Laura and Brad have always loved sharing experiences and travel – and it was no different when planning their stylish beach wedding! Following a helicopter flight and romantic proposal atop a snow-capped mountain in New Zealand, they organised a destination weekend wedding adventure to enjoy with their guests. Think sun, sand and spa days, before getting ready for their elegant beachside celebration.
The Planning Experience
“It was relatively stress free! As soon as we decided on Noosa and our venue, everything seemed to come together. The majority of our vendors worked together all the time, so communication was super easy as I didn’t have to relay information. I loved meeting all these talented people and working together to create such a beautiful day.
Least enjoyable was probably organising the seating chart – talk about stressful…It really does all work out in the end though and those details seem miniscule on the day!”
Finding The Dress
“I have always known I would have my dress custom made. I was reading the wedding section on a Sunday and came across this gorgeous dress, I looked up the designer and arranged a consultation the very next week! Philippa Galasso was so accommodating and generous with her time and my questions were always welcomed. I designed my dress with Philippa but really trusted her judgement on what would suit me. On one of the last fittings, I tried the dress on and cried immediately. The dress was everything I had wished for and then some. It was so amazing having someone guide you to your perfect gown!”
Ceremony Styling
“As we’re from Sydney, we wanted to enlist the help of professionals to take the stress out of styling and setting up the ceremony and reception. Ashley and the team from Lovebird Weddings created a really beautiful ceremony for us. We had posies of flowers on every second aisle chair; lots of timber and blackboard ‘Welcome’ signage; and a great little bar set up that kept guests hydrated before and after the ceremony! White rose petals filled the aisle and a basket of parasols was a lovely touch for the Noosa weather.”
Meaningful Music
“I walked down the aisle to, ‘Forever Mine’ by Marie Hines. It isn’t a well-known song but has such beautiful lyrics and we felt it really encapsulated the moment we were in. Our first dance was to, ‘All of Me’ by John Legend – Brad and I heard this song went it first came out and we knew from then on it would be ‘our’ song.”
Favourite Moments
“Walking down the aisle with my mum and seeing Brad waiting for me was one of the best moments of my life – I had the two most important people with me in that moment. Our vows were so heartfelt, honest and raw. The time I spent with Brad getting our photos taken was also special as our photographer Kait made us feel so comfortable. Spending time like that together is such a beautiful moment and I really tried to soak it all in.”
Styling The Girls
“This was relatively easy – it was the first shop we went into! The dress we decided on was a gorgeous floor length navy gown from Sheike. We had to keep in mind the Noosa weather and made sure the girls all felt beautiful and comfortable! I was originally not planning to do navy, but as soon as the girls stepped out in that colour they all just looked so radiant and it popped!”
DIY Projects
“As we were flying in from interstate we didn’t want to have to have to bring too much stuff with us. My mum did create gorgeous welcome bags for all our guests and had them waiting at their respective hotels when they arrived. They included maps of Noosa and some locally sourced produce.”
Entertaining Guests
“Most guests decided to make a weekend or holiday out of our wedding and stayed in Noosa. We’d organised some pre-wedding activities, including a golf day for the boys and a spa day for the girls. We also had a big rehearsal dinner the night before and a recovery brunch the next day at the Surf Club.
Our entertainment was the amazing Hamilton Duo from Rush Entertainment. The boys played throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. They were probably the biggest hit of the night and had everyone on their feet dancing the whole night.”
The Flowers
“When I was finally able to see my flowers on the morning of the wedding I was in complete awe. I could never have imagined more beautiful flowers! It has to be said, our flowers and centrepieces drew some of the biggest compliments of the day!”
Laura’s Top Tips
1. It’s a special day for you and your husband, so make sure it reflects you both!
2. Enlist all the help you can get! It makes your day run so much smoother, so you can just relax.
3. Before walking down the aisle – stop, look around, look at your husband and soak that moment in.
4. Invest in what you love most, whether it’s food or music or flowers. It really does show on the day.
5. Take time out of your reception to share a moment with your husband. The day goes by so fast!
6. Don’t forget the value of creating personal touches. It’s what makes the day yours.
Location: Noosa, Queensland | Photography: Kait Photography | Ceremony: Laguna Grove, Noosa | Celebrant: Annie Grace Ceremonies | Reception: Sails Restaurant | Planning & Coordination: Glam Weddings and Events | Styling & Decor: Lovebird Weddings | Flowers: Mondo Floral Designs | Cake: Cake Designs | Dress: Philippa Galasso | Bridesmaids: Sheike | Hair: Teresa Orlando Hair & Emily Barbara Hair | Makeup: Daniella Lahoud Makeup & Ebony Jayne Makeup | Suits & Shoes: yd.