Real Wedding – Sarah & Llewellyn, Currumbin Waters QLD
Before you immerse yourself in Sarah and Llew’s wedding day, be warned; this is one fun-filled affair that maxes out the cool factor. The couple’s laid back approach is evident from their super chill engagement story to their calm and collected approach to wedding planning. And on the day? This true-to-themselves theme absolutely hits the spot.
We love Llew’s epic brushed velvet jacket in slate blue, with jet black trim; the perfect accompaniment to Sarah, who upped the ante on her already stunning Made with Love gown by adding a killer Bubish Luxe jacket and fabulous pair of shades. Sarah’s bouquet in rosewater washed tones of lavender, sage and palest pink blended exquisitely with her bridesmaid in a chic lilac Zimmerman number.
And of course, then there were the magic moments: a fabulous first look, flowing champagne, gorgeously glam reception entry, and emotion-filled ceremony. Sarah and Llew’s sweet romance is apparent throughout, evident in everything from the shared glances, electric energy, and obvious romance.
Not to be missed? The newlywed’s arrival, resplendent in nothing less than a golf cart! Check out the epic fun as it unfolds through the lens of Taylor Kezia Photography.
The meeting.
We met at Black Bird Bar in early 2017. Sarah was on a night out celebrating a colleague’s promotion, and Llew was having dinner and drinks with friends. Sarah saw Llew from across the bar and knew she HAD to talk to the handsome man with the great smile, so she gathered all her courage… and sent her friend over to bring him back!
The ‘one’.
Sarah: As cheesy as it sounds, I knew from the moment I saw Llew. Then it was reaffirmed every day by his amazing cooking.
Llew: When she “came to stay the night” and never left!
The proposal.
We were living in Melbourne at the height of Covid lockdown, but all our furniture had been shipped to Brisbane as we were in the process of relocating. The ring was delivered by courier, and Llew had nowhere to hide it, so he proposed almost immediately in our kitchen, next to the trestle table and camping chairs we had borrowed from our neighbours. Celebratory champagne was served in plastic cups!
Planning process.
I’m sure every couple says this but – chaotic! We booked our venue while it was being constructed and saw it for the first time ten days before the wedding. Styling and finishing touches were so last minute. Luckily, we had the help of an amazing event planner, the maid of honour!
Style inspiration.
We wouldn’t say that we had any one source of inspiration; the process of developing our wedding style was organic and flowed from one piece to the other. Our stunning venue certainly helped us set the tone, and we felt as though we could be as glamorous or as laid back as we wanted. There were certain key pieces that we selected (like Llew’s suit) that were incredibly influential to the whole style.
It was very helpful to look at wedding photographers’ Instagram as they are well-curated and have a broad spectrum of styles. We tried to not look too closely at any one vendor, Instagram account, or style as we didn’t want to lose our own essence as a couple. Sarah did enjoy looking at real wedding blogs to see the aspects that people enjoyed from their wedding, and we took these into consideration when planning our own.
The ceremony.
We had two weddings! We were officially married on our fourth anniversary with close family, and then the next day had our big wedding with family and friends. As we had gotten the legal formalities out of the way the day before, Llew’s uncle ‘officiated’ our big wedding ceremony. It was so special to have someone we love to be able to join our lives together in front of our families and friends. We felt as though the ceremony was a perfect conceptualization of our love for each other.
The look.
Llew: Navy velvet dinner jacket and tuxedo pants. We were recommended the amazing Michael Innis Menswear, and they provided suits for the bridal party and the bride and grooms family. Michael Innis Menswear is a local family-run institution in West End, and we were so happy to support this amazing local business.
Sarah: Lace gown from Made with Love bridal, topped with a white ostrich feather jacket by Bubish Luxe and Cult Gaia clutch. Sarah only had a month to find her gown and made an appointment at Made with Love on a whim. She tried it on and bought it on the spot.
Favourite moments.
We both agreed we loved our first look! Our photographer encouraged us to take moments for ourselves on the day, and we were so glad we did. It was an intimate moment on an otherwise crazy day!
Meaning of marriage.
We couldn’t imagine our lives apart, so marriage is the formalization of committing to continue our love and friendship. We both feel that marriage does not change our relationship, but it is about letting everyone else know that we have committed to sharing goals, values and purpose.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Bloom by Paper Kites
Reception entry: Touch the Sky by Kanye West
Couple and parents dance: Days Like These by Van Morrison
First Dance: No One by Alicia Keys
Anytime we were chilling: old school Daft Punk!
Funny stories or near disasters.
While Sarah’s parents were walking up the aisle, her mum Margaret accidentally stood on her veil and ripped it out of her hair! The walk up the aisle was paused while Margaret tried to fix the veil, but Sarah decided she didn’t need it anyway and threw it up in the air and kept walking. It was a great ice-breaker!
Planning surprises.
Just the sheer volume of time and effort involved in planning and executing the whole process. We had fantastic family supports, but if we were to do it all over again, we probably would have gotten a wedding planner.
Words of wisdom.
Have as many parties as possible! Don’t make it a wedding day; make it a wedding week! The best part about our wedding was that it just didn’t stop, and we felt as though we really soaked it in and had a great time. We also had an unplugged wedding (not just ceremony – gasp!), and it was the best decision we made as it brought everyone together in the moment. Everyone was really present throughout the day and helped our guests make friends with each other. Contrary to a lot of advice out there, we really tried to listen to what our families wanted, and the day was so much more special as everyone felt as though they had contributed.
We recommend starting your planning early, don’t get bogged down in Instagram trends, make the day about what brings you together as a couple and just be at peace with spending more time and money on this adventure than you thought!
Love Sarah and Llew’s true to themselves approach? Check out another of our Queensland real wedding faves, Clachair and Michael, another pair of truly cool cats who did it their way.
SARAH & LLEW’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: The Valley Estate, found via Instagram.
Celebrant/Officiant: Adrian Day (Llew’s uncle)
Photography: Taylor Kezia Photography. Taylor was one of our favourite vendors; she surpassed all of our expectations! She was organised, professional and calm on the wedding day. Our guests commented that they barely noticed she was there but managed to capture every moment beautifully. Every time I see our wedding photos, I feel those same emotions all over again, and it is like I am transported back to that moment!
Florist: Tracey Pearson Flowers. Tracey has been a family friend of Sarah’s family for fifteen years. Her arrangement was exactly as I imagined, and it was so incredible to have her create our flowers.
Hair: Petula Jade
Make-up: Elizabeth Fisher
The dress & veil: Made with Love, Harlow gown in nude
Jacket: Bubish Luxe
Bag: Cult Gaia
Shoes: Tony Bianco
Rings: Alex Bull via The Bench and Co. Engagement ring – Louise Jean. Ring box: The Whole Bride.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Zimmerman, shoes – Tony Bianco, jacket – Bubish Luxe.
Suits & bow ties: Michael Innis Menswear
Cufflinks: Paul Smith
Catering: The Valley Estate
Cake: Hello Little Crumb. We LOVED our cake – Samantha from Hello Little Crumb is a gem! Everyone raved about our cake, and we even had an extra tier to celebrate Sarah’s grandmother’s 99th birthday the next day. We HIGHLY recommend Hello Little Crumb.
Stationery / Signage: Signed by Shaun
Entertainment: DJ Black Amex
Transport & decor : Provided by The Valley Estate
Hire: Hired items from Brandition
Honeymoon: Montague’s of Montville
