REAL WEDDINGS

Craig + Hannah

A whimsical garden party by the sea with your nearest and dearest and loads of love and laughter is a sure recipe for a great wedding.

Hannah and Craig planned a beautiful wedding celebration on Sydney's Northern Beaches that had all the bells and whistles - all in under 6 months.

Read on or scroll down to the Honour Role for details of all of Hannah and Craig's suppliers.

bride and groom

They first met at a work function and with the help of a friend, Hannah managed to catch Craigs attention. From the first conversation they hit it off straight away. So obvious was their attraction that Hannah’s boss even said “you’re going to marry this guy one day”.

After trying for some time with a long distance relationship, Hannah living in Queensland and Craig in Sydney, finally their stars aligned and Hannah found herself moving to Sydney. A year later Craig proposed...

Engagement ring

The proposal

Having told Hannah they were going to a 'last minute' gala ball in the city, Hannah hurried home to get ready. When ready Craig presented her with a beautiful photo book that he had compiled citing their last 6 years together.

It began with "we've done so much together..." and ended with "imagine what we could do with the rest of our lives together..." which upon reading this line, he dropped down onto one knee and proposed to Hannah.

It was then off the Hannah's favourite restaurant Aria in Sydney, then to the Shangri-La and if you thought Craig couldn't make the proposal any more romantic, they fly off to Hannah's hometown Brisbane, the next day to share their exciting news with family and friends.

bride and groom

The wedding

Hannah and Craig decided early on to focus their wedding spend on all the things they wanted and left out all things they didn't. Sounds like an obvious statement but it's easy to get caught up in all the extras you can easily run out of $$$ for all the things you really want.

Flowers were at the top of the list with a floral arch full of foliage and flowers, unstructured bouquets and an abundance of lush floral arrangements that filled the ceremony location at Clareville beach and the reception in pinks, purples, oranges and green.

Hannah and Craig tailored their ceremony with personal touches that included a tying the knot ceremony, readings from friends and a blessings ceremony from the mums.

Wedding reception venue

The couple walked in to the reception dancing to All night long' by Lionel Richie where their guests were encouraged to kick off their own shoes and start dancing even before being seated. This really set the relaxed party mood Hannah and Craig really wanted. To add to the laid back vibe they also decided to designate guests to a table only rather than a seat. Allowing them to choose who they sat next to and opposite.

Naked wedding cake

The wedding feast were shared plates that added to the vibe of the wedding and the wedding cake was the very popular naked cake.

The three tiers of three different flavours, choc mint, vanilla and red velvet suited the scene perfectly, and was topped off beautifully with fresh flowers on top.

Wedding reception decor

The entertainment was another important element for Craig and Hannah who wanted live music providing an atmosphere to a wedding that iTunes really could not. Nat & Bob from Tillee Music performed at the wedding ceremony and Mike Champion and his band from Young Boy Old Soul performed at the reception.

Both of these talented groups learnt songs to perform on the day especially requested by Hannah and Craig.

Wedding drinks at the ceremony

Hannah and Craig wanted a vibrant atmosphere that was real and fun for everyone. Hannah describes the vibe as "...loved up and buzzing with everyone having a good time - even my 91 year-old Nan was up dancing! We couldn't have asked for anything more."

Flowergirls

When it was all over Hannah and Craig honeymooned in Mexico for 3.5 weeks, that included romance, adventure and even Craig's 30th birthday.

Bride and bridesmaids

Words from the Bride

"I loved the moment when I realised that it was all about to happen. My Dad and I were lined up and the music started. I remember looking to the sky and thinking, 'Oh my, this is it. The day I get to marry the man of my dreams. Let's do this!'.

Bride and grooms advice

Groom and groomsmen

Plan the wedding together and savour every moment - it's over too quickly. We believe that what made our wedding so special was that every little element we did together. So many of our friends said to us how nice it was to see the groom as excited about the wedding as the bride - Craig was involved the whole way. I also think that through this process and by planning everything together, we felt more connected on our wedding day. We also learnt valuable communication skills in decision making and how to compromise - a skill which we will forever take into married life together.

We love this idea

Hannah loves Yoga and Pilates so she found someone who could take a class for herself, her bridesmaids and her mum. She said it was "just the perfect way to start the day." Craig on the other hand loves to surf so a surf lesson was organised with him for all his novice groomsmen.