We have to take our hats off to Frankie and Josh, who pulled off their industrial style Brisbane wedding at Mirra amidst a global pandemic. And while they admit it was stressful at times, Frankie tells us, “it was without a doubt the best day of our lives… I don’t think there is one thing I would change or do differently now.”
It was their sense of humour that got them across the line, as well as their team of incredible vendors including photographer Renee Green and Alanah Cherie Floristry whose amazing work you can check out below.
Frankie and Josh, congrats on getting married. First, how would you describe your wedding?
I would say it was relaxed, special and heaps of fun.
How long have you been together and how did you meet?
Three years. We actually met on Tinder!
Can you tell us a bit about your proposal?
Josh wanted to catch me by surprise. He had planned to propose on holidays in Cairns but quite a few people told me ‘he will definitely do it whilst you are in Cairns’ so he changed the plan completely, and caught me by surprise on a Wednesday afternoon at home after work.
Josh had a dog tag made for our dog Harper that said ‘will you marry Dad?’. It took me ages to realise what was happening and I think I nearly went into shock when I realised. Josh had planned for us to go for a nice dinner after but we just ended up having Subway whilst I recovered!
Was your wedding in your home town or was it a destination wedding?
Our wedding was in Josh’s hometown of Brisbane, where we both reside.
How did you decide on the location of your wedding and the venue itself?
Whilst I am originally from Toowoomba, we decided to have the wedding here in Brisbane as then most of our guests wouldn’t have to travel. Most of the weddings we have been to were on properties or at the beach, so we liked the thought of having a city wedding that was a bit different!
We wanted a more industrial style, warehouse-type venue and I found a few online. Mirra was the first that we visited and from there Josh refused to look anywhere else, as he knew it was the one! We loved that from the outside, Mirra didn’t look like much but once you enter it really felt like you could be anywhere in the world. We loved that we could have the ceremony and reception in one place and that the venue was fully inclusive. You also really didn’t need to do too much in terms of styling as the venue had so much character!
Did you write your own vows?
We decided not to do our own vows and opted to write each other a letter to open the morning before the wedding instead. I was worried I’d be overly emotional during the ceremony, and as we aren’t very soppy people it just didn’t feel like us.
Our celebrant Jake sent us through some modern variations of vows that we used instead and we feel our ceremony was so highly personalised that it was still meaningful and true to us.
What was your wedding budget? Did you stick to it? If not, how much extra did you spend?
I feel we were slightly unrealistic with our wedding budget which was originally 25-30k! All up, we spent $40k. We kept a spreadsheet of expenses but when we actually factor other things into it like dresses, suits, and all those sneaky expenses that come about a week or two before… we went over!
We didn’t want to have a big, expensive wedding as we are saving for a house and saw it as ‘just one day’, however now that the day has been and gone, I can say it was absolutely worth it!
How many guests did you have?
90.
Were you inspired by a particular wedding style or vibe when bringing your day to life?
We just wanted it to feel relaxed and like a big party! We weren’t overly big on formalities and wanted our guests to be able to mingle, so chose a stand-up style. This was a great choice as we felt we had so much time to interact with our guests and experience the evening not being stuck at a bridal table.
Where did you gather your inspiration?
Oh gosh – everywhere! I spent a lot of time on websites like Wedshed and followed lots of wedding Instagram pages as well. I read Hello May. I also joined a few local wedding Facebook groups, and the Wedchat by Wedshed which proved very helpful and supportive with planning a wedding in COVID-19 times.
Did you partake in any DIY elements to your day?
No, but Josh’s mum made our amazing cake, which was very special.
How did you find your dream team?
I was so happy with all of my vendor choices so I really do feel like I had the dream team. I found some through word of mouth, like our celebrant Jake who came with absolute rave reviews from people we knew! As for my photographer Renee and florist Alanah, I just found Instagram pictures that I liked the style of and then contacted the vendor responsible. I think it is important where possible to meet with key vendors in-person to ensure you are on the same page.
What are some of the most memorable and special moments of your wedding?
I think the stand out for a lot of people was the speeches. Everyone did such a fantastic job and they were the perfect mix of meaningful and hilarious.
Getting away with our bridal party to take photos was also really special, and a chance to relax after the ceremony and spend some time with our closest friends before the reception.
Any funny elements that just made the day or lead up even more amazing?
Honestly, the lead up with COVID-19 was so stressful that any little hiccups on the day really didn’t matter in the end. One that springs to mind is as I was about to walk down the aisle, I noticed a bit of a footprint on my dress’s train (thanks, Dad!).
Do you have any standout suppliers that you would recommend in a heartbeat? Who are they and why?
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of our suppliers – they were all phenomenal and so great to deal with particularly with potential date changes due to the virus. I would make special mention of our photographer, Renee Green, who seemed like more of a bridesmaid on the day and made the whole process of taking photos such a dream for two people who aren’t overly photogenic. We were absolutely blown away by her photos.
I would also mention our celebrant Married by Jake. He nailed our brief for the ceremony and made it memorable. The other stand out was our band The Vibe Creators. They gave the night such a fun vibe and are so very talented.
Tell us about your dress/suit, how did you find it? What did you love about it?
I found my dress whilst home in Toowoomba at Luxe Bridal Lounge. I never thought I’d buy there but my Mum insisted I have a look at a few stores. It wasn’t one that I would have ever picked but Kellie the owner brought it to me to try on and I fell in love! I didn’t end up looking anywhere else as Kellie was so amazing at what she does and made it such a great experience. I loved that it was a super classic style that I feel won’t date and that it was a bit untraditional in the sense that it had the tulle wings instead of a veil.
Now that you’re married, what’s the best piece of advice you can give other couples in the middle of planning their own weddings?
I would say to really think about the day you and your partner want and don’t be overly pressured by external factors. There are so many people that will tell you what a wedding should look like, but ultimately you will enjoy the day so much more, and feel a lot less stress, if you just do it your way.
I would also say to have a sense of humour, something is bound to go a little wrong/not as you envisioned on the day and if you are prepared for that you will likely just laugh it off!
Finish this sentence. The best (or most unique) thing we did at our wedding was…
We sat back and really enjoyed it! So many people say it comes and goes in a flash and that is so true. We were really conscious of this and tried to really live in the moment and experience it with our guests. I think this is the reason we had such an amazing day.
What are you most looking forward to now that you’re married?
Now that we’re married, it’s honestly such a weight off our shoulders knowing our wedding was able to go ahead and that we are actually married! We know many couples this year were not as fortunate so we just feel so lucky that ours went off without a hitch. We are now working on our next goal of purchasing our first home.
CREDITS: Photos Renee Green Creative // Video Woodvine & Co // Venue Mirra // Celebrant Married by Jake // Flowers Alanah Cherie Floristry // Stationery Artful Invites // Bridal gown Madi Lane Bridal // Brides shoes Bared Footwear // Accessories Christie Nicolaides // Bridesmaid dresses Shona Joy // Bridesmaid gifts Peggy & Twig // Groom and groomsmen suits and ties InStitchu // Groomsmen suits Etsy // Hair Petula Jade // Makeup Shannon Hope // Music The Vibe Creators // Transport Grande Limousines // Gelato cart Dolci & Co // Light up letters Big Light Letters // Photo booth Botanical Booths.
+++++
What Does COVID-19 Mean For Weddings In 2020?
