Photography: Lovers & Legends Venue: The Refinery Guests: 50
It all adds up — the Swiftie bachelorette, the fancy balloon installation, the Dirty Dancing lift, and the non-stop wedding laughs. All gloriously true to form for Zoe and Alex, who made it official with 50 of their favourite people at The Refinery. The pair enlisted Lovers + Legends to capture the spirit of the day, with every sweet moment and roof-raising singalong now a fabulous visual memory. More bridal ponies please!
All good love stories start somewhere; tell us how you met …
We both actually worked in the same building but had never crossed paths until 9th June 2018 when we went to Byron Bay as the (platonic) plus ones of friends. Like all Byron adventures, it started at the Byron Hotel, then we all went back to the apartment for pre-drinks. I may have had a few too many drinks, so Alex looked after me and then the rest is history….
Give us a glimpse into your lives together …
After meeting in Byron Bay, we never really left each other. Whether it was coffees at work, a cocktail at Byblos after work (sometimes during work), or weekend adventures … one thing led to another and then we were madly, deeply in love! I moved into Alex’s house six months after we met, temporarily of course, but then I never left and we’re still here today. We are very fortunate that our lives have been filled with lots of travel both within Australia and around the world.
What does marriage mean to you?
It’s a promise to the other person as much as it is a promise to yourself that you’ll always have a place to call home. It’s creating an environment where you are encouraged and free to be the best version of yourself but also supported and loved to be vulnerable and feel wholeheartedly. In 50 years, when we’re old and grey, I can’t wait to look back on the life we’ve lived.
Make us laugh, make us cry: who proposed to who, and how?
We went ring shopping together and we were going on a weekend away to Adelaide — so the proposal shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise to me, but it still managed to be and was the perfect ‘us’ moment. We were road-tripping Adelaide and heading to our next destination. At about 3 pm, Alex starts getting angsty, being like “we need to hurry up we’re going to miss sunset”. Strange behaviour from a boy who is usually so chill and just goes with the flow! Anyway, we get to our destination and make our way to the ocean rocks for sunset … except it’s unbearably uncomfortable. So, we walk back to the main area and hike up a neighbouring hill (potentially private property) to try again. We set up our picnic and just take in the picturesque view.
Now, this is the proposal part (which Alex will hate me for bringing up, haha). I was a little away from Alex and he says: “Why don’t you come over here and marry me” or something to that effect. Anyway, I take that as the ‘official’ proposal, and we embrace. But then I’m like “well aren’t you going to get on one knee?” to which Alex will claim that it was just his way of getting my attention and not actually proposing. So, he dropped a knee and asked me. I, of course, said yes!
If you had a hens/bucks/hucks, how did you celebrate?
We both had weekends in Brisbane! Alex did virtual golf and bar hopping. My bridesmaids organised me the most perfect Taylor Swift-inspired Bachelorette with all the girls and I wearing shirts with Taylor Swift lyrics. It started on Friday night with drinks then the ballet for Swan Lake. Then, on Saturday I was taken to Soak Bathhouse, before high tea at Bacchus, then back to the hotel for drinks, before heading to Magic Mike to dance the night away.
How & why did you choose your venue?
The Refinery is special to us because Rogue Bistro (their sister venue) is our favourite restaurant in Brisbane! Even before we were engaged, the venue was always going to be The Refinery! We originally went to meet Rach planning a September 2024 wedding, but after we left, we looked at each other and asked: “Why are we waiting? Let’s just do it”. 18 November 2023 gave us 11 months to plan. So, we locked it in!
What was the inspiration behind your wedding style & where did you gather inspiration?
From a venue/styling perspective, the inspiration really came from The Refinery itself. We loved everything about the classic vibe, but then we wanted to add pops of colour, which we did through the amazing balloon installation by Fancy Schmancy Balloons!
For my bridal look, I wanted something that was me! I love bows so the Madi Lane dress was perfect, and the split was a little bit fun. As for my hair and make-up, again, I wanted something that matched my personality. The high pony, whilst not typically bridal, was so me and the pink lipstick combined with a soft glam look just tied the whole look together!
Tell us about your dress/suit choices …
I always knew I wanted two dresses — I absolutely love the idea of a second look and just changing into something a bit more practical for dancing the night away. I saw my main bridal dress online and loved the bow, and that you could remove it (hello additional look). For my second dress, I ended up with a store credit for Helen O’Connor after my first (second) dress didn’t work out so bought this one on sale and it was absolutely perfect!
Alex was also the last of his core friendship group to get married. So, instead of spending money on a suit the groomsmen would never wear again, we opted for a cheaper alternative and the groomsmen didn’t wear jackets. This was a bonus for the boys as we got married in November so had a bit of afternoon sun.
Best investment?
Do not skimp on your photography/videography. A good vendor (like Lovers + Legends) is worth their weight in gold! Our wedding photos and videos will be cherished for years to come.
Best saving?
We skipped the fresh floral arrangements for beautiful, dried bouquets! Much more cost effective and the bridesmaids loved that they could keep them.
Did you incorporate any traditions or perhaps do something a little different?
I don’t really think anything was ‘traditional’, we did things how we wanted! We spent the night before together and then had a bridal party breakfast the morning of, which was so special.
Your First Dance song was …
I am a Swiftie to the core, so it was You Are In Love (Taylor’s Version, of course). A few months out, we got serious about creating a rough choreo for the dance and decided to add in the famous Dirty Dancing lift! I didn’t do the full run and jump, but we did the lift and spin overhead. It was so much fun and thankfully went off without any broken bones! I would definitely recommend couples practice, practice, and practice before thinking they can pull it off!
Funniest moment of the day?
During our speech, I looked down at Alex’s notes and realised he had spelt my name wrong. He added a ‘y’, which I don’t think he has ever done before. I, of course, called him out on it in my speech and it was just a hilarious moment to unfold because my name is only three letters. It’s not that difficult. The moment features in our wedding video too, and I just think it captures our personalities.
Do you have a special mention for any stand-out vendors?
Honestly, all of them were incredible to work with and delivered our vision so perfectly. We trusted them all wholeheartedly — they’re the experts after all, and you’re paying them for their skills and knowledge!
Any nuggets of wisdom for other couples?
If you can, book an engagement shoot with your photographer! I would never have done it, but it was included in our package with Lovers + Legends and, honestly, I’m so thankful! We aren’t exactly camera shy, but getting to meet Steph before the wedding and learn how we all worked was so valuable. Then, on the day it was literally just like having another two guests at the wedding who happened to be filming us! It probably helped that Steph and Elliott have the most amazing personalities!
How did you honeymoon?
We were very fortunate to go to Europe earlier in the year for a ‘wedding moon’, so our honeymoon was a short trip to Bali as we wanted somewhere we could relax and soak in the just-married feeling.
DREAM TEAM
Photography & Videography: Steph & Elliott – Lovers + Legends // Ceremony & reception venue: The Refinery // Celebrant: Aaron White // Gown: Madi Lane Bridal // Reception Dress: Helen O’Connor // Accessories: Mimco earrings // Shoes: Novo // Groom’s outfit: Politix, Urbana Shoes // Groomsmen outfits: Tarocash // Hair & Make Up: Liz and Lou from Blushd Brides // Bride’s wedding rings: Louise Jean // Groom’s wedding ring: Temple and Grace // Flowers: Dried arrangement from Leia & Me // Cake: Petite Crumb // Catering: The Refinery // Stylist: Fancy Schmancy Balloons // Music: Allens Music Co