Today we bring you the love story of Emma and Ryan, who have been each other’s person for 12 years, and got engaged at Emma’s 30th birthday party. Emma, a graphic designer and self-confessed avid collector of disco balls (here for it!), took the DIY route when creating the delish details for their day, which had an unofficial “woodland disco” theme. The pair were kitted out in Ella Moda and Joe Black, and had the awesome Bird and Boy Photography along to capture all the memories, which you can check out below…
THE PROPOSAL “Ryan proposed at my 30th birthday party, which was a ‘sparkle disco party’ (because my nickname is Sparkles and I have an affinity for disco balls). A few speeches were made and then Ryan grabbed the mic and said, ‘There’s just one more thing I need to do’ and got down on one knee and proposed in front of everyone we love. It was the best!”
DIY “SO MANY! The invitations, wedding arch and backdrops, vases, plinths, signage, candle holders, guest book, wishing well, disco flower wall and tassel hangings.”
THE DRESS “The whole experience was just amazing, the girls at Ella Moda made the whole experience so wonderful, I felt like I was hanging out with my friends. The retro beading also really reminded me of my grandmother, Gwennie, who passed away a few months before our wedding. I’m so glad I got to show her my dress before she passed.”
THE SUIT “I chose not to buy a whole suit because that’s not my vibe. I wanted a classic look [with shirt and pants from Joe Black] but something a bit spicier than black. When I found my dark green velvet jacket, I knew it was the one.”
LITTLE LOL “A pastry chef who worked at our venue said he could make our cake. I sent him five different styles of cakes and asked if he felt comfortable making any of them. He said yes to an elegant, two-tiered naked cake and we were over the moon. Instead, this man made a squat, three-tiered, neapolitan=coloured, chocolate-drizzled, cachous-laden monstrosity. Luckily, nobody told me about the cake disaster, and it was covertly transported to a friend of a staff member’s mother who spent hours scraping off the technicolour coating and and re-icing it in white. Our beautiful, thoughtful mothers then collected flowers from the garden to decorate our new cake and hide the patchy bits. Although I was a bit surprised when the cake came out, hearing the lengths our families went to to get our lovely cake sorted was hilarious and heartwarming. Lesson: disasters will become funny anecdotes.”
FAVE DETAILS “I loved my bouquet and all our flowers – Lisa from Soda Flowers translated my frankenstein moodboard to perfection. I got my bouquet dried and framed with Sweet Pea Flora & Gift so that I could continue to admire my bouquet forever.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Choosing two to three key areas that are most important to you budget-wise was helpful. Ours was good food, epic photography/videography from Bird and Boy Photography, everything else was just a bonus and it was easier to justify spending the money where it would make a big difference, and letting go of the things that weren’t aligned with these values.”
WE’RE REALLY GLAD WE… “Chose our brother and sister to be with us at the altar. Traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen were not the vibe for us, and I’m glad we followed our gut. We each got ready with our friends and siblings so it was a lovely way to start the day, then each traveled with our families to the venue. I’m also really glad Ryan chose to walk down the aisle with his parents – that was such a lovely moment. And really glad we did a recovery brunch the following day. It was awesome to have something really low-key planned for the next day where you could rehash the evenings events and enjoy a big greasy breakfast together.”
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer & Cinematographer Bird and Boy Photography Event Planner Enamour Events Stylist, Stationery & Signage Emma Sparks Creative (bride) Florist Soda Flowers Ceremony & Reception Venue The Pavillion Mt Tamborine Catering Crusta Woodfired Wedding Favours Ali Express Celebrant Jordan Kadell Rings Molten Store, Windfall Jewellery, Secrets Shh Transport Tic Tac Tours Biodegradable Confetti The Whole Bride Bubble Machine Kmart THE BRIDE Bridal gown & Veil Ella Moda Shoes Pink Inc Accessories Aje, Sarah & Sebastian Hair Co & Pace Salon Makeup Renae Crompton THE GROOM Jacket & Tie Politix Shirt & Pants Joe Black Shoes Cole Haan Watch Nixon