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An Engagement Party turned Secret Wedding Reception

An Engagement Party turned Secret Wedding Reception

James White Photography captured this gorgeous lesbian gay wedding in Orange NSW Australia (1)

We decided to have a small intimate wedding ceremony before arriving at our ‘engagement party’ – which, unknowing to our guests, was our wedding reception.

We have ‘officially’ been together for two and half years. We met when Nikki was six years old and Roxy was fourteen. Roxy was Nikki’s karate coach. We lost touch when Roxy was eighteen and left the dojo to have a baby. Ten years later, we sat together at a mutual friend’s engagement party, where we kicked off where we left. And the rest is history.

Tell us about the proposal.

Nikki proposed to Roxy on a local mountain called Mt Canobolas (dormant volcano), where we shared our favorite Asian fusion cuisine takeaway in a styled boot picnic where we watched the sunset, shared some champagne, and listened to our favorite music. The mountain is special to Roxy as her late grandfather worked on the tele transmitter tower located on the mountain. So with the help of Roxy’s sister and best friend, Nikki arranged for them to hide in the bushes and capture it as it unfolded. We finished the night with a dessert box.

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

We had no rings until the week before the wedding as our jeweler forgot to make Nikki’s engagement ring which was pre-ordered six months in advance, and remembered to do it when we went and ordered our wedding bands.

Roxy spent hours creating a fully coloured and timed schedule for everyone that had important involvement in the day. Including emailing said schedule to Nikki the night before so she wasn’t late for anything and knew exactly where she had to be at what time and who would be there to meet her.

We were undergoing our first IVF IUI treatment during the lead-up to our wedding. The night before the wedding, Nikki was to have an injection at precisely 11 pm. The liquid came out of the top when giving the injection, and the injection was not effectively administered. We had to call our emergency helpline to receive advice on what we had to do next before the insemination date, which was the day after our wedding. We attended the blood bank for an unplanned blood test first thing wedding morning. Everything was fine, and we attended our insemination appointment on Saturday with no issues.

Talk us through your wedding day.

We stayed together the night before the wedding. The morning of, we got a coffee at our local watering hole, followed by an important blood test and then a visit to Nikki’s best friend, who unfortunately couldn’t make the ceremony due to an important pre-natal appointment for her high-risk pregnancy. After the morning visit, Roxy attended her hair and make-up appointment at Haley’s studio, and Nikki went and met her dad and brothers to prep the wedding cars for the day and get them ready.

After Roxy’s hair and make-up, she went to her parent’s house, where she got ready for the ceremony. Nikki went to her mum’s house, where she prepared and suited up for the ceremony. James, our photographer, went from house to house where he got his portrait shots.

Nikki and the ceremony guests met at Nikki’s family property, where they were assigned their wedding car for the journey to the ceremony destination. Nikki and the guests left for the ceremony destination. Roxy and her parents followed not long after once they collected their wedding vehicle.

Nikki’s dad walked her down the aisle first at the ceremony, where she awaited Roxy’s arrival. Roxy’s parents walked her halfway down the aisle, handing her off to Roxy’s son Reagan who walked her the remaining way. We both did handwritten vows to each other, witnessed by our immediate family and close friends, before having a quick bite to eat, celebratory drink and family photos.

Following the ceremony, we did an exclusive four-hour photoshoot with just the two of us. We then did a surprise entry to our planned “engagement party,” where the remainder of our family and friends unknowingly were waiting at our wedding reception. We did our surprise reveal that we got married, shared many a drink and woodfire pizza, and danced the night away.

The only formality was our first dance which we did after we arrived. Our cake was Krispy Kreme donuts, and we captured the night with a flower wall for photos with polaroid cameras.

Advice for other couples planning a smaller wedding?

Do not invite people you do not want there, even under pressure from family. Remember, the day is about you two and what you want, and picture your day to be. Don’t feel pressured to be traditional by any means.

Choose vendors that align with your morals and vibe with your personality. Your vendors have a huge impact on your day.

Do an engagement shoot with your photographer to get a feel of how it works, especially if you’re not comfortable in front of the camera.

Make sure you arrange a nibble of food throughout the day because before you know it, your day is over, and you are starving!

Don’t waste money on little things that go unnoticed.

Most of all, just be you and do you. Forget about anyone else.


Photography & Cinematography by James White Photography

Accessories Black and Bloom
Celebrant Say Yes with Tess
Decorative Elements Luxe Events by Jess
Desserts Krispy Kreme
Dress Boutique Still White
Dress Designer Karen Willis Holmes
Engagement & Wedding Rings Jacque Fine Jewellery
Entertainment Shelby Music
Florist Flowers Forever After
H&MU Haley Jean
Reception Venue Parrot Distilling Co
Shoes Steve Madden/Keds v Kate Spade, Habbot Shoes
Signage & Stationery Vista Print
Suit Designer Bentex Suits

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