This shoot was a labour of love for photographer Jason Tey and a collaboration between stylist Maeline from Wedding Day Flair and Olivia at Olive Farm Designs along with a host of West Australian wedding vendors. The shoot was inspired by the love story of his little brother Victor and wife Elizabeth and was built around the concept of what their wedding could have been had they gotten married today.
And so our shoot is called “Mexican Fries”… which is based on the events after they are married. Victor wants to bring Elizabeth back to Australia but she doesn’t have a US passport and can’t get one so the only way they can legally return is if they travel back over the border to Mexico. This choice is so difficult for Elizabeth because it means she will be banned from returning to the U.S.A to see her family for 10 years.
They travel to Santa Catarina Mexico with a few bags and little else… They rent a cheap house and share a single mattress on the floor with sleeping bags as their blankets. Victor tries to find a job so they can survive but since he can’t speak Spanish, nobody will employ him. Elizabeth finds out she’s pregnant so it’s difficult for her to find a job as well. Victor notices that nobody seems to be selling fries at the markets so he Googles “how to make the perfect fries” and decides to sell them in little paper boats. It’s not an easy job… and carrying 15kg of potatoes on the bus is pretty hard but they make ends meet. In fact by the time they leave, Victor’s fries stall has evolved into quite a thriving business!
What was originally planned as a 3 month stay turns into a year and Elizabeth gives birth to baby Simon in their home in Mexico with the help of a midwife. One year after they arrive in Santa Catarina, Elizabeth is granted her visa and the sweet little family head home to Australia.
