Valerie and Will's wedding day had one simple brief behind it: classy and elegant, but above all, the best day of their lives — games, dancing and drinks included. This one was a little different for me too — Valerie is the younger sister of an old friend from my own school days in Weipa, which made photographing her wedding feel less like a job and more like coming full circle.

Home for Valerie and Will is Weipa, the mining town out on Cape York, where they both work — and where days off mean fishing, camping, or just staying home with their two dogs. Their relationship actually started somewhere far less spontaneous than either of them chose: their mums set them up. Almost four years later, that low-key introduction has turned into a shared love of trying new food, new places, and each other's company on every trip they take.

Will proposed at the top of the Wheel of Brisbane — a genuinely romantic, classic gesture, and by Valerie's own account, exactly how she'd always pictured it. For their wedding, the two of them wanted the same energy carried through: something elegant, but not remotely stiff, with plenty of room for actually letting loose with their guests.

Being asked to photograph the day made it extra special — watching someone I once knew as a kid all grown up and getting married is exactly the kind of full-circle moment that reminds me why I love this job.