Marriage: “Reciprocity. Giving and receiving in equal measures. To meet each other where one needs to be met and to be present enough to notice that those needs are changing every day. Knowing that if shit gets dicey, there will be a way to make it a seaworthy vessel again.”- Laura & Chris.
Under the trees, surrounded by loved ones, in Forrest, Victoria, Laura and Chris said ‘I do’. They “did away with the fluff” and planned a day using the things they already had, to celebrate their love story in an environment which evoked their full sense of life and love in its simplest and natural state.
Laura wore her late-Mother’s wedding dress, paired with a second-hand dress from Gumtree, and Chris wore op-shop shoes, and a custom made jacket. As lovers of nature and looking after the planet, the couple chose Bespoke Harvest as their venue and caterer, for it’s sustainability, locality, and beauty. Bespoke Harvest grow their own veggies to reduce food miles, and compost on site. Tables and chairs laid out on the lawn meant the atmosphere stayed relaxed, community focused, and natural; the simplistic approach for all their wedding decisions.
“We avoid single use plastics, we buy second hand, we always recycle and upcycle before we ever consider a purchase for something new, we juggle only having one car and buy our produce as locally as we can. We couldn’t justify spending our life savings on a “one day memory”.”
Laura and Chris were wed by wedding celebrant, Zena Lythgo: a Melbourne celebrant with an inclusive, heartfelt, intimate, and honest approach to weddings. Laura and Chris were blown away by the way she got to know them so quickly, and curated a ceremony tailored to exactly what they envisioned it to be. “She is wizard at creating and space holding and her ethos in giving back is the backbone in pretty much everything she does.” The newly weds wanted to give back to their local and global community as much as possible during their day, and were able to give back through Zena Lythgo’s practice of donating 5% of the celebrant fee to SisterWorks, a nonprofit organisation.
The wedding was captured beautifully by Annika Sjolund (who donates 5% of her fee to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre), and Scott Barker documented the day through video. Laura and Chris’ favourite moments were the time spent laughing with the photographers in between ceremony and reception, and hearing Zena talk about their love story so perfectly. As parents to a beautiful little boy, and simple living enthusiasts, their day was filled with moments, not things. Guests were entertained by a few live sets from the guests themselves, and fun Spotify playlists kept it simple and set the mood.
As a symbol of their matrimony, Laura and Chris’ wear wedding rings from their local jeweller, and Laura now wears Chris’ Grandmother’s engagement ring (Chris actually proposed to her with a gum tree!). But the rings are just formalities. Laura and Chris’ love and commitment to each other is so overflowing, you can see it in the way they look at each other, and talk about each other and their sweet family of three.
Laura: I admire Chris’ kind and accepting nature; the way he never judges people and isn’t afraid to have a little cry during a movie. Seeing the bond he has with our son, Moss, and the incredible and patient father he is, makes me melt. Chris has been my rock as I’ve transitioned into motherhood.
Chris: I have loved seeing Laura become the mother she was always meant to be. She is innately nurturing and has a great ability to hold space for people to express themselves. I admire the way Laura embraces the unknown, takes on her fears & is always willing to immerse herself in something new.
What does living purposefully mean to you?
“It means staying in alliance and allegiance with our top values- balance, family, nature. We are pretty good at checking in with each other before we make change or buy expensive items, to ensure we haven’t been led astray by work demands and expectations, or subconsciously being pulled into the next fad or trend. It’s a way that we can continue observing the flow on effect of our actions and decisions and being happy with them.”
Whether it’s a love note left on the coffee machine, a mundane chat about the wind, or a soothing back scratch, Laura and Chris choose to love each other every second of the day. They’ve have grown together over many years, as companions, best friends, lovers, parents, and now husband and wife.
We could listen to their love story on repeat.
Did you enjoy this read? We have lots more eco-ethical and simplicity loving inspo throughout the LSMM website, feel free to stay awhile and look around 🙂
