Dan proposed to Bec under the guise of her 21st birthday. After cooking her dinner he then said that she could finally open her gift but he was to read her card to her. It was then that all his planning came to light as Dan asked Bec to spend the rest of her days as his wife. After Bec accepted (of course!), Dan surprised her once again telling her that they had 15 minutes to call their parents with the news before their closest friends would join them to celebrate Bec’s birthday and their engagement.

I first met Bec just under a year ago at the First Comes Love bridal fair and after we gushed about how much we loved one another’s work (she is the brilliant artist behind Fox and Rabbit), we eventually became very good friends and I can honestly say that my life is better with Bec in it. One of the most beautiful days in May was reserved almost personally for them and if good begets good – then these guys are in store for incredible goodness for the rest of their lives.

I popped by Bec’s house for a quick moment to photograph a few of her details. Her fish tail dress from Aurelio Costarella from Post Emporium was a perfect fit and had a matching feathered vest for later that evening.

Being a florist herself, I was more than a little excited to see what she put together. I love this moment of Bec in her studio as she put the finishing touches on her bouquet.

The ceremony was held at Wesley Uniting Church right in the middle of Perth city.

Bec and Dan specifically asked their guests to refrain from photographing their ceremony. They let them know that they had a trusted photographer documenting the day and they just wanted them to enjoy the ceremony. As we witnessed them exchange vows I realised that the congregation was so present in that moment that you could have heard a pin drop. It was a beautiful moment.

Following the ceremony we stopped by Hyde Park for some portraits. It really was a beautiful autumn day.

It is always a silent wish that a couple will be a little daring and think outside the box during their wedding photographs. This was totally Bec and Dan’s idea and I don’t think I had a moment to blink between Bec suggesting they sit in a tree before she took off her shoes and shimmied up one nearby.

Bec and her bridesmaids makeup was by Emma Shroeder and Alex Humphries from Milla Makeup. Each of the girls personalities was reflected in their makeup, hair and dress and I love the different gowns each in jewel shades.

The reception was held on a friends farm just outside of Gin Gin, about an hour from the city. Such a perfect location for a relaxed party to celebrate Bec and Dan’s wedding.

To see more of Bec and Dan’s Perth and Gingin wedding, please view their slideshow HERE

I feel it has been an exhausting week – and then I realise it is only Tuesday. I spent the majority of last week with restless nights and anxious thoughts feeling the pressure of a very special event that took place on Saturday. Every wedding brings a certain amount of nervousness as I never lose sight of the fact that my job is a very important one – but this had just a little more pressure as it was the wedding of a friend and a colleague. I will be sharing this delightful event later this week.

After such a high I have come crashing down to reality. I am trying to remember that the combination of my innate romanticism and the fact that I see couples in their absolute best light on their wedding days makes me expect unrealistic things from my own relationships. I come home from these celebrations of life and love and am hit hard in the face sometimes with reality of life. Sometimes it makes me wonder if I am unrealistic in wanting more from my relationships or if it is indeed a sign that more is needed – on all sides. We are told at young ages that we should expect to be treated like princesses and that our prince will whisk us away on his white horse – but what happens after the credits roll? Its a never ending conflict that I am trying to resolve within myself.

The rainy weather seems to fit with my melancholy mood and today seemed like the time to indulge with episodes of Pride and Prejudice and bowls of homemade roast pumpkin soup. Cooking always feels therapeutic for me and just in case you are feeling the same way, here is my favourite recipe to comfort you.

ROAST PUMPKIN SOUP

2-3 kg pumpkin (I used Kent, you can use Butternut or other)
6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Cut pumpkin into wedges and place in a baking dish. Bake for 60-90 minutes – depending on how thickly the wedges are – until pumpkin is soft and burnished in places.

Allow pumpkin to cool slightly and scrape flesh from the skin. In batches puree pumpkin flesh with a little chicken/stock until smooth. Place puree, remaining stock, dijon mustard, honey and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper in saucepan and bring to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with dollops of sour cream and lots of crusty bread.

Just last December as they were amongst thousands of people watching the New Year fireworks on the Hong Kong foreshore, Yiota turned around and saw Walter on bended knee telling her that 2012 was going to be the best year ever – starting with their marriage.

I was delighted that Yiota’s sister Ioanna referred me after seeing her friend Mala’s wedding photographs and that I was invited into their lives for this day. We had some incredible challenges as the heavens opened and the sky’s were so dark but nothing put a damper on their spirits.

Thank you Yiota and Walter and congratulations!

Yiota’s gown was from Hob Nob Bridal. The fluidity of the fabric was exquisite and so lovely.

Yiota’s beautiful blue Manolo Blahniks were the perfect accent to bring a pop of elegant colour and the blue was carried throughout their wedding.

Yiota’s brother gifted her exquisite jewellery from Rosendorf’s. Her jewels were so delicate and they suited Yiota perfectly.

I am a girl who loves traditions. Yiota and Walter’s Ukrainian Orthodox wedding ceremony started from the moment they first laid eyes on each other at the foyer of the church.

I mentioned that the weather was bad but you wouldn’t know it from the look on Walter and Yiota’s faces. We had about 5 minutes before all the natural light was gone and Walter and Yiota were so trusting which made my job so much easier.

The blooms were beautifully created by Jappalin from Flower Talk who I was so pleased to finally work with.

With their reception held in a private dining room at Perugino’s in West Perth, it was just the right size for their small reception of brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents. All of these gorgeous centre pieces were crafted again by Flower Talk and were unlike anything I had seen before.

Please feel free to view some more images in Walter and Yiota’s slideshow HERE

The other day a man knocked on our door offering a service of bread and milk delivery to our door before the sun even comes up. All he needed to do was tell me the milk would be in glass bottles with foil caps and I would have hugged him for bringing my dream of a time gone by to life. Alas there are no glass bottles but I signed up just the same.

And then I think of Midnight in Paris and remember that the grass is always greener and to be honest I don’t think I could live without my modernisms of a daily dose of internet gossip, Fashion Police and the dishwasher.

Its been a while since I blogged. Some gremlins got into the woodwork and I was unable to for a little while but thankfully it is all sorted now and I am ready to get back to a regular schedule. I have lots of goodies to come but first here are a few quick shots from our trip to Busselton last weekend to cheer Grant in his second Half-Ironman. Last time I was unable to be there in person as I was at a lovely wedding in Gracetown, so I was pretty excited to be there this time.

As a spectator it means a long day of standing around, running from course to course for a quick 2 second cheer and lots of coffees in between. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you would have seen my updates but I admit I didn’t take a lot of photos as I’d rather yell at Grant to hurry up and pull his finger out. Go baby!

Its always fun to take part in workshops not only because I get to meet some fantastic people from across the country but to also talk about our business and discover what has worked for some and not for others. Most of these workshops usually have an afternoon of photography which allows us to try things that we might not usually in our day-to-day work. Experimenting is never something I would do with a real couple of mine so a workshop styled shoot is perfect for trying new poses, experimenting with different lighting situations and just overall refining skills.

There were many things that I took from Jen’s workshop that I have begun to implement in my business and in my life and I can’t thank Jen enough for all of her mentoring and support. I posted back in March about how I felt that Jen gave me free reign to just be who I am and be an artist in every sense of the word because that is what I am. Jen is coming back to Australia this August to do another workshop and I can’t recommend it enough. If you are interested, it is in Sydney and seats will go quickly.

As was expected, I took quite a lot of photographs but here are just a few of my favourites that I captured from our styled shoot on our last day. There are heaps more on Polka Dot Bride and at Jen’s blog featuring all of Jen’s work from the shoot with the fabulous Sian and Ross. The shoot was held on the beach and at the beach house where the workshop was held and was such a lovely location to showcase the best WA has to offer.

Shoot Stylist and Coordinator: CD Weddings
Venue: Bunkers Beach House
Invitations and Stationery: Dizzy Wizzy Design
Flowers and Decor: Zinnia Floral Design
Bride’s Dress: Samantha Wynne Design
Hair and Make-up: Creations by Kassy
Rental Furniture: Bride + Groom Store
Linen: Hire Society

And to the other participants; Brill, Jarred, Jodi and Patricia. Seriously, you guys are the best!

The time has flown and I’ve been told that from here on it doesn’t really get any slower so I have no doubt before we know it we will be celebrating our 5, 10 and 20 year anniversary. Our plans today after a lazy sleep in are to watch the sunset over the ocean with some fish and chips and a bottle of my favourite champagne. I really couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate.

We have a few reminders we see each day to remind us of our wedding. I’m yet to put together an album (you know what they say about the shoemakers kids going without shoes) but we have some of our favourite photographs from the wedding in frames around the house, in our bathroom, on my bedside table; anywhere for us to see them and remember the promises we made before our family and friends. This is just one of my favourites.

Photo by Leo Patrone

While we were in New Zealand we had a little video camera that was passed around during the 2 weeks we were there. I only looked at the footage about a month ago as our anniversary approached and have put together a rather hectic video that really does portray the fun, laughter, chaos and love that we experienced in the lead up to and following our wedding as it was really a week long event rather than a single day. I hope you enjoy it!

Our Wedding from Angela Higgins on Vimeo.

All I could think was “Please let’s just get this done quickly so I can get back to work”, knowing that my insurance would cover the damage. Of course if this (as Cherie said) was the worst thing to happen on her wedding day then that is absolutely fine. We had clear skies after some rather gloomy weather forecasts but as you know Easter is notorious for rainy weather.

This Easter is pretty jam packed with a few weddings, family celebrations and our 1st year anniversary on Monday. We have something nice and casual planned to celebrate the milestone and reminisce on where we were last year and where we are now.

However, in the meantime there are a lot of chocolate eggs to be had. Happy Easter! Stay safe friends.

Shot on Kodak Portra 400 on my Mamiya 645

Of course after the first 10 minutes, I realise that the stage (or my clients lives as it where) is where I am meant to be. There is no where I’d rather be.

I had an unusual 2 month hiatus this summer which was more than welcome but made these feelings of uncertainty a little more louder. I was able to take some time off to start decorating, indulge in reading and just spend time lazing by the pool. However when I met with Mel to discuss the finer detail in the lead up to her wedding to Russell, we spoke of how this was a wedding of two people and the merging of two families from across the globe. Mel and Russ simply wanted beautiful, uncomplicated photographs of them amongst the people they love. Just my cup of tea.

Mel and Russ were married at Harold Boas Gardens late March and I was so in love with the gardens when I arrived. Lush and green, it was a gorgeous backdrop and just the beginning to showcase the gorgeousness that Perth has to offer to their overseas guests. But first, I spent some time with Mel and her bridesmaids as she finished getting ready.

Kate Farmer did a wonderful job with Mel’s makeup by accentuating her natural beauty.

The gardens at Harold Boas Gardens were just beautiful. Surrounded by trees and a waterfall, the wedding ceremony was like a scene from a movie. I think I was a little more emotional than usual knowing that our own anniversary is just around the corner.

After wandering around the gardens at Harold Boas, we made our way to Cottesloe and Indiana’s for some more portraits and then the reception. This really was the most beautiful of days that Perth has put on.

The decor inside Indiana’s was just gorgeous and the perfect backdrop for good food, good wine and good friends to mingle and celebrate with Mel and Russ.

The aim of these shoots is always to inspire brides and grooms and perhaps other vendors to push their boundaries. Not to the point of extreme but to perhaps show something they never knew they could do. Rhianne Totton who was the mastermind behind the shoot is a fabulous makeup artist who wanted to showcase two different looks which began with the makeup and hair.

The lovely Polka Dot Bride is featuring this shoot which has two different looks over at her blog today. For lots for photographs and inspiration, be sure to head over and have a look.

Location: Lake Karrinyup Country Club
Hair & Makeup: Rhianne Totton Makeup Artisty
Gown & Headpiece: Loui Col Designs
Florals & Tablescape Styling: Zinnia Floral Design
Stationery: Jennifer Birkhead Design
Cupcakes: Wild Sugar Rose
Suits & Jewellery: Makeup Artists Own
Models: Hayden Forder and Priscilla-Anne Forder
Photographer: Angela Higgins

Thank you so much to all the vendors for pulling together to create something so lovely and to Priscilla, Hayden and Toni for their modelling prowess. Be sure to visit Polka Dot Bride for more from this shoot.

When my clients order an album in their wedding collection, they generally receive their first draft within a week of receiving their digital images. I do my best to try to tell a story with their photographs and am so very pleased when most times many of my clients simply sign off their album with one or two photo changes. It makes me feel that I am on the right page

It can be hard to not get myself a copy of every album that I design. They are just so lovely

On another note, how lovely is my new wallpaper in my office? I am so in love with it and can’t wait to show you the new space. Just a couple of finishing touches to go!