The Wedding of Thea & John

“We were both young when I first saw you, I closed my eyes and the flashbacks starts, I’m standing there, in the church arranging chairs”.

There’s an unofficial rule that if you start your wedding day using any of Taylor Swift’s verses, you’ll have a blessed and eventful day ahead. Now we don’t know who made this rule but it is a rule and we’re so glad Thea got the memo!

Nestled in the heart of Perth CBD, Thea and John start their day bright and early at Pan Pacific to start their respective bride and groom preparations. Let’s take a look into the bride first, shall we?

If there’s one word to describe Thea, it would be chaotic. There’s never a time when you feel bored or restless when you’re with Thea and that’s exactly the energy she brought coming into bridal preparation. First things first though, hair and makeup! With the help of Leona Alikazin, Thea went from bedroom chic to wedding day chic with the help of wispy long lashes and a bold red lip. Thea’s hair was also transformed into a lovely classic chignon style to ensure she’s always looking put together no matter how much she dances (and she danced a lot!). To top it off, her bedazzling tiara and jewellery from Michael Hill definitely made her the star of the day (and you too John!). The cherry on the cake was definitely the dress! Thea opted for a princess A-line gown with a heavy emphasis on the neckline and jewels scattered all over the front of the dress. Honouring her Filipino heritage, Thea incorporated a folded rectangular piece of fabric worn over the shoulders otherwise known as “pañuelo” or “fichu”. With over 5 bridesmaids and 2 flower girls, Thea’s bridal preparation was far from boring and was constantly filled with laughter and tears. The tears started early in the day after her bridesmaids surprised her with a photobook full of memories over the years and Thea just lost it. So much for, “Mark my words, I will not cry today”. Thankfully, no tears were shed when she was passed a gift from John if not Leona might have needed to work overtime!

On to the groom preparation, John had a wonderfully calm and relaxing time preparing himself in the traditional Barong Tagalog with the help of his Best Man and had an absolutely great time with his parents in tow before the big day. Apart from spending a more intimate time with his parents, John’s most anticipated moment has got to be the gift exchange. As he waited for the Maid of Honour to arrive with this gift, you can see John just praying and hoping for his ideal gift and we think he got it! John received a beautiful SC-10E electric-acoustic guitar with a satin finish from Martin & Co and we’re so sure he loved it because with that price tag, he better!

Roe Gardens in Kings Park was completely transformed with pastel-coloured flowers and a beautiful flower arch at the end of the aisle thanks to Lull Floral & Events. Against the stunning backdrop of Swan River, it was truly a sight to behold and even more so with everyone waiting for the bridal entrance. As the violin started playing, everyone held their breaths till the most important moment, Thea’s entrance.

With a bouquet in her arms, Thea’s entrance had everyone bawling including herself! John could not hold back either and was frantically wiping away his tears but the funniest part is the fact that his groomsmen were all tearing up because of him too! After John honoured Thea’s parents and Taylor Swift references were made, they finally become Mr and Mrs Vacalares!

As newlyweds, what’s the one thing you absolutely need to do? Location shoot! It’s the perfect balance between letting loose and still getting work done. Situated at Kings Park and the University of Western Australia (UWA), the golden sun created a beautiful warm glow on the lush greenery of Kings Park and the elegant architecture and meticulously manicured grounds of UWA offered a timeless charm, perfectly complementing the love-filled atmosphere.

The photoshoot created the perfect opportunity for the groomsmen and bridesmaids to truly show their love and affection for the married couple and likewise, it allowed the married couple to take lovey-dovey photos that will surely hang around all over their house. The soft, golden hour light embraced the newlyweds, further accentuating the intricate details of their attire against the picturesque settings.

With that out of the way, it was time to TRULY let loose and PARTY! Pan Pacific’s ballroom was completely transformed with ceiling fairy lights and colourful vibrant flowers which truly turned the ballroom into the perfect reception venue. With the help of Groove Night Avenue, the groomsmen and bridesmaids entered with so much energy that it was the perfect pre-game as everyone was up and ready to welcome the stars of the show and they truly did not disappoint. After changing into a suit from Politix, the couple welcomed everyone with a cute and humorous dance performance and even taught their guests how to do it and everyone ended up doing the dance routine together. It was truly the best opening act and was honestly so heartwarming!

The fun doesn’t stop there AT ALL. The bride and groom each prepared and choreographed a dance routine for the other person and it was truly the entertainment of the day. Additionally, there was a short Q&A session that had the newlywed couple pitted against each other and I would 100% recommend this section to every couple out there that’s about to get married! With the entertainment out of the way, it was time for the heartfelt section of the wedding. The speeches were absolutely heartwarming and had Thea crying again despite her statement earlier in the day so a lesson to all the brides out there: don’t make promises you’re unsure you can’t keep because we assure you, tears are normal on your wedding day. Unfortunately for Thea, the emotions were never ending with the first dance immediately after so thankfully the stunning cake from Love Elle was a 4 tier cake, big enough to feed all the famished tummies in the room!

Here’s to a life full of happiness and blessings for Thea and John!

Fun fact: Thea and John actually broke up a whooping four times before finally sealing the deal so if anyone tells you your partner isn’t right for you, show them Thea and John!