B R O O K E & J A M E S

When a florist gets married you just know it is going to be an unequivocal success, but when a florist's daughter, who also happens to be florist, gets married...well it easily supersedes perfection! Mother and daughter team Darlene and Brooke of Peonies Floral Designer & Wedding Stylist have wowed us for many years with their floral masterpieces and creative flair, so when it came time for Brooke to say 'I do' these talented ladies put their skills to work.

It was on this day, 12th January, exactly one year ago that Brooke and James tied the knot in Brisbane - happy wedding anniversary guys!! Lucky for us Popcorn Photography captured all the special moments as well as all the stunning details so we can relive it with them one year on...

F R O M T H E B R I D E...

The Meeting...

I was a few weeks out from moving to Newcastle to work on Peonies, I was out with my dear friend at this awesome gay bar in Spring Hill and having an awesome time. It was getting late and I'd decided (for some strange reason) that I'd walk home that night. I was living just in Red Hill, so this wasn't completely insane! On my walk home, I had to pass the Normanby (for those who don't know Brisbane, it's a big pub just outside the City). So of course, a song I liked came on as I was walking past. For those who know me, it wouldn't seem strange that I went in and started dancing away on my own! And there was James... Quick! I thought, think of something, he can't think you're here alone - that's just weird! "I've lost my friends", that's the best I could come up with. Long story short, there was definitely a spark between us.

Love...

James took me to dinner the following week and from our first date, we knew this was it. Our first date was full of clichéd romantic 'love at first sight' moments, opening the door for me and kissing in the rain. James took my breath away.

The Proposal...

James had moved to Newcastle to be with me so his parents were down visiting for the weekend. We were having a quiet family BBQ for our families to meet each other and James popped the question. I loved that it was very real, not over the top and elaborate - just us, being us.

Wedding Theme...

Being a floral designer/wedding stylist, I wanted to create something elaborate however I'm not a 'bling' kind of girl so we really wanted to create something that was both elaborate and down to earth at the same time. I was always going to have red as a feature colour, being my favourite, however I was determined to create a unique palette around this. I love non-traditional weddings and originally looked at doing a rockabilly type theme. Then I found my dress which was traditional in style {ball gown} and non-traditional in colour {peach}. It was the perfect centrepiece to the design, we melded peach through to red for the colour scheme and created a design for the wedding that was both elaborate (like a traditional wedding) but non-traditional with the smaller details!

Ceremony Venue...

Moda Events, Portside. We didn't want a traditional ceremony so we opted to use the reception space to create a candlelit and very bright ceremony. It was also fully air conditioned which was a lovely alternative to a garden ceremony in the middle of January.

Reception Venue...

Moda Events, Portside. I had originally looked at hiring an art gallery so this was the perfect combination - a wedding reception venue that felt a little like an art gallery with tall ceilings and wooden floorboards.

The Dress...

I loved the idea of a short wedding dress with a coloured petticoat however I thought I would regret not having a full wedding dress. Then we found a peach full tulle skirt ball gown by Allure. We then customised it to create something really unique. Mum hand sewed hundreds of peach fabric flowers to the bodice then added polka dot tulle and peach flower clusters within the skirt. It couldn't have been more perfect and suited me any better!!!

Bridesmaids...

Short satin Audrey Hepburn style dresses with a ruffled neckline in Beige, Copper and Red. Simple pearl earrings. Beige and white polka dot heels!

Groomsmen...

Charcoal vest/pants, charcoal shirts with white collars and cuffs, copper and red ties and red lego brick cufflinks for something fun!

The Flowers...

My bouquet was all peach toned with David Austins, Dahlias and full opening roses. My bridesmaids had unstructured Sahara rose {peachy/beige tone} posies to match their shoes. Our bouquets were bound in beige/white polka dot ribbon with big bows.

Wedding Styling...

CEREMONY:

White wooden shutter backdrop with draping red dahlias and orchids, moss balls at the base. Hessian aisle runner with vases of dahlias and candles to line the aisle. Brown wooden tiffany chairs with red pom poms hanging from the back. Rustic outdoor table as our signing table. Large moss ball urns as the entrance. We also had a lemonade stand at the entrance to our ceremony.

RECEPTION:

It was a cocktail reception. We had 3 large square tables inside, 2 long tables and lounge seating outside.

Inside Tables: Large moss covered urns full of red orchids, red dahlias and red celosia set upon moss covered platforms. A beige polka dot table cloth. The table was then filled with vases of sahara roses, coral celosia and huge collections of candles set upon moss. The table was finished with rattan charger plates with beige napkins and kraft menus. We had brown timber tiffany chairs and red pom poms.

On the Menu...

smoked duck brioche w/ currant puree

pesto, olive + garlic scroll

sand crab + avocado mousse tartlet

persian feta + chickpea salad

chorizo + cider puff

pumpkin + feta bruschetta

kilpatrick oysters

tempura prawns

aranchini w/ aioli

braised wagyu meatballs w/ crusty bread gremolata

fish + chips in a paper cone

We also had a deli bar with a cheese cake, we cut the cake earlier in the evening so that our guests could enjoy the food with the canapés. AND a pie bar for dessert!

Memorable Moments...

We had our wedding photos taken prior to the wedding because we didn't want our guests to have to wait around for hours in between the ceremony and reception. So to make things more special, we did first look photos and it was the most special moment. Our photographers organised everything and hid us either side of a wall, we then gradually walked around until we saw each other for the first time on our wedding day. My heart literally skipped a beat, I will never forget it. It was lovely to have an intimate moment together without all of our guests. It also made us a little less nervous for the actual ceremony.

Photographers...

We have worked alongside Mere and Rog from Popcorn Photography for a number of years. They understood how important it was for us to capture the flowers and styling, as I had put so much detail in to it.

Wedding Soundtrack...

Relaxed acoustic ceremony

Prelude: Better Together - Jack Johnson

Here comes the brides: Drive - Incubus

Signing of the register: Steal My Kisses - Ben Harper

Conclude: Stand by Me - Ben E King

Bridal Party Entrance: Forever - Chris Brown

First Dance: Even when I'm sleeping - Leonardos Bride

Married Life...

We moved back to Brisbane after the wedding. We now have a 6 week old baby girl Zara! We are expanding Peonies to the next level. We will be offering full service packages in the very near future, so stay tuned!

Photographers Popcorn Photography Ceremony + Reception Venue Moda Events, Portside Bride's Dress Allure (+ alterations by Darlene Vanderkemp) Styling, Decor, Flowers, Cake + Stationery Peonies Floral Designer & Stylist Furniture Hire Adorn Event Hire.

To give justice to the hours of work that were put into her wedding day, Brooke created an online magazine as a Wedding Showcase. The magazine is a great resource for anyone planning a wedding with her original inspiration, planning ideas and final results all on display.

And that baby Zara? Well she's just the cutest!

MW x