The venue for Summer and Iby’s wedding, Smoked Garage, is an old motorcycle repair shop tucked away in the heart of Brisbane. It still houses bikes between the furniture, so it was a truly fitting setting for a car-loving groom and an artist bride. “We wanted something colourful, unique and a little bit vintage,” Summer told us. “Smoked Garage suited our style perfectly and let us and our guests relax – nothing too fancy.”
The couple skipped some of the formalities often expected at weddings, choosing instead to focus on what felt meaningful to them. “It’s not ‘unique’ but the best thing we did for our wedding was prioritise live music,” said Summer. “We had a pianist for the ceremony and a band for the reception. It made a world of difference for the atmosphere. We also skipped a lot of traditional speeches (namely family) to get people to the dance floor faster.”
There were personal details woven into the ceremony, too. Iby’s godson played the role of flower boy and accidentally walked the full length of the venue, past the altar and out the other side. “The laughter really broke the tension for all the guests and wedding party,” Summer continued. Their processional music was a live piano medley blending Lover and Enchanted by Taylor Swift, and they wrote their own vows.
After the ceremony, the couple stole a moment for themselves. They slipped up to the roof for photos before heading back down to be greeted by the crowd. “It was so lovely to have a breather together before the big, congratulatory swarm of loved ones,” Summer explained. “We’d really recommend you take some time on your wedding day for yourselves”.
Later, the dance floor never emptied, everyone had the best time dancing to the band. Summer’s advice to other couples is all about having the right mindset. “I wish people understood that just because it’s been done one way for however long, and it’s all they’ve personally experienced, doesn’t mean that it’s the only way or correct way of doing things. There’s a growing understanding that a wedding day can, and ultimately should be, a reflection of two people coming together as one but, still, not everyone understands that.”
Suppliers
