Beth & Lacey

July 6, 2021

1.82k

PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Tell us a little about yourselves.

Lacey: I immigrated to Perth, Australia, over 15 years ago with my family. We are originally from England. I work in Online Marketing but am currently completing my interior design course to start my own interior stylist business, hoping to follow a lifelong passion for design.

People would know me as kind, compassionate, independent, and the crazy cat lady. But, I have a big heart for animals. My goal is to one day help volunteer for six months in Taiji alongside the Dolphin project, a non-profit organization to help stop mammal slaughter and dolphin shows.

Beth: I am Australian, born in Perth, WA, but my dad is from England. I work as a Chef, currently a head Chef at a café. I play soccer as a hobby with a local team, and on my days off, we love to go hiking with the dogs, Lacey and I are big outdoor lovers. I also love anything gardening and horticulture and one day would love to finish my horticulture degree.

My friends and family would say I am quiet, shy, and introverted, so basically the complete opposite to Lacey. However, lacey and I definitely bonded over our love for animals. I had two cats when we first met, and Lacey had two cats and a dog. We now have the four cats together, plus a beautiful stray boy that joined the family two years ago. We have Lacey’s dog Kenai, a six-year-old rough collie, and we recently got a girl rough collie Tonks, who is now fifteen weeks. Also, we have four chickens, two rabbits and a guinea pig.

Tell us about the proposal.

Lacey: I kept on at Beth half-jokingly about when is she going to propose. In my head, I had already decided I was going to do it; I just wanted to make sure she didn’t suspect anything.

We went to Singapore for a holiday and on the 27th Feb (the date we started dating) at midnight very casually in our hotel room I gave Beth a little present. Harry Potter-themed (as we are both big Harry Potter fans) and had the ring behind my back. I left a little note in her present, and after she had read it, I asked her to marry me. All I remember was not being able to put her ring on because my hand was shaking so much!

Beth: I had no clue that Lacey was going to propose, I had planned to propose first, so I was in complete shock! We had both gotten each other a little present that we were going to open on our anniversary, so I didn’t really overthink it. Not until I read Lacey’s note and then she started talking about life together and how much she loved me (I can’t remember completely what she had said. I was in shock!) I remember having butterflies in my stomach, and my heart was racing. I remember putting my ring on as Lacey’s hands were shaking. It was such an intimate and personal moment, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Any stories from the lead-up to the wedding, stressful or funny?

Beth was in charge of the money side of it, and Lacey organized everything else.

Lacey: To be honest, I was not stressed at all. I always hear people worrying about the wedding planning, but I was cruising along. It probably wasn’t until about two weeks before the wedding that I started freaking out. Was it normal to feel this calm? I was sure I had forgotten something!

Beth: I would probably say the most stressful part was when we decided to just check our finances about a month or so before the wedding, and to our surprise, we had well under budget. So we definitely had a moment there when we were like, oh crap! I remember Lacey freaking out, and she kept saying, crap, now I feel sick.

What lead you to the venue? Had you been there before?

We had always decided on an outdoor ceremony and a reception to be open planned; we randomly came across the olive estate and decided to book in for a viewing. We love the Swan Valley in Perth, so we knew it could be a great wedding venue spot.

When we viewed the estate, we knew it was perfect. The olive grove was beautiful (ironically, we are obsessed with olives!) the trees hanging over the ceremony location were idyllic. The reception area was exactly what we were after. The whole venue had everything we were after.

What was the inspiration behind the vibe of your wedding?

We were going for a rustic, natural, nature vibe with lots of sunflowers. The venue had an olive grove with lots of beautiful trees, and the reception part had a lovely dark oak style and beautiful outdoor gardens. We didn’t need to do anything to the ceremony location. It was very much our style. We love being in the outdoors, and sunflowers bring happiness and joy into our lives, so we wanted sunflowers with a natural vibe, and it was perfect.

Talk to us about your experience finding the perfect outfits.

Lacey: I always knew I wanted to wear a dress. I had been following LDN bridal for some time now and knew I wanted to look at their dresses, and I loved the style and detail of them all. So when I went to visit the lady, I had an idea in mind, I tried on multiple dresses of the style that I thought I wanted, but they just didn’t feel right. I was a bit bummed about it because no dress seemed to feel good on me.

The lady ended up picking a couple of different styles out, and I thought I’d give it a go. I was very impressed with the first couple I tried on and was loving the style oddly. Then she pulled out the last dress. I loved the detail and the lace; that was definitely something I was after. I just wasn’t sure as it was a fitted one, but once I saw myself with it on in the mirror, I fell in love, and I knew this was the dress. Ironically the name of the dress is ‘Beth.’ It was obviously meant to be!

Beth: I’ve never been a dress person. I wanted to feel comfortable within myself on my wedding day. So I knew I wanted to wear pants and a shirt, probably not a suit jacket as the wedding was in the middle of summer.

I found it hard to find a shirt for the style that I wanted and that also fit nicely, so one of my amazing friends asked if I would allow her to make my shirt. I was beyond grateful, she makes amazing clothes and I felt so special that she would do this for me. We talked about what style I wanted and any specific details, measured me up, and then she got to work. It turned out perfect. I was so happy to be able to feel comfortable on the day.

What are your favorite moments?

Lacey: Funnily enough, my favorite parts of the day were the parts I was the most anxious about. Our couple photos after the ceremony and our first dance. I hate getting pictures taken, so I was not really looking forward to having our photos done, but honestly, it was amazing. Just having that moment with your partner was so intimate and special, and to be honest, I didn’t even feel like there was a camera.

And our first dance, having all eyes on you, makes me very anxious, but honestly, it was a very personal, intimate moment between Beth and me. I just forgot that there was anyone else around.

Beth: Seeing Lacey walking down the aisle took my breath away. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Reading my vows to lacey, I just had such an overwhelming feeling of love for her and just how incredibly beautiful she looked in her wedding dress. Absolutely perfect.

What does marriage mean to you?

Lacey: For me, there are many factors, but one of the most significant meanings of marriage is equality in the legal setting. For example, if something terrible happened to Beth and she needed to seek urgent medical care, me being her wife, I can be there with her throughout it all. As a same-sex couple, unfortunately, if we weren’t married, the rules and regulations can be different.

Beth: Marriage to me shows that personal commitment and promise to that person you love unconditionally. Also, the recognition that we are together and share our lives together like any other couple regardless of our sexuality.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Set yourself a budget and stick to it as best as possible, weddings are expensive, but you can make it work within your budget.

DIY is an excellent option if you are a little picky. The number of vendors that you can pick from is endless.

Work with vendors that support you and your partner and not just about the money.

Enjoy every second because it’s over in a flash!

Anything you are glad you did? Or wish you didn’t do?

We are so happy that we chose to write our own vows. They are such a personal touch to the ceremony and to be able to keep them and look back on them down the track is lovely. Beth’s vows were beyond beautiful, and they bring tears to my eyes whenever I read over them.