Jo & Joel held their ceremony in the beautiful Boranup forest near Margaret River, arriving in style in their 4×4. Being a very hot/sunny summer day, the shade from the tall karri trees made this the perfect location for a ceremony. Joel and his dad collected the dead branches for the arbor, cherished each one for 3 months so that its bark didn’t fall of and secured it beautifully in the forest the morning of the wedding.

After the ceremony, we then went to Hamelin bay, a nearby beach camping spot where the Jo & Joel often spend their holidays with family and friends.  Joel’s parents transformed their backyard in their Margaret River home into a perfect reception venue with a DIY dance floor, marquee and fairy lights. Jo and Joel’s wedding was a true reflection of their relaxed, adventurous personalities.

Tell us a little bit about the proposal?

Joel and I were in the Snow Hotel in Kirkenes, Norway embracing the final days
of our winter European trip before heading back to the UK to visit my parents.
We started the day off with a romantic snow shoe walk in the fresh snow, just us
two and the open hills. We then headed back to the hotel where we enjoyed a
reindeer sausage for lunch, cooked on an open fire in a cozy log cabin and
watched the sun disappeared at 11.50 am (strange I know!). Later that day we
jumped aboard a romantic husky sledge tour through the valleys, yet, it wasn’t
quite so romantic, as we got flung off of our sledge because our dogs decided to
take a short cut….. instant snow angel’s and screams of laughter!! Once we
regrouped our dogs and clambered aboard our sledge we sipped on a hot fruit
tea and munched a toasted sandwich around an open fire in -23 degree Celsius
winter weather. We could no longer feel our hands and toes as we began our
ride back to the Snow Hotel, so as soon as we returned to our Gabba Cabin we
hopped in the shower, after a quick lie down on the underfloor heating to warm
the bones. Joel jumped in first why I boiled the kettle so we could have a hot
chocolate. I hopped into the shower and started to scream because Joel had
selfishly taken ALL the hot water!!! As I came out Joel was singing and dancing
about putting our slippers on, so of course I did, as he was so excited, how could
I not? We moved to our usual spot the wicker chairs in front of the huge glass
windows to overlook the snowy valleys below, searching for the Northern Lights
as we did each night. We sat there sipping on our hot chocolates like nanna and
pappa, pondering on what an amazing day we had and how thankful we were for
this experience. Then Joel looked at me from his wicker chair and said, “Do you
know what would make this day even better?”
I replied in a playful tone, “Play hide the sausage?”
He laughed and held out a ring and said, “No! If you would be my wife!”
At this point I was dying of embarrassment and had turned instantly the colour of
beetroot. He handed me his $6 Ebay special platinum engagement ring and said
he had arranged for my good friend back home in the UK to design and make our
dream ring when we returned to the UK at the end of this trip. That night we went
to dinner with all the other guests at the Snow Hotel, like we always did, but we
kept it our little secret, as we didn’t want any fuss and enjoyed having our own
secret to share. It was such a special moment to share together, low key…..Jo
and Joel style

What led you to decide on your venue? Did you see many beforehand?

Both the ceremony and the reception venues were a no brainer for me. Joel and his
family have spent the last 30 odd years camping down at Hamelin Bay over
Christmas time. When we started dating this soon became my tradition too. As you
travel to Hamelin Bay you have to drive through this amazing national park (Boranup
Forest). The Karri trees seem to touch the clouds, it’s simply breathtaking. I knew
instantly when I saw it for the first time a few years ago on my first trip for a ‘Yates’
family Christmas by the beach, that this was where I wanted to marry Joel. As for
the reception venue, Joel’s parents have a wonderful home, which Joel’s parents
built with their bare hands. Joel and I adore spending time with his parents in their
family home in Margaret River during the school holidays. For me it is a really
special place, where I feel at home, as my parents live in the UK. Deciding to have it
in their back yard just felt right for us both. However, Joel needed a little bit of
convincing once he thought about the day in detail and being a bloke soon realised
that both desired locations would be a logistical nightmare!!! We would have to
source everything ourselves and this would add massive amounts of stress. Not
only were we planning a wedding 1500km north in the red dirt, but to do a DIY
wedding would amplify the stress by about a million!!! So he asked me to start
looking at venues in the region, which I did…. But there was just nothing out there
that screamed ‘Jo and Joel’. So back to our original plan of DIY back yard
wedding….. which I do not regret and I would do again if I had the chance, however,
I would employ a wedding planner to relieve some of the stress on the days leading
up to the wedding…. It was magical and it was exactly what we imagined!

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme? And if no theme, the
vibe?

We didn’t really have a theme, more of a vibe. We just really wanted our wedding to
reflect the people we are. We are outdoors, easy living, low key kind of people. Our
idea of fun is boating adventures to find deserted island we can camp on with our fur
baby Tao. We just wanted a relaxed vibe, nothing to fancy and I think we achieved
our goal.

VENDOR CREDITS
Photography and Videography: Zaneta Van Zyl

Second photographer: Rae Marie

Event planner / Stylist: Bride (Jo)
Florist: Janie Saggers, WA (instagram-@flowersbyjanieWA)
Stationery: Etsy – idoityourself
Ceremony venue: Boranup Forest, WA (National Park)
Reception venue: Backyard Wedding (groom’s parent’s home-Margaret River, WA)
Catering: Supper Rd
Cake : Brumby’s Bakery
Decorative elements (bunting, straws, plates, balloons, garlands etc): Ebay – Heaven Stores
Prop or furniture hire : Love Me Do Hire
South West Events Hire
Marquee / teepee: Juice Tents
Photo booth: Bride and Groom (DIY-made ourselves)
Lighting / sound hire: WildWood Lighting
Entertainment: Seth Lowe (AKA Squid) Acoustic guitarist
Celebrant: Anita Revel
Engagement ring: Andy Stocks – Baroque Jewellery Brighton Lanes, UK
Bride’s wedding band: Andy Stocks – Baroque Jewellery Brighton Lanes, UK
Groom’s wedding band:  Andy Stocks – Baroque Jewellery Brighton Lanes, UK
Transport: Guests buses-Shep Bus Hire
Bridal Party cars- own car 4X4 Pajero
Pallet bar- Made by the groom (Joel)
Drinks: The River Cellar
BRIDES CREDITS
Bridal gown designer: Teresa Gown- L’Wren- Q’nique
Bridal Boutique: Bridal by Aubrey Rose

Veil: Mari-ette Bridal Veil
Flower crown: Native Flower Crown – Janie Saggers
Robes / getting ready tees: Gowns-Le Rose
Lingerie: Simone Pérèle
Gowns: Le Rose
Shoes: Sandler
Accessories: Samantha Wills
Hair: Sonya Poletti Hair and Make Up
Makeup: Bianca Craven
Bridesmaid dresses: Show me your Mumu
Bridesmaid shoes: Bridesmaid’s own
Robes: Le Rose
Rings: Esty – Hoops by Hand
GROOMS CREDITS
Suit: Roger David
Cufflinks: Etsy:  Design Just For U
Shoes: Tarocash
Socks: Etsy Shop Sock Prints
Watch: Diesel