nicola & aaron

15 October 2016
Noosa Waterfront Restaurant, Noosaville, QLD
Photography by Justin Aaron Photography

By the beach

Aaron proposed to Nicola in Fiji while the couple were on holiday celebrating Nicola’s birthday. “Even though we had been together for almost 10 years it was a complete surprise to me when he got down on one knee. Aaron proposed moments after our arrival into our room which had incredible views of the ocean and a private pool.” After this beachside proposal, it seemed fitting that the Queensland couple should host their wedding and reception by the water in Noosaville.

Whatever suits...

Aaron wore a modern, slim fit, tailored dinner suit with satin trim by MJ Bale. Patent leather shoes and belt gave the look a stylish, modern finish. Nicola’s matron of honour wore a Rachel Gilbert gown in keeping with Nicola’s. “The skirt had a large split which was very sexy and stylish, the perfect choice!”

A team effort

“As soon as we were engaged, we started planning. We visited 13 venues from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Byron Bay and mountains regions. My mum found the Noosa Waterfront Restaurant & Bar on a wedding blog and suggested we take a look. It had incredible food and a great outlook of the Noosa River. We knew the restaurant had the right mix of style and the laid back vibe we wanted for our guests. We also searched high and low for our ‘dream team’ of suppliers. It was an exciting time and enjoyable for Aaron and myself. We did everything together from the big decisions to the finest details. The final stages were very stressful, getting everything confirmed and paid for but this was expected. We got to the end knowing it would come together as we had hoped and it did. It was the happiest day of our lives.”

The style

“Our theme was sophisticated elegance and our colours were black and white.” Nicola’s matron of honour wore black, “Something I never imagined in the planning process but when we saw the dress made by the same designer as my gown, it complemented mine so well we had to have it.” The suits and gowns were modern in style which contrasted with the church where Nicola and Aaron were married. The styling was fresh and modern with grey linen tablecloths, pillar candles and festoon lighting. White and green floral garlands ran the length of the tables with Phalaenopsis and Singapore orchids, ranunculus, white roses, snapdragons and dark green glass leaves. “We also had an illuminated ‘Dance’ sign floor to get people in the mood for dancing. We had couches and games for our guests to play at the reception which was a huge hit.”

Thankful

One of the highlights for Nicola and Aaron was having 70 of their closest friends and family at the wedding, “It was intimate with so much love and warmth in the room.” When the couple arrived at their reception venue they were thrilled with the flowers and the styling by Simply Style Co. and Willowbud Flowers. “It was so elegant and beautiful.” Outside the sun shone and the water was calm. Boated floated down the river as guests sipped cocktails and shared canapés on the lawn.

Gowns

Nicola’s gown was designed by Rachel Gilbert. “It was a statement gown, structured and elegant that was the perfect mix of modern and classic. Rachel Gilbert was the first designer I visited and I loved the gown from the moment I saw myself in the mirror of the showroom! My sister even shed a tear! It was a showstopper in all the right ways and I have never felt more beautiful than this day in this gown. It’s a feeling I will always remember.” Nicola changed into a white Carla Zampatti jumpsuit at the reception. “The jumpsuit allowed me to boogie!” Nicola and Aaron danced the cha-cha to the Ronettes’ ‘Be My Baby’ for their first dance. “We had no dance experience but we wanted to do something funny that felt like ‘us’. We wanted people to get involved and have fun with it, mistakes and all. I am so happy we did this now, it is so funny to watch back on film.”

White classic

The wedding bouquets featured white icebreaker roses of varying heights with long stems. “The bouquets matched the button holes which were also paired with magnolia leaves. My mother wore a custom floral hair pin and corsages were given to our immediate families with magenta, pink and white for pops of colour. Large white floral arrangements kept the overall look of our wedding elegant and sophisticated.”

With a twist

Nicola and Aaron’s favours were custom made, resin heart magnets filled with multi-coloured glitter and customised quotes. “They read, ‘You+Me=Awesome’ and ‘You Make My Heart Melt.’ They were a labour of love as we assembled each of the hearts into a small clear bag fastened with black ribbon. Aaron and I have them on our fridge at home as a cute reminder!”

Nicola also created a unique seating plan using potted azaleas. Each table was represented with a number on a pot and guests’ names were hand stamped onto popsicle sticks and pushed into the soil. “We had an illuminated sign, ‘Where am I sitting?’ to prompt guests to find their seat. I wanted something I could make and take home instead of a seating chart. I now have the potted azaleas in our garden and some of our guests took their popsicle sticks with them too. While it took many hours to create, I am happy I did because it was a point of difference and I was proud of my creation.”

The music

“Our DJ was a breeze to work with and he played all our favourite tunes and more! Our DJ recorded the set and gave it to us so we can replay it and remember the night. Aaron and I didn’t stop dancing even to go to the powder room! Every minute on the dance floor with my new husband was not to be missed.”

Let them eat cake

“Our cake was a simple two tiered cake created by ‘Cake Designs’ on the Sunshine Coast. It was custom made with solid white icing for the base layer and silver foiling for the top tier. Fresh white roses were added as well as magnolia leaves. It looked stylish and tied in perfectly with our overall theme. The top layer was Honeycomb Caramel Crunch (with real honeycomb) and the bottom layer was white chocolate mud cake. It tasted delicious.”

gown & bridesmaids: Rachel Gilbert, rachelgilbert.com

veil: Fashions by Farina, fashionsbyfarina.com.au

jumpsuit: Carla Zampatti, carlazampatti.com.au

shoes: Ted Baker, tedbaker.com

photographer: Justin Aaron, justinaaron.com.au

ceremony location: St Patricks Catholic Church Pomona

reception venue & caterer: Noosa Waterfront Restaurant & Bar, noosawaterfrontrestaurant.com.au

flowers & floral decorations: Willowbud Flowers, willowbudweddingflowers.com.au

cake: Cake Designs, cakedesigns.com.au

stationery: Alannah Rose, alannahrose.com.au

stylist: Simply Style Co., simplystyleco.com

groom & groomsmen: MJ Bale, mjbale.com

Hugo Boss, hugoboss.com/au

music: Cut a Rug,cutarug.com.au

videographer: The Smile Factory Film, thesmilefactoryfilm.com

hair: Papas + Pace, papasandpace.com