Real Wedding – Chelsea & Dylan, Guanaba QLD

August 16, 2023 In Black and White, Country, Garden, Queensland, Real Weddings, White By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Chelsea & Dylan, Guanaba QLD

Crisp, modern aesthetics with a playful, fun edge and an undertone of gentle romance combine in Chelsea and Dylan’s dream day. The aim for these two was to create an incredible party for their nearest and dearest while still bringing the glam, and boy, did they ever.

Sweeping Queenslander-style homestead, Rivermead Estate brings a sense of relaxed elegance, with decor details only enhancing the breathtaking vista. Florals towers in dense clouds of sweet vanilla and creamy white with drippings of wisteria soften and elevate the effect, while glass pillars add contemporary accents bathed in candlelight.

We love Chelsea’s choice of gown by style legend Kyha Studio. A traditional sheath silhouette gives a blend of timeless and modern with the addition of ruched gossamer sleeves and bodice detail, worn stunningly with a simple undo.

There to ensure the vibes were flowing all night long were music masters The Baker Boys Band. See every fun-filled moment unfold through the lens of Wallflower Weddings.

The meeting.

We met through a mutual friend who somewhat hooked us up via Instagram. A modern-day love story – Dylan slid into my DM’s to catch up for a drink. I didn’t really want to entertain a guy in my DMs and actually turned him down but later down the track, we ran into each other at a restaurant on the Gold Coast, and the rest is history!

The ‘one’.

It was pretty early on for both of us. We were both smitten from the very beginning.

The proposal.

Dylan actually had a bit of a disaster with this one. He wanted to propose on 8/8 as it had a special meaning to him. Still, in the midst of Covid 2019, he booked a lovely trip to Adelaide for us, but they went into lockdown. He was quick to change our getaway to Port Douglas, who then also went into lockdown. He then thought, okay, a nice hotel in Brisbane, but I didn’t want to go because I had now made appointments and was going to work, considering we had changed the holiday. He ended up taking me down to a sunrise on the beach on the Gold Coast, and it couldn’t have been more perfect!

Planning process.

I’m not going to lie; Dylan didn’t have much to do with the planning! We played on this with a non-traditional welcome sign. I love this kind of thing and had quite a while to plan. I was very organised early on and started creating Pinterest boards over twelve months out.
I also got Johanna and the team at Enamour Events on board pretty early, so she helped keep on top of everything.

Style inspiration.

I didn’t have anything in particular I’d seen that was an inspiration, but I knew I wanted a classy, minimal aesthetic with some cool and edgy details. The venue really shines on its own, so I just wanted to keep things pared back and let it be the star of the show.

For overall inspiration, I probably found individual suppliers/vendors the most useful. Through wedding pages and blogs, I would follow the vendors they tagged – for example, I found Bloodwood Botanica through someone on Instagram and just knew they would create something exceptional for the flowers without much direction.

The look.

This was easy. I saw a dress similar to what I had over twelve months before the wedding. I took my girls for a weekend away for a dress fitting; the first one I tried on was the one. Dylan and I had both always wanted him in a tux as well, so it worked out perfectly.

Favourite moments.

This is hard to choose; the whole day was magical. I think the moments we shared together getting our couple photos. The sunset was stunning; it felt like just the two of us. I remember hearing the party over by the pool and both of us just laughing and having a little boogie together (which the photographers captured perfectly as well).

Meaning of marriage.

Loving each other unconditionally. We are a team; whatever is thrown our way in the future, we tackle it together.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: You and Me by Lifehouse – acoustic rendition by Lily Papas

Reception entry: Purple Hat by Sofi Tukker

First dance: Latch acoustic by Sam Smith – performed by Baker Boys Band

Funny stories or near disasters.

Aside from the fact that a couple of the Groomsmen barely slept, and the Groom forgot to bring his bow tie out to the venue (a friend had to buy another the morning of and drive it out), everything else ran pretty smoothly!

Planning surprises.

There are a lot of logistics involved, especially for a venue where you have to supply everything.

Words of wisdom.

Do whatever makes you happy, and don’t listen to anyone else! Spend/don’t spend money on whatever you feel is right; everyone is different. Don’t be afraid to be authentically you! We both wanted our wedding to reflect our relationship – fun, playful and, in general, just a really good time.

For a different take on a homestead-situated celebration, check out Alex and Olivier’s country Victoria wedding. Big on the sweet modern details yet with a nod to timeless tradition, this is one to please the senses.

CHELSEA & DYLAN’S VENDORS

Between the two of us, we actually found we had a lot of great connections in the wedding industry who we would use without a doubt. Although I did follow some pages on Instagram, we started with our photographer and stylist/coordinator and went with a lot of their recommendations.

Ceremony location: Rivermead Estate (in front of the homestead)

Reception venue: Rivermead Estate (around the pool)

Celebrant: Emma Hanrahan

Photography & videography: Wallflower Weddings

Styling: Enamour Events

Florist: Bloodwood Botanica

Hair: Bride’s hair by the bride, all other hair Isabella Jane

Make-up: Bronte Scullion

The dress & veil: Kyha Studios

Shoes: Badgely Mischka

Rings: My Jewellery Shop

Earrings: Completed Works