Wedding date: 31 August 2019 // Guests: 180
QB: All good love stories start somewhere; tell us how and when you met …
Our love story starts at work! After graduating from high school, I had started with an electrical wholesaler and as Ryan is an electrician, he dropped through the head office every day in order to grab his daily work gear. Even though there was an ongoing joke at with staff that we should get together, we always just laughed it off – until Ryan called me one day to ask me to the work Christmas party. The rest, as they say, is history!
QB: Tell us about your lives together …
We have a beautiful baby boy (Lane) who was born at the end of January 2019 – so needless to say that our lives together have changed a little – but, of course, only in the most magical way! We love just spending time together as a family; going for walks on the beach with our two dogs Kevin & Larry; visiting family; road trips to explore new places. Our little one does not sit still, so we are super busy all the time!
QB: What does marriage mean to you?
To me, marriage means you have found that person you want to share absolutely everything with. It’s about never giving up on each other, being able to have a laugh when things get tough and always providing the best you can for your family.
QB: Make us laugh, make us cry: who proposed to who, and how?
Ryan proposed to me while on a holiday in the Northern Territory. It was October 2018, I was 6 months pregnant and we were heading to Uluru. We stopped at a place called Rainbow Valley along the way, it was a mission to get there and we couldn’t Google what it looked like before we took the turn off as there was no phone service. But it was seriously spectacular when we arrived. Well worth that bumpy drive.
Standing there admiring the beautiful landscape, I turned to Ryan to say something and there he was with an unopened box in his hands. ‘So, do you want to marry me?’ was definitely not a romantic one-knee proposal but it was absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
QB: How and why did you choose your venues?
Our wedding was hosted at my aunt and uncle’s property which is located on the Marian Weir in Mackay, a beautiful river popular for ski boats. Their place backs right up to the river’s bank with lush green grass and beautiful gardens. It was perfect! In fact, the idea of hosting our wedding there came about during a Christmas family breakfast (a suggestion from my other aunty) when my family took it upon themselves to basically plan our whole wedding. Luckily, we loved the idea of hosting a big party in one place and it accommodated our large guest list perfectly.
QB: What was the inspiration behind your wedding style?
Having spent a LOT of time on Pinterest, it was really hard to narrow it down to one particular ‘theme’ or ‘look’. Eventually, it all came down to matching the wedding colours to that of the attire of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. In the end, I really loved our colour scheme and wedding feel; which I guess you would say was boho luxe.
I knew for sure that we wanted a giant apex structure for our nuptials. Unfortunately, the hire companies in town have only just cottoned on to this wedding trend but all of their structures were too small to what we had envisioned. And, so my ‘handyman’ husband-to-be created our very own one-of-a-kind structure which was an absolute show stopper!
QB: Did you incorporate any traditions or perhaps do something a little different?
Truth be told; while the timing of the proposal was a surprise, I was aware that Ryan was preparing to ask me (eventually!) as he had me design my engagement ring. Knowing that I am quite particular and had a vision of a ring already, Ryan made the correct decision after he initially looked but couldn’t find a ring similar to what I wanted, anywhere! It was so exciting to design a custom engagement ring and then the wedding band to match. It has made these two pieces of jewellery completely unique and all the more special to me.
Choosing my wedding dress was an amazing experience. I travelled with my mum and my 6-week old baby to Brisbane and then hired a car to drive onwards to the Gold Coast. Here, I tried on my dream dress at Grace Loves Lace. It knew instantly that it was the perfect dress for me, and it felt even more special because I experienced it with my baby boy right there with me.
We also added a real wed-fest feel to the celebration by hiring Bell Tents which meant that people could camp right next to our reception setting.
QB: Were there any standout suppliers?
I couldn’t have been any happier than I was with all my suppliers! Dream Team!
QB: Do you have any words of wisdom to offer other couples?
Weigh up what is really important – not just for planning a wedding but in life in general. Sometimes you can lose focus so by deciding what is important before embarking on your planning, you’ll have a benchmark to bring yourself back to when needed.
QB: Did you enjoy a honeymoon? If so, how and why did you choose your destination?
We packed up the car and took off two days after the wedding. We chose to go on a family road trip to Cairns and Port Douglas. It was close, affordable and achievable with a baby. Plus we both had never been there. I look back at photos now and just smile, we had the best time!
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Photographer: Love + Wonder // Venue: Private property located along the Marian Weir, Mackay // Dress: Grace Loves Lace // Suits: Politix // Bridesmaids: Sheik // Rings: Philips Jewellery // Florist: Kmac Florals // Cake: Sprinkles and Love // Stationery: Infinite Eleven Designs // Celebrant: Suzanne Woods // Transport: Bus Fox (Bus hire for the guests) // Caterer: K & Co (canapés & mini-meals) // Drinks/Bar Service: Vintage Kiss (bar service from their retro caravan) // Tent hire: The Best Intentions Tent Co // Makeup: MS Beauty // Hair: Intuition the Art of Hair // Musician: Lloyd Saunders
