Wedding | Karli & Brandon

May 4
5 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met in a very 2020 way. Hinge, Instagram, a lot of rescheduling, then a long walk through Sydney Park that ended up being very easy and very fun. We got along straight away and nothing’s really felt complicated since.

Brandon works in community services and loves music. He’s the kindest, most steady person I know and very loyal to his people. I work in marketing and spend most of my time orbiting art, history, antique stores, and collecting small things I probably don’t need.

We’re both pretty low-key, a bit dry, and not overly serious about anything. We work well together in a way that feels equal and natural, which ended up shaping the whole day.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We kept everything close to home at Glebe Town Hall and Glebe Hotel. Most of our friends and family are nearby and we didn’t want to turn it into a big production.

The pub felt like somewhere we’d actually go. Good food, good drinks, nothing too precious. The restaurant and beer garden are already beautiful so it didn’t need much. Once we saw The Glebe Hotel, that was it.

How many guests did you have?

We originally planned to elope with immediate family and a couple of friends. Then every time we talked about it, we added more people. It got to a point where we thought we may as well just do it properly.

We ended up with around 90 and it felt right.

What was your budget?

Just under $28K AUD. We were selective about where we spent and skipped anything that didn’t feel like us. We did a lot ourselves which kept things under control.

Tell us about your outfits.

I didn’t want a traditional dress, so I reached out to London-based designer Alanna Rose London after seeing someone wear one of her pieces. I asked if she’d be open to making a bridal version and she was immediately into it. We reworked it into warm ivory tones and I felt different, which was all I cared about. One of our close friends who is a costume designer, Charlie Aplin, did the fitting once it had made it to Australia.

I wore my nan’s jewellery. My bag was Dream Sister Jane and my flats were Alohas. We had planned to walk through the city with the whole wedding party and I can’t walk in heels, so flats were non-negotiable.

Brandon wore a double-breasted Giorgio Armani suit that we found by chance at a local outlet. His shoes were Solovair double monks and he wore my grandfather’s tie pin, which meant a lot to my nan. Nothing too polished, just something that felt like him.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

That it didn’t feel like we were performing a wedding. We didn’t want anything overly structured or drawn out.

The only real brief was a good party, good music, and everyone feeling comfortable straight away.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We did a lot ourselves. I made all of the stationery and signage and collected pieces over time. Lace, frames, small details that we worked into the space.

Mel from The Flower Wonderer handled styling and florals and completely got it. She came back from Europe with references of wildflowers and statues and things that felt a bit undone and natural. That shifted everything in the right direction. She also convinced me on gerberas, which I never thought I’d go for, but they ended up being perfect. Really playful and still elegant.

We kept the ceremony short and light. No personal vows, just something honest with a few laughs. Our friends brought Rakia and we did a round of shots on silver trays with everyone straight after, which set the tone pretty quickly.

One of the best parts of the day was everyone gathering at the pub next to the Town Hall after the ceremony, then walking through Glebe together to the reception. About 90 people moving as one group – it’s one of the highlights of the day.

Music was a big part of it. We spent a lot of time building playlists for each part of the day and it ended up being one of the small enjoyable parts of planning.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Start earlier than you think so you can do things gradually.

Do your photos before the ceremony if you can. It means once it’s done, you’re free to actually be there.

Only focus on what you care about. Most of the rest doesn’t matter.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Everyone we worked with felt like someone we actually wanted around us on the day.

Jobi from Signed With A Strike set the tone perfectly. We didn’t do personal vows and aren’t natural public speakers, but she put together a ceremony that felt personal without being over the top. It was funny, relaxed, and exactly right.

Mel from The Flower Wonderer brought everything together and completely brought the vision to life. She made sense of a very loose collection of ideas and turned it into something that felt like such a perfect reflection of our style and what we wanted the day to be. Everything was so considered but not overdone.

We were a bit worried about photos feeling staged. Ed Summerhays has a very natural, documentary style which was exactly what we wanted. He captured so many moments we didn’t even realise were happening.

My Auntie Kellie did hair and makeup for me and the bridal party, which made the morning so much more fun and easy.

Tash from Baked In Space made the cake and it was one of my favourite moments of the day. It felt more like a sculpture than a cake.

Our friend Batesy DJ’d and absolutely nailed it. A lot of new wave and 80s club music, which kept the dance floor pumping all night.

Photographer: Ed Summerhays @edsummerhays | Styling & Flora: The Flower Wonderer @theflower

wonderer | Videographer: Film by Fritillerie @filmbyfritillerie | Ceremony Location: Glebe Town Hall | Reception Location: The Glebe Hotel @glebehotel | Celebrant: Signed With A Strike @signedwith

astrike | Makeup/Grooming: The Salon Stanmore @thesalonstanmore182 | Hair: The Salon Stanmore @thesalonstanmore182 | Catering & Beverages: The Glebe Hotel | Cake: Baked In Space @baked_

jane | Tie Pin: Karli's grandfathers | Wedding Party Attire: All black plus Doc Martens