Wedding photographers and videographers, Anthea and Lyndon, got to experience being on the other side of the camera when they were married. And, at the risk of sounding biased, the pair cannot imagine not having a video of their special day. Follow their love story through the beautiful words, pictures, and the video below.
How did you meet? We met through mutual friends in Jindabyne six years ago. We got deep in conversation about our shared love of cameras, snowboarding, and travelling. On our way home I asked Lyndon for his phone number so I could do work experience with the video company he was working with at the time. It was really just an excuse to get his number, and I’m pretty sure he knew that too!
What was the proposal like? Lyndon proposed at one of our favorite spots in Canberra with his Great Great Grandmother’s engagement ring. Lyndon was really nervous and forgot everything that he was meant to say, and so he took the ring off me and did it again 20 minutes later after we’d both composed ourselves! Then we watched the sunset eating wood-fired pizza on a picnic bench.
What made you choose your venue/location? Our wedding was our 6th year celebrating Christmas and the New Year together in Narooma with our families. We booked the private property for nine nights, celebrated Christmas by officially joining two families, and spent a whole week without TV or phone reception. We bonded over food fights, watching movies together at our outdoor cinema under the stars, camping, and swimming in the ocean. We wanted to make it a celebration for everyone, rather than it just being about the two of us. Camping out at Corunna farm was the perfect place to spend quality time together, and celebrate the next step in our journey together.
Were there any handmade elements or DIY projects? We had lots of help from our family and friends, especially Lyndon’s mum Vickie from to style our wedding. She built two kids size tepees for the dedicated kids area, where we had games and movies for them. My mum hand cut thousands of circles from gold tissue paper with a hole punch to make the confetti we used in our ceremony. She also made mini tepee place names for all the kids.
Additionally, Lyndon and I took a workshop at Kin Gallery, a local jeweller in Canberra, to make each other’s wedding band.
Were there any eco friendly elements in your day? We hunted and gathered tablecloths, pillows, rugs, beach umbrellas, and chairs at The Green Shed, the re-use and recycling centre next to the tip. We returned them after our wedding so that someone else can re-use them.
Any special elements? Our dear friend Andrea choreographed a swing dance routine for us. We’re the opposite of professional dancers and spent months practicing in the lead up to the wedding. We wanted to do something special instead of a traditional slow waltz.
Favourite moment from the day? No amount of anticipation could prepare me for the moment that I walked out from behind those tepees with my dad on my arm, to see 100 of our favourite people stand and turn towards me. Before I knew it I had my ugly crying face out for everyone to see.
Any funny stories from the day? We ran out of beers by dinner time! We were providing all the alcohol and we thought we’d bought more than enough. Luckily our friends made a last minute run to the bottle shop before it closed on NYE!
What does marriage mean to you? We’d like our marriage to be based on love, kindness, learning, understanding and family. Marriage is going to be both challenging and rewarding. We will disagree and go through hard times, but we will love each other unconditionally.
Any advice for other couples planning a wedding? Don’t sweat the small stuff! There are so many small details that are literally not important at all. Zero. Work out what your priorities are and forget about the fluff.
The Land & the Sea // A Mystery Bay Wedding from Anthea and Lyndon on Vimeo.
