Fun, funny and oh so memorable; I think that these photos from Be Frankie Photography say it all..

And although Lucas and Claire's family and friends were supportive and got into the spirit of things when the big reveal was made, there was a lot of groundwork that went on behind the scenes to make it all look easy and effortless on the day.

Here are a few key points that you need to address and/or consider to ensure that your surprise wedding is just as successful and doesn't fall flat.

“As a completely clueless bride-to-be, I’m excited to be getting married but don’t get all the hype/drama/must haves etc. that many brides can find themselves caught up in. “

When I get enquiries like Kate’s I get a little giddy: a couple who knows what really matters, these are my people!

Tommie and Josh's celebration at Botanic Garden Weddings in January was quite extraordinary.

Apart from how it looked (freaking incredible, right Kiera Blanden Events + Styling?), it FELT awesome too. It's so wonderful when a couple is completely at ease and can express themselves with a little self-deprecating humour.

When a couple has been together for around 5+ years, I call their wedding an "at last" celebration. There is definitely a more chilled atmosphere at the ceremonies of long-term couples and their guests are also especially buoyant and almost cheeky. 

For Leigh and Ada, who were married in February over 8 years into their relationship, there were all of these feelings and so much more. 

With family and friends who had travelled from London and all around Australia literally cheering them on, the Bride and Groom laughed and cried their way through their ceremony in the glorious sunshine on the Longview Vineyard lawn. 

Ada's dress was incredible, Lana and Hannah's white non-matching dresses were so classy, the flowers were gorgeous and I also loved that they both wrote their own vows and kept them a secret from each other until the day. 

These pics are by the ever delightful Kerry Rose Photography.

Enjoy!

When I first sat down with Duncan and Lucy, I didn't know at the time that they are both immensely musically talented (Lucy is a classical double bassist and Duncan a multi-instrumentalist), but we just clicked. 

There is soooo much to love about their December wedding day and I literally could not cull down the number their photos that I wanted to share with you any further than I already have. Simon Bills is just amazing and the story he has captured here is incredible.

Seriously, just have a scroll through these and you will feel as if you know the Bride and Groom.

Paul and Rayleen, who first met when Paul was in town from Melbourne for business, were initially drawn to one another by their quirky sense of humour and shared taste in music and dumplings. It stood to reason that their wedding day should include a decent helping of laughs, music, good food and fun..

Tysen and Kelly's ceremony is a great example of what can be achieved when there is trust and consistent and open communication. Right from our first meeting around 13 months before the big day, they knew what they wanted and better still, told me all about it.

The vision was a warm and intimate, pared-back, but still elegant celebration inclusive of their best friends and family. Kelly's skills as a graphic designer were going to be at the core of the fresh and romantic aesthetic. 

For Will and Abby, their search for the perfect wedding venue was a pretty short one. Longview Vineyard in Macclesfield was the place where they first said 'I love you' and so, combined with efforts of their award-winning event manager, Jess, they felt quite at home on their wedding day. 

All of this would have been like a wonderful, colourful dream should the lovely Rachael Farmer of Rachael Elizabeth Photography (Rachael's Insta and Facebook) have not captured it all in such a spectacular way. The story of Will and Abby's day is brought to life in this series of photos. I tried to cull it down as much as I could (!), but really feel like each picture is an essential insight to their celebration.

The weather was near perfect, the scene set with modern decor and lush floral arrangements and Maddie and Matt's nearest and dearest had travelled from far and wide and were in a party mood. When you plan your wedding, this is the dream. 

I felt so privileged to create and conduct Mr & Mrs Wigg's marriage ceremony and felt that their gracious and inclusive nature shone through in the many thanks, tributes and acknowledgements to their family, friends and bridal party. There were smiles and a fair few chuckles too, like when Matt promised to cheer on the Swans when they aren't playing the Crows 'to infinity and beyond'. 

But when Maddie's good friend, Jess came forward to read a traditional Irish Wedding Blessing, a favourite of Maddie's late Nana Joan, most guests were a little misty-eyed.

Matt and Maddie's incredible supplier list included some of my absolute favourite Adelaide wedding professionals including the incredible floral artistry of Sam Burnell from Fabulous Functions and Luke Simon Photography, who kindly supplied these divine photos.

I can't express in words how much I love it when a couple gets in touch with me about their wedding and they already know what they want.

I mean, if you don't know and you want a little advice, some direction or my recommendations, that's cool too and it's why I wrote my 52 page Ceremony Planning Guide in the first place. 

But to me, if you have a good grip on what you want your wedding to be all about at the very beginning, it is the single most important and foundational element to ensure you have a top wedding day AND a great planning experience too.

Their photos are courtesy of the generous and talented Pete Thornton of What Pete Shot.

Enjoy!