Pretty, pretty, PRETTY! That just seems to sum up this soiree by the sea by Sievers Weddings oh so well. From the pretty pink shoes to all the perfectly preppy details, it is just the most fabulous dose of lovely for you this morning. But you don’t have to take my word for it – feel free to get lost in all the layers of lovely by exploring the full gallery of images!
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From the Bride…Simon and I have friends and family spread all across the country, so the wedding location didn’t really matter – people would have to travel no matter what. So, we thought why not have it somewhere truly spectacular – somewhere that would also encourage our guests to have a mini holiday as well. Port Douglas in Far North Queensland is truly one of the most relaxing little towns in the country. As soon as you start the drive up the coast from Cairns, all your troubles seem to melt away. We did two trips prior to the wedding to book everything in – and really, having it in a small town was almost easier in a way! Less vendors available means less trouble making decisions. All our vendors were fantastic and so laid back about everything…flying to Port Douglas from Melbourne in the few days before the wedding – we were completely relaxed about it all (okay, maybe a little anxious about getting my dress on the plane, but the airline was great and my worries quickly disappeared!)
The ceremony was perfect – our celebrant, Natasha Kollosche, was a star and made everyone feel very relaxed. We put a lot of thought into the service and tried to combine making it personal with a few traditions as well. Our favorite parts were when my mother read a passage from my favorite childhood book, ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and when we quite literally ‘tied the knot’ with a hand-tying ceremony. Simon’s mother bound our hands for us. My song to walk down the aisle was an acoustic cover of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ (Elvis) by Eels. We walked back down the aisle to Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered.’
Our reception was a real party – and the band was integral to this. I strongly believe live music is the key to a truly fantastic party and we had guests keen to ‘bust a move’ as soon as they were done eating! We also chose a buffet meal as the food quality at the Sea Temple was out of this world. Prawns, oysters, fish, meats, salads etc – it was never-ending! And the cheese platters and desserts were overwhelming! A few games we played included a garter relay for keen male guests (I was quite opposed to the garter toss) and of course the bouquet toss, but we made this open to all female guests. We also had ‘mad libs’ for guests to read out in order for us to kiss. We had a wedding ‘guest tree’ for everyone to ‘leaf’ their thumb print rather than a book, and we collected old photos of our ancestors’ weddings which everyone loved. A real favorite with the crowd though was the ‘shoe game’ which we actually saw at a Canadian friend’s wedding. We also chose to replace traditional gifts for guests with a donation. Far North Queensland had recently been hit by Cyclone Yasi so we put all the funds allocated for guest gifts towards the Queensland Premier’s charitable fund for victims of the Cyclone. We were far more comfortable knowing this money had gone to a good cause than the usual trinkets.
Inspiration for the theme of the wedding was bit of a mix of the golf club location and the nautical feel of Port Douglas – it turned out quite preppy really! Our invitations and stationery matched this, as did the place cards which were origami sail boats (all hand made by us!). I’m not sure if my dress really suited the theme but it was incredible. I remember trying it on and knowing it was ‘the one’. I felt like an absolute princess and that skirt was unreal. One guest actually counted the layers of tulle! Simon wore a tailored suit by Hugo Boss and we felt it was just as important to invest in his outfit as it was for me. He says when arriving at the church, he felt like an absolute ‘rock star!’
We had a magnificent day, and week, which we felt really reflected our personalities. That would probably be my best advice to any bride – make sure you have fun and feel really comfortable with all your vendors and your plans. When we left the reception, we just couldn’t stop buzzing – all we wanted to do was repeat the whole day again! Who knows, we may even organize a ‘wedding reunion’ for everyone in a few years!
Wedding Photography: Sievers Weddings / Floral Design: Flowers n Lace / Event Design: Ward Benedict / Event Planning: Sea Temple Resort and Golf Club / Ceremony Location: St. Mary’s by the Sea / Reception Location: Sea Temple Resort and Golf Club / Invitations: ‘I Do’ It Yourself / Wedding Dress: Baccini and Hill / Wedding Cake: Cupcakes Port Douglas / Hair + Makeup: Rachael Gregory