Adventurous at heart, Nakita and Kane knew a traditional wedding wasn’t for them. Instead, they curated two intimate celebrations — one in Perth and one in New Zealand — each reflective of the landscapes, energy, and spirit of the places they call home. Their first wedding in Perth captured the raw, untamed beauty of Western Australia, and included heartfelt personal details to honour their love story. Nakita tells us about their day…

After over a decade working in the wedding industry, I’d seen it all and knew we wanted something a little different for our big day. An elopement somewhere wild and cinematic always felt like us. But the more we imagined the day, the clearer it became that having our loved ones there mattered too. So, we found a middle ground that felt just right: two intimate celebrations — one in Perth, one in New Zealand.

Because of the timing and distance, only a few family members could join us in Perth — my niece and nephews, and Kane’s mum and sister — while our amazing crew of friends made up the rest. Still, the day felt full of love and meaning. I carried my grandma’s brooch in my dress, tied a locket of my parents (who couldn’t attend) to my bouquet, and wore a hat that belonged to a close friend who had passed away. Kane wore cufflinks handmade by his best friend — all small but deeply personal details.

Before our guests arrived, Kane and I shared a quiet first look — a chance to see each other, take it all in and enjoy a special moment together before the ceremony began.

We chose Statham’s Quarry in Beelu National Park for our ceremony — a place close to Kane’s heart and one that captured the raw, untamed beauty of Western Australia. With its sunbaked, red earth and craggy cliffs, it was everything we envisioned. Except for one thing: the temperature.

On our December wedding day, Perth delivered a scorching 42°C day. We'd originally planned to hold the ceremony atop the quarry, but with the heat radiating off the rocks, we made a last-minute call to move it below into the shade. Guests were melting, but spirits were high.

In tribute to loved ones no longer with us, we toasted with fireball shots — though in hindsight, adding fire to an already blazing day may not have been the wisest move! Our dogs Simba, Nala and Percy walked us both down the aisle to Bob Marley’s ‘Could You Be Loved’ — an accidental song choice due to a bit of ceremony chaos, but somehow, it fit the moment beautifully. Simba was our gorgeous ring bearer.

*We gently encouraged guests to dress in our colour palette — and our Perth crew especially ran with it, which looked incredible in the photos.*

After the ceremony, guests headed to a speakeasy at a nearby heritage pub for drinks and nibbles while we stayed behind for golden hour photos. The sunset from the top of the cliffs was magic. A quick outfit change helped me recover from heat exhaustion (and a lingering tick scare after one tried to hitch a ride in my gown earlier in the day). With cool drinks, makeup still intact, and the people we love around us, the night unfolded just as we hoped — relaxed, meaningful, and unmistakably us.