Courtney and Paul were paired together at their best friend’s wedding and could “see a life with one another” ever since. The bride, who wore an incredible gown from Sphere Bridal Gallery, and the groom (and groomsmen), who wore the impeccable M.J. Bale, tied the knot on their third wedding date (thanks, COVID!) with “four weeks to plan and execute” the wedding. Baker Boys Band provided the epic entertainment and Figtree Wedding Photography lensed the day. Scroll down for more…
THE VENUE “We had both discussed the desire to be married in an outdoor setting and as I was eager to style my own wedding, we were on the hunt for a venue that was equally beautiful as it was a blank canvas for me! Before even reaching Hillview Homestead via Luxico The Home Hotel, the drive there had us captivated. By the time we arrived we were both in love with everything this wonderful property had to offer.”
THE INSPO “We loved the natural country charm of Hillview so when choosing a theme it was important to us that whatever we added would be complemented by the setting. We opted for natural tones, romantic florals and simple modern styling. We wanted it to feel like a dreamy garden soiree.”
FAVE DETAILS “I ordered hand made fans from Mexico as favours that almost didn’t arrive in time. My lovely bridesmaid drove to the airport the day before the wedding to collect these for me! When I opened the box the night before, I couldn’t believe how beautiful they turned out – we loved seeing all the guests using these throughout the day. Similarly the cake (by Hello Little Crumb)!”
DIY “Other than planning and setting up the wedding myself (with help of my beautiful bridesmaids and The Events Lounge), I designed all my own stationery and signage for the day.”
THE DRESS “When I visited Sphere Bridal Gallery, the dress I thought I’d like in fact didn’t feel me at all. But once Sarah (of Sphere) had suggested trying on the Dan Jones gown, I remember stepping out from the curtain with the biggest smile on my face! I didn’t want to take this one-off. I loved that the lining was a pink tone and not wearing white certainly met my criteria of not being too traditional. The custom balloon sleeves that were made for me made this my absolute dream. For PJ it was all in an afternoon’s work; we visited M.J. Bale and with classic black suit pants in mind, we went with the sand blazer to accompany as a more relaxed style that we were calling ‘Summer Formal’.”
COOL CUSTOM “We spoke with our lovely Byron Bay Wedding Celebrant, Michelle about doing something a little special to include our mum’s in the ceremony which would be a surprise for them on the day. It read as ‘these two women were the first to welcome their children into the world and kiss them for the first time. Now they will be the last to kiss them in their single life and wish them well into their marriage.’ It was the most special moment that both we and our mum’s will cherish forever.”
LITTLE LOL “Callum from Baker Boys Band up on the chair absolutely nailing the sax solo during INXS ‘Never Tear Us Apart.’ We still have people talking about how great it was! Before dinner was even served the party had certainly begun!’
A WORD OF ADVICE “With all the curve balls COVID threw our way, our changed plans included tough decisions with date changes and scaling back numbers. Our take away after all this was a bit of a reality check that all we truly wanted or cared about was to marry one another and everything else became a little easier. When we focused on what was important to us, the smaller guest list, short time frame, a mid-week wedding date, it all felt exactly the way we’d imagined in the lead up to our dream day.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “A big mention needs to go to Greg and the team at AV Ideas. I showed Greg a photo on my phone of the fairy light roof that I felt would be so beautiful in the setting. What followed was the team developing and creating a whole new system which was debuted for my wedding!”
If you’re keen on seeing more real wedding inspo for everything from gowns to entertainment and groom get-ups, head to the following Directory links; M.J. Bale, Sphere Bridal Gallery and Baker Boys Band. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Figtree Wedding Photography Cinematographer Yellowbull Weddings Event Planner, Stylist, Signage & Stationery Joy Creative Co. Signage Printer Acrylic Online On The Day Event Co-Ordinator The Events Lounge Florist Gloriosa Florals Ceremony & Reception Hillview Homestead via Luxico The Home Hotel Catering Something for Catering Cake Hello Little Crumb Wedding Favours Etsy Hire Items Hampton Event Hire, Innovative Hiring & House of Harvey Co. Lighting Hire AV Ideas Entertainment Baker Boys Band Celebrant Byron Bay Wedding Celebrant Rings Ashley Douglas (Bride) Vintage (Groom) Transport Koala Koaches Accommodation Hillview Dairy THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Dan Jones Bridal Boutique & Veil Sphere Bridal Gallery Robes Dissh Shoes Jimmy Choo Accessories Family Heirlooms (Bracelet & Brooch) Hair Sarah Neill Hair Makeup Xenia Elise Bridesmaid Dresses Lover The Label THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale Groomsmen Suits M.J. Bale