The story of Marley and Dani began when they met at a University Barrel Party in 2017. It was their shared love of animals that led them to form an instant magical connection, and the fairy tale began.

Marley and Dani’s wedding was a truly personal expression of who they are, despite wedding traditions. It began with two separate proposals, one surprising the other. The first proposal occurred at Disneyland, Florida (of course!) and the second was at a beautiful garden gazebo in northern Tasmania. Reflecting back on their proposals, the couple said, “It was magical. Whoever won the best proposal is still up for debate, but they were both magical in their own way”.

On the big day, and keeping the budget in mind, the couple opted for diy hair & makeup for themselves and their bridal party. “… it made for a lovely morning of us all getting ready and helping each other out with some casual mimosas. We called our wedding party the Spousekateers. Our wedding was a queer, gender-neutral wonderland. Our entire wedding party were queer, some non-binary, and with myself being a trans non-binary individual, the term Spousekateers was born, and boy did it stick around!” said Marley.

The couple selected Hidden Garden Estate for their ceremony because of the sweeping views over the Derwent River. It was a perfect location for Marley and Dani’s whimsical-woodlands themed wedding in the southern suburb of Berriedale, Tasmania. Their celebrant, Kathleen, was a standout vendor for the couple. Marley and Dani said, “She completely customised a non-traditional, fun, and quirky wedding for us and even wrote our vows for us”.

Despite their best efforts, not all their plans were as smooth sailing. The couple’s initial plans for a family member to be their wedding photographer were squashed at the very last minute due to COVID pandemic travel restrictions. However, in a stroke of ‘fairy tale magic,’ the couple managed to find a photographer at short notice. “Moss from Inside the Frame Photography was our saviour! He was such a gem. We reached out to him and, he came back instantly”. “… he met up with us one evening to chat about how we wanted the wedding to go. We loved him instantly. He is such a wonderful, casual, and kind guy who made us feel so comfortable. His candid photos, capturing the raw, beautiful emotions of everyone who attended, just make looking back at our wedding a tear-jerking experience.”, said the couple.

As their wedding day unfolded, a continuation of Marley and Dani’s individuality was evident. They chose a pastel palette for the stationery, bridal party attire, florals, and the wedding cake complementing the whimsical-woodlands theme. Wedding touches were personalised in every way, from the invitations from VistaPrint to the handmade candle favours scented with a fragrance created by the couple.

The Salamanca Inn hosted the reception and provided a customised vegan-friendly menu. A friend of the couple made the mocha caramel wedding cake. Later Marley and Dani danced to their chosen wedding song, which they played from their personal playlist.

When asked what a memorable moment from the day was, the couple replied, “One of our favourite moments was right after we walked down the aisle after we were married, we had a special moment just the two of us (and wine) just to look at each other and freak out that we were actually married”.