Real Wedding – Laura & Matthew, Duranbah NSW
Laura and Matt set out to create a celebration which reflected what they love; great food and delicious wine, an occasion to get glammed up and to enjoy a cracking party. Their wedding day was all that and more.
The ocean views from their venue made enough of a statement, so to merely enhance this vibrant vista, Laura and Matt chose neutral tones in their theming elements. But the effect was anything but ordinary. Stunning structured florals in shades of blush pink and ivory made a muted, modern statement against textured cream bridesmaid gowns and dark teal suits.
The overall effect was one of contemporary elegance, completed in divine style by Laura in her Tarryn Camille gown by Karen Willis Holmes. This gown is one of a kind; full-skirted, fresh and modern, with a killer split to spice up the dance floor.
Tribe faves The White Tree created an electric dancefloor to continue the party vibes well into the night, all captured through the legendary lens of Janneke Storm.
The meeting.
We met through a mutual friend back in 2011. Matt has a wicked sense of humour and made me laugh instantly. We celebrated our seven-year anniversary the week before our wedding.
The proposal.
Matt proposed on a walk along the Noosa headland. I had no idea it was coming.
He proposed with the most amazing ring that he had designed (with help from AG Designer Jeweller), presented in a beautiful wooden box that he had made. It was perfect!
Planning process.
We took the approach that we didn’t want the day to be stressful in any way. We booked things in pretty quickly and didn’t overwhelm ourselves with options. We chose vendors who we really clicked with and listened to their guidance and wisdom!
Style inspiration.
Above all, we wanted a wedding that reflected us. We love a party, good food and wine. We also love getting dressed up but wanted everyone around us to feel comfortable to be themselves.
Our style was modern, timeless and laid back. Our décor was all neutral tones as we didn’t want anything to detract from the incredible view at Fins at Plantation House!
We choose neutral tones for the bridesmaid’s dresses (which Matt’s amazing mum made for all the girls), and the boy’s suits had a linen texture. The flowers were orchids and roses in white and pink with vines to dangle around them instead of ribbons. The invitations were also a handmade paper with natural silk.
The outfit.
I had seen the Tarryn Camille gown from Karen Willis Holmes before I went into the store. I could not have anticipated how amazing I would feel in the Tarryn Camille gown even though it wasn’t the original style that I had in mind!
I loved that it was simple, there was no beading or lace, but the quality of the fabric and the cut was incredible. I loved the sneaky spilt on the leg. The skirt was full without being puffy, and I loved the way it moved and flowed. I have never enjoyed wearing anything more!
Favourite moments.
Our favourite moment in the day was walking back down the aisle once we were officially married into a sea of our family and friends. Nothing will beat that moment.
We also loved taking time out during our day for our portraits; it was so lovely to catch up with Matt and take some time to reflect.
The dance floor went off, and our sparkler exit was just hilarious and so much fun, Matt had bought these one meter long sparklers that just kept burning, which meant that we ended up running up and down the sparkler exit multiple times with everyone cheering!
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to me means finding someone who you want to walk through life with, who enhances the mundane and who you consider to be a true equal.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles
First dance: You’ve Got the Love by Florence and the Machine
Words of wisdom.
Our biggest piece of advice is to listen to the advice of your vendors as they have done this hundreds of times before, and once the day finally comes around just sit back and enjoy it!
Looking for the perfect backdrop to your celebrations? We’ve curated a selection of Australia’s best venues, organised by State and Territory to make it easy for you to fulfil your venue vision!
LAURA & MATT’S VENDORS
Ceremony and reception venue: Fins at Plantation House, Duranbah. Everything about this venue is above and beyond. The food was incredible, and the views are stunning.
Celebrant: Tash Thompson. Tash is warm, bubbly and organised! She made us feel so at ease, and we loved the ceremony that she prepared!
Photography: Janneke Storm – Our INCREDIBLE photographer. This lady has a true talent of capturing not only a moment, but every single feeling felt at the time. Her photos are so much more than just photos. I could not have imagine having had anyone else to capture our day!
Videography: Joel Tronoff
Florist: My wonderful Aunt flew out from the UK and did my flowers with help from local talents The Bella Bloom Co and Mary Poppies Floral Studio.
Hair: Carly Kowaltzke
Make-up: Holly from The Luxe Beauty Co.
The dress and veil: Karen Willis Holmes
Earrings: Christie Nicolaides
Shoes: Wittner
Rings: AG Designer Jeweller
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Dressed by Kathryn Grant, who also happens to be Matt’s wonderful mum. She made all the bridesmaids dresses on a very tight timeframe, as 3/4 of my bridesmaids only flew in for the wedding a few days before, and they were absolutely perfect!
Groomsmen’s suits: Wolf Kanat
Bow ties / ties: OTAA
Cake: Jacqui Riley- Divine Cakes
Stationery / Signage: Stationery designed by The Lovely Ink Co. (Etsy) and printing and paper by Feathers and Stone. Signs by Blank Space Collective.
Entertainment: The White Tree– the band were incredible and got everyone up on the dance floor!
Honeymoon: New Caledonia!
