Together for “five amazing years” Maddie and Sam opted to tie the knot in the very same town they were engaged and despite having their engagement party cancelled THREE times due to COVID, the day went off without a hitch. Clad in a long-sleeved gown from one of our fave boutiques, Sphere Bridal Gallery, and with a Prea James Bridal veil to top it off, Maddie’s bridal look is as chic as they come. One of our fave lens ladies in all the land, George Bowden, was there to capture it all, including one very delicious sunset portrait sesh. Scroll down for the goods…

FAVOURITE DETAILS “My favourite would have to be the florals and styling. Ivy & Bleu work with Osteria a lot and they were honestly a dream team! My flowers were BEAUTIFUL and totally complimented my dress and made our photos look amazing. The olive leaves on our arbour were stunning and gave such a romantic vibe and the colour worked so well with the boy’s suits! The hanging installation of greenery in our reception as well just totally elevated the vibe of the space, it was so romantic and just beautiful. The girls there are incredible at what they do, I could not recommend them enough!”

FAVOURITE MOMENTS “My absolute favourite moment of the whole day was seeing Sam the moment I turned to walk down the aisle (SO CLICHÉ I KNOW!). But I was so, so nervous (and on the way down to the aisle my veil got caught on a chair and got ripped out of my head!), so I was flustered and anxious – but seeing him standing there literally took all of my worries away and made me so calm and relaxed! My other favourite moment of the day was my dance with my dad (now I’m crying LOL!) We had taken lessons together and learnt a dance, it was so special. My dad was so determined to get it right! But then on the night, we messed it up and the music skipped and nothing went to plan – but we still danced together and it was so, so special to me.”

LITTLE LOL “It was absolutely pouring rain!! We had to move our ceremony inside (but it made it so much more intimate and romantic) – but when we went to Cabarita headland to have our pictures done, it was like the heavens opened up, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and we got the most EPIC sunset ever! We were so lucky. As my hilariously drunk Aunty yelled into the microphone over dinner “RAIN MEANS FERTILITY!!!!!!”

WE’RE GLAD WE.. “left all the planning and hard work to the professionals! Yes, of course, some people’s budgets may not allow that, but honestly, it made a world of a difference for us. It was seriously the easiest thing, we just told our vendors what we wanted and they created magic! It made the whole experience totally stress-free for us, and the end result was incredible. I think it always works best when you’re flexible and allow them to be creative, after all that’s what they do!”

STANDOUT VENDORS “I feel like all of our vendors were so bloody amazing in their own way. Sarah and Amy made me feel like an absolute queen! Which is exactly what you want on your wedding day. Andrew was incredible as our celebrant, our ceremony was short and sweet, and he made us feel so relaxed. The girls at Ivy & Bleu are honestly amazing – I cannot sing their praises enough! The made our wedding look amazing. George took the most insane photos, and they are something that we will treasure forever. And of course, Em and Tom made the most spectacular video of the whole day and it’s so good we can re-live our day over and over again!”

If you’re as smitten with George Bowden’s snaps as we are, we recommended getting in touch here and checking out Bianca & Noa’s wedding here. But first, be sure to scroll right down for Maddie & Sam’s divine sunset portrait sesh…

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer George Bowden Photography Cinematographer Maple and Ochre Venue, On The Day Coordinator & Catering Osteria Weddings Stylist, Florist & Stationery Ivy & Bleu Stationery Canva Cake Baked Entertainment Dan Irwin Music Celebrant Andrew Michael Celebrant Rings Michael Hill Jeweller THE BRIDE Dress Chosen by Kyha via Sphere Bridal Gallery Veil Prea James Bridal Robes Kmart Shoes Billini Earrings Peggy & Twig Hair Amy Spry Hair Makeup The Luxe Beauty Co. Bridesmaid Dresses Forever New Bridesmaid Shoes Billini THE GROOM Suit ASOS Bow Tie Lowes Shoes R.M. Williams Barber Brasco’s Barber Shop Groomsmen Suits ASOS