Modern, Elegant Australian Beach Wedding

Abby Capalbo
October 3, 2014
Categories: Contemporary, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

This Bride’s smile won my heart. It says a thousand words. That wide grin shows just how thrilled she is to marry the man of her dreams. So although all the details sitting in this gorgeous gallery by Thomas Gallane are just as perfect they it get (hello stunning florals from Mondo Floral Designs), it’s the couples’ happiness that truly stands out – and how can you not love that. See even more here.

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From the Bride….Amy is originally from a small coastal town in South Africa and Jamie is from an even smaller town in country Queensland, Australia. The stunning coastal retreat of Noosa is our favourite getaway and, one rainy afternoon, Jamie suggested we go for a walk. He proposed on a bended knee in a hidden grove just behind the beach. We decided to return to Noosa, with friends and family travelling from afar including South Africa, Vegas, Mongolia & London, to celebrate our wedding.

We wanted a modern, elegant wedding but were conscious of taking advantage of the relaxed, beach setting of the penthouse apartment overlooking Noosa where we had the ceremony and modern restaurant on the water’s edge which was the reception venue. We decided to use neutral whites and creams with a splash of turquoise (colour). Turquoise burst through in handmade Zulu love letter bookmarks which were favours for the girls. Jamie and my mother made a hot chilli relish, presented in small silver and glass jars which were favours for the boys.

My mother and I designed our letterpress stationary with help from one of my bridesmaids. The invitation set was grey and turquoise and included reply postcards and a hand drawn map of the wedding locations. Our menus included food selections plus a personalised note to each of our 110 guests. For tables names, we wrapped paper around candles with each one printed with a number and related story that’s special to us.

My ivory gown was custom made for me in full Italian lace. I wore Kate Spade shoes, my mother in law’s Cathedral length veil and my grandmother’s diamond ring. A turquoise Michael Kors clutch was my ‘something blue’.

The bridesmaid’s dresses were nude with muted silver sequins. They finished the look with pearl earrings, a gift from me, and nude shoes and clutches. Jamie’s nieces were our flowergirls and wore ivory embroidered dresses.

Jamie wore a Canali navy suit with Hugo boss white shirt, gray tie and black shoes. The groomsmen also wore dark navy suites with crisp white shirts.

Splashes of rain meant we couldn’t use our intended ceremony venue, the spot just off Noosa beach where Jamie had proposed. Instead, we got married on a large balcony of a penthouse apartment overlooking the beach. My father walked me down the aisle to ‘You Feel Like Home to Me’ and a dear friend wrote a personalised reading. Guests enjoyed champagne and Antipodes water before walking down to the beachside restaurant.

Bouquets were filled with white double tulips and lisianthus, hydrangea with green tips and gardenia blooms. The flowergirls carried bright blue hydrangeas. Buttonholes were double tulips and the reception tables were filled with white lisianthus, hydrangeas and dis-buds.

The food at our reception was definitely a highlight for our guests. Cocktails, drinks and canapés were served, after which guests had a choice of 3 entrees and 3 mains. The selections included Mooloolaba prawns, crab crusted Baramundi and sticky pork belly.

A dessert table was set up so that our guests could maximise their time on the dance floor. Jamie’s grandmother made her famous traditional fruit cake as our wedding cake, which was complimented by dessert selections including mini blueberry frangipani tarts, cupcakes and a selection of cheeses.

A friend, dressed in a full Scottish kilt, played the bagpipes while we cut the cake. After that, we did an upbeat first dance to Michael Franti’s Say Hey. Everybody hit the dance floor, which stayed packed all night. At the end of the night all of our guests headed outside to the boardwalk between the beach and the venue, and formed a farewell line. We ran down the boardwalk saying goodbye to our guests with sparklers glittering and throwing light onto the sea. This beautiful image is one I’ll always remember.