS DESERVES TO HAVE A SECOND LIFE. Where did the idea come from? The concept is really simple. When I married I wanted to sell my designer wedding dress. I’d had my big day, and I wanted a return on the substanal cket price I’d paid for it! I tried to sell it online via other websites but just wasn’t geng the response that I’d hoped. What I really wanted was a dedicated plaorm for women to sell their bridal wear, and so preownedweddingdresses.com was created. And, how does it all work?If you’re looking to sell, we take a small one-me lisng fee, just $25, and you can list your wedding dress for sale from anywhere in the world. Generally, a wedding dress takes only 70 days to sell – which is an incredible turnaround! If you’re looking to buy, it’s straighorward. Because the seller manages each lisng, there are dierent terms to each dress. Some will ship around the world, and others allow an opon to return if it’s not the right t. The best part is that every dollar from that sale goes directly to the seller.preownedweddingdresses.com? There’s a big chance you can nd anything you can dream up. There are currently around 26K dresses online and we have lisngs from all around the world. There are hundreds of dierent designers and includes anything from a Vera Wang Bridal to BHLDN to a new season Elie Saab. The average dress is listed for less than $1000 and includes a discount of anywhere between 30-50% o the retail value of the piece. While you can grab a preowned dress for $100 there are also opons for those with a bigger budget, our most expensive dress online right now is a 2017 Eli Saab gown that retails for close to $48K. We also don’t just stock wedding gowns! There are opons for bridesmaid ouits, dresses for Mum and you can even get pre-owned wedding accessories because let’s face it, you probably won’t ever have another use for your designer wedding shoes. Yes, and no. We’ve seen a huge shi in women choosing to disregard trends and just wear something that’s ‘them’ on their wedding day - which is so excing to see!That being said, I’m looking forward to the trends that develop from the Royal wedding later in the year. Usually when a high prole wedding takes place inspiraon is taken for it for the next season moving forward. wedding dress?Realiscally, wedding dresses are really expensive. If you work out how much your wedding dress is worth per hour that you wore it, you’re looking at something that is worth hundreds and certainly somemes thousands of dollars per hour. Think about it, if your dress was $3000 and you wore it for 6 hours, your dress was worth $500 an hour (or a whopping $8.35 a minute)! Buying a pre-owned dress gives you the opportunity to not just get the dress of your dreams at a discount, but also when the me comes for you to pass it on your bank account will thank you!to their wedding dress?Absolutely! My Mother sll holds on to her 40-year-old dress and I honestly couldn’t tell you the reason why. We are starng to see women lisng their dress with us before their wedding day so that they can incorporate the return into their wedding budget. I think that people do put more value in the photographs of the big day than they do in keepsakes that might sit at the back of a cupboard, only to be pulled out every couple of years.
AMY & ELISEPHOTOGRAPHY BY MARNIE HAWSON WEDDINGSMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIADWH | 20
THEIR WEDDING DAY WAS A HUGE CELEBRATION, AND THAT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S VERY FIRST LEGAL WEDDING CEREMONIES.When Amy and Elise were having their makeup done in the short hours before their wedding, the pair least expected to have media crews as their audience. Aer inially planning a commitment ceremony under the basis of a civil union, the couple were granted a monumental four weeks’ early acceptance into Australia’s new marriage laws. In the short weeks following the naon’s resounding ‘YES’ vote, Amy and Elise were ocially the rst same-sex couple to wed in Victoria under lawful recognion.While Amy and Elise had been together for over six years, Amy never found a perfect moment to propose unl one lazy, bed-ridden Sunday morning. Over a year later, it was a precious blessing in disguise when, due to their demanding work schedules, the couple had to push back the wedding date. With their new date set for two weeks later than planned, Amy and Elise were able to have their ceremony lawfully ociated. It was a powerful and emoonal moment when Amy’s sister – who unocially performed the ceremony – stepped back so a recognised celebrant could legally declare Amy and Elise as wife and wife.In their busy jobs, Amy as a stroke research coordinator, and Elise as a nurse unit manager, the couple enjoy straying from their Melbourne base whenever they can to hike in the wilderness or camp on a beach. In a compromising eort to achieve a middle ground between Amy’s beloved cityscape, and Elise’s vision of a country wedding, the couple chose Epocha as their recepon venue aer deciding to hold the ceremony in the beauful Carlton Gardens.Characterised by its meaning of ‘a new and disncve era’, Epocha was a ng venue for Amy and Elise’s long awaited celebraon. In a historical Victorian terrace overlooking Melbourne’s CBD, Epocha provided an inner city oasis surrounded by lush gardens. Oering a unique, tasteful calibre of European-style food and wine, the restaurant and bar created a warm, open atmosphere for the couple and their guests.Amy and Elise’s luxe wedding gowns, both purchased from Rachel Gilbert, added to the sophiscated charm of the ceremony. Although the couple were unaware of each other’s ouit choices unl the big day, many guests commented how the classic glamour of both dresses complimented the other. In the black velvet of Amy’s v-neck gown, and the elegant, white lines of Elise’s, both women embraced their Hollywood-esque glam under the towering green trees of Carlton Gardens. Later, the couple donned their matching denim jackets, made by close friend Eliza Svikulis, which were labelled ‘A’Mac’ and ‘E’Mac’ – coincidentally, both Amy and Elise have shared the same surname since before they were married!While the couple’s celebraon was watched and commented on by the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC and Cosmopolitan Australia, for Amy and Elise, having their families and friends witness the ceremony – some of whom ew from overseas to aend – was their most cherished memory. As the couple danced for the rst me as wife and wife to ‘I Got A Woman’ by Ray Charles, an unforgeable moment took place in history – not only for Amy and Elise, but for Australia, too.DWH | 24
DWH | 27 Ceremony Venue Carlton Gardens | Denim Jackets Back At Cha | Dresses Rachel Gilbert | Makeup Jaynelle Lording | Photography Marnie Hawson Weddings EpochaEliza Svikulis
68HERE God WillinG In some 40 years I’ll wake up bed side you/beside you with your back curled into my chest cause your shins never stopped achingMore than likely I’ll be charting the skyscape under your shoulder blade gently as not to wake you marveling how this whole life came into glory the day I saw your face how much I knew love because of the way you curled up when the night finally shown its faceI Won’t pray for adventure like we do now cause we seen the whole world together we seen the eighth wonder cause seven is for people who didn’t have to fight plebiscite, parliament & supreme courtsdarlinG I’ll be loving you on the other side of whatever happens after this big life after this pandemic legacy endsyou kept Me and I found you Words by Azure Antoinette
IF YOU WERE UNAWARE, AUSTRALIA RECENTLY PASSED MARRIAGE EQUALITY LAWS TO ALLOW ALL COUPLES TO MARRY. PERSONALLY, IT WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH A PROCESS THAT WAS TRAUMATIC, EMOTIONAL AND REALLY CHALLENGED THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME, TO SAY THE LEAST. I didn’t think that having a law that would allow me to legally marry my partner was important. I knew that it was a fundamental right that the LGBTQ+ community should have but didn’t feel connected personally to it – unl my world turned upside down and it became something that was incredibly important. I’d never dreamt of incorporang pride for the LGBTQ+ community into my wedding day. I imagine that the day, when it nally comes, will be a day to celebrate love and commitment, not our sexuality. However, in the same sentence I now feel that some acknowledgment of the journey and triumph should be there. Incorporang pride into your wedding day, in a way that is modern, subtle and not over the top, is a great way to show pride in what the community has gone through to get to where it is now without making it the central focus point (of course if you want to go all out, wear that rainbow dress and y that ag high and unapologecally!). Here’s a few ideas:Whether it’s through some balloons, streamers or ribbon that get own as you walk back down the aisle as newlyweds using pastels instead of those block colours is a great way to be subtle – also, how oen does every colour of the rainbow t into your theming!?Rainbow socks or accessories. We’ve all seen the photos of wedding dress’ and pants hitched up to show o a pair of rainbow socks on Pinterest! If you’re not keen on the socks idea, maybe incorporang them into a cuink, shoelace, bracelet might be a beer opon for you.Hide the rainbow inside the wedding cake. From the outside it’s inconspicuous, but when all eyes are on the cake cung ceremony, all will be revealed!On the dessert table. Whether you’ve got cupcakes or a lolly jar staon, set it up in a way that separates the colours and lines them us as a pride rainbow. Think M&M’s or jube lollies that have been separated and lined up. Donate to a LGBTQ+ charity as part of your wedding favours.While a $5 small gi might not be memorable for all of your guests, choosing to donate to a specic charity in lieu of a physical gi could make a dierence to the lives of so many LGBTQ+ people who aren’t as fortunate. We’re extra paral to donang to causes that are community led and otherwise generally don’t get a lot of funding from government agencies. However you choose to celebrate, be proud of who you love. DWH | 28PRIDE ON YOUR WEDDING DAYPhotography by Kas Richards
SIMONE & REBECCAPHOTOGRAPHY BY SINGRID PETERSON PHOTOGRAPHYMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIADWH | 30
REBECCA AND SIMONE WERE INSPIRED BY THEIR BACKYARD OF AUSTRALIA WHEN PLANNING THEIR ROMANTIC AND RELAXED DAY.When Rebecca and Simone planned their wedding aer celebrang three years of loving engagement, they least expected their special day to be recognised under Australian law. Aer francally applying to the registries in the days following the naon’s resounding YES vote, the couple thought they would miss the opportunity to legimise their union by mere days. By an act of fate, as Rebecca and Simone have come to call it, they were granted another YES by the registries just weeks before their special day. Months of stressful tears and half-hearted hope had turned into overwhelming excitement for Rebecca and Simone – now, they knew they could celebrate their six years of love supported by millions of Australians.As romanc hippies at heart, Rebecca and Simone spend most of their me cooking, gardening, and driving around in their 1970s Volkswagen Beetle. Aer meeng at a work Christmas party, the pair shared striking chemistry, and have inspired and grown with each other over the last six years. Three years ago, Simone brought Rebecca into a private room at Teppenyaki to propose her lifelong commitment to their future. When the nerves of planning a same-sex marriage slled their engagement, Rebecca and Simone felt pressure to prove their love to each other unl their wedding day felt right. While the couple always insisted that a piece of paper was unnecessary to making their wedding day special, they were in denial – to Rebecca and Simone, having their union lawfully recognised lied an enormous, and emoonal, weight o their shoulders. The ming with Australia’s YES vote was the rst of many things to go right on Rebecca and Simone’s special day. They were awed when the day’s 40 degree heat shied to a cool breeze halfway through the ceremony, bringing summer relief to the grassy plains where they spoke their vows. In another twist of fate, Rebecca and Simone unknowingly shared the same maker for both their and their bridesmaids’ dresses – luckily, the dresser made sure the two were unaware of each other’s ngs and nal ouits!The lakeside Tipis, which hosted the day’s fesvies, provided a lush backdrop to Australia’s yellow and green rolling countryside. A host of gumtrees and lilypads featured in every photo throughout the day, mirrored by the nave centrepieces and vases beaufully craed by Simone’s mother and brother. The rusc archway that Simone’s father constructed from an old stable gate complemented the dreamy hillside landscape with a bold, industrial look. In another DIY project, Rebecca’s mother performed her calligraphy-style handwring on the name cards.The inmacy of Rebecca and Simone’s wedding could not have been achieved without their numerous vendors, who all contributed to the couple’s shared vision of what they wanted to see, hear, and smell throughout the day. The celebrant, orist, caterers, band, photographer and videographer were united in their genuine personalies and willingness to help curate the wedding’s calm, tender atmosphere. To Rebecca and Simone, it was innitely memorable to have such a special connecon with not only their guests, but their vendors as well.In making their own wedding tradion, Rebecca and Simone chose to walk toward each other from the le and right sides of the Tipi, meeng together in the middle for the ceremony. This marked only one of the sacred moments the couple experienced that day; from unexpected altar tears to moonlit dancing and twinkling fairy lights, Rebecca and Simone’s wedding day was a true testament to their inseparable love.
DWH | 36 Sangria, Bath-bombs, Dressing gowns and Slippers | Cinematographer Nathan Kaso Films | Catering Essenal Caterers | Tipi Hire Tipi Kata Celebrant Lisa Hunt Woon | Hay Bales from the neighbor | Entertainment Ma Black Entertainment | Florist Posies and Twine | Gowns Fairy Tale Bridal | Rebecca’s mum | Wedding Favours Sow N Sow
Let LoveGr Wild.She is mine, I am hers, always.Cake Two Sweet Figs | Celebrant Rebecca Ramsay | Concept, Styling & Florals My Lile Peony | Crown Crown and Wreaths Earrings Hey Polly Accessories | Furniture Hire Behind The Scenes Event Hire | Gown Storybook Bridal | Hair & Makeup Michelle Cato | Models Ellie & Veronica | Photography Alana Taylor | Signage Sketch and Etch Creave | Suit Shane Ave | Videographer The Mountain Folk Films | Venue Growwild
MEGAN & SARAHPHOTOGRAPHY BY THE WANDERERSNEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIADWH | 42
WE FIRST MET MEGAN AND SARAH WHEN SARAHS LATE PA STOLE THE SHOW, ASKING MEGAN FOR A ‘FAVOR’ IN MARRYING HIS GRANDDAUGHTER. THEY WED IN AN EMOTIONAL CEREMONY IN STANLEY PARK. Aer meeng on a dang app ve years ago, Megan and Sarah spent the rst eight months of their relaonship travelling hours to see each other between their homes in New South Wales. Half a decade later, the couple came to spend their free me renovang and furnishing their own Port Stephens home, or walking their dog, George, along the local beach. It was during these relaxed, and distracng, months that Sarah devised a top-secret proposal plan.The pair had discussed marriage before, and inbetween Megan’s hints about rings and her reless work building their new home, Sarah was pleased to pop the queson – just not in the way her partner would expect. One month before the proposal, Sarah found out her beloved grandfather was terminally ill, and would likely pass before the wedding. As her favourite person in the world, Sarah was determined to include her Pa, if not in the wedding itself, then the proposal.It was an aernoon like many others when the couple headed to the beach to spend sunset by the sand; except, Sarah had a video to show Megan. In an emoonal and heartwarming one minute taping, Sarah’s grandparents welcomed Megan into the family, and asked her a ‘favour’: that she marry their granddaughter. Back at the house, Pa was waing to pop a celebratory bole of Dom Pérignon, which he shared mostly with Megan the enre night.The couple decided to host the wedding at Stanley Park in Newcastle – aside from its lush green grounds and towering trees, Sarah’s Nanna had oen commented on the beauty of the house while driving to and from the couple’s home. Built in 1897, the historical mansion overlooks the waters at Fullerton Cove, and oers uninterrupted acres of rolling park grounds. Megan and Sarah gravitated toward the estate’s enormous g tree as the locaon for their ceremony, while the nearby barn hosted the recepon fesvies.In addion to making homemade candles as wedding favours for their guests, Megan and Sarah undertook a host of DIY projects for the big day. As well as creang their own signs, decoraons, and a ‘wishing well’ table, the couple also set up a ‘tequila and cigar’ bar that stood against the barn’s white pallet wall. At night, fairy lights and sparklers cast a warm, golden glow across the rusc beams and pillars of the barn, highlighng Megan and Sarah as they shared their rst dance as wife and wife. Ocially, because the couple’s wedding took place in October last year, the ceremony remained lawfully unrecognised. Since Australia’s change of marriage laws, however, Megan and Sarah have since legally eloped in Melbourne.Before the ceremony, Megan and Sarah exchanged leers while holding hands behind a door, unable to see each other. Sco Lahi, the photographer, beaufully captured the emoonal moment when Megan saw Sarah walk down the aisle. As they embraced under the branches of the g tree, and Megan’s tears subsided, it was with a steady, blazing love that the couple gazed into each other’s eyes throughout the ceremony, and, well into the night.Both Sarah’s Pa and Nanna passed away in the short weeks before the big day. While they were unable to aend the wedding physically, Megan and Sarah ensured they had a place in their special day by dedicang an area of the barn to photos of him and Nanna. Forever in their hearts as someone who strived to support their life together, Pa and Nanna will be remembered in dear, loving memory as Megan and Sarah embark on their married journey.DWH | 46
DWH | 48 Cinematographer Ty Rickard | Doughnuts Dough Heads | Catering Sprout Catering | Stanly Park, Fullerton Cove Celebrant Sophie Eaton | Event planner & Stylist A Beauful Occasion | Engagement Rings Diamond Galleria | Entertainment Rita_B_Music, Bonnie Bick, Lachlan Bendeigh DJ | Florist A Beauful Occasion | Gowns Allure Bridal, Atelier Rose | Hair & Makeup MBL, Bonnie Eick | Photographer The Wanders, Sco Lahi | Shoes Nine West | Appy Couple | Wedding Rings Mahews Jewellers
JEN & MEAGHANPHOTOGRAPHY BY KYMBERLIE DOZOISONTARIO, CANADADWH | 50
FAMILY WAS THE OVERWHELMING THEME FOR JEN AND MEAGHAN’S INTIMATE WATERSIDE WEDDING DAY. IT WAS A DAY THAT CAPTURED THE COUPLES IN THEIR OWN LIGHT, PERFECTLY.The pale blue coage that hosted Jen and Meagan’s wedding, with its small buet and ice-lled drinks canoe, provided a quaint and charming backdrop for the couple’s special day. With a private beach as their backyard and nave ora surrounding the property, Meaghan and Jen favoured the lush, natural decor of the AirBnB over typical furnishings.As nature lovers who prefer travelling and hiking to partying on the weekend, Meaghan and Jen’s special day was bound to be the minimalist and down to earth snapshot of the couple themselves. Aer meeng on Tinder two years ago and moving in together early last year, Jen organised a housewarming party with a secret agenda. When the musician began to play Cold Water by Conor Maynard, Jen led Meaghan into the icy backyard of Canada’s winter, where, with giant leers, their closest friends spelt “Will you be my wife?” – in -20 degree weather!The wholesome and inmate feel of Jen’s proposal was shared in the couple’s vision of their wedding day: eccentric, yet simple. Ulmately, they wanted the venue to allow freedom for guests to do as they pleased while maintaining a calm, ceremonious space. In addion to the Ontario AirBnB cosng signicantly less than a regular wedding venue, the natural beauty of the coage meant Meaghan and Jen saved money on expensive wedding decor. In the end, the couple only craed mason jar centrepieces, for the cocktail tables, that they adorned with swirls of lace and eucalyptus leaves.To stand united as a family, the couple decided to walk down their beachy aisle alongside Meaghan’s daughter, Aaliyah, who was included in the vow exchanges. The pine wood arbour where the ceremony took place – built by Anex Works – was wreathed in nave owers, and elegantly framed the bay waters just steps behind. It was important for Meaghan and Jen, too, to have Meaghan’s sister ociate their wedding, and be included in their sacred vows of family and future. Jen’s brother also stood nearby during the ceremony, serenading the guests with so jazz notes from his saxophone. With reeds swaying in the aernoon breeze and sand shiing beneath their toes, Meaghan and Jen commied not only their lifelong love for each other, but also their unwavering devoon to family.While Meaghan and Jen do not idenfy as parcularly feminine, usually opng for buon-ups and loose-ng pants, the couple decided to wear dresses for their special day. Although they would have been more comfortable in pantsuits, Meaghan and Jen struggled to source suits, in their 6-month break between engagement and wedding, that t their bodies well. In the end, the couple were sased with their bridal wear – even if their choices were a lile biersweet.When the ceremony ended, guests were free to roam the beachside recepon space while grazing on the food truck catering provided by Urban Herb, or ‘wedding cake’ donuts by Von Dough Nuts. Aer slipping away into the nearby woodland for an inmate couples’ shoot with their photographer Kymberlie Dozois, Meaghan and Jen wandered up to the coage where speeches were being held. Hand in hand – and cardigans wrapped around them in the evening chill – Meaghan and Jen shared many laughs, tears, and stories with their loved ones.As dusk fell upon them, strings of fairy lights and ki torches ickered along the shore. In a beaufully memorable moment, guests struck candle sparklers and circled Meaghan and Jen as they shared their rst, of many, dances as wife and wife.DWH | 52
DWH | 56 Arbour Anex Works | Ceremony Venue Airbnb – Wapoos, Prince Edward County, Ontario | Celebrant Shauna Peckham | Donuts Von Dough Nuts | Entertainment Acousc by Sheila Carabine, Saxophone by Steve MacLean | Engagement Rings Blu Boho | Merlin’s Wardrobe | Food Truck Urban Herb Catering Furniture Hire Dewmill Events | Gowns Becker’s Bridal | Photographer Kymberlie Dozois | Sound Mike Powalther | Shoes Heel Boy| Vista Print | Tent Hire Encore Tents
68VOWSMay you find a lover that locates a dissonant melody in your depths of maladyMay you love one that doesn’t wince at the sound of your wailone that harkens to the pitch of your voice even when shrill full of weep and worryMay patience and forGiveness be your living testament and commandments in heart sickness, fading health better with, worse without May you keep a prayer buried in your mouth for your lover for yourselfi, do. Words by Azure Antoinette
WHEN YOU COME OFF THE EXCITEMENT OF YOUR ENGAGEMENT YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF THRUST INTO A WORLD THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE, HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO PLAN A WEDDING DAY, REALLY? YOUR TOLD TO DO THIS, YOU THINK YOU NEED TO DO THAT, IT IS CONFUSING! HERE’S OUR LIST OF THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT, LEAVE IT OUT!o Celebrate your engagement! It’s a really excing me for your relaonship and it deserves to be celebrated! You don’t need a big and elaborate party, but do take me to celebrate with yourselves. o Start looking for inspiraon. Social media will be a great friend, and grab a copy of your new favourite magazine (we hear Dancing With Her is great!)o Work out a budget. Sit down and decide together what is most important, it’ll help you clarify how much you’ll want to spend.o Decide whether or not you want to have a wedding party, or who you want to help get the wedding planning together.o Start hunng and locking in the vendors that can’t do more than one job in a day. This will generally include the photographer and the venue rst. When you nd them - lock them in! o Start pung together a rough guest list, so you know how many people you’ll be catering for.o Start locking in your other key vendors, and keep in mind that the good ones generally book out their calendars somemes a year or more out. If you’ve got your heart set, don’t hesitate too long. o Start thinking about what you’ll be wearing. If you’re having something custom made it’ll generally take a few months to get ready. You always want to leave me for alteraons, we don’t all t into something o the shelf!o Especially if you’re shy in front of a camera, book yourselves in for an engagement session. It won’t just help you ease into being in front of a camera, but it’ll help determine whether the photographer you want to work with is right for you. o Send out those ‘save the dates’! Let people know that on whatever day you choose, they should keep it free. o If you plan on heading on a honeymoon straight aer your wedding day, now is a good me to start geng that planned out.o Lastly, and maybe most importantly, lock in the rest of your vendors. The orist, the caterer, the stylist and the hire company - have everyone booked in and organised! o Get out the invitaons and let people know that the day is locked in! Work with your key vendors, especially the caterers, on me frames you’ll need for nal numbers. o If you’ve forgoen any vendors, or have a few last minute ideas that mean you need to outsource a lile more, book them in. o Have you got accommodaon booked? If you wanted to spend the night before apart, or the wedding night away from home have you worked out where you’ll be staying. o Enjoy yourselves as the excitement builds and if you need to take me out from planning, do it. Don’t forget your relaonship.o Let the relevant Government Authories know you plan to get hitched. In Australia, it’s a Noce of Intenon to Marry and your celebrant will help you get it. o Start nalising everything. The cake, the catering, the orals and the logiscs of how the day will come together. o Start wring your vows. Not everyone will want to write their own, but if you do, you’ll want the me to make sure they’re perfect. o Conrm who will be there and let the vendors who need to know, know.o If last minute, on the day jobs pop up, outsource them. Family and friends will be more than happy to be in charge of something on the day.o Make sure all your vendors are on board and know where they need to be and when they need to be there. Keep in mind, vendors are busy and can somemes take a lile while to get back to you - so leave enough me. o Start packing your bags for your honeymoon if you’re heading o right aer!o Enjoy yourself, don’t stress. Feel every moment. DWH | 58
THE CHANGE COLLECTIONDWH | 62With Elissa Marie from Minus Y. Photographed by Teodora TincWE’VE NEVER SAT DOWN WITH A MORE PASSIONATE DESIGNER THAN THE DESIGNER BEHIND THE EMERGING LABEL, MINUS Y. SHES’S PAVING THE WAY FOR CHANGE IN WHAT GETS WORN TO THE WEDDING DAY .What inspired you to bring together Minus Y?I was inspired when I watched my own family members in same-sex relaonships plan their wedding and saw them have a lot of trouble nding ouits that really suited their bodies. It was also really hard for them to nd ouits that worked well together, have you noced that if two brides want to wear white there are a thousand shades? Tell us, what does the studio look like? Right now I work from my home in a space where the walls are covered in inspiraon and there is always a project on the go. Everything in the collecon is handcraed by myself. From the design of the paern to cung the fabrics and piecing it all together.I hope that someme later in the year I’ll have the opportunity to have an open studio. I love having an open and authenc, collaborave work environment and would love to invite in clients to watch the way their design comes together. does that process work? I’m parcularly inspired by working with couples. I’ve found that for women in love it can be a challenge to nd ouits that really compliment one another, especially when the couple are looking for something that shows their own individual personality. There really are so many shades of white and then so many dierent designs and cuts; the truth is, somemes two wedding dresses might not complement each other. I also romancise on the idea of creang two ouits with one piece of fabric. It’s a unique way to be connected on your wedding day. It’s a collecon that is androgynous and empowering. The Change Collecon is made up of couture suing and edgy gowns with consideraon to the LGBTQ+ community. I really wanted to work with a genderless body in mind, instead working towards creang pieces that reected a personality and individual style. It’s certainly a collecon that’s more for women who don’t want to follow the outdated tradions of wearing a white ball gown on their wedding day. It’s made up of some of the nest silks and I’ve embellished each piece with an eclecc mix of classic tulles and bridal laces, buons, leathers and strong shoulder pads. I love the way the pieces are empowering for their wearer – because it’s how you should you feel on your wedding day. The collecon is also handmade for the wearer, so although the bulk of the design work is done, there’s the ability to add unique touches and personalise each piece.You’re based in Melbourne, how does the process work for both couples who live nearby, and for others who are far away?I’d hate for distance to get in the way of working with clients who want something unique! So long as you can have your measurements taken (a local tailor will be able to help you with this) I can custom make a piece to t perfectly. If you’re living across the other side of the country there’s also always the opon to make a weekend of it and meet for a ng! Melbourne is a beauful city.
MEGAN & TAYLORPHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILA SCARFIOTTIASCIANO, ITALYDWH | 64
IT IS STRAIGHT OUT OF A FAIRYTALE; NEWLYWEDS FROLICKING IN THE HILLS OF ITALY IN THEIR WEDDING GOWNS. MEGAN AND TAYLOR SPENT A DAY WITH THEIR CLOSEST LOVED ONES CELEBRATING THEIR LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO ONE ANOTHER.When Megan and Taylor made the bold decision to elope overseas, the couple knew they wanted their loved ones to journey with them. As spontaneous as they are unconvenonal, they could think of one place that would host their beloved food, wine and scenery needs: Italy. The couple knew their Southern American families would appreciate, too, the rusc, inmate feel of their Tuscan desnaon wedding.The pair discovered the Lazy Olive in Asciano – close to Siena in Central Italy – via Pinterest in the short weeks following their engagement. Private, secluded, and nestled along the romanc hillside ruins of Podere Finerri, the Lazy Olive was a picture perfect venue with Sienese countryside stretching to every horizon. Daniela di Cesare, an architect and founder of the Lazy Olive, elegantly coordinated the enre event, and sourced local vendors for the day’s orals and catering.Guests were free to roam the country before the wedding day, and Megan and Taylor were no excepon; accompanied by close friends, the couple spent a few days in the illustrious Cinque Terre area before driving to Asciano. When the couple and their guests reunited at the Lazy Olive for the rehearsal dinner at the venue’s rusc farmstay, it was the precious travel stories that made Megan and Taylor realise they had created such a special day for not only themselves, but their loved ones, too.One thing that the couple did not miss about travelling was lugging their two magnicent ball gowns through airports and customs. When the day nally came to don their gowns, photographer Leila Scaro captured the pair running through the venue’s bouque vineyard, pausing for a kiss, as if in a movie, by a clothesline that bore sheets to match their dresses. Surrounded by rows of olive trees and the constant colours of Autumn, Megan and Taylor looked like two eeing Italian lovers against the rolling green hills.To the couple, choosing the right photographer was one of the most important decisions they had to make in planning their special day. Aer going to school for photography, Megan knew she had to be condent in the photographer’s ability to not only capture the day, but also the emoonal depth of the couple’s relaonship and wedding experience. In the end, Leila t perfectly – from couple shoots with only the Tuscan ora as witness, to geng-ready moments, exploring moments, and teary moments, Leila exquisitely captured every element of the couple’s grand day.Complete with bronze ki lanterns, mason jar drink dispensers, and cobblestone-and-terracoa lined paths, the Lazy Olive provided a classic and charming front for the day’s celebraons. In front of a wooden arbour on the edge of the foggy Tuscan hills, adorned with the same rosy orange naves carried by the brides, Megan and Taylor eloped. In an interesng but emoonal twist, the couple switched vows to read, leading to a new host of laughs and tears from the brides and their guests.When handing out fresh olive oil boles as wedding favours, and slices of vanilla-and-berry cake following dinner, the couple asked their guests to change into their pyjamas: it was dancing me. Aer a seven-course meal, and the same number of empty wine boles, Megan and Taylor took the night’s level of comfort into their own hands. Despite hosng a wedding in the Tuscan hills of Italy, Megan’s greatest surprise was seeing Taylor – not aware that her wife could move at all – command the recepon dance oor, circled by people the enre night.DWH | 68
DWH | 70 Bridespeople J. Crew, Brooks Brothers | Cake The Lazy Olive | Catering Malcolm Ayres The Lazy Olive | Celebrant Sergio Mazul Earrings Local Eclecc | Event planner & Stylist Daniela di Cesare | Engagement & Wedding Rings Artemer, Krisn Con | Florist Local Florist through The Lazy Olive Gowns Hayley Paige- Kleinfeld Bridal, Anne Barge- Tre Bella | Photographer Lelia Scaro | Prop or Furniture Hire The Lazy Olive Minted | Wedding Favours Fresh Olive Oil
Togh.Together we’ve found home.Cake & Desserts Kiy Pimms | Furniture Hire Memphis Hire Amante Bridal | Gowns Emmy Mae Bridal Hair Styling Stephanie Costal | Makeup Peninsula Makeup Arsts | Photography Tahnee Jade Photography Styling, Florals & Crown JCRC Events and Styling
KIPYN & LAURELPHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGHAN WATSON PHOTOGRAPHYMARYLAND, UNITED STATES OF AMERICADWH | 76
KIPYN AND LAUREL ARE ONE OF THOSE COUPLES THAT REALLY DEFINE WHAT LOVE CAN OVERCOME. BEING PULLED APART BY FAMILY DIDN’T MEAN THAT THESE TWO COULDN’T HAVE THEIR HAPPY ENDING.Fieen years ago, Laurel and Kipyn met at a high school choir performance in Columbia, Maryland. Living in a small West Virginian hometown in the early 2000s, Laurel and Kipyn struggled to hide their connecon and, later, the erce love that bloomed between them. While their closest friends were supporve, the couple shared a constant fear that, if found out, Kipyn’s family would threaten Laurel with legal retribuon, or disown Kipyn herself. Before their one-year anniversary, what they dreaded had become a devastang reality. Kipyn’s family forbade the two from interacng – even with mutual friends – unl, brokenhearted, the young couple parted.As teenagers, Laurel and Kipyn dreamed of their wedding day in the short months they spent together. Aer spontaneously nding their way back to each other aer a decade, the couple were determined to honour that desperate, young love that stayed with them during years of silence. While the trauma from ten years ago never le their hearts, Laurel and Kipyn knew their legimised reunion would provide closure for their teenage selves, and celebrate their restored love as adults.A concrete vision that Laurel and Kipyn revisited when planning their wedding was ensuring the day held a special inmacy, and vulnerability, between their guests and vendors.The Maid of Honour and Best Woman, Karen and Beth, were the couple’s close friends who knew about their high school relaonship; in fact, Karen originally introduced the pair. The couple also asked Beth’s wife, Kat, to perform the ceremony. Laurel and Kipyn knew that a dear friend – and someone who uniquely shares in their experiences – could oer something innitely more sacred than a convenonal ociant. In a burst of creavity inspired by previous baking experience, Laurel also solely dedicated herself to perfecng and creang the wedding cake! The ceremony, hosted at the ruins of The Patapsco Female Instute of Ellico City, a former girls’ school, was the rst of many unconvenonal strides Laurel and Kipyn pioneered for their wedding day. The nearby woods blazed with the rusty golds and cherry reds of Autumn’s arrival; Laurel’s san gown was a striking cobalt blue against the evening’s lucid backdrop. The photographer, and Laurel’s childhood friend, Meghan, captured an exquisite contrast of colour by shoong portraits away from the vibrant ceremony space and, instead, against the Gothic, grey steps of the Instute’s grand entrance. At the end of the ceremony, the photographer captured the hilarious moment when Laurel’s kiss le Kipyn’s mouth in a dark red smear.Although Laurel and Kipyn favoured a non-religious, non-tradional wedding – from waking up together to sharing morning mimosas during hair and makeup – one of their biggest issues was nding wedding are. Wearing formal are was something that the couple wanted to do but when Kipyn decided to wear a suit over a dress, the couple struggled to nd one that highlighted Kipyn’s height and torso length rather than the stereotypical female form showcased in most women’s suits. In the end, the couple bought a men’s suit from a department store and tailored it beaufully to t Kipyn’s frame in a way that was dapper and not overtly feminine.Laurel and Kipyn altered numerous wedding customs to fearlessly achieve a celebraon that was inmate, charming, and long awaited. Fit with elegance for the Romance era, Laurel and Kipyn spoke their vows against Autumn’s crisp evening before moving through dusk to their small-scale recepon at a bistro wine bar. In a testament to their love of music, which connued through high school, into college, and as they reunited many years later, Laurel and Kipyn closed the evening by singing ‘Forget Me Not’ by the Civil Wars.DWH | 78
DWH | 82Accessories Rent the Runway, BHLDN | Bow Tie The Tie Bar (BHLDN) | Ceremony Venue Patapsco Female Instute | Celebrant Katherine Shook Salvage Sisters Weddings, Braided Together Co | Florist Salvage Sisters Weddings | Flower Crown Salvage Sisters Weddings | Gown Ashley Lauren- Deja Vu BoutiqueHair & Makeup Ooh la Lal Hair Salon | Photographer Meghan Watson Photography AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar | Shoes De La Rens, Badgley Mischka Signage Salvage Sisters Weddings Paperless Post | Suit Designer Ralph Lauren |Wedding Rings OroSpot, Market Square Jewelers | Wedding Favours Rock Paper Handmade
CHELSEA & KATIEPHOTOGRAPHY BY SOMEPLACE WILDTULUM, MEXICODWH | 84
CREATIVE COUPLE CHELSEA & KATIE ARE ADVENTURERS AND KNEW THAT A DESTINATION WEDDING WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE.When Kae fell ill and had to play a show later the same night, Chelsea – being a self-proclaimed roadie and housewife – innocently loaded her girlfriend’s drums into the car. What she didn’t expect to nd, however, was a hidden bag with a ring inside; when Kae reached into her pocket mulple mes while driving to make sure the ring was actually there, it was hard for Chelsea to keep her discovery a secret, too.Eventually, the couple arrived at the local bar where they’d rst met as bartender and drummer. In ts of laughing and mind blanks completely habitual to the couple’s dynamic, they confessed their secrets, and a proposal hung in the familiar air. And in the same way Chelsea had bought Kae a glass of whiskey many years ago, the rest was history.As travellers who love swimming, hiking, and hosng house pares on relaxing nights o, Chelsea and Kae gravitated toward their frequent holiday spot as the desnaon for their big day: Tulum, Mexico. Aer scoung various venues with their event stylist, Madeline Sandlin, the couple came across NEST Tulum, a bouque hotel along the Mexican Caribbean coast. Boasng beachfront bungalows, tropical forest walkways and, according to the couple, a steady supply of cocktails, NEST provided a natural, rusc backdrop for the day’s ceremony.Chelsea and Kae fearlessly embraced their unique personal styles when curang their wedding ouits. Whereas Chelsea donned a Meital Zano bohemian gown featuring beads, lace detail, and fringe cape sleeves, Kae opted for a classic, and exceponally sleek, rock and roll Alexander McQueen suit. With Kae’s black hat to oset her white suit, and Chelsea’s golden hair pinned in a side braid, the couple brought to life their enigmac 70s personalies as musician and free spirited traveller.The ceremony was held in the luxe backyards of NEST, with no shortageof tropical ora or loved ones as witnesses when Chelsea and Kae were pronounced wife and wife. Encased by large oral blooms, golden candelabras, and a hanging wicker chandelier, the couple spoke their vows in the relaxed, evening glow of Tulum’s sunset. With white gravel crunching beneath their feet, and so waves lapping at the nearby beach, Chelsea and Kae’s ceremony perfectly encapsulated the couple themselves: laid back, spirited, and completely at home.While Moni Junco provided the abundance of yellow, green and blushing pink oral baskets, event stylist Madeline bedecked the ceremony space with leather poufs, farm chairs and cowhide rugs to showcase the couple’s quirky modern aesthec. In an emoonal and precious gesture, Madeline also dedicated a chair to honour Chelsea’s mother who had passed away four years ago from breast cancer. Chelsea herself, too, had recently undergone a double mastectomy and reconstrucve surgery; luckily, all was healed before the big day.When the ceremony ended, the couple headed to the recepon at their favourite Tulum restaurant, ARCA. Sultry, romanc blooms lined the tables, interspersed with eclecc clusters of candlelight for guests to see the fresh seafood, pasta and roasted vegetables that were served. By Chelsea’s wish, Gothic style chandeliers hung in the trees and over the dance oor, adding to the moody glow of the venue’s dappled lighng . Stylist, Madeline, captured Chelsea & Kae perfectly.Chrisna DeVictor, the photographer, beaufully captured the moment Chelsea and Kae wandered onto the neon white oor to share their rst dance, holding each other under the single, blazing chandelier. Later, the dance oor came alive in retro squares of red, green, and yellow, its purple uorescent beams dancing alongside guests who had trickled in to twirl the newly wedded brides.DWH | 88
DWH | 90Cake Zaida Marcos | Ceremony Venue Nest Tulum | Event planner & Stylist The Finery Bouque | Entertainment Julian Molina | Florist Dos Producers | Gown Meital Zano x Finery | Hair & Makeup Gamaliel Alvarez | Photographer Some Place Wild | Prop or Furniture Hire Archive Tulum Arca Tulum | Shoes ASOS, Free People | Suit Designer Alexander McQueen | Wedding Rings Osborne’s Jewelers, Vintage ring
With Elleni Toumpas PhotographyI am a senmental person, and I feel an immense amount of privilege witnessing and documenng the love I see most weekends while photographing weddings. I have seen so many dierent types of celebraons and so many kinds of people marry each other, and one thing I can take away from experience is that planning a wedding is tough, and if you choose to have a photographer on the day it’s essenal that you get it right. But, how do you book your photographer?Look at a photographer’s website.Does their style suit you? Do you like bright and bubbly? Formal? Candid? Or maybe dark and moody is more your style. Also, don’t forget there are so many dierent wedding photographers out there so if one doesn’t quite have the style you like, feel free to keep looking. It is always best to nd a photographer you love rather than ask a photographer you kind of like to mimic a style you prefer.Meet with them.So you have a couple of photographers whose work pulls at those heartstrings, now reach out and ask if you can meet with them. Remember that on your wedding day you spend more me with your photographer than literally any other vendor on the day - you need to get along! I nd I always like to meet potenal couples too. Everyone needs to have the right vibe, right priories for your wedding day and seriously if you roll your eyes at their jokes then maybe having to put up with them for your whole wedding day might just be a lile painful! Aer meeng with them, you will just know who you will want to hang out with on your day.What package do you need?Again think about your priories! There are so many photographers out there with so many types of packages and most photographers are willing to customise a package for you. I suggest couples take a 10-hour package. Why 10 hours? Well, from experience and the feedback I have had from couples the more me you have up your sleeve, the more me you have to make the day not feel rushed. When the day isn’t rushed, you get to be in the moment with your partner, you’re in touch with the joy and emoons of the day and the good candid photos start to play out. However, you may feel you don’t need 10 hours, parcularly if you are eloping.The most common things people say aer their wedding day is how quickly it all went and how everything is just a blur. And secondly; “Wow, Elleni you are amazing. You were a ninja, you were everywhere and you captured all the moments we missed out on during the day”. Ok maybe I embellish a lile, but my point is it will go fast and if you aren’t present and feeling all the feels you may not get the most out of your day. Aer so much me preparing and the ancipaon of nally becoming each others wife, you don’t want to miss it.With over ve years of photographing celebraons, I have observed all the lile things that can usually get in the way of having a genuinely grounded and relaxed wedding day. Here is a bit of advice for all couples.Firstly, let go! All the wedding planning has been done. You have hired vendors you trust, and they are going to do a kick arse job! Or if you are having a more DIY type celebraon hand over any day before and on the day organisaon to someone you trust. Don’t have anyone come to you on the day to check where things should be or how things should be arranged. Let go of any responsibilies so your mind can just be in the moment.Secondly, let go (again)! Let go of any expectaons. When you let go of what you expect your day to be like you allow yourself to genuinely experience all the ups and downs your day will bring. Did you forget your vows? I have seen this happen! It is okay. It’s the part of the day all guests remember as there was genuine laughter and cheering on from the guests. Thirdly, slow down! This is the key to being as present as you can be on your wedding day. The wedding day is actually a very peculiar beast. You can feel super calm in the morning and then all of a sudden you realise all the small things that are le to be done... and they need to be done now! Time slips away quickly, you hurriedly make your way to the ceremony and before you know it the rollercoaster of emoons spits you out in the calm that is your portraits. You spend a few moments relaxing, laughing and chang with your bridal party and then BAM it is back to the craziness of the recepon. Greeng your guests, chang about the day so far, all guests wanng to congratulate you both, trying to steal a few moments of your me. Before you know it the night is over.Next, allow plenty of me! I always allow a touch more me for every part of the day so that if anything goes wrong (a hairstyle not quite sing right or a buon popping o at an inopportune me) we have plenty of me up our sleeve. If you are ready with a spare 15 – 20 minutes then that is plenty of me to throw together your recepon bag and shoes, sneak a quick champers and have a nervous pee before you head to the ceremony! Including a non-tradional rst look before the ceremony is also another great opon to get a sneaky lile moment with your partner and calm your nerves before the ceremony. The rst look can precede the ocial photoshoot which allows you to let go of the stress of the morning geng ready and have some laughs with your favourite people before heading to your ceremony.And last but not least, stay present during the ceremony! Once the nerves of walking up the aisle and exchanging your giddy smiles with your wife-to-be make sure you take me to look at all your guests and take the me to be present and take in all that is happening around you. I have seen a beauful moment in a recent ceremony where the celebrant invited all the guests and the couple to have a moment of silence just for this. A moment of reecon to take in all that was happening around them. Most of all enjoy your day! It isn’t every day that you get to stand beside the person that you love the most and celebrate that. HOW TO BOOK A PHOTOGRAPHERDWH | 92
HER LISTSOME OF THE VERY BEST WEDDING VENDORSAUSTRALIA | USA | AROUND THE WORLDDWH | 94
JewelleryManiamania signature ceremonial designs hold the ulmate symbolic senment. With a vintage aesthec, using ethically sourced, sustainable and anque diamonds.themaniamania.comDWH | 95Event Hire & StylingBringing dreams to life, Sacred Wilde is a Sunshine Coast based event hire and styling service for the unique and creave bride. There is nothing ordinary about Sacred Wilde’s work. sacredwilde.com.auSignage Always up for a challenge, they love nothing more than a fresh idea. With your imaginaon, and their capabilies, they will make your dream day shine even brighter.sketchandetch.com.auHair and MakeupLawdy Miss Claudy oers special occasion hair and makeup styling that comes straight to your door in their unique vintage glamour van. When you have Lawdy Miss Claudy as your H&MU you’ll be sure to feel special.lawdymissclaudy.com
AUSTRALIADWH | 96Event PlanningWoman and Wife understand that each couple is dierent. Some have dreamt of this day since they could remember. For others, it has just become a reality. Either way we want to help make your day memorable.womanandwifeweddings.comStaoneryEJR Designs, designs unique wedding staonery for the lovers, creang something that reects individual personalies, dierent styles, ideas, nishes and budgets.ejrdesigns.com.auCateringFingers and Bones Catering specialise in creang tailor-made menus to suit your style and budget. Dennis and Leigh are former Jamie Oliver chefs creang fresh and vibrant food - from canapes to sit down feasts.ngersandbones.com.auEvent Hire & StylingJCRC Events and Styling make visible (and possible), what perhaps might not have been seen. Whether you need someone every step of the way, or just on the day they can cover everything, even the blooms!jcrcevents.com
DWH | 97JewelleryChristy Natsumi is an independent jewellery studio in San Francisco, CA. They create eco and socially responsible ne-jewelry to help you celebrate the people and moments you love.christynatsumi.comEvent Hire & StylingThey’re the movers, shakers and cocktail makers. A space for creators and innovators. If you’re aer a wedding space that is out of the ordinary in Salt Lake City, U West is the space.uwestslc.comFloristGoing Steady Studios, a Los Angeles based orist is honoured to create arsc and nature-based oral designs that are as wild and organic as your love. goingsteadystudios.comAreLile Black Tux oers women sophiscated, yet chic, tuxedos that are a perfect combinaon of virility yet feminine that will have women feeling possessed with condence and empowerment.lileblacktux.com
U.S.A.DWH | 98DJ & Live Band CollecveDart is a California and Ausn based bouque DJ and live bandcollecve, specialising in private events and weddings. The experiencewill be something that far surpasses your expectaons.dart-collecve.comVenueHandsome Hollow hosts stylish wedding weekends in a stunningcenturies old barn. The secluded property is 93 acres of prisnewilderness in the Catskills, New York.handsomehollow.comFloristSolabee is a oral studio and carefully curated plant shop providingfresh, unique botanical treasures in Portland, Oregon. They ulise theirbest local resources and allow the seasons to help guide their designs.solabeeflowers.comWedding PlannerThey promise to meculously organise every last detail. Whether you’vebeen dreaming about a wedding with 40 guests or 400, Cherry BlossomPlanning Factory will help you get through it, one spreadsheet at a me .cherryblossomplanningfactory.com
DWH | 99FloristKaye Fleur is a Canada based oral arst and visual storyteller whospecializes in inmate weddings. Kaye is best known for the use oftexture and incorporang vibrancy in her oral creaons.kayeeur.comTipi HireHandmade from solid wood and canvas, pi tents oer a magical andvisually stunning space to any wedding big or small. Delivered rightacross the beauful South Island of New Zealand.gatherandgoldpis.co.nzStaoneryWith adoraon for beauful design, delicate illustraon and qualitypapers, Smien With Love cras hearelt bespoke and semi-customwedding staonery.smienwithlove.comCateringYour wedding is the most important and memorable day of your life.Humdingers Catering & Events, are more than happy to not only caterfor your big day, but remove the stress completely.humdingers.org.uk
AROUND THE WORLDDWH | 100StaoneryThey specialise in bespoke and custom wedding staonery and eachand every one of their designs has been meculously craed to besomething you will cherish forever.thenoteur.co.ukPhotographyShe’s happiest when she has her camera in her hand and feels incrediblylucky to have a job she loves so much. Agata’s style is candid andjournalisc, and she loves to capture the experience and the emoon.agatajensen.comEvent Hire and StylingA carefully curated collecon of some of the nest event styling objects.Whether it’s vintage crystal, modern gold cutlery or elaborate oralarrangements, A Table Story can cater to it all.atablestory.dkPhotographyPhotography; it’s the only language Leila knows, the way she sees theworld and all the small things that make every day so incredible. She isalways looking for raw emoons, true magic and moments in between.leilascaro.com
A SPECIAL THANKSThey say it takes a community to raise a child, well Dancing With Her Magazine also couldn’t have been builtwithout a network of amazing people who have given us their me and experse. This list isn’t exhausve, but itis those who directly contributed in bringing this second volume of Dancing With Her Magazine to life.SMITH AND ARCHERsmithandarcher.comMARNIE HAWSON WEDDINGSmarniehawsonweddings.com.auSINGRID PETERSEN PHOTOGRAPHYsigridpetersenphotography.com.auTHE WANDERERSthewanderers.comKYMBERLIE DOZOISkymberliedozois.comLEILA SCARFIOTTIleliascaro.comMEGHAN WATSON PHOTOGRAPHYfacebook.com/meghanwatsonphotoSOMEPLACE WILDsomeplacewild.comELLENI TOUMPAS PHOTOGRAPHY ellenitoumpas.com.au
MINUS Yminusy.com.auPREOWNED WEDDING DRESSESpreownedweddingdresses.comTAHNEE JADE PHOTOGRAPHYtahneejadephotography.comALANA TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHYalanataylorphoto.comAZURE ANTOINETTEazureantoinee.comDWH | 102
HONEYMOONA COLLECTION OF VERY UNIQUE HONEYMOONOPTIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLDDWH | 104
DWH | 105SOMETHING TO CARRY IT ALLParadise Structures from $66.00 – A collaboraon between two sisters, is there any other way to let everyone know you’re on holiday than with a bag that says it all? Each design is unique in colour, so best be quick if there is one that you love. Boutonne from $300 – The perfect size for the weekend. Boutonne’s bags are handcraed in San Diego and are luxe. Their also guaranteed to be industrial strenght so they will last the miles, and be worth every penny. Tony Bianco from $149.95 – Vegan brown leather goodness, we love that it’s the perfect size to take on board your honeymoon ight as carry on. John Brookes from $79.00 – His brand, Looming, is a collecon of women texles to create bags that are truly unique (and a work of art). It’s the perfect size for everything you’ll need for the day.from $89.95 – Designed in Byron Bay, Stch and Hide have bags of all shapes and sizes for any honemoon. SOMETHING TO DRINK FROMBlack Blum from $49.95 – Hand blown glass boles with a sck of charcoal inside that will keep the baddies out and you hyrdrated. Bellabeat from $129.95 – A baery operated water bole? I know, it sounds crazy but this bole is genuis. It tracks your water intake and if it’s been a lile while since your last sip you’ll get a reminder on your phone. We told you, genius. S’Well from $49.95 – Stainless steel boles that aren’t too big, instead the perfect size. There is also so many dierent designs to choose from. Our favourite, Milky Way and their stone collecon. Built NY from $29.95 – Insulated stainless steel boles that are the most beauful shades of pastle. Toxin and BPA free, they’ll keep your drinks cool for up to 12 hours. Vitajuwel from $129 – Crystal infused glass boles. Depending on the crystal, each bole is infused with dierent minerals. There’s also a rose quartz ‘Love Water’ that features the universal stone of love. SOMETHING TO JOURNAL INLucky 44 from $12.95 – We know you’ll love the black and white stripe as much as we do! If something this bold isn’t your avour, there’s plenty of other more subtle cover designs on oer. Kami Paper from $39.95 – They’re almost Japanese in inuence, each journal is customised to each customer and lled with handmade papers. The Journal Shop from $29.95 – Simple journals, with a huge selecon of covers. They even come with their very own pen so you can get started straight away. Octaevo from $19.95 – Bold coloured journals that come in packs of three but aren’t bulky at all; meaning there is no excuse to miss jong down every day. from $10 – Blushing Confe has some of the most adorable mini journals that will t in any (or all) your bags. There’s certainly lots of colour choices if you’re looking for something a lile dierent. It’s staonery with a hint of cheeky charm.
SOMETHING TO READMindfully Wed $29.95 – If a wedding day that is purposeful and leaves a minimal mark on the earth is something that’s important to you, this is the book with all the ps. It’s also an e-book, so extra light travelling when you pop it on your tablet. The Broad City Colouring Book $14.95 – If you thought the days of the adult colouring book were over, you were wrong! It’s kaleidoscopic, playful and we love it!Filmme Fatales $16.00 – A bold quarterly risograph zine where lm and feminism intersect. It’s Melbourne made and Internaonally read. $28.00 – An illustrated book that showcases a selecon of works that really communicate the shi in gender and sexual idenes, and how that has been conveyed through art. WILD Adventure Cookbook $69.95 – Chef Sarah Glover takes the ordinary cookbook to a whole new level. It breaks all the rules around what you thought you knew about cooking. SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO RuPaul: What’s The Tee? Like the rest of the world, we’re on the Drag Race bandwagon, Covergirl. If you’d love to hang out with Mama Ru and hear all the secrets, this is the podcast! Black Girls Talking These four amazing women discuss it all, including everything we’re all thinking but aren’t saying aloud. It’s provocave and feminist and totally refreshing. My Favourite Murder It’s not your typical murder podcast, it’s like sing at the table with hosts, Georgia and Karen, who are comedians, talking over the actual crime. If you’re not already a ‘murderino’, get on to it! Nancy Best friends, Kathy and Tobin, talk about issues that are important to the LGBTQ+ community. They share their own coming out stories and the intersecons between their sexuality and their cultural backgrounds and encourage others to do the same. Ladies Who Lunch Sit at lunch with Ingrid Nilsen and Cat Valdes and join conversaons around sex, relaonships and life’s dilemmas, usually with a bit of a laugh.SOMETHING TO BROWSEFrances Cannon @frances_cannon – A bold and beauful feminist arst that uses simple line drawings to convey powerful messages about self-love.Pink Bits @pink_bits – Colourful illustraons that always make our day. Pink Bits is inspired by, and celebrates, women in all their glory, illustrang all the bits we are told to hide. Foster Moms @fostermoms – This family is incredibly inspiring, two moms with their three adopted children. While their imagery is beauful, it’s their capons that will ll your heart. Where Love Is Illegal @whereloveisillegal – While we love celebrang love, the reality is that not everywhere in the world is a space where it’s free to love. These are the stories of survival from around the world. Dirty Boots and Messy Hair @dirtybootsandmessyhair – Because honestly, is there such thing as too much wedding inspiraon?! These are some of the most beauful wild weddings of adventurous souls. DWH | 106TRAVEL WELL
It certainly isn’t one of those ‘hidden gems’ that some people love to escape to, but Tulum, Mexico, is a beachside paradise that you might not have heard about, but certainly need to! It’ll be a lile strange when you arrive. Tulum is set out in three parts; the central town – which is actually around 20 minutes from the white beaches, Beach Road North – where you’ll nd all the resort style accommodaon and world-class restaurants and Beach Road South – the more ‘relaxed’ part of Tulum with plenty of yoga, vegetarian and shopping bouques. Mexico is a relavely inclusive country with most states having laws that both protect and advance the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Tulum, in parcular, is a place that is diverse and inclusive and although there aren’t spaces that are dedicated to the community it’s really not necessary, the community is welcome everywhere. GETTING THEREYou’ll need to y into Cancun Internaonal Airport and either jump on a bus or have a private transfer organised, usually, you can do this through your hotel, and head 90 minutes south. If you’re feeling extra adventurous there are opons to y a charter ight from Cancun to Tulum, but these are generally fairly expensive. Most hotels include free bicycle hire, and that’s the best way to make your way around during your honeymoon. If things are a lile further away, jump in a cab – we wouldn’t recommend you hire a car, truth be told, you just won’t get the use out of it!
WHAT TO DOYou must visit the township of Tulum, it runs along the Highway, and it’s where you’ll nd all your amenies. If you’re looking to save a few dollars, everything is cheaper in the town. No trip to Tulum would be complete without a stop along the 20kms of prisne, white sanded beaches. Whether you’re spending me in the cabanas or eang in the world-class restaurants (trust us, where there are plenty of expats, there is plenty of delicious food, Hartwood & Gitano is a must) the beach is where you’ll spend most of your me. The most visited aracon is the archaeological Maya ruins – just try and get yourself there early to avoid the hoards of tourists. Lastly, if you haven’t heard of a cenote (don’t worry, we hadn’t either!), they’re natural sinkholes and they’re not to be missed - it’s one of those ‘once in a lifeme’ opportunies.WHERE TO STAYWhether it’s in the hustle of the small town or something more relaxed along the beach, Tulum has it all. Here are a few of our favourite spots to check out. – Casa Sama Kiik is just 10 minutes from the beach and is a modern eco-friendly studio that is quite luxurious for something that’s a lile cheaper. Casa Nomadica is, even more, budget-friendly, but, it’s a bit further from the beach. It is closer to the town amenies – think hammocks and days beds & a lile plunge pool in every private courtyard. Prices start from around $80USD per night– Live Tulum is a more authenc take on a tradional Mexican hotel. If you love the history and culture of the places you travel to, you’ll love the design & artwork here. Papaya Playa Project is a lile dierent, cocooned by the jungle on a prisne stretch of the Caribbean coast. It’s a communal playground for a creave community. If you love nature, you’ll leave here feeling connected. The team behind the project value connecon to our earth and it’s conveyed through all they do. Prices start from around $250USD per nightGoing all out – Sanara Tulum is the eco-bouque hotel of choice if budget isn’t something you need to worry about. Think private balconies, luxurious bathrooms, daybeds and beachfront relaxing. I know what you’re thinking, we’ll meet you poolside. Casa Malca is eclecc and unusual, luxurious and colourful, and has oor to ceiling windows that open onto a breathtaking view of those gorgeous Tulum beaches. Prices start from around $650USD per nightTULUM, MEXICODWH | 108
DWH | 109SATELLITE ISLAND, AUSTRALIAIn the south of Tasmania lies a ny island of untouched beauty. It’s impossible to describe what it’s like to stay on your own private island. Wake up looking out to a view of innite possibilies. There’s the opportunity to swim in the prisne waters, relaxing with a book to the sound of the ocean waves, to sh together o the jey or shuck the world’s freshest oysters – you will nd yourselves never wanng to leave. If you do, Bruny Island is close by and is lled with gourmet produce, wineries and stunning scenery. AMANGIRI, UNITED STATES Amangiri is the ‘peaceful mountain’; a remote hideaway tucked into the canyons of Utah. This ve-star resort is both perfect for those who are looking for a more peaceful stay, or something that’s a lile more adventure lled. It’s architecturally designed to complement the raw and natural surroundings, think natural hues and materials. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s painng in the canyons, kayaking, horseback riding or you could organise an early morning hot air balloon ride – an absolutely unforgeable experience.FOGO ISLAND INN, CANADAEspecially incredible in winter, surrounded by snow, Fogo Island Inn is a social enterprise and a community asset. If giving back is important to you, all prots made by the Inn are reinvested back into the community through iniaves of Shorefast, helping secure a resilient cultural and economic future for Fogo Island. Suites are a modern take on the tradional design of the Newfoundland. The architecture is bold and disnct, and in its own way respects the history of Canadas largest oshore island. Honestly, the whole hotel is a work of art. ANNANDALE, NEW ZEALANDWhen you’re promised privacy and the smell of fresh air, it’s hard not to be impressed. This historic farm is far from outdated even if they’re sing on a landscape that is thousands of years old. Its 21st-century luxe set amid a backdrop that will take your breath away. Villas are enrely private, if you want me completely to yourselves, you have all the opportunity. The crown jewel of the collecon of residences on the property is the Seascape, an ultra-modern retreat set on a black-pebbled beach – it’s easily one of New Zealand’s most romanc escapes.
DWH | 110KUDHVA, UNITED KINGDOMAn architectural hideout that is totally o-grid, you’ll feel like you’re a part of the treetops that surround you, sleeping in the wild. There’s two opons, the Kadhva or a tree tent; one a structure that sits neatly in its surrounds, the other hanging gently between rocks. It’s an opportunity to escape the elements and be totally immersed in the natural environment, lightly cradled by the world. Leave your technology behind, switch o and go back to basics. It’s just you, your partner and the nature that surrounds you. LEOBO PRIVATE RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICAIf you’re heading to South Africa, you might as well check-in to one of the most exceponal safari houses in Africa. Leobo is more than just a space that has style and architecture that is award-winning, it’s an experience. Accommodaon is exclusive, and the team will make you completely at home. While it’s not an opon for those who have a budget, there’s a helicopter at your disposal – with the choice to skydive out if you need an adrenaline x, an innity pool and a Michelin-starred chef to make sure that you won’t go hungry.AMANOI, VIETNAMThis tranquil and tradional, elegant and delicate beachside resort is an unforgeable experience. On arrival, your breath will be taken away by a full bank of stairs to the central pavilion where you’ll be greeted by panoramic views of the ocean and the coastline. It also happens to be one of Vietnam’s most signicant nature conservaon sites; a meditave retreat on the Nui Chua Naonal Park. You’ll be surrounded by rolling, evergreen hills, far from the hustle and bustle that you’d typically associate with a visit to Vietnam.ANANDA, INDIAIf a spiritual connecon is more your style, Ananda will connect the body, mind and soul. Its suites are classical in elegance, almost majesc. It’s undoubtedly award-winning for a reason, surrounded by forests Ananda overlooks the spiritual side of Rishikesh and Ganges River Valley and is home to one of India’s most luxurious ayurvedic retreats. It’s a honeymoon desnaon that has the opportunity to restore balance and harmonise the energy between you both aer the stress of the wedding day through yoga, wellness and organic cuisine.
DWH | 111THE PALMWOOD, HAWAIISet on a private 5-acre estate, The Palmwood plays host to a romanc escape, a tranquil retreat and a secluded bed and breakfast. The space is well thought out, inspired by the hills of Japan. Furniture was handcraed in Australia especially for the project. Nestled amongst the rolling green hills of Moloa’a it’s a place that is a lile less known, away from the tourists and the crowds. Although it’s tucked away from the main cies, it’s the perfect spot to base yourself and be able to explore the rest of what the island has to oer.SO BERLIN DAS STUE HOTEL, GERMANYBerlin isn’t known for its luxury bouque hotels. In fact, Das Stue Hotel is one of the rst! Art and sculptures adorn the spaces, a blend of tradional architecture meets something that’s a lile more modern. The high ceilings are a standout feature (we also secretly love the bathtub in the middle of the room). Das Stue is located right in the centre of Germany’s capital; you’ll be close to everything. It’s nestled in the lush Tiergarten Park, and adjacent to the Berlin Zoo, a must-see for every animal lover.MIMOSA, GREECEIt’s been around for quite a while, and there’s a reason it’s remained a rm favourite for those coming back to Greece. It’s close to the beach, and a twenty-minute walk to the bar scene if that’s more your style. Mimosa is set back o the main street so while there is an essence of privacy, however, sll close the centre of the township – hello Greek restaurants for every meal! Inside the villas, you’ll nd an interior that is precisely what you’d expect from a tradional, charming Greek holiday villa.MALLIOUHANA, CARIBBEAN It’s the leader in luxury, an icon of the Caribbean for the last 30 years. The Malliouhana is posioned atop a panorama of the Caribbean, the blu and the white sands of Meads Bay and Turtle Cove beaches, and it will take your breath away. If immersing yourself in your surroundings is something that interests you, borrow a snorkel and head out to sea – the reefs are stunning, and you might be lucky enough to spot a sea turtle. If you’re wanted to relax and unwind, Malliouhana plays host to its own luxury and private spa, get pampered!
DWH | 112HOTEL SANTA TERESA RIO MGALLERY, RIO DE JANEIRO Inside a historic building that dates back to 1850 is the urban retreat of Hotel Santa Teresa Rio MGallery by Sotel . It’s posioned perfectly, with easy access to Rio de Janeiro and a few of the main tourist aracons and sights. There really isn’t a shortage of things to see in Rio. We’d certainly suggest heading up the lookout to really soak it all in and then down to the beaches to see all that goes on in this party hub! If you’re looking for a place to relax and unwind, the on-site spa resort is luxe and the Brazilian hospitality will have you feeling refreshed in no me. VILLA PALMIER, FRENCH WEST INDIESIs there anything more romanc than a small, secluded island in the Caribbean Sea? The white sand beneath your toes, sea breeze owing through your private villa, palm trees rustling in the wind, fresh sh and warm croissants for breakfast – it’s paradise. The laid-back French culture of the French West Indies is inving, and with 22 stunning beaches surrounding the villa, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Its style is modern and organic and there isn’t a single busy road or skyrise in sight; it immediately invokes a sense of serenity. HALCYON HOUSESet on its own slice of Cabarita Beach, also known as paradise in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Halcyon House is lled with bold interiors yet has a carefree feel. You’ll instantly fall into holiday mode. It’s the perfect place to bury your nose in a book beside some of Australia’s most beauful coastlines, laze about by its picture-perfect pool or head downstairs to it’s onsite, award-winning restaurant, Paper Daisy, to grab the house cocktail and soak in the atmosphere. If you haven’t planned the wedding yet, Halycyon House is also perfect for elopements. HOTEL ARTS BARCELONA, SPAINAlthough it’s almost 20 years old, Hotel Arts’ unique design was the pioneer in the revoluon of the city’s urban landscape. Hotel Arts is now a landmark hotel in Barcelona, an unmistakable icon – but it’s not the only reason it’s incredible. It is centrally located, close to all of the culture that Barcelona has to oer and most rooms have a spectacular view of the Mediterranean. Forget the outdated honeymoon suite, the penthouse is a hotel within a hotel, you’ll even get your own Mini Cooper to use for the duraon of your stay!
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Le LLGBTQI+ WEDDING FESTIVALloveweddingfestival.com.au/love-is-loveFRIDAY, 20th APRIL | 5pm - 10pm | THE COMMUNE, SURRY HILLS, SYDNEYBROUGHT TO YOU BYLthe wedding fesvalPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY: BEC ESSERY PHOTOGRAPHER