Rebecca and Matthew dreamed up something a bit different (and a lot of fun) for their big day – these guys kept the location a secret from their guests! “We had a secret venue and all the guests had to arrive by bus,” bride Rebecca tells us. They all met up at the nominated spot, jumped aboard and were whisked to the magical spot EarthHouse, overlooking the stunning Byron hinterland. “Although we didn’t get to see the guests’ reaction, we heard all about it when they arrived.”

It was just one stunning twist in their beautifully non-tradish day – just peep the coppery-pink tones of Rebecca’s Rue De Seine gown (courtesy of our friends at The Bridal Atelier), for example. “The day really surrounded my dress since it was such a unique colour and style,” shares Rebecca, who was lucky enough to lock down the amazing Nina Claire to photograph the day. “We fell in love with the beautiful pictures on her Instagram and knew she was a must for our wedding, which is why she was the first vendor we booked.” Take a look at the gorg snaps below and see just how right she is!

THE VENUE “As soon as we saw the view at EarthHouse, we were blown away. The landscape was stunning. The views of the hinterland and the sandstone barn itself reminded me of Italy, which made me fall more in love with the venue. I really loved the attention to detail, and the passion Monroe had when speaking about the place, which he had built himself. When Matt and I roamed the beautiful property and stood under the stunning fig, we both knew that this was the venue for us.”

THE DRESS “My beautiful Rue De Seine ‘Tuscan’ dress was purchased from the lovely Chanel at The Bridal Atelier in Sydney. I initially had other dresses in mind that weren’t traditionally white, however, Chanel picked this one and suggested I try it on first. As soon as I saw myself in the mirror in this floral burnt orange and pastel pink lace dress, I knew it was the one. It sounds cliché, but I honestly felt like a princess.”

MEMORABLE MOMENTS “My favourite moment from the day was seeing Matt’s face when I walked down the aisle and he heard the song that was playing. Music is an extremely important factor in both our lives and something we have bonded over throughout our friendship, which lead us to decide that I would pick the aisle song and him the recession song – but keep it a surprise. I loved that we had this little moment as we knew a lot of what was planned.”

WE’RE GLAD WE… “I am extremely grateful that we were able to fit videography into our budget. A lot of wedding videography is often pictures with music played throughout, but we were recommended Phoebe Galloway Films, who captures the most incredible videos that reflect the day in its true beauty and form. I am so glad we got the chance to work with her and can’t thank her enough for what she created for us.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer, Nina Claire, is one of the most beautiful individuals to work with and truly brought our day to life with the images she captured. She is such a kind and warm-hearted person, her presence is calming, yet she brings an essence of excitement with her. She never crowded our day and ensured that everything ran smoothly, she even helped me put my veil on last minute. She captured our wedding in such an exquisite way and am forever grateful for the pictures and will cherish them forever.”

You’ll find Nina Claire Photography and The Bridal Atelier, plus a whole heap of other fab vendors, over on our directory. Give them a shout for a solid big-day team!

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Nina Claire Photography Cinematographer Phoebe Galloway Films Event Planner & Stylist Byron Bay Weddings Florist The French Petal Stationery Nathan Mattos (bride’s brother – invitations), Mila and May Paper Co (place cards/menus) Printer Vista Print Ceremony & Reception EarthHouse Catering Fig Tree Restaurant Cake Let Them Eat Cake Hire Items The Wedding Shed Lighting & Sound Hire Byron Audio Signage Berry Designs Shop Entertainment Niall Lochhead Music Celebrant Chiquita Mitchell Rings Alexis Russell (bride), Natalie Marie Jewellery (groom) Transport Byron Bay Double Deckers, Byron Bay Luxe Limosusines Alcohol The Sun Bistro Afterparty Venue The Bolt Hole Recovery Day Venue Beach Hotel Byon Bay THE BRIDE Gown & Veil Rue De Seine Bridal Boutique The Bridal Atelier Headband Ael Este Robes Piyama Shoes Loeffler Randall Bag YSL Earrings Tiffany & Co. Hair Foxs Lane Styling Makeup Alex Ouston Beauty Nails CJ Artistry Bridesmaid dresses Shona Joy, Lylou, Pasduchas, Esther & Co Bridesmaid shoes Novo, Basque via Myer Bridesmaid gifts Sephora (various beauty items), Olga Berg (bag), Piyama (PJs), Kookaï (necklace), Ayla + Oak (earrings) THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Pocket Square Jack London Bow tie OTAA Shoes ASOS Barber & Grooming Edwards and Co, Envy and The Barber Shop Groomsmen suits Jack London