Today we bring you the love story of Amy and Kat, who have one of the most epic proposal stories we’ve ever heard! “Kat (who has A LOT of tattoos), got ‘Will you marry me?’ tattooed on her knee,” Amy tells us. “On a Friday night, after a big week at work, we settled in for a few drinks at home. As we poured a beer (the first we’d ever brewed together), Kat – who had changed into shorts – got down on one knee. I was so distracted by the tattoo that Kat had to point out the ring she was holding!”

With a long engagement planned from the outset, Amy and Kat were lucky enough not to have to postpone their date due to COVID, and called in a stellar team to make their wedding dreams reality. Tropical Romance & Co. took care of all the amazing pics, which you’ll see in just a second, the couple of the moment sorted themselves out some stunning outfits (including a floaty ethereal veil by Amélie George that we just LOVE), and got down to getting hitched.

THE VENUERick Shores is our favourite restaurant. Kat is a massive foodie, which is something that has definitely rubbed off on me. When we first enquired, we thought we wouldn’t be able to afford such an elegant venue, but we quickly realised that the view of Burleigh Heads and polished concrete at Rick Shores meant we didn’t have to spend as much on styling. We also decided to have a weekday wedding on a Thursday, which saved us money and meant our family and friends got a long weekend at the coast.”

REFERENCES “I spent A LOT of time trawling the Hello May blog and magazine. It was by far the best place I found inspiration. My parents were in lockdown in Melbourne when we first started planning, so I sent a magazine each to my mum and my sister so we could chat and plan over Zoom together.”

THE DRESS “I had been looking at Harriette Gordon on Instagram for a while, but at the time there was nowhere in Queensland that stocked her pieces. When I saw that Brisbane boutique Bloom was having a Harriette Gordon pop-up, it was meant to be. I fell in love with the organza blouse immediately. Sam at Bloom made the experience so stress-free and helped me pair the blouse with the perfect slip dress. Bonus was I got to have an outfit change later in the night!”

WORD OF ADVICE “In the end, it’s your day and you can be as creative or non-traditional as you and your partner like. Kat and I aren’t really dessert people, so we decided to do a round of espresso martinis instead of a wedding cake. They came out just before our first dance and were a hit with our guests.”

WE’RE GLAD WE… “We had a mini-wedding ceremony on the balcony of our accommodation at Crystal Pacific Palm Beach before our actual wedding. We wanted Kat’s sister to emcee our ceremony, but because she wasn’t an official wedding celebrant, we decided to do the official bit beforehand. It ended up being one of the best parts of the day, with just our closest friends. Jordan of Love Out Loud Celebrant made it super intimate, personal and full of love.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer, Konrad, of Tropical  Romance & Co., was beyond amazing. Not only were we blown away by our photos, he ended up being such an integral part of the day. Jordan, our celebrant from Love Out Loud, managed to completely sum us up in the best possible way. She’s also just a super cool person, the kind you want to be your best friend. And Sarah at Crystal Pacific was an absolute gem.”

One of our faves here at Hello May, Amélie George, is responsible for Amy’s gorg veil (plus is the master of all things beautiful bridal accessories). While you’re here, definitely scoot on over to our directory to see what else this phenom brand has on offer for your big day look!

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Tropical & Romance Co. Florist Foliar Stationery & Signage Reece Tully (friend) Printer Peterkin Premium Paper & Printery, House of Harvey Co. Ceremony, Reception & Catering Rick Shores Hire Items House of Harvey Co. (sign stands, white cylinder plinths) Sound Hire Gold Coast Audio Hire Celebrant Love Out Loud Celebrant Rings Molten (Amy), Crooked Howlet Designs (Kat) Accommodation & Mini-ceremony Crystal Pacific Palm Beach THE BRIDE (Amy) Gown Harriette Gordon Bridal Boutique Bloom Veil Amélie George Robes Maurie and Eve Shoes NAKEDVICE Earrings Amber Sceats Hair Sarah Kelly Co. Makeup Mia Connor Fragrance Coach Dreams Sunset via Myer Wedding party Bec & Bridge (dresses), InStitchu (suits) Bridesmaid shoes NAKEDVICE Bridesmaid gifts Molten (earrings) THE BRIDE (Kat) Bridal suit InStitchu Shoes Gucci Rings Crooked Howlet Designs Fragrance Dior Sauvage via Myer Wedding party InStitchu (suits), Chancery via The Iconic (dress)