Apart from her shoes, Lucy’s entire outfit, including her dress, veil, jewellery and bag, was bought second-hand. On the morning of the wedding, she did her own make-up and got ready without a huge group of people around her. That pretty much sums up Lucy and Aydin, a low-key couple who just wanted to celebrate with their favourite people without spending a fortune to do so.

They began the day with a private first look at their hotel. From there, they headed to the Old Treasury Building for their ceremony, joined by a small group of family and friends. There were no wedding parties, no aisle escort and very little in the way of formalities or traditions.

“We skipped most traditions; being walked down the aisle, bridal/groom parties, long speeches, bouquet toss”, Lucy said. “We turned towards traditions that we felt connected us to each other, and our guests; a private first look, exchanging rings, and keeping our speeches short and sweet.”

Lucy’s second-hand wedding outfit came together after an unexpected change of plan. She had originally found a vintage gown she loved, but she found out she was pregnant just before the wedding. “I had thrifted a vintage gown I fell in love with, but when it came time, I had already popped so it didn’t fit, even with alterations”, she explained. “I thrifted another and it fit like a dream. Sometimes it’s just meant to be!”

The wedding fell close to the winter solstice and the flowers in Lucy’s bouquet reflected the season. It combined ornamental cabbage, snapdragons and lilies in burgundy tones. Lucy managed to save a few leaves afterwards, but she wishes she’d been organised enough to have it professionally preserved.

After the ceremony, the group travelled through the city to Recoleta for dinner. The reception was focused on everyone sharing a meal, to have a drink and catch up. Many of their guests had never met before, so the couple hoped the small guest list and shared table would give people space to connect.

During the speeches Lucy and Aydin surprised everyone by announcing she was 18 weeks pregnant! “We couldn’t have asked for a better reaction”, Lucy smiled, “theatrical gasps, many tears and so much joy. We gave ultrasound pictures to the new grandparents too.”

The team at Recoleta also helped maintain the secret by keeping Lucy supplied with non-alcoholic prosecco so good that, in her words, “even I was convinced it was the good stuff.”

Lucy and Aydin kept their spending under control by deciding what deserved space in the day and cutting the rest. Their guest list was small, the outfits were thrifted and the schedule focused on time together. They finished under their $10k budget with the wedding they had pictured.

“The expense of weddings has gotten completely out of hand, I think we all know that. We felt we got exactly what we dreamed of, and we were under budget. However, for couples who want 100+ people, three tailored gowns and a 21-gun salute or whatever, they shouldn’t feel obligated to go into debt just to achieve their perfect wedding. You really do just have to marry the right person – everything else is window dressing.”