How did you meet?

We met at our Muay Thai gym. I (Alex) spotted Nerissa at training and knew I wanted to get to know her. Intrigued, I started hanging around after class, trying to catch her. Eventually the odd “hello” turned into short conversations. A few weeks in, Nerissa invited me to go to a Muay Thai fight show with her and a few friends. Yay, I was in!

The next breakthrough was a few weeks after that, when Nerissa urgently messaged me on a whim to see if I had hairspray as I lived walking distance from her and she was getting ready for a girls day out. Thankfully, in a past life, Alex used hairspray – so I did have some! It was an effective excuse to keep our conversation going. Naturally, over the next few months we were spending more time together at training, with friends and on the weekends.

It was hard not to as we had to see each other at least a few nights a week at the gym. We both realised that we each had plans to for a working holiday in Canada, and that we could meet up together once over there. There was some uncertainty on what would have happened with our ‘relationship’ at that point of time, as we both had different plans but they were similar enough that we could cross paths. Then Covid happened and cancelled those plans, but brought us closer together. From there, things grew naturally into serious dating, eventually moving in together and finally, engagement.

What was your proposal story?

I proposed to Nerissa at home. I surprised her on a regular Wednesday afternoon after work with candles, music, flowers and a well prepared speech (her words). I was waiting in the living room and knew she wasn’t far off. I finally heard the car pull into the drive and got into position (on one knee). However I had to wait for nerve-racking ~10 minutes as she was finishing off her podcast – she told me afterwards, but it was worth the wait as she said yes! 

What was your overall vision for the day?

We wanted a small and meaningful-for-us. A ‘nothing fancy, just love’ type of day. 

Were there any challenges you faced during the planning process? How did you overcome them?

We wanted a very small, relaxed and non-traditional wedding. We don’t like fuss.  With that comes a lot of strong opinions and feelings from others. To overcame these challenges by reminding ourselves and loved ones that it is our day and it is what we want to do. 

Why did you choose Old Tower House as a ceremony venue?

Old Tower House has a classic, simple and elegant look about it that we loved. Central to us and our friends, and in our younger days, a lot of time was spent in Northbridge. So it ticked a lot of boxes for us.

How many guests attended, ceremony, after-party?

We had our closest family and friends that have a big chunk of our hearts. We had 10 for ceremony, 30 at the after-party. There were capacity restraints for the after party at The Standard so we really had to be strict with our guest list 

What did you wear?

Nerissa wanted something simple but still reflective of her style. People often commented “Yes that’s so you!” when I showed them a picture of the dress beforehand. I also wanted something I could wear again in the future as I didn’t want it to collect dust. Dress is by Bec and Bridge. It was the second dress I tried on, and as soon as I zipped it up I knew it was the one. Alex wore a suit he already had and loves. We didn’t want to unnecessarily complicate things!

Would you do anything different?

Not at all, it was perfect the way it was. We did everything we wanted. 

What advice do you have for couples planning their weddings?

Do what you want, and not what other people want!