Weddings

Gracey & Shaun’s Colourful Tipi Wedding

Words by Hannah Pronesti / Images by Kait Photography
October 28, 2016

Gracey and Shaun first crossed paths in the aisles of their local church and a good ten years later, they tied the knot in a intimate ceremony ‘neath a tipi in the grounds of Upper Mount Gravatt State School. Kait Photography captured their beautiful day in the most candid and natural way possible and we can’t get enough of this gorgeous affair.

“Shaun and I decided from the start that we didn’t want anything formal and fussy,” Gracey tells us. “We wanted to just have a big party with our loved ones, with lots of food, drinks and dancing the night away!” the pair paid homage to their Islander heritage by incorporating some beautiful traditions into their day, including cultural dances from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

Gracey and her good friend Amanda are quite the stylists so they took it upon themselves to dream up an aesthetic for the day. The gorg Tipi Luxe tipi was beautifully decked out with festoon light and cascades of foliage and the gals sourced some cool neon signs from Love Illuminated and What She Said Co., creating a bright and colourful atmosphere despite the dreary day outside.

colourful Brisbane tipi wedding - Kait Photography

Gracey had previously mentioned to her hairdresser Darna that she'd love to dye her hair pink and her wedding day seemed like the perfect time to change things up - and surprise Shaun in the process! "I had forgotten this conversation until Darna came to do our hair on our wedding day and said she'd bought some pink dye for my hair." Gracey tells us. "So lo and behold there I was only three hours before the wedding dying my hair a beautiful bright pink."

pink-haired bride with purple rose bouquet

With her newly pink locks and gorgeous draped Monica Dimmock gown, Gracey was an absolute vision, striking the perfect bridal balance between relaxed and elegant. Did we mention those sparkly gold Cons? LOVE!

The flowers and foliage in this wedding are killer and it's all thanks to Shaun's cousin Yvonne Nelson, a florist from Hervey Bay. "Between her and her sister Nona and the rest of the family, they managed to whip up the most beautiful floral installations for our big day."

modern cape wedding dress by Monica Dimmock

When it came to photography, Gracey and Shaun wanted their snaps to be super natural and Kait Photography was the woman for the job. "It goes without saying that Kait is amazing." Says Gracey. "We said from the start that we didn't want anything staged because that's not us. We wanted her to capture us."