When Dave proposed to Kyra at Machu Piccu during a trip to Peru, he didn’t dare get on one knee… “We found a private spot on this tiny ledge of a cliff (our feet were literally dangling over the edge) and I asked Kyra to be my wife,” he tells us. “I was too scared to get on one knee in case we both fell off the cliff, but other than that it was so perfect – just us, the mountains and a couple of llamas watching on.”
Clearly lovers of the outdoors, this duo hit one of Australia’s most beautiful locales – the Byron Bay hinterland – to get hitched, calling in the brilliant Ben Sowry Photo to snap the day. As you can see for yourself, that was a great call!
THE DRESS “Pretty early on in my Pinteresting I’d come across Bo & Luca. I fell in love with how their gowns managed to combine an effortless boho aesthetic with designs that still felt really unique and special. I found them stocked in Bloom boutique in Brisbane, and went there with my mum. I saw Amelie hanging on the rack as soon as I walked in, and was so excited – it was feminine and fun and catered to my love of crop tops, and I just felt like myself when I was wearing it (plus I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, so I knew it had to be the one).”
THE VENUE “We knew that we wanted to have all our celebrations in one place, at a private house that allowed us to have all our loved ones around us for the whole weekend. We did a couple of reccy trips looking at houses from the Sunshine Coast all the way down to Byron, and Hinterland House immediately stood out to us as somewhere that had such beautiful relaxed vibes, whilst still feeling immaculately styled and really special. Plus it has such an incredible pool, which gave us the idea of a welcome pool party the day before to kick off the weekend of celebrations.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Heaps of our friends have new babies and toddlers so we knew that incorporating support for parents into the day was going to be really important so that we didn’t lose half of them at bedtime. So we hired a team of babysitters from Kidz Klub Australia in Byron to run a play and craft area during the day, and then allocated a room in the house so the littlies could sleep whilst their parents were hitting the dancefloor. For some of our friends it was the first night out they’d had in a long time, and their overwhelming gratitude made it feel like the best money we spent on the whole wedding.”
WORD OF ADVICE “I [Dave] do have one recommendation for future grooms: if your soon-to-be-wife has written your combined reception speech and asks you to read through and check it, you should… do that. I did not, which meant that as I launched into my part of the speech after a few beers, I had no idea that Kyra had included a bracketed {Dave to insert heartfelt thanks to family here}, which of course in my nervousness I read out loud word for word. I think there’s probably a lesson there in paying attention to what my wife asks me to do, that I’m sure I’ll have to learn a few more times yet before it sinks in…”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Ben Sowry, our photographer. With us both working in creative fields (and Dave being a photographer himself) it was always going to be tough to find someone who’d live up to our expectations, but Ben did that and more. Apart from giving us photos that we’ll treasure for a lifetime, his warmth and friendly manner on the day made the whole experience fun and light and easy.”
Get in contact with the brilliant Ben Sowry Photo and heaps of other local Byron vendors over on our directory.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Ben Sowry Photo Event Planner Event Stylist and Co Florist Pikt Flowers Stationery Bliss & Bone Ceremony & Reception Hinterland House Catering Joe Chef Cake The Butterscotch Table (dessert table) Other desserts The Marshmallow Co. (giant marshmallow platters for roasting in the fire pit) Wedding favours StrangeLove (drinks), Byron Bay Cookie Company (cookies), Byron Bay Coffee Company (chocolate-covered macadamias), Bee One Third (local honey) Hire Items Memorable Moments (chairs, tables, cocktail lounges) Marquee Pavilion Marquees Entertainment Adelina Martinez (singer), Paul Henderson (guitarist), Coastal Beats (DJ) Celebrant Just Jess Ceremonies Rings Capucinne (engagement), family heirloom wedding rings Transport Byron Bus Co Child Minding Kidz Klub Australia THE BRIDE Gown Bo & Luca Bridal Boutique Bloom Cape Meadow Sweet Bridal Robes Craftluxe Australia Shoes Loeffler Randall Earrings A. B. Ellie Hair & Makeup Alex Ouston Beauty Bridesmaid dresses Reformation, Shona Joy, DISSH, ASOS Bridesmaid gifts Meadow Sweet Bridal (robes) Flower girls Corsages by Z (flower crowns) THE GROOM Suit InStitchu Shirt Calvin Klein Bow tie Peggy and Finn Shoes Double Oak Mills Watch Vintage Tag Heuer Carrera Barber Rattlin’ Bones Barber Shop Groomsmen suits InStitchu Groomsmen gifts Skwosh (board shorts)
