Popawheely Weddings

06/10/2024

Yesterday I had the pleasure of marrying Ryan + Soph at her family home in Margaret River. I couldn’t help being captivated by their love story. It was the kind that I like to read about in great romance novels! The kind that teaches you about true love.

I cried during the personal vows (so did everyone) and upon returning to conclude the service; Ryan had to offer me a tissue 😂💖

27/03/2024

It was a hot summer night, full of love and warmth, when Mia + Linden got married then danced the night away. What else can I say… you never forget a Powell wedding!

Credit to Photos by Oliver Horn- you captured the night beautifully. While I very much enjoyed perusing the whole collection, here’s just a few of my favourites from the ceremony.

Mia + Linden - 13.01.2024 ❤️

31/01/2023

Ahhh Leah + Roy! Backyard bliss ♥️♥️

At the start of last year Leah messaged me and asked if I would be down south for Christmas and could I marry her and Roy in a registry office style service. I said yeah!

It wasn’t until November that we caught up to sign the Notice over a glass of rose at their house… and hatched a plan to do it on New Year's Eve in the arvo, when Roy’s family were in town from England. We decided to keep it super relaxed and invite family and a few friends as witnesses. The real purpose was to make their marriage legal by Australian law before throwing a Bali wedding!

So with just a touch of planning we hosted a mostly unscripted ceremony in their backyard. That day their good friends at Margaret River Party Hire had decked out their backyard with props, there was lovely food, and fresh flowers they had picked from Leah’s workplace, and then Juniper Events WA shaking up post ceremony cocktails.

For the service, I shared a few sentiments that I had prepared (and some others that felt right in the moment). And then had the enjoyable ride of playing an MC role, and leaving their guests do the talking, before handing over to Leah + Roy for their vows. Many, many belly laughs ensued! But don’t be fooled, it was also filled with so much love, and I spied a few tears too.

THANK YOU, LEAH, + ROY! That was such a treat xo

Photos: Billy Goat Photography

21/01/2023

A little photo of me parked up for a glorious long table feast after doing Rach + Toby’s wedding ceremony yesterday.

Unbeknownst in this moment I was about to be treated to series of speeches which were absolutely hilarious, immaculate in their delivery, and incredibly moving. There was a moment when Rach spoke at the end that I started to get teary, and looked around to see another friend () absolutely sobbing! 😂🥰… They really were the best collection of wedding speeches I’ve ever witnessed!

It was nice to see this part of the wedding, and how the elements of their love story that I touched on during their love poem in the ceremony, were taken to the next level with the stories and the insider perspectives of their family and best friends. Creating the full picture!

Thank you + for the pleasure of marrying you.. and being a guest too! It was a beautiful night ♥️

30/11/2022

Feast your eyes on these beautiful photos by Russell Ord - Photography at Blake + Ell's wedding a few weeks ago down on the Blackwood River.

Amidst the serenity of the day, the wind was blowing a glorious gale in true Augusta form. You can see from one of the pictures that Ell’s veil had a life of its own and flowed majestically in the breeze, before flying off into the wind mid-ceremony! Hats weren’t an option that day, and the arbor initially looked like a no-go too. Ell’s uncle secured it place with some big metal pegs, and it was a comforting moment knowing – ‘that’s not going anywhere!’.

That time awaiting the bride always has an exciting energy, with everyone greeting each other, bustling with anticipation. To add the adrenaline… I may have accidentally kicked a baby. A few minutes before the ceremony I was chatting with Blake and some of the guests and didn’t realise a precious little baby had crawled over towards me and was facing my direction. As I went to step forward, the top of my foot scooped under its little chest and lifted it into the air. I was horrified, and everyone froze for a few seconds waiting for it to cry. When it didn’t, their best man broke the silence and said: “What are doing you kicking babies at a wedding!!” 😂

Everything else went off without a hitch. It was a pleasure to learn and share the stories of Ell and Blake, and their gorgeous relationship which started as a somewhat forbidden high school romance, before losing touch and then reuniting years later. I also relished hearing a few stories which we respectfully omitted on the day… even though the raconteur in me was desperate to weave them into their Love Poem! There’s nothing I love more than a good story, but being privy to a secret is pretty great too.

To Ell & Blake... I said it then and I’ll say it again. There’s no doubt in my mind you have found your person! Lovely getting to know you both and I wish you a long happy marriage ♥️ x

12/10/2022

A divine visual of the CWA Cockburn surprise wedding dress parade on the weekend! Photos by Amelia Kate Photography

08/10/2022

My day job, side hustle and social life all collided today.. with a special project I’ve been working on with CWA Cockburn 👰‍♀️

I’ve been supporting CWA in my role as Community Development Officer with City of Cockburn. When I learnt they were putting together a collection of old wedding dresses to do a surprise parade at their upcoming high tea and needed 10 more models… I said I could rustle up some ladies!

So began what has truly been a delightful and one-off experience. Culminating today in an immaculate high tea delivered in true CWA style with loving touches right down to the last detail.

Here’s a few photos pre-show of the sister wives. Each with a sign of the year the dress was worn. And post show celebratory sunset beverage at Gage Roads… a reception of sorts!

01/09/2022

I loovveee sparklers… and these beautiful photos from Alex & Isaac wedding in Broome last June ✨

Excited to have a little Broome holiday weekender booked for the end of the month too ☺️

23/07/2022

Corina & Matt - the wedding tape ♥️

Best vibes all day!!!

23/07/2022

It’s a Saturday night and I’m in Margs sitting by fire enjoying a beautiful pink snapper curry, drinking red wine, and reminiscing with with my dearest friends & about their wedding 7 years ago… back in my bridesmaid days.

These photos needed a rebirth!

06/06/2022

True romance ❤️
Mr & Mrs Walster | 30.4.2022

👰‍♀️ Alice Ware
🤵 Felix Walster

📸 .eye.photo
👗
💇‍♀️
💄
🎶
💐 .rr

06/06/2022

Feeling the love! ♥️

Alice & Felix 30.4.2022

📸 .eye.photo

02/06/2022

Had the pleasure of marrying Cortney & Imogen last month! ❤️

29/05/2022

Thoughts on the bouquet toss?!

I kind of feel like most brides would want to keep their glorious bouquet and pop it in a vase after the wedding. Although, it does make for a pretty classic moment at a wedding! Kind of like playing king-of-the-pack with a bouquet instead of a footy.

I caught a bouquet at a friends wedding once. Beforehand, I was joking around with the lady next to me. We were having a light push and shove. I thought we were just being silly. But when the bouquet was lobbed into the crowd of women and came sailing down directly for us… S**t got serious. We both snatched it out of the air at the same time, we locked eyes, and then she wrenched it out of my hands. I walked away with a fistful of foliage 😂🍃

Pictured is a beautiful bunch I did walk away with from a Reconciliation Week breakfast I went to on Friday in my day-job 💐

27/05/2022

It’s not every day you get to marry a girl whose name featured in your Year 9 diary under a list titled: Role Models.
…along with Drew Barrymore 😂

(True story Wendy… You’ve had a long-running fan in me!)

Absolute pleasure to marry you and ❤️ What a dream team you are ✨

📸

19.02.2021

12/05/2022

Behind the name…

Popawheely is an old nickname of mine that came about at year 7 Rottnest camp.

There were 70 kids from Margaret River Primary School riding around the island on bikes. We’d all stopped for a moment, when a boy Julian yelled out across the kids: “Hey Keely… pop a wheely!”

Well that was that, everyone started cracking up and for the rest of camp said it to me non stop. And the nickname stuck all through high school.

09/05/2022

Just after I became registered in 2018 my childhood mates and Steve, got in touch about their wedding idea and said to keep it on the down-low.. which in itself was quite a treat!

They were planning a Woodstock themed 30th birthday weekender for Rach at her family property near Balingup.. and decided to drop their wedding in as a surprise ☮️

Their guests wandered up to a spot in the bush in the afternoon, under the context Steve had something planned for Rach. People started to click about what was going down. I remember saying just before the ceremony started: “Well I think the ruse is up, Rach and Steve are getting married… right here, right now!” I barely got the words out before everyone erupted into cheers. Then Rach walked down the aisle 💐

The surprise element definitely charged the vibe. I’ve never been so heckled during a ceremony ⚡️😂

Thank you Rach and Steve for getting my celebrancy off to a roaring start! ❤️❤️❤️

📸

02/05/2022

On the weekend I had the honour of marrying my cousin Felix + the divine deity 🥰

There’s nothing quite like a family wedding to remind you of what it’s all about.. Getting together with the people you love most for a night of joyful celebration!

And yep… it’s fun to say I married my cousin 😉

Thank you Felix + Alice. It was a magical night which I will cherish!

📸 party snaps

25/04/2022

One of the privileges of marrying people is getting to peer behind the curtains of their lives, and be privy to their beautiful stories and secrets 🤫.. and then sharing them on the wedding day 🎉 !

I’ve known Aimee since she was 5 years old when I became besties with her older sister, and spent many days and nights at her house growing up. She was (and still is!) a genuinely good person. Reconnecting as her celebrant and seeing that her path lead her to a great man in Mick… Well that’s left me with such a warm feeling 🥰

Here’s to you Aimee & Mick, you gorgeous people!

📸

23/04/2022

Pre ceremony snap from today holding the most precious item I own as a celebrant. My marriage register, aka the big red book, which contains every single wedding I’ve ever done. Now featuring Aimee + Mick 🥰

Second most cherished item nestled up against the tree in the background!

12/04/2022

The inks only just dry on the papers, and the memories are still fresh from Courtney and Duncan’s blissed out wedding last month 🥰

I fondly recall looking out onto a sea of vibrantly dressed people, the 80s inspired processional boogie, vows that made me 😂 + 😢 from two people head-over-heels, an amazing D-floor with their friends and family in joyful spirits all night… and the best view Augusta has to offer!

Thank you so much Courtney + Duncan. I bloody love you two ❤️

📸

06/04/2022

Hello and thank you for popping by!

Turns out being a celebrant was not just a passing phase for me. Over the past three years, I’ve had so much fun delivering wedding ceremonies for my extended community. And now I’ve made this page, and one the ‘gram too!

Like this page to follow my adventures as a civil celebrant.

05/04/2022

A little bit in love with my new oak signing table. New to me, but it’s 200 years old! Made in Australia circa 1820 ✨

01/04/2022

As something of a visual introduction,

I’d like to do a shout out to the dress I bought for Jess + Luca’s epic easter long weekend at Buckland Estate in Avon Valley last year.

Fair to say, this frock has escaped the fate of being a one-time-only-wedding-outfit, and made it into regular rotation. In fact, I’m wearing it right now! Hence the inspiration for this post.

And while the dress may have faded, the memories of their wedding never will. It was a glorious experience and I’ll be sure to write about it soon.

Scroll to the end for a pic from their unforgettable wedding day ❤️

PS Not actually my flowers, dog, record or raincoat 😄