Real Weddings

Article by

Tess McIntosh

Posted on

15/11/2023

Posted in

Real Weddings

Shan and Cass crafted the perfect wedding that was them to a tee. From getting ready together, to their aisle entrance and outfit changes, this day was absolutely and totally theirs. “We wanted to include our fathers in walking us down the aisle, but rather than them ‘giving us away’ (as we are strong independent women), they walked us halfway down, before Cass and I walked the rest of the way together,” the newlyweds shared with us. Yas gals! Here. For. It. Locking in Taylor Kezia for snaps, Gwen Flower Co for blooms, Bared Footwear for heels, LUV Bridal for Shan’s dress and Cut a Rug to supply the tunes, were all very clever moves, too. Scroll down for this pair’s incred day…

THE VENUE “The Lussh was a venue that stopped us in our tracks. We thought not having an on-site caterer would be difficult, but the team at the Lussh were able to recommend some amazing vendors. The layout is so versatile and we found it very easy to imagine how our day would look. The deciding factor for us was Sophie – our event coordinator. Sophie was exceptionally easy to work with, she was organised, transparent, and helped us get to the big day in one, stress-free ride.”

THE OUTFITS Shan: “We decided to go to each other’s bridal appointments because the only opinion that mattered to both of us was the other person’s. We also found this very useful to ensure we didn’t clash and complimented each other’s styles. Funny story… I purchased a dress not long after we were engaged. However, when the dress arrived, about four months before the wedding, the lace was damaged and could not be repaired. It was very stressful, but the lovely team at LUV Bridal came to my rescue. I knew that I didn’t want to wear a dress all night and wanted an amazing reception outfit to change into. Yes, the dress was beautiful, but I wanted to dance and move with ease. I found some FABULOUS gold sequin pants that were absolutely perfect to dance and party in. Cass: “I did quite a lot of research in the lead-up and knew exactly what I wanted. Shan forced me to try on A LOT of other dresses just to make sure I was sure. But when I tried on the Lola Varma Delphine skirt and Val top, I knew this was the one for me. The Jordans I wore at the reception were a fun touch. I wanted to be comfortable and be able to dance the night away.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “SET A BUDGET! We set up an excel spreadsheet that had all the vendors and expenses we wanted. We had a column next to each vendor/expense with the estimated budget. We also built in a payment schedule into the spreadsheet – this tracked how much we had paid on an item, when the next payment was due, and when it needed to be paid off. The spreadsheet really helped us avoid using a large amount of our savings, while also easing the final cost burden in the weeks leading up to the wedding.”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer Taylor Kezia and Sophie from The Lussh were the ones we connected with the most. Taylor’s style of photography suited us to a tee! When we met Taylor, she was so easy to chat to, and we felt very comfortable around her. Not only did she capture our day perfectly, but she was able to guide and direct us on the day to ensure we were stress-free and could enjoy the day together. Also Cut a Rug, who were recommendation from a friend – our DJ Aaron really set the vibe for our reception, he read the crowd and really lead the party.”

REFERENCES “All of our vendors were amazing, and we found them mostly on social media and Hello May. We found the Real Weddings on the Hello May Instagram account so helpful to guide our style and choices of what we did and didn’t want.”

MEMORABLE MOMENT “Between the wedding and reception, Taylor Kezia our photographer had arranged for us to have some quiet time together, eat something, and have a little ‘cheers’ as newlyweds. We had a moment sitting together in the quiet, with both of us looking at each other and smiling, knowing that we were now married. It was such a surreal moment, but it made us both cry happy tears.”

Shan and Cass were huge fans of Hello May for planning their wedding (love that, if we do say so ourselves!), so do as they did and lurk through our Directory to see some of the best vendors in Queensland, including Taylor Kezia, Cut a Rug, Bared Footwear and Luv Bridal. But go on, you know you want to scroll down first…