In terms of wedding trends, in recent years nuptials have become less formal and more casual, with flower headbands, flowing dresses and DIY table decorations common.
Now one Australian couple has enjoyed what might be one of the most beautifully bohemian weddings ever, at Nelson’s Bay in Sydney.
Annie and Paul Lemaire-Brooks were married on March 16 2016, in a distinct wedding that featured a kombi van, sunflowers, and Paul Kelly lyrics.
Annie and Paul Lemaire-Brooks (pictured) were married in a unique wedding in Sydney
The couple had a boho beach wedding that was very casual and included posing with their drinks in photos
Annie’s bridesmaid Peta (far right) did all the flower arrangements for the wedding
The couple, who are now 31 and 30 respectively, met 11 years go in Sheffield, Paul’s hometown.
It was, Annie told Daily Mai Australia, a ‘Hollywood moment’ that seemed almost to good to be true.
‘I was only there for one night,’ she explained. ‘I was with my friend in town and it started snowing, and being from Bondi Beach I had never seen the snow fall from the sky.’
‘So we went into the pub for a pint because I could hear them playing ACDC.’
The female bartender in the pub convinced Annie and her friend to come back later, as they had a band playing. When she visited later that night, there Paul was.
‘The first thing I said to him was ‘”Can you turn the heating on, I’m freezing!”‘ Annie laughed. ‘He said there’s no heating so that he would make my Jack Daniels a double.’
I sat down but then I saw him climbing over the tables to shut all the windows. This lanky punk guy with a Mohawk and paratrooper boots was climbing on the tables for me, which I thought was sweet.’
Annie and Paul met 11 years ago in Paul’s hometown of Sheffield, so they wanted their wedding to combine Australian and English aspects
They also had special touches, like a photo of Annie’s dad (right) who passed away before the wedding
Annie paired her lace dress with boho touches like anklets and a yellow garter
Annie was only in town for that night. But she loved the pub so much she joked she would move there. And three months later, after travelling, she did.
‘I found the pub randomly one day after a shift at work,’ she explained. ‘I walked in and there was Paul.’
‘We started dating and then we moved in together two weeks later.’
The couple moved to Australia, where they spent five years living in Sydney, before relocating back to the UK and settling in London.
Annie said that she and Paul were instantly drawn to one another
After meeting at the pub, Annie moved to Sheffield and the pair started dating
The wedding venue was at Nelson’s Park in Sydney (pictured), where Annie used to swim as a child
When it came to planning their wedding, kombi Servisi the couple decided to have two ceremonies; the legal wedding in Sydney, and then a blessing in Sheffield.
Annie explained that her and Paul are both very individual, and want their wedding to represent that. If you have any concerns about the place and how to use kombi servisi, you can speak to us at the web site.
‘It was a total mash up, we’re two individual people and have two different tastes.’
‘That played a huge part in the wedding styling and plays a huge part in our relationship.’
The couple had their legal wedding in Sydney, and then a blessing in Sheffield some months later
She said that the wedding styling was a ‘mash up’ of her and Paul’s personalities
The couple had cupcakes because Paul used to bring one home for Annie on his bike every Friday
Everything from the location of the wedding, at Nelson’s Park where Annie used to swim as a child, to the wedding stationary, was significant.
‘We wanted a festival vibe, very bright, colourful and relaxed,’ the 31-year-old explained. ‘It was just a casual gathering of friends.’
‘We did a little bit of DIY, and used Etsy and Pinterest for inspiration. The finer details for us is really important.’
Annie said they used Pintrest and Etsy for inspiration, and Kombi Servisi DIYed a lot
The flowers were bought at the markets and arranged by one of Annie’s bridesmaids Peta
They didn’t have a bridal table, but instead put their bridesmaids on tables with their friends
The flowers were a big part of the wedding, as sunflowers are both Annie and Paul’s favourite flower.
One of Annie’s bridesmaid’s, Peta, bought all the flowers from the markets and arranged them for the days leading up to the wedding, so the arrangements were done with love.
The couple also gave their guests sunflower seeds as a present, with the message ‘From little things big things grow’ on them, a reference to the Paul Kelly song.
Even the cupcakes were significant, as Paul used to work as a bike messenger when he first moved to Sydney, and would balance a cupcake on his handlebars on his ride home on Fridays to give to Annie.
The couple’s favourite flower is sunflowers, so it was a must that they were in the bouquets
Instead of confetti, guests blew bubbles, which Annie said was her way of ‘blowing love into the sky’ for her Dad
The couple gifted each guest sunflower seeds with the message ‘From little things big things grow’
Even the wedding photography represented who the couple were, with Annie and Paul forgoing traditional shots and opting for fun, casual photosby .
They took photos in a Kombi Servisi van, on the beach, and with beer and champagne in their hands.
There were also lots of photos taken with loved ones, which was bittersweat for Annie, whose father passed away shortly before the wedding day.
They weren’t able to use confetti in the national park, Kombi Servisi so instead guests blew bubbles over the couple when the ceremony was over.
‘I lost my dad just before wedding,’ Annie explained. ‘The bubbles were a little way of me blowing love into the sky for my loved ones.’
Annie and Paul are now settled in London and preparing to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary