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Alicia & Donna-a perfect wedding full of unique touches

Alicia & Donna-a perfect wedding full of unique touches

Lee Griffith photography vintage lesbian gay same-sex wedding marriage Western Australian Dancing With Her online magazine

Alicia and Donna opted for a small and simple wedding at the Gardens at Bullimah in Western Australia, full of personal and unique touches. Lace parasols, wooden wedding rings, funky shoes and their closest people, created their perfect day.

Tell us a little about yourselves and the things you love to do?

Alicia and Donna have been together for three years and met on Tinder. Alicia is a social worker, and Donna is an occupational therapist. They have two amazing boys (6&9) from a previous relationship. As a family, they love spending time outdoors, skateboarding, hiking, camping, time at the beach, reading and movie nights at home.

 Aside from your wedding, what is another memory that brings back the feels?

There are so many! We went on a somewhat impromptu trip to Melbourne at the start of 2019, which was great fun! That holiday is even more significant because we haven’t been able to travel far since, due to COVID. Alicia’s proposal is another strong highlight! But, simple nights at home watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Grey’s Anatomy together and drinking port are also really special to us.

Tell us about Alicia’s proposal!

Alicia organised a date day to Bells Rapids in August last year. It was a special place that we visited on one of our very first dates. We went early so Alicia could take some photographs and then indulged in a picnic brunch. Then she read me a letter that she had written, which was beautiful and sweet, finishing by asking if I would marry her. I cried and said yes! I had initiated all of our ‘firsts’ throughout our relationship, so I was blown away when she proposed and was very surprised, but completely ecstatic. She proposed with a ring which is made from recycled skateboards, and I use it as my wedding band. Alicia’s ring is also wooden, and hers is made from recycled whisky barrels.

Any stories from the lead-up to the wedding stressful or funny?

Everything came together so perfectly! We had a very intimate ceremony which I think helped, and were blessed with so many great vendors, who made it perfect.

We bought parasols online from a Melbourne store as we couldn’t get any in Perth, and paid to have them express shipped to arrive in time. It seemed like a lot to spend on umbrellas, but the photos we got with them are among our favourites!

Alicia wore her Nana’s wedding dress. A few years before, she had found it when cleaning out her Nana’s house. She tried it on and decided she wanted to wear it herself. After we got engaged, she pulled it out and luckily the lace over-piece was in pristine condition. Unfortunately, the satin underdress wasn’t, with some stains and a lot of missing beads. We finally found a dry cleaner who would attempt to clean it, and it came out beautiful! As for the beads, we found some replacements! I ended up sewing on 158 beads by hand. It was worth it to see how happy and beautiful Alicia looked. 

Talk us through your wedding day.

We had our hair and makeup done on Wednesday afternoon and then had our couple photos done that evening, as the sun went down. After a week of overcast and rainy days, we were met with a beautiful balmy evening. This made for some absolutely stunning shots. The next morning we did our hair and makeup again, and got married in front of our closest family, just before midday.

After some family photos, we had a lovely long lunch where we could move around our guests and spend time sitting and talking to everyone. Our venue, The Gardens at Bullimah, is stunning and is run by the most lovely, welcoming people you could ever imagine. They made our whole day there, so exceptional. 

Any advice for other couples planning a small wedding?

Absolutely do it, if that is what you want. It also helps to go away for it. Being five hours away made it easier to tell our extended family that they weren’t invited! We also had a party the following weekend at home and invited everyone to come and celebrate with us. We found that was a lovely way of including everyone, but still having the wedding day that we wanted.


Photography by Lee Griffith

Accessories Aussie Ties, Tree Town Paper
Cake
Cakery Road
Catering
Rune Foods
Celebrant
Bridget Williams-Stephen
Florist
Vintage Violet
Hair
Tonys Hair and Skincare
Makeup Carissa Phillis Makeup
Page Boy Outfits
Suitlab
Parasols
Care You Wedding & Homeware
Planner & Stylist
Emily at The Gardens at Bullimah
Shoes Rollie, Georgie’s Bridal Shoes
Suit Designer
Sumissura
Venue
The Gardens at Bullimah
Wedding Rings
Spirit Workshop, Ring and Grove Co

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