Back in the summer of 2015, Rae kept noticing the same colourful character backstage at the festivals where she worked. Big beard. Bright suits. Always laughing. She remembers him dancing across a field in hot pink and shorts. His name was Morgan. They met through a mutual friend. Then that was it.

Almost a decade later, they were planning to marry, but they didn’t just want to do the usual thing. Instead, a three-day extravaganza felt so much more them. So, they created Loveapolooza, a gathering of 250 loved ones and a hell of a lot of joy. Rae made a 42-slide PowerPoint to map out the vision. The mission included their feminist values, local sourcing, sustainability, and personal storytelling. The vision was, as she put it, “good music, good food, good drinks, good people.”

They leaned hard into the idea of self-expression. A friend designed a custom wedding poster inspired by Rae’s tattoo, dahlias (which they also had grown especially for them), and the local landscape. It took visual cues from 1960s concert posters. In keeping with the festival vibe, guests received all-access-style lanyards, custom pins and patches, and stamped gift bags with narwhal badges and party-first-aid kits (Tylenol and Tums included!) Each guest also received a handwritten postcard. They didn’t quite finish all 250 in time, so the rest are being sent out before their first anniversary.

On the day of the ceremony, Rae and Morgan spent the morning with family and friends. There were bacon sandwiches, tea, swimming in the lake, and champagne (including a champagne bong). Before the ceremony, they took a moment for a first look in the forest.

Rae’s “Beer Bros” opened the ceremony, tossing beers into the crowd in matching cut-off denim, Crocs, bow ties, and socks. Her bridesmaids, dubbed the Wedding Witches, followed with a handmade sign featuring lyrics from a Tragically Hip song. As friends began playing Here Comes the Sun, Rae walked across the field. The crowd went silent, then cheered when she burst into laughter.

“Our friend Craig led the ceremony and did so poignantly and perfectly”, the bride said. “He’d broken his foot the night before sprinting across the festival grounds but you never would have guessed! In fact, some older family members asked if he was an officiant for his job! We wrote our own vows – simple, perfect promises for the life we have built together and will continue to build.”

The reception was entirely DIY. Rae had spent the previous year collecting vintage vases, teacups, trinkets and tableware. Many had specific meaning: her grandfather’s fishing reels, nods to favourite festivals, handmade napkins from a friend’s mum. Her mum and sister dyed cheesecloths and stitched robes. Her sister’s boyfriend stamped every single gift bag. A friend made wooden stands for the record-inspired table names. The gin and charcuterie bar was stocked with homemade preserves and thrifted platters.

The evening’s music was provided by a rotating cast of musician friends, dubbed The Brooker All Star Band. Rae and Morgan joined them on stage for backing vocals. The MCs spontaneously turned the night into a drag and lederhosen double act. The band, The Brightside, followed with a full dancefloor set, and a friend DJ’d late into the night. When the couple left at 3am, the party was still going.

“We were so excited to throw a giant party for all of our family and friends!” Rae continued. “Our community is everything to us and we really wanted them to feel celebrated. It was so fun planning this event and we’re already planning Loveapolooza 2026 (needed to take this year off!). The day was truly and ridiculously perfect.”

Her advice? “Enjoy the engagement and the planning because it really does go fast. And make a PowerPoint of your vibes and intentions! It was so helpful to come back to this giant moodboard – even looking at it post-wedding, I am like ‘Wow, we did alllllll of that and more!'”