They met on a pub crawl, “well-known for its sticky floors and ‘end of night’ feeling,” and because “Matt had two contacts by the name of Steph in his phone- and couldn’t work out which one was me,” Steph had to make the first move. We like the sound of this couple already… Then we saw their gorgeous wedding photos, taken by one of the best photographers in the biz, Janneke Storm and we were sold!
THE VENUE We were looking for something with a garden feel. I wanted a wedding full of greenery. We also wanted a destination wedding, however not so far that our grandparents wouldn’t be able to make it. We settled on Northern NSW. Matt should be given credit for finding Osteria– it won us over the first time we saw it. We loved the fairy lights and the fact we had a secluded outdoor area for the whole night. As it is also a café, I really loved the idea of being able to celebrate our anniversary each year with dinner there.
THE DRESS Was the hardest part of the wedding. I usually get Matt’s opinion when I am buying clothes/making decisions and not including him was really difficult. I tried a million dresses at all different stores but could never find ‘the one’. I wanted something simple, but everything I tried on felt too simple. I found Isabella Longginou on Instagram. She made my hens dress and my wedding dress and was a dream to work with.
FAVOURITE DETAILS Our musician Sarah Archer was phenomenal. She played acoustic songs for the ceremony and then was the DJ later. The dance floor was always full and was so much fun. One of our friends was dancing so hard he actually pulled a muscle! Our amazing photographer Janneke Storm. The photos she took are absolutely incredible. She really captured the emotion of the moment rather than just what was happening.
LITTLE LOL Beyonce’s ‘All the Single Ladies’ payed on the night and the dance floor was flooded with all the guys! Somehow, they all knew the dance and proceeded to dance in unison with their shirts off! Also, my maid of honour, Amanda, was so surprised by the confetti cannon that she fell over!
REFERENCES We used Hello May a lot for inspiration (Matt found Hello May for me!) There were many nights I spent online.
A WORD OF ADVICE Lock in the big things early, but leave all the colours and themes for a while- you will be surprised at how your taste changes over even short amounts of time! Also, trust the vendors- they are experts in their field! We’re really glad we hired a stylist, too. So helpful! The day went so smoothly and the venue looked absolutely beautiful when they were done! It was also good that our families were able to relax, we didn’t rope them into any setting up duties!
STANDOUT VENDORS Our awesome celebrant, Tash was so well prepared. She even sent us a card in the mail after the wedding and gave us a gift on the night. She also gave us the best suggestion of asking our mothers to sign the register with us. We kept it a surprise until the big day. It was really special and a great way of including them in our day. And our amazing stationery team from The Paper Empire.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Janneke Storm Stylist Bliss & Willow Hire Items One Day House Florist & Flower Crown Julia Rose Stationery The Paper Empire Ceremony, Reception & Catering Osteria Cake & Desserts Jocelyn’s Provisions Cake Topper Cake Art Creations Signage The Paper Empire Entertainment Sarah Archer Celebrant Married By Tash Transport Limoso BRIDE Bridal Gown Isabella Longginou Robe Zimmermann Shoes Shoes of Prey Earrings Dinosaur Designs Hair Foxs Lane Styling Makeup The Luxe Beauty Co. Bridesmaid Dresses Shona Joy GROOM Suit Black Jacket Suiting Shirt & Bow Tie David Jones Shoes R.M. Williams Watch Tag Heuer Grooming Bare Bones Barbershop