I told you in the previous post that I attended my cousin’s wedding in Canberra. You saw the pictures from the days before the big day. Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for!

Ok so I told you that their wedding was so unique it was the most eco-friendly, beautiful and original weddings I’ve ever attended-and I’ve attended almost 100 weddings in my time (not counting my own). Theirs surpassed the rest in individuality and class, despite being on a relatively low budget. It was held at Poacher’s Pantry who serves the BEST apple crumble. I would have eaten all the left-overs if I had zero dignity.

Here goes the list of their unique features:

1. The handsome groom rode down the aisle on a borrowed blue bicycle. He continued to do a few spins to amuse the crowd whilst everyone waited for the beautiful bride to arrive.

2. The bride walked down the aisle after 2 bridesmaids (Jamie and I) with the music , not traditional at all, but sweet and sentimental nonetheless.

3. Unlike most brides who spend heaps on a dress they will only wear once in their lives, the bride bought a white silk dress from BCBG Max Azria, a beautiful strapless number, so that she can wear it again.

4. The flower that was central to their wedding was the humble ‘thistle’. The young emerging designer in Canberra who handcrafted these brooches which the bridal party wore as brooches and hairpieces said that she likes thistles because we are all like thistles. We all have faults but those people who still love and adore us despite our imperfections are worth cherishing…

5. These brooches served as botton holes for the men. Traditionally fresh flowers like roses are used, but they eventually will wilt but these never will – a longer-lasting momento! So clever!

6. Alan and Karen from Finessence Photography are amazing. They somehow glamed up an old car shed into the perfect wedding day backdrop! Talk about the epitome of recycling chic!

7. When Jamie (the other bridesmaid- an extraordinary lady with both hair and makeup talents, she is responsible for the bride’s stunning looks on the day) and I found out that we had to wear a sheer grey dress for the wedding, we originally shuddered at the idea but the pictures turned out ok, thank the Lord. I was really stoked to be able to wear my beloved green Miss Sixty braided heels, they remind me of the good old days…

Here’s a shot of the shoot! I’ve never seen another photographer perform gymnastics at the same time as photo-taking!

8. As you can see there’s not a cloud in the sky. That is the result of prayers. The weather forecast predicted lots of rain for the wedding day. It had rained the day before and actually rained REALLY heavily the next day (so much that our flight back to Melbourne was delayed by 6 hours thanks to the thunderstorms and lightning) But due to God’s grace, the sun shone and the winds parted. The day was so beautiful and the grass was greener because it had rained the day before. The hay-fever-sufferers didn’t enjoy the increase in pollen count…but the tears in their eyes said it all.

9. And did you notice that the lads all had CONVERSE SNEAKERS on? I really love the dove grey shoes they’re sporting -the groom and groomsmen were certainly happy to stand on their feet all day. I love this photo! Can’t believe the grooms is wearing yellow socks- so cute!

10. Another unique feature of this wedding, aside from the grooms’ brother composing a song for the love birds and all the cupcakes the bride had baked herself for all the guests at the dinner… was the tablesetting! The tables all included those flower jars from the previous post as well as coloured crayons and pencils. The wedding invite, dinner menu and the place-mats were all made from brown recycled paper. The bride and groom had drawn a fork, a knife and a plate for the place-mat which served as a backdrop for creative guests to express their artistic talents on. At the end of the day, the winning entry got a prize. Guess who won?

All the entries were anonymous but my talented mother-in-law won the place-mat drawing competition! After all she is a Central St Martins graduate!

The back of the bridal party, and the bike.

As we extend our hands to each other, I praise God for such a beautifully planned wedding, the wonderful weather, and a loving couple who has committed their lives to each other for all the rest of their days. A good marriage is not dependent on how much money one spends on their wedding. And a good wedding is not necessarily dependent on a big budget. I felt so blessed to be part of their big day which I have started calling ‘the best wedding I’ve attended all year’ and I wish them love, peace and joy for all the days of their lives.