– As featured in Queensland Brides Autum / Winter 2020 –
A finicky pair of shoes and an unexpected downpour couldn’t trip up this couple’s meant-to-be love story.
With its chic silver and midnight-blue colour scheme and contemporary touches, Izzie and Ben’s wedding on 7 September 2019 was an exercise in modern elegance. The beginning of their love story, however, definitely has a charming, old-school feel.
It all started in the outback town of Cunnamulla, where Izzie was working on a farm and Ben had been posted as a policeman. Introduced by mutual friends at a local bar, Ben was enamoured by Izzie’s pool skills (which she candidly admits are not so great), and the two hit it off. Izzie drove Ben home, where he gave her a sweet, nervous handshake. And that was just the beginning. “Being such a small town, we ran into each other a lot,” Izzie explains. Eventually, they ended up on a first date in an empty pub. Now, Izzie and Ben live on the Sunshine Coast with their two adorable fur babies – a labrador cross, Bailey, and a kelpie cross, Frankie – and spend much of their time relaxing on their local beach.
After such an adorable meet-cute, it’s only fitting that their engagement would also be worthy of a romantic comedy scene. The two were enjoying dinner on their last evening on holiday in Palm Cove when they encountered an unexpected downpour. Undeterred, Ben did everything he could to get his future bride-to-be down to the beach for the picturesque moment he planned, but Izzie, who was wearing heels with a complicated zip and a jumpsuit sans jacket, wasn’t keen on traipsing in the wet sand, and couldn’t understand her usually easygoing boyfriend’s strange behaviour. Ben finally gave up on going to the beach and got down on one knee right there on the esplanade instead. It might not have been the proposal Ben envisioned, but, says Izzie, “It was beautiful, and though he hates to admit it, he did shed a little tear.”
Thankfully, their wedding ceremony at Hidden Grove in Noosa Woods went far more smoothly (with Izzie in Louboutin heels, no less!). The location was an easy choice for the couple, who love the area and were wowed by the quality of the local vendors. Of their marriage celebrant, Kirsty Spencer, Izzie said, “I cannot speak highly enough about her. She genuinely made our day, we had so many compliments about her, and she was just utterly fantastic.”
The pair said “I do” before a modern, diamond-shaped arbour in the sunshine, Izzie wearing a stunning lace gown and her grandmother’s ruby and diamond ring; Ben looking dapper in suspenders and a bowtie. After their vows, they shared a precious private moment, travelling by gondola to their reception at Noosa Waterfront’s riverfront space. “Neither of us had our phones – it was just us and the river,” Izzie says.
As the sun set, the couple’s 98 guests were treated to a “to-die-for” menu with matching wines in a breezy space decked out in masses of white flowers and green foliage. “We didn’t want anything too formal, but just enough to give everyone a good excuse to get dressed up,” says Izzie of the classic decor. “I love clean lines, deep colours with a bit of glitz, and I’m very detail orientated.”
Riding high on their wave of love, Izzie and Ben flew away to an exciting honeymoon in Italy, before heading to the UK (where Izzie grew up), for a second mini-wedding. A simpler affair, Izzie wore a white jumpsuit for the church blessing, and afterwards the couple hosted a huge party to celebrate their union with their loved ones.
After such an exciting celebration of love in two countries, Izzie has some solid advice for other brides. “You will be told to take it all in a thousand times, but seriously, do,” she says. “Stop at moments throughout the day and just watch your loved ones having the best time. Take half an hour for yourselves, as a newly married couple, between the photos after the ceremony and getting to the reception. You really need this time to relax a little bit and soak it all up.”
[Little Black Book]
Photography: Ivory & Rose Photography // Ceremony venue: Hidden Grove, Noosa // Reception venue: Noosa Waterfront Restaurant & Bar // Dress: Pronovias Bridal from White Lily Couture // Suits: Connor // Bridesmaids: The Iconic // Shoes: Christian Louboutin // Makeup: Sunshine Brides // Accessories: White Lily Couture and The Luxe Bride Co // Stylist & planner: Lovebird Weddings // Rings: Michael Hill // Florals: Willow Bud Wedding Flowers // Cake: WildChild Cakes // Stationery: Vistaprint // Celebrant: Kirsty Spencer Marriage Celebrant // Transport: Gondolas of Noosa & Catalina Noosa // Bonbonniere: fudgyboombahs
