The result was a delightful blend of girly and cute with a touch of ‘60s vibe, yet edgy with the red and black, and still bold and colourful.
Cassie —— We live in Brisbane Australia. I’m a high school dance teacher and Ryan works in commercial real estate. We met eight years ago in a bar. My bridesmaid was trying to set me up with a friend (who wasn’t Ryan). As I walked into the outdoor area, Ryan popped out in front of me and said, “Hi my name is Ryan!” to which I said “congratulations” with a cheeky smile and kept walking. Later, we ended up in a group conversation, where he was playing wingman for the guy they were trying to set me up with.
I found Ryan genuinely funny and charming, unlike the other guy who was rather dull. We ended up talking all night. I think we knew by our second date that we’d found our person. We drove to Byron and at one stage we both looked at each other and we both knew this was special. We were able to have in-depth conversations and it felt very relaxed and secure.
We visited Hamilton Island for our 30th birthdays with friends. The first day we were going to watch the sunset but the boys were acting strangely so I thought the proposal might be happening. Ryan was very nervous – he’d even written notes on his hand but he got down on one knee.
Originally, I wanted our wedding to be outdoors and full of colour, themed like an Italian garden party. But we needed a venue with a wet weather option so found Brisbane’s Calile Hotel.
I wanted to do more of a retro 60s vibe and tried to make Ryan wear a light blue suit, but he chickened out. My tastes evolved towards a sort of punky/gothic aesthetic, with black, red, and blue as the dominant colours. The result was a delightful blend of girly and cute with a touch of ‘60s vibe, yet edgy with the red and black, and still bold and colourful.
Our first dance still brings a smile to my face, even though it was a bit silly. We decided to do something unique and fully choreographed our dance to “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai. While it was daunting to perform in front of everyone, it went smoothly, was a blast and surprisingly stress-free.
My dress was custom-made by Darb in the Brisbane Arcade. I knew I wouldn’t be able to decide if I went to dress shops, so I skipped that altogether. Instead, I scoured for inspiration until I found something that made me gasp. Once I had that feeling, I took it to Brad, and he worked his magic! The dress perfectly complemented the theme, as we aimed to avoid a nightgown-like look. I had a blast accessorising the second look to create a whole new outfit. We added a ribbon embroidered with the name of Ryan’s mother who passed away unexpectedly three years ago; it meant a lot to us to feel her memory surrounding us on our special day.
LOCATION The Calile Hotel, @thecalilehotel PHOTOGRAPHER Beck Rocchi, @beckrocchiphotography PYJAMAS Sleeper, @daily_sleeper STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Laura Elizabeth Design, @lauraelizabethdesign PEARL NECKLACE Vivienne Westwood, @viviennewestwood BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS & BOW/VEIL Darb Bridal Couture, @darbbridal BRIDE’S CEREMONY SHOES Lana Wilkinson, @lanawilkinson BRIDE’S CEREMONY BAG Shrimps, @shrimps MAKEUP Ru Blackwell, @ru_makeup HAIR Jody Callan, @jodycallanhair BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Narcisco Rodriguez, @narciso_rodriguez GROOM’S OUTFIT M.J. Bale, @mjbale GROOM’S SHOES RM Williams, @rmwilliams BRIDAL PARTY’S OUTFIT Tojha, @tojha_ VIDEOGRAPHER Salt Media, @saltmedia.au PLANNER Mother of Weddings, @motherofweddings FLORIST Fig Flower Events, @figflower_events CELEBRANT LoveLei Weddings, @lovelei_weddings ENTERTAINMENT Route 33, @route33music CAKE Petite Crumb, @petitecrumb BRIDE’S RECEPTION OUTFIT Darb Bridal Couture, @darbbridal BRIDE’S BOLERO GLOVES Dion Lee, @dionlee BRIDE’S HEADPIECE Simone Rocha, @simonerocha_ BRIDE’S RECEPTION SHOES Mach & Mach, @machandmach BRIDE’S JUMPSUIT Eliya The Label, @eliyathelabel BRIDE’S PARTY SHOES Gucci, @gucci
