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A Cottesloe Civic Centre & COAST Port Beach Wedding: Jaana & Andy
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How a Dating App Made a Love Story
This one kicked off the way a lot of them do these days, on an app. Swipe, match, fingers crossed. The difference is that Jaana and Andy actually stuck, and a couple of years later I got to watch them say their vows in a leafy little garden in Cottesloe. Not bad for two strangers and a phone.
Here is the part I love. Andy is a Perth boy with Hungarian roots who basically grew up in the ocean. Jaana came all the way from Finland and somehow ended up just as obsessed with the water as he is. Same favourite element, opposite ends of the planet. So of course their day was always going to finish with their toes near the sand.
Quick heads up before we go on. You will not see their little girl’s face anywhere in here, and that is on purpose. Jaana and Andy like to keep her off the internet, which I reckon is a lovely call. She was right in the thick of the morning though, and it made the whole day about ten times softer.
Why Cottesloe Civic Centre and COAST Port Beach
When I asked them why these two spots, the answer was pure them. COAST Port Beach was the first pick because it sits right on the water, which is close to Andy’s heart. Then they wanted to say their vows somewhere green and leafy nearby, so they landed on the secret garden at Cottesloe Civic Centre because Jaana wanted a bit of greenery in the mix.
So that was the plan. Big old trees and heritage stone for the I do, then beachy golden light for the party. Best of both, and a very short drive between them.
Getting Ready
Jaana got ready with her bridesmaids and her mum, the room full of hair and makeup, a cheeky glass of bubbles, and matching beachy pyjamas covered in little shells and starfish. The dress reveal with the girls was exactly as fun as you would hope.
Andy’s crew, captured by my second shooter Kyle, went a different direction entirely. The boys rolled in dressed down, carrying bags like they were turning up to footy training, then turned around fully suited in sharp blue. The best bit, their ties were a blue Marimekko poppy print, a proper nod to Jaana’s Finnish side. Little touches like that get me every time.
The Ceremony at Cottesloe Civic Centre
Then came the bit everyone waits for. Jaana came down that grand old limestone staircase on her dad’s arm, him in a white fedora and sunnies looking like the most relaxed man in Perth. The garden was all green and gold, the stone draped in white flowers, and Andy waiting at the bottom doing his best to keep it together.
They kept it unplugged so everyone was actually present instead of filming through a phone, which always makes the photos better anyway. Andy told me the one shot he could not live without was Jaana looking at him during the ceremony. He got it. Jaana just wanted a photo where they looked happy, which, when you two are involved, is basically every single frame.
Just the Two of Them
We stole a few minutes in the gardens for the two of them. All that green, all that old stone, and a couple who clearly think the other one hung the moon. Easiest job in the world, honestly.
The Reception at COAST Port Beach
Quick hop over to Port Beach and the whole vibe changed, in the best way. COAST is a proper beach house, all white timber and big windows with the ocean right there, and by the time everyone arrived the light had gone golden. Canapes doing laps, drinks flowing, and a room full of people in their summery best.
They flipped the usual order and went straight into the first dance early, which I love, because then nobody is nervous about it all night. After that the speeches kicked off, three of them, swinging between heartfelt and properly funny. There was a secret cake cut they pulled off when no one was looking, a father daughter dance, a family dance, and a DJ who kept the floor packed. Drinks of choice, for the record, were a gin and tonic for Andy and margaritas for Jaana, which tells you everything about the energy in that room.
If you are dreaming up a day of your own here, this is what a wedding at COAST Port Beach looks like through my lens.
When I asked which part of the day they wanted to wow their guests with, the answer was simply all of it. I would say they pulled it off.
One Last Moment by the Ocean
And then the part I had been quietly waiting for all day. We slipped down onto the sand at Port Beach just as the sun started to drop, and these two went full main character. Andy and Jaana, the ocean, and a sky doing something ridiculous behind them.
For two people who fell for each other over a shared love of the water, ending the day with their toes in the sand at golden hour was about as on-brand as it gets. I will let these ones do the talking.
The Vendor Dream Team
A day this good is never a one person job. Big love to the crew who pulled it together:
- Ceremony venue: Cottesloe Civic Centre
- Reception venue: COAST Port Beach
- Celebrant: @celebrant.cel
- Florist: @olalafloral
- DJ: @scottethedj
- Hair & Makeup: @starletconcepts
- Photographer: Gonzalo Novoa Photography (hi, that’s me)
- Second Photographer: Kyle
Planning Your Own Cottesloe or Port Beach Wedding?
If a leafy garden ceremony and a beach party sounds like your kind of day, we should chat. I would love to be the one capturing your gin and tonics, your margaritas, and your all of it. Say hello here or come find me on Instagram. I promise I am more fun than your average bloke with a camera.
-Gonz
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Gonzalo Novoa
Perth Wedding Photographer · Storyteller · The Cheeky One
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