Rebecca and Danny had been together for nine splendid years by the time their long-awaited nuptials rolled round. Danny pulled off the proposal of our dreams (Bubbletent’s for the win!) and a two-year engagement ensued. Whilst the guests got into the reserved case of Bolinger and the Aussie bushfires had just begun, nothing was going to stop these two lovers from having a ball. Nina Claire Photography was in attendance snapping pics (and cutting shapes!) so scroll down for some quality scenes…

THE VIBE “Honestly, when we started planning we didn’t really know what we wanted. We just started brainstorming ideas we liked from other weddings we had been to and put together a Pinterest board. After a while, we settled on a relaxed and welcoming feel. We used neutral earthy colours that worked with the rural landscape to create a classic yet modern look.”

FAVOURITE MOMENT “After the ceremony, our photographer [Nina Claire Photography] took us away with our bridal party to take some candid shots in the spectacular rural setting. Our wedding planners brought up a picnic basket with some champagne and beers to share in an intimate relaxed moment with our wedding crew. It was so nice to take a moment to stop, breathe, and take it all in.”

A TOUCH OF TRADITION “I have a Croatian background and wanted to incorporate touches of my heritage throughout the day. Towards the end of the ceremony, we handed out a traditional Croatian spirit called Rakija to all of our guests. My husband and I each received one as well, however, one shot glass was filled with water, the other with Rakija (which looks like water). We didn’t know which was which, so whoever landed the one filled with alcohol meant ‘they wore the pants in the relationship’. Everyone had a chuckle after I took my shot which clearly wasn’t water!”

LITTLE LOL “The first that comes to mind was during the ceremony when I was reading my vows, I accidentally read my husband’s name with my surname. I had joked with him for ages about taking my name, and for some reason, in the exact moment I needed to be serious my mind drifted and simply didn’t read what was written on my cue card.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “Everyone says that it’s easy to go over budget when it comes to planning your wedding and that was 100% true in our case. I think we went into this a little naive about our wants vs costs. If I could do it again, I would’ve investigated and researched things a little more just to get a better understanding and set a more realistic budget.”

WE’RE GLAD WE “There are a few things we’re really glad we did like using polaroid cameras to catch candid snaps throughout the day, getting everyone together the next day for a recovery brunch at The Balcony Bar (they did an epic job with their bloody mary station) and having a destination wedding because now we have a “special place” to go to with so many beautiful memories.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Definitely our photographer, Nina Claire, who was absolutely incredible. We met her for the first time on our wedding day and we just gelled. She had such engaging energy and really worked her way throughout the crowd, and the day, to capture some incredible shots. At the end of the evening she let her hair down (literally) and joined in on the dance floor while continuing to take photos, it was fun just watching her join in like that.”

If you’d like to nab yourself a photographer that likes to get their boogie on, then we recommend getting in touch with Nina Claire Photography. Not only is she a good time on the d-floor but she happens to capture extremely fun snaps. You can find more real weddings she has shot here. Don’t forget to scroll down first…

CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Nina Claire Photography Event Planner, Stylist, Hire Items, Lighting Hire, Sound Hire & Signage Byron Bay Weddings Florist Bower Botanicals, Beautiflora Stationery Tahlia Benefield (invites), Byron Bay Weddings (place cards) Printer Fast Printing Venue The Earth House Catering Fig Tree Restaurant Cake Ezmay’s Cakes Wedding Favours Custom Favours Lawn Games Fun in the Sun Giant Lawn Games Photo Booth Insta Kombi Entertainment DJ Scradley Celebrant Chiquita Mitchell Rings Do Amore Transport Byron Bay Double Deckers, Star Cars Childcare Little Wild Things BRIDE Dress Rue de Seine via The Bridal Atelier Veil Madame Tulle Loungewear eBay Shoes René Caovilla Hair Sinead Marian Hair Makeup Melinda Walters Bridesmaid Dresses Shona Joy GROOM Suit mister. mister Bow Tie Oklahoma Native Art & Jewellery Shoes Taft Watch Nixon Grooming Britt Westcott Groomsmen Bow Ties OTAA