Western Australia is such an expansive and beautiful part of Australia, truly like no other place on earth.  From the rugged coastlines and crystal white beaches, to the rich vineyards of the Margaret River, and the remote outback, Western Australia offers a myriad of destination wedding locations.  Our Western Australian destination wedding expert is the very clever, very savvy photographer, Samm Blake.  Samm offers her wisdom on creating the perfect destination wedding in WA today, and because WA is so enormous, we have also asked the wonderful Cathrin D’Entremont of CD Weddings to offer her expert advice as a WA wedding planner next week in our Destination Wedding Australia special.

 Q.  You are located in Perth, but shoot weddings all over WA.  What are your favourite WA wedding destinations and why?

I love photographing weddings in the small country towns, on private properties where the bride and groom are married because the location means a lot to them. I recently shoot a wedding in Pemberton where the couple were married under their big favorite tree and have their reception in a marquee in a paddock, to me it was the perfect wedding.  I grew up on the South Coast, so I really enjoy being able to head back down there and  love being able to photograph weddings on the nearby beaches or farms. Basically anywhere in the South West corner of Australia is absolutely beautiful, the climate is great in summer and the light is absolutely amazing.

Q.  For each of your favourite destinations, can you tell us your favourite venues, ceremony sites and anything special about the locations?

For Dunsborough weddings, I love Meelup Beach for ceremonies and location photos. Most people seem to dream of getting married on the beach, with the sand between their toes, Meelup is the perfect beach. I also really love the rocks at Redgate Beach near Margaret River and William Bay in Denmark is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Most people who have destination weddings down south, generally have their receptions at one of many wineries in the area. Wise Winery near Dunsborough is in a beautiful location sitting on top of hill with views looking out to the ocean.

<!–[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]–>
<!–[endif]–>

4.  Do you have any tips for couples contemplating a WA wedding?  e.g. is there a good time of year to be married in Perth, Broome or the Margaret River?

Best times of year to get married in Perth I believe, is October, November, March, April and early May.  January and February the wedding season seems to quieten down a bit as Perth weather seems to sit on average around 35-40 degrees. Even though the nights are pleasant, having your photographs taken in 40 degree heat is not the best idea :) November is by far the most popular month and all the best vendors seem to book out 18 months in advance. Lately winter weddings are becoming more popular, and if you do not think you would mind the occasional shower on your wedding day, this is a great idea, as you have the pick of wedding venues. In my opinion a little rain is better then a 40 degree day.

Albany / Denmark weddings are better for March and April, the weather seems to co-operate a little better at this time of the year.

As Perth is “the most remote city in the world”, trying to do something different from the norm can sometimes prove to be a hard task. Once you head into the country, this even proves to be a harder task again. My best advise is to keep it simple and search the internet for unique and different ideas.

As for Broome and the far north of the state, the best time of the year is definitely the dry season, this is from May to September. You don’t want to plan a wedding and then find out a week before cyclone is heading into town!

Q.  What are your best tips for a destination wedding in WA?

Hiring a wedding planner /coordinator is a great idea if you are planning your wedding from overseas or interstate. We have some great wedding coordinators here in Perth that do fantastic jobs and make the day run so smoothly.  We also have wedding decorators, that can come in and decorate your wedding ceremony site and reception.  The small details can really a wedding venue look absolutely amazing.

Q.  For 2009 and 2010, what are the trends on the horizon for WA weddings?

Photobooths are coming popular at weddings. As hard as a photographer tries, its generally an impossible task to photograph each and every person at a wedding. Photo booths are the perfect answer to this, and will provide you with many silly and slightly random photographs of your guests!  I have another business that specializes in just this,  check out www.pushthebuttonphotobooths.com.au

Other trends I am noticing, is that brides are spending much more thought and attention on details on the wedding. A lot of brides are looking over to the US for ideas and also sourcing many items also from the overseas businesses thanks to the internet and inexpensive shipping. (ed’s note:  Pink Frosting, an Australian company, has most of the unique and exciting new products from the US in Australia for those brides looking for something a bit special and different.)

Q. Anything else you’d like to add?

My best advice is to book your vendors in early! If you have a favourite vendor get in quickly, there is nothing worse then finding out the vendor you want is already booked out! The most popular vendors generally book the most popular wedding days 18 months in advance.

Thanks Samm!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn