Candace and Aaron had a truly magical wedding. Their entire process was like “one big passion project” they could both get their hands on. Being as creative as they are, it felt so easy. Though there were inevitably some hitches along the way, nothing could derail the two’s plans. With unity and commitment being such a large factor in their relationship, marriage to them means a number of things - “what a big question. I think for both of us, it’s a commitment to covenant — to saying ‘yes’ to each other for all our days but also trying to encapsulate and demonstrate the 4 types of love, Storge, Philia, Eros and Agape. Hopefully, we spend all of our time showing and figuring them all out haha!”.
To understand Candace and Aaron’s big day and their overall relationship, we must first go back to how they met and the proposal. The two met in 2015 and were mutual friends but started really getting to know each other through work. “He was a regular at the coffee roastery I was working at in 2019. A few free coffees later I got him teaching me basic graphic design and the rest is history! Now we’re both graphic designers with a side skill of specialty barista”.
As for the proposal… “IT WAS STUNNING! Aaron had caught COVID early last year and his first day out of iso was a public holiday. So, we planned a celebratory freedom day. He had everything planned. We’re both very creative so alot of our spare time is spent around studios or designing. He’d organised for us to check out Newstead studios as we knew a few people who worked there. Low and behold, when we opened their big barn doors, there stood 2 plinths of flowers, a ring and a question I could say yes to a THOUSAND times over. He even had all our closest friends and family hiding in the backroom watching it all happen. A few of them even have wedding photography and videography up their sleeve and sneakily captured our perfect moment. I couldn’t have dreamed up anything better or more… us”.
Once the two were engaged the real planning began. They knew almost immediately they wanted to get married at ‘Albert Street Uniting Church in Brisbane’ as it was where Aaron’s parents got married 37 years ago. They also looked at ‘The Joinery in West End’ for their reception. “We had narrowed it down to these two venues by looking solely at the dates available and our budget. It all came together so quickly and so well. Plus, the vendors were all so wonderful to work with!”. It was even more memorable as all Candace’s family from NSW + all of Aaron’s family and their huge extended family were able to make the ceremony!
Once all the pieces were starting to fall into place, Candace was able to start looking at GOWNS!
“My bridal experience was incredible. I went into it not knowing at all what I would like. I had a vague idea of what styles etc suited me, but was pretty open to trying anything. In my case the - “I may as well just try this one on too’ turned into ‘oh wow, this might be the dress’. I had mine altered slightly to include chiffon sleeves and absolutely fell in love with the elegant style. All my girlfriends in my immediate family came to a few bridal appointments and fittings with me but it's true when people say ‘when you know, you know’ because I knew when I walked into When Freddie Met Lilly I had made the right choice”.
As for her soon to be hubby, “I didn’t really have any influence choosing his final attire. Aaron is quite intuitive with his own style. I definitely saw his outfit beforehand and basically said ‘if you’re comfortable, wear it!’.
The day had finally come. Excitement and jitters were in the air as the couple tied the knot. They remained grounded and even included some intimate touches just for them.
“We wrote notes to each other and bought gifts for the wedding to open on the morning. We included a long time of worship at the ceremony and communion at our reception. They were so special and held high importance to us. It was beautiful, something that’s not normally traditional at other weddings to be celebrated at your own. It was magical!
Once their day was over and the pair had time to reflect they realised what their 2 most important things were.
- Getting to the end of the aisle to see my then fiancé. You prepare for such a huge day for so many months, then arriving at the altar is such an elated feeling of relief.
- Take it all in. We had the during speeches at the wedding where I looked around and funnily thought ‘probably the next time I’ll have all of my favourite people in the world in one room, would most likely be my funeral. I need to take this in. It was really, really weird, but a humbling thought and made me appreciate everyone who had made the effort to be there and invest in our lives.
We could not be more thrilled for Candace and Aaron. Her gown was a true representation of her spirit. The two complemented each other perfectly and defined their style as a married couple. With all their friends and family bearing witness to their amazing ceremony was beautiful. We wish them every happiness!
Vendor Tags:
MUA - @delaniemannmua
VIDEO - @calebhemara
FLOWERS - @wallflower
VENUE(S) - @albertstreetunitingchurch @thejoinerywestend
PHOTO - @matthewgilliamphotography