We feature a fair few ‘relaxed’ weddings on Nouba, and I’m always impressed by couples who genuinely pull-off a carefree day. Chris and Kyle are two such individuals, and their Melbourne backyard wedding was a cruisy affair indeed.

Chris and Kyle were keen to keep things pretty simple with their ceremony, opting to skip the personal vows and ring exchange ceremony. Instead, Kyle’s Babcia conducted a traditional Polish blessing, where the bride and groom eat bread and salt and are then presented with two shot glasses, containing either water or vodka. Whoever gets the vodka is deemed to be the head of the house! (Scroll down for a great pic of Kyle looking pretty pleased with herself for getting the vodka!)

Smart decisions and lots of DIY meant Chris and Kyle were able to keep costs down and stick to their budget, without compromising the important stuff. Aided by talented friends and family, the couple styled, sourced and created all the details themselves. With bridesmaids in tow, Kyle spent countless hours punching out confetti, dying fabric and creating bunting and doilies for decorations. She entrusted a friend to organise all the flowers, which were a complete surprise (fortunately a pleasant one) on the day, and superstar bridesmaid, Ruby, made an amazing drum-kit wedding cake as a surprise to Chris, the death metal drummer groom!

StudioSomething were there to capture the day, both in stills and the brilliant stop-motion above. It’s fair to say the couple were more than a little pleased with their efforts, with this review from Kyle “Love love love!!! Phu & Ellen were recommended through a friend, and turned out to be the absolute perfect choice for us – I could not recommend them more!! They’re also super great humans.” Praise indeed.

Photography: Studio Something // Bride’s dress: Charlie Brown // Bride’s shoes: Nine West // Bridesmaids dresses: their own // Rings: Larsen Jewellery // Hair & Makeup: Anna Karpinski // Ceremony venue: Private residence // Celebrant: Mary Adler // Reception venue: Cider House // Flowers: Tribal Rose // Catering: White Guy Cooks Thai // Cake: Made by bridesmaid, Ruby Waters // Music: friend, Albert Loss // Stationery/invitations: Made by groom // Transport: Ventura Coaches