Real Wedding – Kathryn & Zachary, Margaret River WA
Kathryn walked down the aisle to a song her father wrote. They danced their first dance with their two-year-old to Hot Potato.
And somewhere between the Liz Martinez gown and the stunningly curated monochromatic palette, they created a wedding that proves the most memorable moments aren’t always the planned ones.
This is a celebration built on intention – four years of thoughtful planning, a colour palette that will age beautifully, and a genuine focus on what actually matters. Classic, timeless, and perfectly personal.
Like all real weddings, the moments that resonate beyond the chic, timeless style and add effortless romance are the unprompted occurrences.
A kangaroo photobombing the proposal. A room full of people watching a toddler live his dream, dancing with his parents to The Wiggles in a uniquely heart-warming first dance.
Kathryn and Zac’s celebration has it all, captured beautifully by Ashlee Taylor.
The meeting.
We met through Bumble at the start of 2019. Our first date was at a park we would both visit as kids in Melbourne. Funnily enough, on the day of our date, it started pouring, which wasn’t planned in the weather reports! We sought cover at some tables under a gazebo. One of them had all these candles set up for a lady’s 80th. That being our only light amongst the storm was actually quite romantic! We talked for hours and hours and couldn’t care less about the rain.
The one.
I don’t think there was an ‘aha, I’ve found the one’ moment. It was overtime. Zac consistently impressed me with demonstrating who he was as a person, including through how he treated others. I had been in relationships where the guy seemed wonderful at first, but over time, his true self came out, which is very different, so I was very wary! Or the guy is wonderful with words, but the actions don’t line up! With Zac, he remained the same the whole time and still does to this day. His actions always line up with his words. He’s the most thoughtful, funny, warm and genuine person.
The proposal.
We had a getaway trip booked at Basildene Manor in Margaret River for our two-year anniversary. While we were there, Zac organised a picnic out in the beautiful gardens. At first, we chose a secluded spot near the empty tennis courts. A few minutes later, people came over to use the courts, and Zac immediately wanted to move, which raised my suspicions! We found another spot. He then gave me a beautiful card, got down on one knee and proposed. We popped some Moët (as his last name is Mowat), which was a bit of a laugh. The whole thing was so special, Basil the kangaroo even came over! The next day, we came down for breakfast, and everyone clapped. A couple walked over to us and said “I hope this isn’t intrusive, but I think I caught your proposal on camera. I was taking photos of Basil the kangaroo when he went over to you both.” We really cherish those photos
Planning process.
I planned the wedding myself, but was so supported by the team at Voyager, especially Travis, the head chef. He was an absolute godsend. We got engaged while living in Western Australia during Covid lockdowns and most of our family lived on the other side of Australia where we both grew up, so it ended up being four years until we had the actual ceremony. It did provide plenty of time to plan, however!
Style inspiration.
I love everything classic and timeless. I didn’t want to look back on my wedding photos and think I followed a trend that had unfortunately dated – I wanted the style to age well and also be very me. The classic and timeless look is actually very on trend at the moment, which was perfect timing! So there were lots of options out there that lent themselves well to the style. Voyager Estate is also inherently timeless and classic, so we were working with the most beautiful canvas.
I tried to get inspiration from so many places: wedding blogs, magazines, Pinterest, Instagram – the lot. There’s so many clever ideas out there. I also found stories from real brides and grooms super helpful! Hearing what they prioritised, how they problem-solved, and how they achieved a look I loved all helped me work out my own wedding.
The ceremony.
For my husband and me, it was so special because we were marrying each other with our beautiful son in front of the people we love. No matter what, the day would be a success, even if the unplanned rain from our first date returned! Luckily, it didn’t. I think we focused on that, which really reduced a lot of stress.
The outfits.
My wedding dress was the ‘Greta Dress’ by Liz Martinez. The exact dress I wore was worn at New York fashion week, which I thought was a bit of fun! To find it, the girls and I had travelled to Sydney. We had so many wedding stores we were visiting and were provided lots of champagne to support the journey; all in the name of research! One day, we were at the Ivory Room, and I saw the most beautiful dress in the back. I took a photo and asked about it, but unfortunately, it had just arrived and wasn’t for sale. No one was allowed to try it on! I tried on different dresses, but they didn’t come close to how much I loved the other one. Finally, I was allowed to try it on! The girls and I all shrieked when I did, I knew it was the one. They let me purchase it, and the rest is history.
I loved it so much I wanted to maximise getting to wear it on the day, so I didn’t change into another dress until we were about to exit the building. For that, I wore a little Shona Joy Pearl coloured silk mini with slingback heels.
Favourite moments.
There are so many, but I’ll try to narrow it down to two. Our first dance was really special; it was to Hot Potato by The Wiggles, which we did with our two-year-old. We just had a laugh and danced as a family. The other moment was straight after our wedding ceremony, when my (just-made-official) husband and I had a private moment with canapés and champagne that Travis and the team had set up in ‘Michael’s Room’. It’s this beautiful black, white and beige glass room. We were then able to take a moment to process what had happened and let it sink in before we entered the reception.
Meaning of marriage.
I could provide such a long answer to this, but I’ll try to keep it concise! I think it’s really telling the world that this is the person I love and want to be with for the rest of my life. In an everyday sense, it’s trying to make each other’s lives better, easier, and so much more magical.
Wedding soundtrack.
Our songs for the ceremony and canapés were very classic: Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye. Later in the reception, we introduced some fun late 90’s, 2000’s throwbacks. The song I walked down the aisle to was a song my Dad wrote and came from one of his albums. This particular song was the longer version of a song he wrote for my Mum’s wedding, so that was very special. My husband and I’s first dance was to Hot Potato with our two-year-old. My son loved it, a whole room of people watching him dance to the Wiggles, a toddler’s dream!
Funny stories (or near disasters).
An absolute disaster that happened a couple of weeks before the wedding was that I scratched my eye with acrylic nails whilst taking my contacts out. The optometrist told me I couldn’t wear contacts for a month. I truly thought I’d be walking down the aisle, unable to see the groom – a real-life Specsavers ad! Thankfully, my eye healed enough that two days before the wedding, my optometrist cleared me to wear contacts for the day.
Planning surprises.
I think about how much everything adds up to cost. We really tried to prioritise the aspects of the wedding that were most important to us, spend more money there and do it really well. Smaller things we tried to be more budgeted on.
Words of wisdom.
Everyone probably says this, but focus on the most important part of your wedding, which is that you’re marrying the person you love. Do what you can to reduce stress in the lead-up and on the day. Let others help, include what is meaningful to you as a couple, have proper breaks from planning and remember that you can’t please everyone.
KATHRYN & ZAC’S VENDORS
We found Voyager Estate through many trips down south to Margaret River. We received vendor recommendations for Voyager, our friends, and through social media, blogs like this one, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Photography was a very hard one to choose, but after looking at many photos, we landed on Ashlee Taylor. Her work is so classic and fits perfectly with the look of the wedding.
Ceremony & reception venue: Voyager Estate
Celebrant: Kenneth Taylor – Anglican Archbishop (and also my uncle)
Photography: Ashlee Taylor Photography
Styling & decor: Voyager Estate
Florist: Mayflower Weddings
Hair: Mayne Studio
Make-up: Bec Scott Makeup
The dress: Liz Martinez Bridal
Veil: Ilka Studios
Shoes: Rainbow Club
Rings: Brilliant Earth
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge
Catering & bar: Voyager Estate – Head Chef Travis and his wonderful team
Cake / Cake topper: We didn’t have a cake – instead, Travis made a beautiful mango, macadamia and meringue dessert inspired by a mango Weis.
Entertainment: DJ Tom Drummond
Transport: South West Limousines
Honeymoon: Father in Law’s place in Uzès France.
Bridal Earrings: Paspaley
Groom Shoes: RM Williams
