Kel and Ali opted for a speedy four-month engagement yet somehow managed to pull off this ripper of a day. Bride Kel’s side hustle (The Ease, guys) prepared her well for organising and designing her very own big day from scratch so if you fancy a touch of DIY, this one’s for you. HM friends South Coast Party Hire were there to make sure the lighting was on point whilst lens lady Weddings By Sam captured all the good times. Smith St. Foods was also there delivering some mighty mouthwatering goods. Scroll down for the details…
FAVOURITE DETAILS “I planned and styled the wedding from the Gold Coast, having only seen the venue very briefly, so I was slightly worried the ideas in my mind may not transfer as I pictured in real life. Upon finishing up the styling of the Hall with both our families the day before, I’d have to say that was our favourite. The mass of dried palm leaves, blue gum and candles amongst the festoon and fairy lights paired so well with the old school wooden chairs, palm leaf plates and minimal details. We loved this and were all so happy and proud. It was made even better by the fact we did it all together.”
DIY “I have always loved creative tasks such as styling and designing so from the get-go I was all about having some fun and getting the DIY projects rolling. I styled the whole event, and we created everything from the invites, to the favours. I designed the bridesmaid dresses and created the floral decorations on the day too. Essentially everything was done DIY other than our bouquets. It really was a lot of fun and something we so enjoyed doing.”
THE DRESS(ES) “I never really felt like I’d be able to go into a bridal boutique and find ‘the one’ so I didn’t worry about doing so. I knew I wanted to design my own dress so just needed to find someone I trusted to do so. Being in the design space myself, I already followed Kate Willa on social media and loved her work. I got in touch right away, as at that point we only had a three-month turnaround. Kate was beyond amazing. My design was very conservative and ‘vintage’ inspired and she helped me turn it into something modern and beautiful. I LOVE it so much and couldn’t recommend her work highly enough. Being that my ceremony dress was so conservative, I knew I wanted to change it up for the reception and found a ‘Galvan’ design on Net-a-porter. In both, I felt amazing and so super special.”
WE WISH WE…“When reflecting on the day, we are so happy with how it came together and flowed. Our only regret being that it was such an incredible day and we would have loved to have spent more time soaking up the views of the beach, sipping gins and grazing with our guests and embracing the outdoor area. The only way around this would have been to get our photos taken pre-ceremony which may be an idea for anyone really wanting to maximise time at their wedding.”
LITTLE LOL “Planning a wedding was so much fun and doing so involved so many funny conversations. Ali’s dad decided to go ahead and invite a long list of mates whom of which we had never heard of. We quickly set this straight but the dinner table was crying with laughter in doing so.”
After some super fab coastal inspo? Well, we have gone and done you a solid and collated a whole heap right here. If you need some mouthwatering tasties in your life, then hop on over here to contact the legends behind Smith St. Foods. Need to hire goodies? South Coast Party Hire have you sorted.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Weddings By Sam Florist Heart and Soul Flowers Stationery Appycouple Venue St. Peter and Paul Church, Kiama Catering Smith Street Foods Bar Henry Clive Caravan Bar Cake Tonitto Cakes Hire Items & Marquee South Coast Party Hire Umbrellas Sunday Supply Co, Ikea Entertainment Penny Hartgerink Music Rings Ribs and Dust BRIDE Ceremony Dress Kate Willa Reception Dress Galvan London via Net-a-porter Veil Chosen by One Day Hair Piece Christie Nicolaides Loungewear Deji Studios Ceremony Shoes ASOS Reception Shoes Senso Accessories Ensea, Christie Nicolaides Hair Zephyr Hair Co. Makeup Tayla Jane Bridesmaid Dresses The Ease Bridesmaid Shoes Tony Bianco GROOM Suit Peter Jackson Shoes RM Williams Barber Back Bone Barber Shop Groomsmen Suits Peter Jackson