Kat & Jess's Garden Wedding at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens

Table of Contents

1. Eight Years in the Making
2. Why Wanneroo Botanic Gardens (and Home)
3. Getting Ready in Clarkson
4. The First Look
5. The Garden Ceremony
6. The Bridal Party
7. Just the Two of Them
8. Pizza, Grazing Boards and a Backyard Party
9. The Vendor Dream Team
10. Common Questions About a Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Wedding
11. Planning Your Own Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Wedding?

Eight Years in the Making

Kat and Jess had been together eight years by the time their wedding day rolled around, and it showed. There is an easy confidence to a couple who already know each other inside out, and theirs came with a big dose of cheek. Relaxed, fun, allergic to anything stiff or posed. When they told us what they wanted from their photos, the words were candid, real and a little bit ridiculous. Exactly our language.

A quick note before we go on. There were little ones in the mix on the day, and as a rule we do not share photos of children without explicit permission from their parents, so you will not see their faces here. They were right in the thick of it though, and it made the whole day warmer.

Why Wanneroo Botanic Gardens (and Home)

Kat and Jess wanted a small, relaxed day with their favourite people close, about fifty guests, split across two spots that suited them perfectly. For the ceremony they were after big trees and greenery, and Wanneroo Botanic Gardens has that in spades. Then they took everyone home for the reception, because home was comfier, warmer and more them. Garden for the vows, backyard for the party. Honestly, a brilliant plan.

Getting Ready in Clarkson

The morning kicked off at home in Clarkson, the usual happy chaos of hair, makeup and people half in their outfits. The detail that set the tone for the whole day was a little sign that read RING SECURITY. That is the energy. Take it seriously, but not too seriously.

The First Look

Before they left for the gardens, Kat and Jess shared a first look right at home in the backyard. No big audience, no aisle, just the two of them in the morning sun. Hands found, faces lit up, and any nerves melted on the spot. If you have ever wondered whether a first look spoils the magic, this is your answer. It does the opposite.

The Garden Ceremony

Here is the bit that gets me. No one waiting nervously at the far end of an aisle. After their parents had walked in, Kat and Jess came down the aisle together, hand in hand, side by side, no pause, no nerves. Just two people completely sure of what they were doing, under a canopy of green with their favourite people leaning in.

The Bridal Party

No good day runs on the couple alone. Kat and Jess had their crew right beside them, bridesmaids in deep navy that popped against all the green, and you could feel how much this lot actually like each other. Loud, warm, ready for whatever. The kind of people you want in your corner.

Just the Two of Them

After the formalities, the gardens did all the work. We stole Kat and Jess away for a few quiet minutes in the greenery, soft light through the trees, red roses and white blooms in hand. This is the calm in the middle of a busy day, the bit where it is just the two of them and a deep breath.

Pizza, Grazing Boards and a Backyard Party

Then everyone headed home, and the reception was exactly as relaxed as the rest of the day. The food was pizza, a grazing board and a dessert board, plus, in their words, all the alcohol. There was mini golf set up in the yard and little games dotted around to keep everyone entertained, and once the music started the dance floor did not let up.

The Vendor Dream Team

A relaxed day still takes a proper team to pull off. Kat and Jess’s crew:

• Venue: Wanneroo Botanic Gardens
• Celebrant: Jodie
• Ceremony styling and flowers: Two Bad Apples
• Dress: English Rose Bridal
• Hair: Hair by Karen
• Make-up: Bobbi the MUA
• Catering, grazing and dessert: The Grazing Boutique Perth
• Cake: Fancy a Slice
• Videography: Silver Key Films
• Decor and furniture: Time 2 Hire
• Photo booth: All 4 Memories Photo Booth Hire
• Transport: MNT Luxury Charter
• Photography: Gonzalo Novoa Photography

Common Questions About a Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Wedding

How many guests can you have at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens? There are two ceremony spots: the Merbau timber wedding deck seats around 70, and the open garden lawn holds about 150. Two reception spaces cover both intimate and larger sit-downs.

Where is it? At 25 Drovers Place, Wanneroo, about half an hour north of central Perth.

Is it a good venue for photos? Very. Established trees, seasonal flowers, rockeries, waterfalls and a lily pond mean greenery in every direction and soft light through the canopy, so the setting does a lot of the work.

Can you have the ceremony and reception in the gardens? Yes. The grounds hold two reception spaces alongside the ceremony areas, though some couples marry in the gardens and head elsewhere for the party, like Kat and Jess, who took everyone home.

Planning Your Own Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Wedding?

If a green, relaxed garden ceremony sounds like your kind of day, Wanneroo Botanic Gardens is hard to beat. Have a look through the full Wanneroo Botanic Gardens wedding photographer guide to see what the venue is like through the lens, or come say hi and we will see if we are the right fit.