Say hello to Xanthe and Mark, friends. They are the picture-perfect couple above who had an absolutely gorgeous wedding on the North Coast of NSW on one super sunny and delicious day. Thanks to COVID they had to change the wedding date and “hijacked my hens [at Seal Rocks] and made it our small intimate wedding instead.” The bride wore a chic gown from one of our fave designers, Prea James Bridal via one of our fave Sydney boutiques, Hope x Page and the groom in an M.J. Bale shirt and bow tie. Throw in one of our fave photographers, Justin Aaron Photography, and you have one heck of a wedding, people! Scroll down for all…
THE INSPO “We were after a coastal chic vibe. So we went with a black tie dress code which may be unusual for a coastal wedding and beautiful whites and pastels for colours in the flowers, furniture, linen etc. Simple but classic, so when we look back in years to come it will be timeless.”
DIY “All of it! I had an idea of the look I wanted and suppliers I wanted to use, so I organised it all myself. From booking all the suppliers eg: marquee, furniture, hair, makeup, caterers, florist, singer, speakers etc, to buying all the alcohol, ice, extra glassware, eskis to then setting it all up and packing it all down. I put together a list of bump in and bump out times so I knew who was coming and going at what time so that helped and of course the help from our family and friends was so amazing. It was a lot of work, I wont lie. But it was all worth it and we got the wedding we dreamt of!”
LITTLE LOL “As our wedding was outdoors, I became an expert at reading the weather, talking about the weather, crying about the weather (a lot of tears) and having every weather app downloaded. We got four seasons in a day for our wedding, sunshine, rain, even hail. But it all turned out perfectly and I now hate looking at the weather. I would recommend to not plan an all outdoor wedding if you know you will be anxious about the possibility of wet weather, or at least have a good back up in place because the weather is the only thing you can’t control.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Went ahead with booking a marquee with the timber flooring. As we watched the weather and saw there was a week of possible wet weather on the radar, we decided to order a marquee. At the start I was a bit upset thinking it was going to completely ruin the look we were hoping for but we ended up loving the look of it and it made us less anxious about the possibility of wet weather.”
THE DRESS “My wedding dress was a skirt and top from Prea James Bridal. I wore the Cecile Blouse and Tyler Skirt and I purchased it from Hope x Page. The overall experience at Hope x Page was amazing. Alex and her team there were so lovely and easy to deal with. They would be so excited and happy the minute I’d walk in the door which gets you so excited and that’s what you need when trying and choosing a wedding dress, those around you to be just as happy and excited as you are and that’s exactly the experience you get from them.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “ Justin Aaron Photography was a big standout, he’s just a really cool and calm guy which is exactly what we wanted, someone to make us feel comfortable and not be too serious. He captured the day perfectly and we really love our photos. The caterers, Fennel & Co Catering and Rebecca Shaw [of Dovetail Wedding Celebrants].
If you have fallen in love with everything from Xanthe and Marks photographer, to the dress, head to Justin Aaron Photography’s profile on our Directory for more. There’s a bunch of real weddings we have published in the past and contact details to boot. If it’s the bride’s get up you’re interested in, head to Hope X Page’s profile, and Prea James Bridal, here.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Justin Aaron Photography Florist Flowers by Nicola Menus State of Elliot Ceremony Seal Rocks Lighthouse Headland Reception Seal Rocks Lighthouse Cottages Catering Fennel & Co Catering Cake Maker The Cake Queen Hire Items Crab Apple Hire Marquee & Lighting Newcastle Event Hire Entertainment Kylie Jane (Singer) Celebrant Dovetail Wedding Celebrants (Rebecca Shaw) Rings Lane Gems & Jewellery Candles Southern Lights Candle Co Letters The Black Line Bottega THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Prea James Bridal Bridal Boutique & Veil Hope x Page Shoes ASOS Accessories Kirstin Ash (Earrings) Hair Mikaela Emma Makeup Face by Onyx THE GROOM Suit Institchu Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale
