Seaside romance and a tower of spicy margaritas
A tower of spicy margaritas, a statement oyster station and a stunning coastal setting – Alana and Beau’s wedding at At The Heads in Barwon Heads was the perfect blend of seaside romance and effortless elegance. Having loved the venue long before they were engaged, choosing it for their wedding was an easy decision. With its light-filled timber architecture, expansive bi-fold windows and sweeping water views, it provided a beautiful backdrop for a celebration that felt elevated yet relaxed, with every detail reflecting their personalities and love of a great party.
Burgundy florals, a statement black bow and thoughtful personalised touches brought their vision to life, creating a look that felt whimsical, elegant and distinctly theirs. From Alana’s stunning Mariana Hardwick gown to a heartfelt ceremony overlooking the water, the day was filled with meaningful moments and considered details.
Beautifully captured by Lou Lou Memphis, Alana and Beau’s wedding was a celebration of coastal beauty, personal style and the joy of bringing their favourite people together.
Style inspiration.
Inspiration for our day came from who we are as a couple and the things we love – oysters, spicy margs, good vibes, and a great party! We would describe the overall feel as seaside romance meets effortless elegance. We wanted the day to feel elevated yet still relaxed, with guests able to fully soak up the warmth and energy of the celebration.
Burgundy was the hero colour in my bouquet and throughout the florals, and everything was thoughtfully built around that palette. The result was a whimsical, elegant, and intentional aesthetic that felt true to us. At The Heads perfectly captured the vibe we were aiming for – the venue alone truly speaks for itself. We had loved visiting there long before we got engaged, so choosing it as our wedding venue was an easy and natural decision. We’ve always loved its design and setting; it feels beautifully coastal yet still elevated, striking the perfect balance between relaxed seaside charm and refined elegance.
Planning process.
We had two years between getting engaged and our wedding day, and we did this deliberately to allow ourselves enough time to plan the perfect day without the rush. While there were definitely aspects that felt overwhelming, we found the planning process exciting and smooth. Everything seemed to fall into place perfectly and wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible vendors!
We found Instagram and Pinterest to be invaluable throughout the planning process. We spent countless hours saving ideas, discovering talented vendors, and refining the vision for our day. We also received so much guidance from Maddy, our Event Coordinator from At The Heads, who helped bring many of our ideas to life and suggested thoughtful details that became some of our favourite elements of the day. One of those was our cocktail tower (spicy margs of course), which quickly became a standout feature of the cocktail hour. Maddy also helped inspire smaller, personalised touches, such as our custom drink coasters designed by One Mimosa Please. These details helped make the day feel uniquely ours and added so much personality to the overall experience for our guests.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was held inside at At The Heads, overlooking the water. Our venue offered so many beautiful ceremony locations, but from the first meeting, we knew we wanted to get married inside. We love the light-filled timber architecture, and the big bi-fold windows that were open to the water during our ceremony – it truly felt like we were outside!
We wanted ourselves and our guests to feel all the feels during our ceremony, and our celebrant certainly delivered just that! Kate told our story perfectly and made us both feel so calm during the ceremony. My Nanna was also our ring bearer, and that was such a special moment that meant so much to us and to her; she took the job very seriously!
The outfits.
My wedding dress was designed by Mariana Hardwick. It was the very first dress I tried on, and I fell in love with it immediately. Even after visiting other bridal boutiques and trying on 15–20 dresses, I always came back to the Mariana Hardwick gown. The team made the experience incredibly special, and I loved watching the dress come to life through multiple fittings over the 12 months leading up to the wedding. Sharing the process with my Mum, who joined me for every appointment, made it even more meaningful. I completed my look with heels from Amina Muaddi, which I absolutely loved and felt perfectly tied my look together.
Beau’s suit, along with the groomsmen’s and both our dad’s suits, were from Eddy Elias. He loved the experience of selecting and fitting his suit and appreciated the guidance and expertise of the team throughout the process. Their attention to detail and personalised service made everything feel seamless and enjoyable. While the groomsmen’s suits were designed to complement one another, Beau incorporated a few subtle details to distinguish his look as the groom. He chose a satin shawl lapel and white shirt with black buttons, while the groomsmen wore a more traditional lapel with white buttons. He also opted for an oversized butterfly bow tie and a slightly different oxford style dress shoe by Morjas – it was the perfect balance of standing out as the groom while keeping a consistent look across the bridal party.
Favourite detail.
One of our favourite details was the oversized black bow that draped alongside our cloth seating chart. Both the bow and sign were suspended from the exposed timber beam inside our venue, and we received so many compliments on it. It was a bit of a risk, and I definitely second-guessed whether it might be too much, but we’re so glad we went for it in the end. We also loved our little cake topper of our blue staffy, which sat beside our cake. Our cake vendor did an incredible job incorporating him into the final design, and it was such a special and personal touch that made the cake feel even more “us.”
Favourite moment.
A standout moment of our day was getting photos taken at 13th Beach. While our photography, videography, and content creation team captured the moment from the cliffside stairs above, it was the only part of the day where it was just the two of us, away from the noise and schedule. Time felt like it slowed down, and we were able to soak in the excitement of being newly married. It felt calm, intimate, and grounding.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Sparks by Coldplay (performed live by Jess & Lawson from We Are Paper Hearts)
Aisle exit: Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton
Reception entrance (bride, groom and bridal party): World, Hold On by FISHER rework (Bob Sinclair, Steve Edwards, FISHER)
First dance: Joy Of My Life by Chris Stapleton
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Our day truly went off without a hitch! We wouldn’t even call this a near disaster, but the only thing that comes to mind is that Beau’s best man checked his shoes the morning of the wedding and realised he had been supplied the wrong style. The boys were all wearing a patent leather dress shoe; however, the best man’s shoes were a matte leather. Eddy Elias were absolutely incredible! Beau’s best man called them on the day, and within 30 minutes they were at our getting-ready location to drop off the correct pair of shoes. We couldn’t thank them enough!
Words of wisdom.
Do a first look. We took a lot of our couple portraits, bridal party, and family photos before the ceremony at our getting-ready location, which made such a difference to the flow of the day. It meant we could be fully present during cocktail hour, spending time mingling with guests, enjoying oysters, and sipping spicy margs. We even snuck away for the second half of our cocktail hour for more couple photos, and so many guests told us they didn’t even notice we were gone, which was exactly what we wanted.
Another tip is to stay together the night before. We stayed at The Pines in Barwon Heads with our 10-person bridal party, and it ended up being one of the highlights of the entire weekend. Having everyone together created such a fun, relaxed atmosphere and really set the tone for the wedding day. As a couple, it also meant we got to wake up side-by-side, start the day calmly together, and soak in the excitement without feeling rushed or separated. Being surrounded by our closest friends and family right up until the wedding made everything feel even more special and memorable, and we honestly couldn’t recommend it enough.
Alana and Beau’s Vendors
Ceremony and reception venue: At The Heads, Barwon Heads, Victoria
Celebrant: Kate Uren Celebrant
Photography: Lou Lou Memphis
Videography: Torres Wedding Films
Content creator: AS Content Creations
Florist: Piper and Posie
Hair: Alex Fielding Hair
Tans and skin prep: Koukla Beauty
Make-up: Emily McGrath Makeup Artist
The dress: Mariana Hardwick
Veil: Calily Bridal
Shoes: Amina Muaddi and Morjas
Rings: Cullen Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge
Suits and accessories: Eddy Elias Menswear
Catering and bar: At The Heads
Favours: Stubby Holders – Boozies
Cake / Cake topper: Loveit Cakes
Stationery / Signage: One Mimosa Please
Entertainment: We Are Paper Hearts (including DJ, Live Acoustic Duo & Saxophone)
Hire: Signing Table Cloth – Dress My Wedding
Getting ready location: The Pines
Honeymoon: Conrad Koh Samui
