Shenae & Steve’s East Coast Elopement
🖤INKED & ELOPED 🖤
(6 minute read)
Meet Shenae & Steve – a laid-back Perth couple who decided early on that a traditional wedding plan simply wasn’t for them. They instead opted for an adventure on the other side of Australia, eloping at the idyllic Freycinet Lodge in Tassie!
Their elopement involved some particularly tough choices.. Involving ice cream, earring emergencies and tattoos.
Read all about it from Shenae’s POV👇
A LITTLE ABOUT SHENAE & STEVE
Steve and I live in Perth, WA with our cats Ezekiel and Ziggy. We are both creative individuals that enjoy making things, traveling and good food! 😊 Steve and I first met during our primary school years, where a class seating plan placed us at the same desk. It was a split-year class – I was in seventh grade, while he was in the sixth. We both attended the same high school, although we never spoke because that would have been kind of “uncool.”
Post high school I reunited with Steve at a house party. Engaging in conversation with each other had suddenly shed its “uncool” label.
Almost half a decade later, following our initial re-connection, both of us found ourselves single after long-term relationships. There was an unspoken hesitation between us, a shared awareness of the potential for a deeper connection between us, yet we both held back... It wasn’t until a New Year’s party that I finally summoned the courage to share a midnight kiss with Steve. It turned out to be the start of our beautiful journey together!
ELOPEMENT LOCATION
Freycinet Lodge, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR ELOPEMENT LOCATION?
Balancing budget, romance and authenticity were the driving factors in our choices for our wedding choices. We wanted something pared back and authentically our own, without compromising on romance, or losing out on what makes the day special to us. With that in mind we, we thought why not elope in Tasmania?! We live in Perth, WA and had always wanted to visit Tassie.
The decision to elope was just right for us, the big traditional wedding felt like too much pressure and realistically, we could not justify spending so much on just one day.
We were so lucky to have found Freycinet Lodge, their elopement package was incredible value and surpassed our expectations. The venue and it’s staff were so fantastic to work with – they were so accommodating, we truly felt so taken care of by everyone there. They had a list of suppliers which made everything so easy, and very much appreciated when we live on the other side of Australia / would not get to see the venue or suppliers in person until the day before the wedding! We had the best room in the entire lodge, the view was beautiful and private, so many little details so carefully thought out, it was great!!
We got ready in our lodge and then had our ceremony at Honeymoon Bay which was literally a minute walk from our room. It was such a cool little spot with trees and mountains by the water, it was so scenic and perfect.
We didn’t have a traditional reception – the wedding was really only the two of us after the ceremony and photos. As a part of our elopement package, we devoured a 4-course dinner that was brought directly to us in our lodge. The food was just delicious, we appreciated all the local produce!
We plan to have a non-formal reception at home with family and friends. We’re it calling a Celebration of Love – so we can celebrate this milestone with those we love, later.
WHAT TRADITIONS DID YOU KEEP OR GET RID OF AND WHY?
I guess an elopement is already non-traditional. From this initial decision we questioned why weddings are the way they are and made a few more decisions that suited us better.
I didn’t have a bouquet, the idea of holding a bunch of flowers for the ceremony seemed odd.. Maybe if we had a big traditional wedding it would make sense, but for this, I felt it didn’t fit. Instead, I opted for dried flowers in my hair.
I didn’t want to wear heels, so I opted for boots which was ideal for some of the terrain we covered to get photos. Steve didn’t want to wear shoes at all – he has never really likes wearing shoes, so why should he? (“the wedding was also on the beach”- Steve)
I wore a jumper to my wedding because it was cold hahaha, it’s a nice jumper though!!
We didn’t have wedding music because it seemed jarring to have music disturb the peace of nature.
No wedding cake, just ice cream before we got ready for the ceremony and a selection of desserts as per of our 4-course meal at the lodge.
Steve is not a jewellery person and due to his line of work, would not be able to wear a ring anyway – so we decided to get wedding tattoos! Our amazing photographer Ed suggested Hobart Tattoo Collective; he came to photograph that moment as well!! I got my right hand tattooed so I could still opt for a traditional ring on my left hand. Steve opted for his left hand. Now when we hold our tattooed hands out to each other we are like a mirror.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE DAY?
Shenae: The whole day really, waking up in a beautiful lodge, driving around Tasmania and taking in the gorgeous scenery, stopping for ice cream, wondering while we eating the ice cream if the road in to the lodge would close because of burn offs.. Getting ready, meeting Ed and Caroline, getting married, video calling the family after, the private dinner the lodge gave us, the sun set that was extra pink because of the burn offs, the outdoor bath tub on a cold night! It was all just perfect for us; I couldn’t have imagined it being better in any other way!!
Steve: It was a memorable day, the beautiful drive to Triabunna, watching Shenae eat ice-cream with her immaculate wedding hair-do just a few hours before getting married, the intrusive thoughts of the local burn-offs getting out of control (which happened days prior). Going for a swim at our wedding location a couple hours before getting married while Shenae was getting ready. Ed the photographer coming to the rescue with pliers to remove Shenae’s earring, Caroline the celebrant and her husband going above and beyond ensuring we felt at ease, Kate our dedicated caretaker for the evening and the seamlessly delivered private meal. Then finishing the day soaking in a warm outdoor bathtub despite it being a chilly 10-degrees It was a day we will always treasure.
FUNNY OR ICONIC MOMENTS
Not sure if these moments are iconic, but they were memorable for us!
We grabbed ice-cream at the Pondering Frog Café on the way back from getting my hair done in Triabunna.. While taking some time deciding what ice-cream we wanted, the gentleman serving us said “this will be the hardest decision you will make today!” Steve pointed to me standing there with my “wedding hair” and explained “she’s getting married to me in a few hours” the shop keeper was surprised and laughed.
While eating aforementioned ice-cream on the cafe’s decking, we looked out to rising smoke plumes caused by a nearby burn off, and casually wondered aloud if the road to the lodge would close due of the burn off – which it had done the week prior. We decided to head back to the lodge right away, just in case.
While we were getting ready for the ceremony my earring stud wouldn’t come out, so I couldn’t put the earring I had chosen for the occasion. Ed our legendary photographer who arrived to capture getting ready moments, jumped up and search around for some pliers for us so we could get a better grip on my earring, which he found!! We got the earring off and he averted a whole crisis!!
My surprise request from our amazing celebrant Caroline was to please start the ceremony quoting the priest from Princess Bride when he begins the wedding ceremony, which she did and she even did the voice!! Steve and I love that movie and my request was just something silly to surprise Steve with and she absolutely, straight up nailed it!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbqv3MwwVd8&ab_channel=gwbUtube <– video link if you haven’t seen it!
ANY ADVICE FOR COUPLES WANTING A NON-TRADITIONAL DAY?
Steve and I spoke at length about traditional wedding things and if they aligned with our values and what we wanted. We believe tradition has its place but ultimately, it can just be peer pressure from dead people! We really only did what was right for us. Our advice is to be open an honest with each other about what is right for you and be open minded about non-traditional avenues.
VENDORS
Ceremony and accommodation – Freycinet Lodge @freycientlodge
Celebrant: Caroline Bentley
Photographer: Edward Noel Photo @edwardnoelphoto
Hair: Fascino Hair Studio @fascino_hair_studio
Tattoos: Tom Fonda from Hobart Tattoo Collective - @hobart_tattoo_collective @tom.fonda.ink
Attire: Shenae wore English Rose Bridal and Steve wore Industrie.
