Melbourne couple, Laura and Pat, planned their destination wedding in Sunshine Beach with the idea of having a holiday in Noosa with all of their family and friends, some of whom they had not seen in some time.
They ended up with 65 guests making the trip to see them wed in a stunning ceremony at Sunshine Beach and join them for a reception just 50 metres away at The Surf Club. Laura put together a timelessly elegant beach wedding with clean lines and neutral colours.
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Read their story in the Bride’s own words below, and view their full wedding album with images by Karena Nuttall Photography right… here.
Wedding Morning Romance and Gifts
“The girls and I went to breakfast in the morning and came back to the apartment and there was a gift from my future husband. A single Red rose and a bottle of the original perfume I had been wearing nine and a half years ago when we met. I had a card sent down to him with a message on it an hour before the wedding.
“We purchased the Boys’ outfits and I gave the girls mini packs with their earrings, a perfume, lip-gloss and diamante thongs for the beach photos. This ended up being the best thing ever as the girls slipped into the thongs pretty well much straight after the reception and wore them all night.”
The Dress
“My dress was designed by a stylist, who helped me try dresses on the first day at Karen Willis Holmes Melbourne. It was the Paige Top and Millie skirt.”
Great Location for Celebration
“We couldn’t have picked a better location. All of our guests arrived Thursday or early Friday morning. The boys had a boat cruise the Thursday and my Bridesmaids thru a High Tea then we all met up at the Noosa Surf Club for dinner with family and friends. With the wedding Friday, we got to see everyone multiple times over the weekend because they all stayed around the Sunshine Beach area.
“We went up to the local little shops for Breaky the morning after the wedding and ran into friends there, then we had a gathering of nearly 40 people that night in our Penthouse apartment to catch up and actually cut and eat our wedding cake (we didn’t end up cutting it up the night of the wedding). It was almost like the wedding all over again just lower key. Everyone loved the location!”
Surprise Bucks for the Groom
“I surprised Pat with his Bucks cruise on the Noosa River with all of his closest mates which went down a treat as he had no idea and thought because everyone lived so far away that he wasn’t going to have anything.”
Planning with Peace of Mind
“Our celebrant and cake lady where just a dream to deal with. They answered all of my questions and really made me feel like they had time for me when I called, which is such a relief when you are trying to organise a lot of things from a distance; you just have to rely on others. That took some getting used to.”
First Look
“We organised for a photo around the corner of the apartment before the ceremony, as soon as I heard Pats voice on the other side of the wall there were tears, I don’t think words can describe how special it was to hold hands knowing we were about to be married.”
Honeymoon
“We are planning a holiday overseas on our first year anniversary travelling through New York and the East coast of the states stopping in at Bora Bora on the way home. We moved states, started new jobs, purchased a house and got married all within four months so our honeymoon has been pushed back a little so we can enjoy it and take a couple of weeks off.”
Wedding Secrets Revealed
Biggest splurge: Photography and my dress
Best money saver: We had the ceremony and reception in one location with all the bridal party getting ready within 50 metres of the venue so we saved on bridal party cars because they weren’t needed.
Bridal gown: Karen Willis Holmes
Accessories: Lovisa
Shoes: Forever New
Bridesmaid dresses: Lucia Dress in Champagne from White Runway
Bridesmaids’ accessories: Lovisa
Groom and groomsmens’ suit and shoes: Connor
Rings: Micheal Hill Jewellers
Bombonnieres: Macaroons in Mini birdcages tied with twine and ‘P&L’ labels
DIY: Stationery and decorations
Number of Guests: 65
Wedding Budget: $25,000
A-Listers
Photographer: Karena Nuttall Photography
Reception venue: The Surf Club Sunshine Beach
Makeup Artist: Boudoir Blush
Hair Stylist: Sass & Niki’s Wedding Hair
Celebrant: Cassandra Nielson, Coastline Celebrant
Florist: First Class Functions / Cake: Edens Cupcakes / Decorators: First Class Functions / Entertainment: Marty Sima / Wedding Night Accommodation: Costa Nova Sunshine Beach
