This intimate wedding in Fox & Wildling Studio tucked away in Maylands, five minutes from Perth CBD in Western Australia, incorporated elements of a traditional wedding and elopement all in one, and was the dream day for bride Kate and groom Adam.
A visit from Kate's grandma from the USA over the Christmas and New Year holiday season prompted her to secretly plan their wedding day, under the guise of having a family photo shoot in this delightful federation style studio.
Sally Casotti, the owner of Fox & Wildling Photography, was beyond excited to have the first wedding in the studio she set up in 2023 purposefully for weddings, elopements, and family and baby portraits in 2023. The studio is designed to create spectacular images and video that depict individual stories by utilising the space's breath-taking natural light and historical charm.
The Atelier Room was where Kate put her wedding gown on with the help of her mum, and touched up her and make-up she'd had done earlier in the day.
With the windows, sheer drapes, neutral colour scheme and natural light, it was a peaceful and beautiful setting for Kate to get ready, take some time to relax on the chaise lounge and share special moments with her mum, before making her entrance.
Adam waited nervously but patiently with their son in the The Woodrow, which is the heart of the studio, and where their ceremony took place. With wooden floorboards and antique furniture, an old sewing machine table for signing the marriage certificates, and a piano in the corner (in case anyone wanted to tickle the ivories), their families seated themselves, offering words of encouragement to the groom.
The beaming smile on Kate's face said it all as she walked in the room, and with music playing that she'd chosen especially for that moment. The excitement and thrill that all her 'behind the scenes planning' had brought her and Adam's wedding day dream to a reality suddenly hit her and it was a beautiful moment to witness.
Their ceremony by Anne Miller, the celebrant who organised and coordinated the day for Kate and Adam, took place in front of the mirrored over-mantle of the fireplace. Vows expressing their love were shared, rings exchanged, along with laughter and smiles from their loved ones. Both grandmas were crying happy tears, as a day they weren't expecting to share, unfolded before their eyes.
And then the moment Adam and Kate had waited for, the kiss as they were pronounced Husband and Wife, and the next exciting chapter of their love story as Mr and Mrs began.
One of the biggest delights for me on this day as a marriage celebrant was, because it was an intimate wedding there was zero timeline stress, and the entire moment was so go with the flow and relaxed. Sally unobtrusively slipped around the room taking photos before and during the ceremony, and then gathered everyone together for the family photos that had lured them all out that day in January.
Intimate weddings are just the best in my opinion. I see so much joy, peace, and love on days like this one because they have the space to focus on it! The rush of big weddings and all the moving parts can create more room for stress instead of peace, and I think that can take away from the meaning of a wedding day.
So if you're about to start planning your special day, consider how you really want it to be. Try not to get caught up in the pressures and extravagance of having a 'big white wedding' if that doesn't feel right to you. Elope like Kate and Adam did, and make your day one that you'll look back on and smile.
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