When you speak to newlyweds who tell you they loved every minute of planning their wedding, you know they’ve done it exactly right! Looking through the imagery of the beautiful Byron Bay wedding of lovebirds Carla + Matt, it’s safe to say that their thoughtful and hands-on approach to creating their dream wedding resulted in a truly spectacular celebration.
From the crisp and clean colour palette of white on white with blush pinks, right through to the carefully curated mix of layered textures and gold accents, this warm and romantic marquee wedding at the beautiful property of Cedia House is what wedding dreams are made of! Working with her dream team of suppliers including wedding planner extraordinaries CL Wedding and Events, Carla was able to bring her vision of a contemporary luxe wedding to life – whilst staying completely organised along the way.
So how did this uber stylish couple pull it off so seamlessly? Read on for insight and tips from the bride when it comes to planning the perfect wedding – including how to make the most of your wedding budget – and for more stunning imagery from this amazing Byron Bay wedding captured by Brooke Adams Photography x
Describe your wedding day? Our day was filled with romance, overwhelming love and the most ambient October sky.
Where did you purchase your dress and accessories from? Dress – Hand beaded custom designed gown by Jane Hill Bridal in Melbourne. Earrings – Samantha Wills. Shoes – Tony Bianco
Who did your hair and make-up and why did you choose them? Sarah Coric from Edwards and Co Byron Bay was my hair stylist. I wore my hair down in a soft polished wave. Sarah’s techniques and skills in creating a natural yet polished wave were perfection!Gemma Elaine was my make up artist. I had a trial with her and was so happy with the look and how long the makeup lasted! Gemma is great at creating a natural, flawless look and glowing skin – which is exactly what I was after.
Where did the groom purchase his suit and what style was it? Suit was a Bespoke Custom Fit Navy Dinner suit by Wil Valor – Brisbane
Where was your wedding venue and why did you choose them? Cedia House, Bangalow NSW. I saw this venue in Cosmopolitan Bride and immediately fell in love with the lush greenery and the view of the hinterland.
Who was your photographer and why did you choose them? Brooke Adams – Brooke has this graceful approach to her photography. She captures raw, natural and candid moments as it she wasn’t even there. We loved Brooke’s unique, whimsical and fresh style and how she captures light and detail.
Who was your videographer and why did you choose them? Lucas and Co – We knew we wanted a videographer that would tell our wedding day story as it happened – with no fake or staged moments. After watching Lucas and Co’s films online we instantly fell in love. Their wedding films are unique to each couple. We love their candid, natural and honest approach to videography.
What were the highlights on the day? Saying our vows to one another, squeezing each others hands during the ceremony and our back and forth giggles and tears as we signed the registry.Having our first dance on the marquee deck under the curtain of lights. There was a feeling of overwhelming love and happiness as we danced to the sound of my brothers voice. As the song lifted everyone joined us clapping and dancing to the music.
What was your experience like planning your wedding? I loved every minute of it! We were both so involved in the process. I developed a wedding day count down list that itemised all our monthly jobs to do. This made for a stress free, organised and enjoyable wedding planning experience. We each took on roles in the planning process that worked to our strengths and interests. I was responsible for the planning, and styling and Matt managed the bookings and budget.
What was the feel and style of your wedding? Our wedding blended elements of bohemia with a fresh yet contemporary luxe vibe. I love the underlying elegance of white on white and so this formed the inspiration for my styling. The space was layered with barely there tints, cream and blush blooms and gold accents. All textured with soft linens, clean lined place settings and white timber floors. Our canape and lounging areas were weaved with a selection of exotic pieces – carved wooden tables, ceramic drum stools and Moroccan inspired blankets and cushions.
The pieces chosen were kept within a fresh and neutral palette. This enhanced the contemporary luxe feel while also capturing the bohemian lifestyle of Bangalow. We wanted our guests to feel like they were dining under the stars so capturing the natural beauty of the hinterland views and skies was important to us. We opted for a clear marquee and fitted it with a ceiling of twinkling fairy lights and a lush botanical installation. Long tables welcomed the hinterland views from every seat and once the last light of the sun disappeared the ambience in the marquee felt magical.
Where did you find your inspiration for your wedding day? My inspiration came from the ‘White Light’ styled shoot by The Lane. I love how this setting offered a romantic and richly textured take on layering a white colour palette. I knew I wanted to create this kind of serene and romantic mood and then introduce elements of warmth through the addition of blush florals and gold accents.
Who was your wedding planner/stylist and why did you choose them? I planned the wedding and designed all the style and design concepts and the darling Carly from CL Weddings and Events put it together for us. As I’m interested in event styling I had a very clear vision in mind. I needed someone who understood my vision for the day and Carly got my vibe straight away.
How did you manage your budget? We created a budget together listing all the elements of the day with what we were willing to spend that totalled our overall budget. We prioritised areas that we felt would add more value to the day such as Photography,Videography, lighting and flowers. We worked out potential areas where we could save money for example we chose a feasting style menu, a small simple cake and booked our music through personal contacts. As our wedding was an offsite wedding we had to hire in everything. To save money we tried to minimise delivery costs. We selected a small number of event hire companies that met our hiring and styling needs and we also managed to pick up and return small hire items ourselves.
Who was your caterer and why did you choose them? Anise Catering – We loved Anise’s options for food stations and feasting dinners. Brendan has a really fine eye for detail and tailored a menu that suited us.
Did you hire any additional lighting? If so, who was your supplier and why did you choose them? Elyssium lighting – Steve and Elise helped us design all our lighting concepts. We loved how personable the whole design experience was and how passionate they are about their work. The lighting was superb and really added to the atmosphere of the night.
Who was your florist and why did you choose them? Bower Botanicals – I loved Kelley’s artistic eye and the passion she has for designing bespoke florals.
Who provided your cake/desserts and why did you choose them? Richard Tuohy from Byron Bay Cacao made our beautiful semi-naked cake, our florist also styled it with gorgeous blooms. We wanted our cake to compliment our espresso martini hour so we chose a milk chocolate sacher torte with a salted caramel Ganache.
Did you have wedding favours? Instead of wedding favours we delighted our guests with espresso martinis.
Who did you hire for entertainment purposes and why? Ceremony – Daniel Stoneman Music.Canapés and Dinner – Acoustic Duo – Nick Trovas and Anjali RajDance Floor – We began the dance floor with an espresso martini hour and live music by Daniel Stoneman Music then our friends Nick Schwarer and Dan Michael took over as DJ’s.As my brother is a musician it was important to me to have him as part of our day. Walking down the aisle to his voice was so beautiful. I will cherish this moment foreverWe had a live acoustic duo play during our canapes and dinner. Nick Trovas and Anjali Raj were excellent for setting the mood for the evening and they gave our wedding a really fun and relaxed feel so much so dinner turned into a sing along session!
If you could do it all over again, is there anything you would change? We probably could have managed our time in the morning a little better as I ended up being a little late walking down the aisle!
Do you have any tips for other brides? Do your best on the day to live in the moment and savour every second of your wedding day – even the weeks leading up. It will be one of the most beautiful times in your life so take as many moments as you can to take it all in. After we cut the cake we stood together for a minute and just looked around us – and I’m so happy we did.
Ceremony location: St Kevin’s Catholic Church
Reception location: Cedia House, Bangalow
Photographer: Brooke Adams Photography
Videographer: Lucas and Co
Hire: Hampton Event Hire, CL Weddings and Events, Lovestruck Weddings
Entertainment: Daniel Stoneman Music and Nick Trovas & Anjali Raj
Wedding planner/stylist: Carly from CL Weddings and Events
Caterer: Anise Catering
Lighting: Elyssium Lighting
Florist: Bower Botanicals
Cake: Byron Bay Cacao
Hair: Sarah Coric (Edwards and Co Byron Bay)
Makeup: Gemma Elaine
Stationery: The Little Press
Signage: CL Weddings and Events
Marquee: Excel Hire
Dress: Jane HIll Bridal, Melbourne
Accessories: Samantha Wills
Grooms attire: Wil Valor
Groomsmen attire: Wil Valor
Bridesmaid dresses: Love Honor
Bridesmaid accessories: Samantha Wills
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