Lauren and Mitch

Nothing is pulling me out of the winter doldrums better than beautiful waterside weddings at the moment! Especially in places which are warm and sunny like Port Douglas! Lauren and Mitch had one of those weddings you know was emotional but so much fun – you can see it on their faces The tears in Mitch’s eyes as he anticipates Laurens arrival at their wedding ceremony, Lauren’s infectious laugh and smile as she basks in the glow of being a bride – yes it’s moments like these that make the winter cold so much easier to bear.

Lauren recalls the very fateful story of how she met Mitch. “Mitch and I are the classic 2 degrees of separation couple.  We met in London where each of us were living and using as our home base to travel from – the pearly gates to Europe! Little did we know of the many connections we had back home until a phone call from each of our parents, asking if we were together because friends back home had put two and two together about a “Lauren” and “Mitch” going to the same parties and traveling the same countries – “surely they know each other”.  In the 5 years of being together it is just amazing just how many connections our families have – right down to his Grandparents in Ballina! I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and “if its meant to be, its meant to be”, with Mitch and I it was as though we had no control, everything around us kept reinforcing us together. For me it was the instant flutter of the heart when we met which became the “Boo Boom” story amongst our family and friends.”

Photos today are by Sass Studios– I love how they’ve captured every piece of emotion of the day along with the most beautiful portraiture- nothing beats that iconic style image of the bride and groom against the water.

Lauren and Mitch held a destination wedding. Lauren explains “The whole purpose of taking the wedding to Port Douglas was to celebrate with our family and closest friends. We chose a romantic little white chapel in the heart of Port Douglas called St Mary’s by the Sea followed by a memorable reception on the rustic Sugar Wharf.  We arrived into Port Douglas with both our families and enjoyed a week full of celebrations with our close family and friends from Sydney, Melbourne and as far as London.

Lauren bought her gown from Dressense.Her bridesmaids wore latte coloured gowns from Kookai.

 

Mitch’s ensemble was made up of pieces from Myer and Marcs. Mitch, who works for The Creative Company, also created the stationery for the day.

Lauren recalls “We chose a romantic little white chapel in the heart of Port Douglas called St Mary’s by the Sea” The chapel was booked through Port Douglas Weddings.

The ceremony was incredibly emotional, especially as Lauren walked down the aisle. She recalls “I walked down to Brooke Fraser, ‘Arithmetic’ with my parents either side of me. ‘Arithmetic’ is a really beautiful song. The words are captivating and meant everything that I was walking down the aisle for – Mitch!”

The orchid floral arrangements for Lauren and Mitch’s wedding day were styled by Pink Moss and Flower Central.

Lauren and Mitch made sure their personalities were apparent throughout every touch on the day. “We couldn’t help but bring some of our personal touches to the wedding. Mitch designed and created our wedding invites. When you envisage something but then it turns out so much better then you originally thought – its pretty rewarding. Everything just fell into place from the invites and ceremony booklets Mitch designed. The wedding itself was about our family, the strong bond we all have and the incredible example of love and commitment from our parents and grandparents.  We shared their wedding photographs in our ceremony booklet, it was really beautiful to be able to share that with everyone – it was unique and special.”

The bridesmaids were a wonderful support to Lauren. Lauren remembers “My four bridesmaids and I spent a lot of time together in the lead up to the wedding, I wanted them to wear something on their dress that they made so we all made the material flowers that were positioned on their dress individually – it meant a lot for them to have their very own personal touch.  Making the flowers was the perfect excuse for girlie catch ups and dinners at my house!”

Lauren and Mitch held the reception at Sugar Wharf. Lauren recalls “Lanterns, candles and fairy lights transformed the beautiful old Sugar Wharf into a romantic reception area.  Having our wedding in a ballroom or restaurant was never an option for us when we set our eyes on the magical wharf.  Initially the reception was to be set up outside but the forecast predicted rain so everything was set up inside, little did we know just how much better this would be.  Lucky for us – there was no rain ! Having the reception set up inside allowed the guests to relax outside and mingle better – not just be stuck at a table.  It was a beautiful night and the dancing took place inside with the band and outside in the cooler surroundings – it was magical.” The destination wedding was planned by Ward Benedict Productions.

Lauren and Mitch carted their goodies from Sydney to Queensland. Lauren says “It was rather interesting getting everything up to Port Douglas from Sydney but we managed with family and friends taking extra luggage on their flights.  Even all the glass tea lights and hanging glass balls made it up without a breakage ” The wedding cake was made by Pastry Sensations while Ochre Catering provided the food for the evening.

The first dance was to a song chosen by Mitch. “Mitch called me inside one day and played “Love and Happiness” by Al Green. He had been thinking about it for some time and wanted it as our first song.  From then on, everything seemed to work around the theme Love and Happiness.”

The DIY elements were a fun touch and brought the whole day together. Lauren says “We were busy making pom poms and fans for decorations and making personalized signs to hang around the wharf right up to the wedding.  I wanted the tables kept to a minimum and opted for a simplistic look so we went for scattered tea lights and the girls’ bonbonierres as little lanterns to decorate the tables along with the boys bonbonierres of personalized beer holders.” Mikey from Windy Soul City Train kept guests on the dance floor all night long.

A special moment made family feel all the more special to the newlyweds. “Friday 15th October will always be a memorable day for our family, not just the celebration of Mitch and I as husband and wife but the passing of his Pa.  His presence was truly felt all night at the wedding and he was definitely there in spirit with the family celebrating.  There was a beautiful halo around the moon overlooking the wharf that night and everyone kept saying how much love was there and loved the presence of the moon, little did we know just how much love really was there with us!”

Congratulations Lauren and Mitch on your marriage! Thank you for allowing us to share your wedding day on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to by Sass Studios for sharing today’s images!

Photos by Sass Studios