Judging by our chat with this couple, Ange and Andy are a damn good time. From Andy booking the ceremony and reception spot before he’d even proposed, to their little lol the morning of the wedding, we liked them – and their wedding – to boot! The groom was decked out in on of our faves, M.J. Bale, and the talented Benedict Sutton was behind the camera. Scroll down for all the deets…
THE VENUE “We actually didn’t see any other venues. We didn’t need to! As it turned out, Andy had very confidently booked the ceremony and reception venues before he even proposed! He was actually a little bit sheepish when he admitted this to me the day after he proposed. Of course I laughed… a lot. Port Douglas was always a very special place for us, but I just never fathomed that a tropical destination wedding would actually be my reality. Needless to say, I was equal parts shocked, impressed and extremely happy – and also relieved that I didn’t need to do much groundwork at all!”
LITTLE LOL “On the morning of the wedding, Andy and I decided to spontaneously take a shot at practising some moves for our first dance (our one and only rehearsal). I decided to pop on my vintage bridal shoes for the activity, but one very enthusiastic twirl somehow managed to crack the bottom of one heel. It was swiftly repaired by my very innovative friend Bri, who dashed down to Coles to seek out an array of fast-acting superglues (all within two hours of the ceremony).”
THE INSPO “Port Douglas as a destination is the embodiment of tropical, laid back luxe and we just wanted to host an intimate gathering that was also one fun party with our nearest and dearest. Delicious food and a cranking dance floor were priorities along with a relaxed vibe. For our ceremony we kept things very simple with live acoustic guitar, white linen ribbons on the pews in the little white chapel underneath the palm trees. For the Sugar Wharf Port Douglas reception, we were lucky to have our planner Deb Kinsella [of Two Tribes Style via Sugar Wharf Weddings] who took our basic brief and delivered a perfect Bahamas-style dreamland of natural cane, fresh whites and lush green foliage against the backdrop of the Coral Sea.”
FAVE DETAILS “The woven pandan leaf fans. These were an ode to my Filipino heritage and tied in very nicely with the tropical climate. My mum and I sourced [them] from an artisan market during a trip to the Philippines. The ‘Angela + Andrew’ suspending perspex sign Deb at The Vintage Hire Co. rigged up for us. It served as an informal photobooth backdrop and we loved that you could see straight through it across the Coral Sea to the sun setting over the Daintree Mountains. Another favourite personal element was my customised denim jacket [Chosen by KYHA], which I was lucky enough to win in a Hello May competition 10 months before the wedding!”
THE DRESS “As someone who can barely pick an outfit on time for any occasion, I left it all a bit late but was lucky that the process turned out to be more straightforward than I expected! I stumbled across an image on Pinterest that just resonated with me. It was elegant and a little bit boho with a low back and blouson sleeves, which was what I always wanted. A friend helped me source the right Sydney contacts so that I was able to get a modified version custom-made for me in the nick of time by the talented Anna of Anna Maurer Couture. Midway through the reception I changed into a Magda Butrym ivory silk slip dress I found last-minute on Net-A-Porter a few weeks before the wedding.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Passed on having a traditional bridal party, an actual wedding cake, the cutting of a cake, a bouquet toss… as we both agreed early on that these traditions were not quite us.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer Benedict Sutton. We only met in person for the first time three weeks before the wedding, but it really is just like having a super talented, camera-wielding mate hang around for chats. Benedict’s easy-going nature instantly makes you feel calm and comfortable. All of the photos from the whole weekend really take us back and we cannot recommend Benny enough. Deb Kinsella [from Two Tribes Style via Sugar Wharf Weddings] worked all kinds of magic with the furniture, florals, lighting, styling and more, not to mention rolling everything into one very easy-to-navigate package which included delicious catering by NuNu and DJ Bart’s Electric Dreams Entertainment who absolutely nailed the brief and fired up the dance floor with some pretty epic rock classics.”
If you’re still looking for the perfect suit for your big day, look no further than Andy’s look of choice, M.J. Bale. You can head on over to their Directory listing here with us, where you will find grooms a plenty donning their suits in other real weddings we have published. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Benedict Sutton Cinematographer Joel Tronoff Event Planner, Stylist, Florist & Lighting Two Tribes Style via Sugar Wharf Weddings Stationery The Bride (Invites, Menus & Favour Tags) Printer Vistaprint Ceremony St Mary’s By The Sea Reception Sugar Wharf Port Douglas Catering NuNu Cake Dukes Doughnuts Wedding Favours Likha (Personalised Luggage Tags) Sound DJ Bart’s Electric Dreams Entertainment Entertainment Drewboy Music (Ceremony & Cocktail Hour) & DJ Bart’s Electric Dreams Entertainment Celebrant Deacon Mark Cavicchiolo Rings Natalie Marie THE BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil Anna Maurer Couture (Ceremony), Magda Butrym via Net-A-Porter (Reception) Robes & Shorts Deiji Studios Shoes Vintage (Ceremony) & 2 Baia Vista (Reception) Accessories Enesea Jewellery (Earrings) Hair & Makeup Rachael Gregory THE GROOM Suit & Shirt M.J. Bale Cufflinks Simon Carter via David Jones Shoes Staple Superior Watch Bow & Stern