Ness and Beau bring the A team to Barrett Lane
October is peak wedding season in Perth for good reason. The weather is perfect – ample sunshine, not too hot, not too cold. Out in the Swan Valley, everything is lush and green after the wet season rains and multitudes of flowers burst across the luxurious landscaped gardens of the region’s wineries.
When Ness and Beau planned their wedding, they did so to meticulous detail. Picking the right date, at the right time of year, came down to one particular vendor – and it wasn’t me!
Champagne Duo are one of the most sought-after live music acts in Western Australia (and they have the awards to back it up), and this whole wedding hinged on their availability. Yep, they’re that good. And for extra elegance, they were joined on strings by Dolce Ensembles.
Barrett Lane was another easy choice. It’s pretty, has a variety of ceremony spots, an awesome wedding coordinator and can be dressed up or down to suit the formality of the event. Think down-to-earth rustic simplicity one minute, and dripping in gold elegance the next.
This happy couple hit it somewhere in the middle - keeping the authentic vibe, letting the natural beauty of the venue shine, with gold and champagne accents bringing the glamour.
Ceremony wise, there was a big focus on “moments”. Not just for photography purposes (though Naz from Manis Moments was there to capture, literally, every moment), but more so Beau and Ness could honour their individual cultural heritage, connect with the people they hand-selected to share their wedding with, and honour those chosen to have places by their sides.
For example, invited members of their families to join them in a candle unity ritual. Two candles were lit to represent their individual histories, then those candles brought together to light a single candle representing their shared future together.
Side note: for rituals involving fire, please be aware of any permits required, and keep safety in mind. The bushfire risk can be high. Chat to your celebrant about safer alternatives!
Some other rituals important to the bride involved bringing the couple together under a unity veil, loosely bound by a ceremonial rope (also known as a lazo or lasso). Finally, they passed thirteen coins between their hands (Las Arras Matrimoniales) to symbolise respect for material things, a good work ethic, and a commitment to extend kindness to the less fortunate where possible.
For me, the highlight of the ceremony were the personal vows. Both Ness and Beau poured their hearts out with lengthy vows (of up to 900 words!) which were not at all stale or boring. Each reflected on their early impressions of one another, the qualities they have come to admire in their partner, and offered a vision of what they hope their future together will look like.
Plenty of laughter, plenty of tears, and plenty of beautiful moments to reflect on. Exactly what they wanted their wedding to be.
To see more of the wedding planning goodness and inspiration, you can see how Ness documented the process via a dedicated Instagram account @happilyeverstquintin.
All photos in this article generously provided by Naz from Manis Moments. You can check him out in Instagram at @momentsby.naz.
