Feb 21, 20208 min read

LL Weddings - Darcie & Kad

Updated: Feb 23, 2020

In a wedding that can only be described as breathtakingly personal, Darcie (physio and med student) and Kad (paramedic) exchanged vows at Linga Longa Estate on the 7th of December 2019, just ten days shy of their tenth anniversary! They hand - picked their own ceremony site overlooking the Linga Longa Lake and held their reception in our marquee, which easily catered for their one hundred and ten guests.

With glamping, barbecues, delicious pancakes (made fresh by the father of the bride), and a floating golf pontoon, every detail of the day overflowed with the originality of the bridal couple's personalities, and the love they share with their friends and family.

Shortly after the wedding we had the opportunity to ask Darcie a few questions about what it was that made their day so special. Here's what she had to say.

Firstly, walk us through your wedding day?

On the day I got ready at my parents house. Maddison from Gypsea Locks Hair did mine and my bridesmaids hair. She was absolutely incredible and I loved how my hair turned out. We all did our own make up, I really like doing my makeup so it allowed me to feel like myself on my wedding day.

For drinks we used Beer Caddy. This was great as it allowed us to use kegs and in so doing, reduced waste on cans and bottles. The Beer Caddy also meant we could store all of our other drinks in cool storage. We then used Lost Lake for wine, Bridgetown Cidery for cider and Strange Company for beer. We were fortunate enough to have two close family friends step in as bartenders, meaning that neither Kad or myself needed to worry about the drinks for the evening.

Kicking off the post ceremony drinks, my former boss Tony Prattico brought in his ice cream truck. It was such a great way to cap off the afternoon celebrations and a superb way to cool down after a long day!

We hired furniture from Lonsdale Hire in Bunbury. David and his team were extremely easy to work with and very accommodating for all of the changes that I kept making.

Most of our guests camped which was easy as Linga Longa had all of the amenities to make it enjoyable. However, Kad and I, and some of our other guests chose to glamp, and for this we worked with Soul Camping. The tents looked incredible and our honeymoon tent was awesome!

Tell us a little about the proposal?

It's a bit of a long story but it started with us finding the perfect engagement ring on holiday in Byron Bay. I was very disappointed when we turned around to get the ring and the shop was closed. Little did I know but as soon as we got back home Kad had ordered the ring and had it well hidden for about a month. We then had to celebrate my birthday early as we were both going to be away, so Kad used this as the perfect time to pop the question. We had planned to stay a night at the Crown in Perth but Kad insisted that we go to Kings park for a drink before checking in. I begrudgingly agreed, and off we went. We went for a walk over the bridge where Kad stopped, took my photo and then popped down on one knee. The best thing was seeing that perfect ring from Byron Bay. After a big yes Kad turned me around so I could see Sturt (our wedding photographer), and one of Kads good work mates, taking photos for us which was incredible. Now I can enjoy the memories forever!

What led you to choose Linga Longa as your venue?

At first we struggled to decide on whether to get married down south, close to our hometowns, or up in Perth. We had both done a lot of online research on different options, however, Linga Longa was the only venue we actually visited and it was then and there that we knew it was the perfect place to get married.

Tell me a little about your wedding theme and the inspiration behind it?

I think I would call it "country rustic". We didn't really have a set theme, but rather wanted to showcase the best that the Southwest has to offer, and this meant showcasing Linga Longa in the best way possible.

It was pretty simple, we wanted our wedding to fit in with the environment. For the main decoration of the marquee all I wanted was lots of flowers in mismatched vases. All I requested of the florist was for it to look as though I had just picked bunches of flowers from a garden.

How did you find your dress?

My dress was from Through The White Door in North Fremantle. It was such a lovely and easy process and I am so in love with my dress. I also got changed into a cocktail dress for the party which happened to be the dress I wore to my hens party. I highly recommend having a second dress. It doesn't need to be expensive but it does give you the option to get changed and let your hair down.

I got my dress altered at ILKA. Visiting the boutique was a pleasure and I absolutely loved the fit and alterations.

The Bridesmaid dresses were from Shona Joy, while Kad and the groomsmen wore Country Road.

Did you undertake any DIY projects for the wedding?

Yes, we did have a few DIY elements in our day. As far as big projects go, my dad and uncle made our arbour using trees from dads tree farm. It was really special to get married under something made just for us. I also love that it is going to stay at Linga Longa for others to enjoy.

Dad and Kad also made a floating golf pontoon for people to use which was a massive hit with our guests!

Mum and I collected all of the vases and beer glasses from different op shops. This allowed us to have really unique items with each table looking different. We also encouraged all of our guests to take home a vase or two filled with the beautiful flowers, as we wanted the flowers to be enjoyed for as long as possible.

I also made the seating chart, place cards and some of the photo frames. My biggest piece of advice would be to do what you can as early as possible. If you are not a DIYer like myself, start by only taking on projects that you can handle, and at the end of the day just try and keep it nice and simple.

What was your favourite detail from the day and why?

I feel my favourite part of it all was simply the atmosphere and the time. We had all of our family and friends with us for an entire weekend which is something that doesn't happen very often. A lot of our guests came to stay on the Friday night. We had a big barbecue and just enjoyed our time together with lovely afternoon swims in the lake.

Having the whole weekend meant that Kad and I could spend quality time with all of our guests instead of rushing from person to person and that was really special.

The getting married part was also pretty great! Standing up there, looking out on all of our family and friends while saying my vows is something I hope to never forget. We finished the ceremony by walking back down the aisle together under a sea of confetti. The photos look incredible and best of all because I ordered bio confetti, which disolves in water, no clean up was needed. It really was so much fun!

Did you do anything to personalise your day to make it uniquely yours?

I would say our entire wedding was unique! It definitely wasn't traditional by any means but it was a wedding that best described both Kad and myself. It was easy and relaxed.

I think by working with local vendors we really showed our guests a lot about the stunning region in which Kad and I grew up. Also, having the blueberry syrup (lovingly made by Kad and his mother) to give to our guests as they left on the Sunday morning was the perfect finishing touch.

Favourite memory from the day?

Greeting Kad down at the end of the aisle at the start of the ceremony. He was just as excited as me and it was the best feeling. The speeches were also a very big highlight!

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Make sure you plan the wedding that you want. It is very easy to be swept away with expectations of what weddings should or shouldn't be, but at the end of the day, none of that matters. Your wedding should be unique and represent who you are as a couple. So just have fun and plan the wedding of your dreams!

A week before getting married I was getting my hair cut and venting about all of the wedding stresses, and my hairdresser said to me, ‘but if X happened would you still marry Kad?’ Of course I realised my answer was always going to be 'yes' regardless of what the issue may be. This was the exact moment I stopped sweating the small things that were out of my control, because at the end of the day I was still going to be getting married to my best friend.

Anything you are really glad you did?

I'm really glad we planned for our wedding to be a whole weekend camping getaway, as it gave us the time Kad and I wanted with our friends and family. I'm also really glad I had a dress to get changed into for the party. I love my wedding dress and didn't want to risk ruining it, so having a shorter dress allowed me the freedom to dance the night away!

How did you find your key vendors?

We relied a lot on recommendations given to us to find the majority of our key vendors. Bec recommended cakes by tasty edibles and I'm so glad she did! Shannon and her team produced beautiful fresh food and were a dream to work with (also, her brownies are to die for!!). We also tried to use as many local vendors as possible which was really easy given the quality on offer in the Southwest.

Any stand out vendors? Who went above and beyond and how so?

I can't thank our vendors enough! All of them provided us with everything we needed, and more.

Bec and Boxer at Linga Longa Estate really went above and beyond for our wedding. As we were setting up Boxer was around to give us a hand however he could. Bec also helped with all of the finishing touches after the ceremony. This took a great deal of stress off my mind. It was also awesome to have Boxer pick us up on the bus and take us around the estate for photos. I really can't thank them enough for how accommodating and excited they were for our wedding.

I also loved our celebrant and couldn't recommend her higher. Nikki of Southwest Weddings with Nikki created such a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere and produced a ceremony perfect for us. She listened to everything we asked for and made us feel completely at ease. I absolutely loved the way she told our story.

Lastly, the biggest help we had was from our family and friends. At every turn we had people offering help. This meant our set up and pack up were as seamless as possible and Kad and I can't thank them enough for the time and effort they gave to us.

Any funny stories from the day you would like to share?

I was the bride that was determined to be on time for our ceremony which of course meant I was forty-five minutes late. We had guests running very late because they were in the lake swimming right up to the last possible minute. Boxer then got the wrong address to pick us up which was actually perfect as not only did it give our guests enough time to get ready, it also gave my bridesmaids and I the chance to enjoy a pre-wedding drink at the bar!

From everyone here at Linga Longa, we would like to wish Darcie and Kad a huge congratulations and thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day. May your future be overflowing with love and happiness!

Full list of Vendors:

Photographer: Sturt Jasher photography

Florist: Aromatic Passions- Linda Maxfield

Catering: Cakes by Tasty Edibles

Desert: Cakes by Tasty Edibles

Cake: Family member

Favours: Family member

Celebrant: Southwest Weddings with Nikki

DJ/Entertainment: Oasis Hire

Transport: Linga Longa Estate (Boxer)

Dress: Through The White Door

Bridesmaid Dresses: Shona Joy