The Special Couple: Emily + Josh

THE FIRST SIGHT

We met at Triple's J's Beat The Drum festival - a one-off event of iconic Australian artists collaborating. I was walking to the bathroom and spotted this man dancing wildly in the crowd with the biggest grin on his face, so I made the split decision to walk up to him! I got so nervous and nearly chickened out, so when I got to him, I figured I'd get straight to the point and blurted out, "Do you have a girlfriend?" He said "no", and then we danced the rest of the night away! He was from Goulburn, and I'm from Newcastle, so we did long-distance for a few months, then I followed my heart and moved to Goulburn!

THE PROPOSAL

Josh proposed on our holiday with our parents at Coles Bay Tasmania. He fooled me into thinking he wanted to do “yoga and Tabata” down on the beach at sunrise the following day (two activities he’d never previously shown interest in!) and raced down to the beach first. When I approached him, I was so shocked to find him in what looked like a seated-lotus yoga pose that I overlooked that I was standing on his proposal written in the sand!

THE INSPIRATION & VENUE

There wasn't a theme so much as chasing an atmosphere or feeling for our guests and us. We essentially just wanted a big party, so everyone was relaxed and mingling. We wanted a wedding low in formalities and high in the fun! We had the wedding in Goulburn, where Josh is from, a country setting, but included palm fronds and pampas grass in the florals to include a coastal element. The whole affair was DIY, so the saying "it takes a village" is a gross understatement! We couldn't have pulled it off without our family, friends and vendors.

THE BRIDAL LOOK 

I knew I wanted something simple and classic with possibly a stand-out feature. I didn't know what I was chasing, but tulle, lace and embellishment weren't on the agenda - I'm a Plain Jane, so I knew I wanted to feel and look like me. I did my makeup, my hair, no fake tan, and only simple earrings. I let the dress do the talking! 

FINDING THE DRESS 

I had called and made a booking twice (because it had been lost the first time!) with a store in Paddington, and then when we arrived they'd lost our booking again! I'd put all bets on this store as it was buy-off-the-rack, and I wanted as minimal fittings and fuss as possible. I tried on three or so dresses, but none were what I was after. I left dumbfounded with no Plan B and then stumbled upon Eternal Bridal in The Strand Arcade.

I joked to my Eternal Bridal stylist, Brooke, "Do simple gowns exist?" and she pulled two looks. My gown looked different on the rack as it had no boning or any actual structure. The Enzoani Gown was the second I tried on, and when I walked out, my Mum cried, so I guess that's how I knew that was the one! I was totally in love with the shoulder feature, and it felt so comfortable.

THE BEST THING ABOUT OUR DAY

The whole day was a highlight! Honestly, from start to finish, it was exactly how I'd visualised it but even grander! I started my day at the gym with a group of 10 friends, then met more friends and guests at my favourite local cafe in Goulburn. I got to get ready at a slow pace and didn't feel rushed, and the rest of the day flowed smoothly from there. Everyone says the day goes so fast, but I genuinely felt present throughout, so I felt like I got the most out of the day. If I had to choose, the biggest highlight for me was getting to say my vows to Josh. We wrote our own, so they felt real and very emotional. And another highlight was the dance floor went off all night!

EMILY'S ADVICE

DIY doesn't necessarily cost less than the alternative! Choose this option if you have LOTS of helpers on board and want the day to feel super personalised - not because it's kinder on your pocket. Hire vendors with whom you know others have had a great, professional experience because they are essentially responsible for pulling the whole day off. And set a budget that's realistic for you but be flexible with this!

Emily wore Farrah from Blue by Enzoani. See more gowns from Blue by Enzoani Collection here.

VENDORS