Wedding photography: Joey & Jase
Recovery brunch photography: Jac Lee
When it comes to summer weddings, this one is up there as one of our faves. Self-confessed “sun-loving beach bums” Chloe & Mitch had ocean waves as a non-negotiable when planning their dream day — and as Head Stylist at Lovebird Weddings, the bride knew just how to bring their modern-coastal celebration to life. The three-day event (think cocktails and river cruising plus a picture-perfect recovery) played out around the couple’s beloved holiday playground of Noosa. Here comes the sun …
Chloe & Mitch’s wedding & recovery party were originally featured in QB Spring/Summer 2022
QB: All good love stories start somewhere; tell us how and when you met …
It’s not your typical love story. Mitch and I grew up together. Our sisters are best friends so we always saw each other at family school events. It wasn’t until we were older and Mitch moved to the Sunshine Coast that we started to spend more time together. It was a slow burn until then, I guess you could say, haha.
QB: Tell us about your lives together …
We live at Sunrise Beach, just two minutes’ walk from the ocean. We are your typical sun-loving beach bums. Always surfing, swimming, walking our two border collies on the beach, soaking up the sun!
QB: Make us laugh, make us cry: who proposed to who, and how?
Mitch proposed to me at home one Friday afternoon, completely out of the blue. He had a dinner at Rickys booked for us to go and celebrate that night and then the next day we went down to Brisbane where all my family and friends surprised me for an impromptu engagement party. Turns out everyone knew before I did because he was too excited to keep it to himself. Luckily I said yes or that would have been awkward…
QB: How & why did you choose your venues?
We always knew we had to be married near the beach. I wanted the ocean in the background. We originally were to be married in Bali. I grew up holidaying there and my parents live there; however, COVID had other plans for us. We then decided on a venue in Byron Bay as this was a special place for Mitch and his family, however, again due to COVID, the borders closed, and we would have been unable to get into NSW. Four months before we got married, we decided to move our wedding to Queensland, where most of our guests were coming from. We chose the Sunshine Coast because it too is a special place for us. Bistro C has the best-uninterrupted ocean views on the Sunshine Coast, and the flexibility of the styling made it a no-brainer for me.
QB: What was the inspiration behind your wedding style?
As the Head Stylist of Lovebird Weddings, the pressure was on! I have always gravitated towards Coastal Contemporary. I started with a much more muted, neutral colour palette when we first started planning and then as we got closer to the day, after three postponements, I decided I wanted something a bit more fun and playful to represent the buoyant return of weddings and the happy, playful feeling that weddings were turning into after the last few crazy years. I get a lot of my inspiration from interior design and I’m lucky enough to be working for Queensland’s number 1 wedding stylist with an array of furniture at my fingertips.
QB: What were your non-negotiables for the wedding day?
As already mentioned, we had to get married by the beach, that was most important to us! The styling and flowers were number one for me, and I was so lucky that Mitch trusted me to bring all of my ideas to life. Good food and drinks were at the top of the list also. Bistro C delivered way beyond our expectations. The food was phenomenal, and the cocktails, wine and champagne were all top-notch!
QB: Did you incorporate any traditions or perhaps do something a little different?
We didn’t want to do a cake cutting, I find this to be a bit of a strange tradition. We opted to have a cake at the recovery instead so more people would enjoy it.
QB: Tell us about your gorgeous dress …
My dress was a dream! Alena Leena was the designer. It was so comfortable and chic. The frills on the shoulder were a statement feature that made it so fun and playful which I felt worked perfectly with the style of the wedding!
QB: Your celebrations spanned three days (love that!): can you run us through the pre and recovery?
We wanted to create the full wedding experience for our guests rather than just celebrating one day — to be honest we just wanted more than one day to celebrate! The day before the wedding we hired the Catalina on the Noosa River for our welcome drinks. It had been pouring rain all day and by some miracle it cleared, and we had the most beautiful sunset cruising down the Noosa River sipping on Aperol Spritzes!
For the recovery party we celebrated on the lawn at the Sunshine Beach Surf Club. Lovebird Weddings and Mondo Floral Designs styled this party. It was beachy and colourful and everyone came dressed in their brightest linen! We played lawn games, drank margaritas and finally got to enjoy our gorgeous coconut and lime cake by Zoe Clark Cakes. Oh, to do this all again!!!
QB: What was your most memorable moment of the day?
I wish I could replay the day all over again, every year. It was the best day ever! I loved every moment. I loved seeing everyone having so much fun. Being a host and bringing friends and family together is what makes me the happiest!
QB: What does marriage mean to you?
It’s the ultimate commitment. The end goal. It’s a promise to keep forever.
QB: Any words of wisdom for other couples planning their dream day?
Enjoy every second of the day, it goes by so quickly! Don’t forget to steal a moment with your newlywed, appreciate the hard work you’ve put into making this a dream day! You did it!
QB: How did you honeymoon?
We travelled to Bali for three weeks. It was really special to be able to go back there after two years away. It’s a second home for us!
DREAM TEAM
Wedding date: 02 December, 2021 // Photography & videography (wedding): Joey & Jase // Photography (recovery): Jac Lee // Ceremony venue: private home // Reception venue: Bistro C, Noosa // Recovery venue: Sunshine Beach Surf Club // Wedding planner: Lovebird Weddings // Wedding dress: Alena Leena from The Veil Collective // Shoes: Loeffler Randall // Jewellery: Natasha Schweitzer (wedding band), A.B Ellie, HDWR (earrings) // Hair stylist: Sarah Neill Hair // MUA: Ginelle Dale // Bridesmaid dresses: Aje // Cake: Zoe Clark Cakes // Decor: Lovebird Weddings // Florist (wedding): Mrs Gibbons Flowers // Florist (recovery): Mondo Floral Designs // Celebrant: Noosa Style Ceremonies // Stationery: Jessica May Creative // Glassware: Table for Louis // Cutlery & plates: Supper Club // Wedding website: WedSites // Entertainment: Jax n Josh
