Noor and David's Eclectic Waterside Wedding

Noor & David

I felt enveloped by today’s wedding. Noor’s incredible expressions of joy had me hooked from the get go but then there was the setting- a foggy riverside, the Middle Eastern touches, the incredible colours, flowers and mood that lit every photo. This is a love story I am honoured to share. The day was captured by Stories By Jen.

Noor tells the story of how she and David fell in love. “We met on the sofa of a mutual friend’s house. What began a simple pizza night with friends ended with Noor leaving with a fortuitous invitation handwritten on a paper-plate.”

Everybody stayed the weekend on Scotland Island, Noor telling, “We stayed for the whole weekend at Bangalla House, on Scotland Island. This was the wedding HQ, for wedding party, friends and family.”

The mother of the groom styled the floral arrangements for the day, including the bride’s bright and bold hairpiece. Noor chose a Maggie Sottero gown from Savvy Brides.

The bridesmaids wore emerald green gowns from Etsy with hairpieces by Etelage

Noor walked down the aisle to Puente by Gustavo Cerati.

Noor and David chose Station Beach, Pittwater for their ceremony with Rochelle Haley marrying the couple.

The celebration was a community affair with the couple having plenty of help from family and friends. Noor remembering, “Friends and family made it really special– all their love and support that went into the preparation. Everyone who traveled from near and far to celebrate with us. My bridesmaids/man were the best any woman can ask for. They organised several pre-wedding celebrations for me, listened when I needed to talk/laugh/cry, helped with DIY, and made me realise what an amazing community David & I have around us. One of my bridesmaids, Xi & her husband Joris even postponed their move to NY in order to attend the wedding.”

The couple’s ring ceremony had a pretty unique touch, Noor tells. “Our something borrowed, something blue’ was quite unique. Our rings were getting custom made, but they were not ready at the time of the wedding. The prototype wax for the rings happened to be blue, so the jeweller suggested that we could use those for the ceremony.”

Guests and the bridal party traveled on a ferry (Church Point Ferry Service) to the reception venue on Scotland Island. Noor explaining, “We loved the location of Scotland Island – Pittwater is definitely a magical place. And being on a Island made it a nice getaway from the city. The ferry ride from the ceremony site to the reception with all the guests was great fun. We were all embarking on this journey together. The celebration started from there.”

Of their photographer, Noor tells, “I had met Jen through a colleague of mine. I felt that we got on well from the first meeting. I felt that she was very understanding about the idea of the wedding, and seemed to be genuinely excited about it too. We met up a couple times prior to the wedding. So that everything would run smoothly on the day. On the day, Jen and her assistant Susan did a wonderful job, and worked tirelessly during the whole long day. The photos turned out beautifully, and there was a good mix of posed photographs and details. I think they made people feel comfortable and natural.”

Scotland Island Hall was the final destination for the celebrations, Noor remembering, “The reception was held at Scotland Island Community Hall, overlooking Catherine Park. It was a modest building, designed in the late 1970’s by a local architect. The best part of the venue was that we could have self-catering and that we were able to use the adjacent park. The Hall is located in a wonderful bush setting on the Island overlooking Pittwater. We set up table under an open sky for the dinner. Luckily the weather cooperated with us.”

Roger Osbourne, Icon Event Catering served a feast for guests. “The open-air dinner at the long-table, was one of my favorite things of the wedding. The food was excellent, with a Middle-Eastern flair. The table was set-up under the canopy of Eucalyptus trees, and we could hear the birds. The long-table gave a communal feel, and it seemed quite informal.”

The wedding reception had an eclectic vibe, paying homage to their own cultural backgrounds. (Noor is originally from Norway with her father being from Egypt. David’s background is Argentinian ) David is from Argentina not Columbia .) Noor explains, “We transformed the Hall into an Arabian nights tent, with fabric covering the ceiling. We made lanterns from recycled tin cans, wooden boxes for the flowers for the tables. David’s Mother (Adriana Machiag) sewed the tablecloth for the mega table seating 85 guests. Another artist friend, Toril painted the signs for the directions to the ceremony site. David, my husband, is a musician and sound engineer, organised all the sound equipment.”

Of their first dance, Noor tells, “Our first dance was a Tango. I wanted to learn this, since David is from Argentina. The song was: Una Musica Brutal by Gotan Project. It is an electronic Tango.”

Oscar Jimenez and band kept the music flowing freely all night long. Noor remarking, “The singer, Oscar Jimenez, and the band are friends of ours. David, being a musician, live music was very important to us. We were very lucky to have such talented musicians play at our wedding. They brought great energy to the wedding and especially the dancefloor.”