LAURA X JAMES

keegan cronin photography blush pink gold outdoor marquee wedding beautiful floral arrangements catering cake celebrant

wedding date: 14 november 2020

94 wedding guests

"We always knew we wanted an outdoor wedding, with the relaxed and fun vibe, but I also wanted it to be pretty and romantic. I love white, blush and gold, which is exactly what tied our whole day together." Laura and James met at a mutual friend’s birthday in Sydney CBD in 2008 – They dated for a few months before going their separate ways for eight years, but always knowing each other were the “one that got away”. (NAW!)

on the aisle blog | laura + james outdoor blush pink wedding holgate nsw

Together for 3 years, James had to encourage Laura a little more than normal to go for a walk. "James took our daughter and I to Caves Beach to walk down to this private cove. As we were picking up shells along the water, I turned around and he was down on one knee. It was perfect!" Laura shares.

What led you to decide on your Wedding venue?

"I grew up on my parent’s acreage until I was 21. It was my dad's favourite place in the whole world. He worked so hard day in and day out maintaining the property and making it what it is today. Sadly, my dad passed away from prostate cancer in Dec 2018. Where else would you want to get married than somewhere that holds a special place in your heart?

How was your dress/suit shopping experience overall?

I knew I found THE dress after trying on my third. I found my dress from Luv Bridal in Sydney and had been following MadiLane gowns for some time. The dress was absolutely stunning and everything I could have dreamed of. Suit shopping on the other hand, a little tricky trying to gather five guys from different areas, but I knew the colour I wanted and we found the perfect suit through SKmenswear. TIP: Have an idea of what you want when it comes to your gown, but what I thought I had chosen through Instagram searching, didn’t actually suit, so be open minded.

Favourite moment: Arriving to the property. The set up was stunning and everything I had imagined. I got out of the car and prepared myself to walk down the aisle, but I was overcome with emotions. My 2 brothers were about to walk me down the aisle as my dad was watching over us in heaven. It was a beautiful, overwhelming moment.

Favourite detail: There were so many details that had the wow factor. In all honesty, every detail of the day came together after planning everything myself - it turned out like a dream, but the florals were my favourite of all. We had Lauren Alyce Floral Design do all florals except the bridal table and DJ booth which was Faux Fernery. Also, the “it was always you” sign behind the bridal table by Love Glows was very fitting for our story.

What does marriage mean to you? It means that that you get to spend the rest of your life with your best friend. Someone you get to laugh with everyday, annoy every day. It is giving your whole self to the other person and doing everything possible to better each other and your beautiful life together

Any classic stories you want to share from the day? My almost three year old daughter was flower girl, but as soon as she saw the guests she ran back to me before I was about to walk down the aisle. One of my brothers who was giving me away, had to carry her the whole way as she was crying and threw her petals for her down the aisle. She cried the whole ceremony until she got a lollipop.

Advice: Firstly, I would say that it is super important to be as organised as you can, especially if it is a DIY wedding like ours. The more time you can give yourself the less stress you will have and everything will fall in to place. A wedding coordinator will be your best friend and will ensure the day runs as smooth as possible, without you having to worry about the little things. If you can budget for one, then definitely do. Overall enjoy the planning process, it is so much fun watching all your hard work and every detail come together. Enjoy the day and take in every moment, because it will fly by, but it will be the best day of your life.

Stand out vendors: Memorylane Wedding & Events – Alicia and Nathan from Memorylane provided the caravan bar and Alicia was the wedding coordinator. They exceeded all expectations. Alicia was a huge support leading up to the wedding, checking in and also assisting with any last bits and pieces I needed. On the day, she ensured everything ran perfectly and I have never seen someone work so hard in my life. She was incredible! On top of that, Florence the caravan bar was amazing. The guests loved cocktail hour and the service that was provided by Alicia’s husband Nathan. What a dream team!