As dusk falls across Perth, a magical transformation takes hold. Front yards and quiet streets are bursting into life, becoming enchanting wonderlands of light and festive cheer. This seasonal spectacle draws thousands of admirers, from glowing gardens to entire cul-de-sacs that rival the North Pole itself.
An Elegant Backdrop for a Christmas Eve Wedding
In a serene Thornlie cul-de-sac, Lyla-Rose Denton, 37, has crafted a display of such refined beauty it could star in a holiday film. Inspired by New York-style decorations, her creation will soon serve a deeply personal purpose: the backdrop for her Christmas Eve wedding to fiancé Mike.
The couple will exchange vows beneath trees wrapped in soft light, framed by a Christmas tree arch adorned with red and gold ribbon. For Ms Denton, this large-scale display is a dream decades in the making, born from childhood visits to famous light streets in Sydney.
"I always wanted to do that but I thought I would never get to," she said. "Now I have my own kids, I wanted to give them that feeling."
Departing from typical flashing colours, her display cultivates a calm atmosphere with classical music. "I wanted to create a space where people could come, pause and just feel relaxed — but that still felt like Christmas," she explained. The result has been described by visitors as "elegant," "bougie," and simply "beautiful."
Starting in October, Ms Denton spent over a month building the display piece by piece each afternoon, conquering a fear of heights to wrap trees that sometimes required more than ten packs of lights each.
A Street-Wide Tradition Built on Community Spirit
Not far away, another Thornlie street showcases a different kind of festive magic, one built on a decade of neighbourly tradition. For ten years, Missy and Murray Rayner have helped turn their street into a vibrant festive hub, complete with handmade decorations, snow machines, and bubble blowers.
The tradition began the day they moved in, on 27 November, over a decade ago. "Our neighbour came across the road with a box of lights and said, 'welcome to the street'," Ms Rayner recalled. "Three days later, everybody's house lit up."
Their display has grown immensely, with the family investing tens of thousands of dollars. Yet the true magic, they say, isn't in the scale but in the atmosphere. The street becomes interactive, with Mr Rayner dressing as a Christmas elf to play basketball with children and Ms Rayner posing as Princess Belle.
"It's Christmas in our street for 24 days straight," Mr Rayner said. "The be all and end all is we do it because we love the enjoyment of the children and the families that come out. It's the community spirit that we have."
Voting Now Open for Top Honors
Both the Denton and Rayner families have earned a spot as top ten finalists in the 7NEWS and Alinta Energy Light Up Christmas competition for 2025. The winner will be decided by a panel of 7NEWS judges combined with public votes.
The full list of finalists includes displays across Perth's suburbs:
- 31A Wem Mews, High Wycombe
- 10 Topeka Place, Wanneroo
- 8 Kennack Vista, Atwell
- 98 Bindoon Loop, Huntingdale
- 6 Tahoe Close, Thornlie
- 10 Darvel Close, Kinross
- 143 Langford Avenue, Langford
- 7 Tomas View, Clarkson
- 2 Crown Court, Thornlie
- 8 Malleefowl Way, Alkimos
Residents are encouraged to explore these dazzling displays and cast their vote to help decide Perth's most festive home for 2025.
