Shari and Nate’s Beachside Flower Filled Wedding

24.07.14

Featured Inspired Weddings

Shari and Nate

I adore flowers and when this gorgeous wedding by the sea popped up filled with nothing but fresh blooms you can bet I was a happy blogger. Shari and Nate wanted a wedding that reflected their personalities, described as “Rustic, 60’s hippy, floral, vintage, beach – A few of our favourite things rolled into one!” They chose photographer Lovedale Photography to capture their day.

Shari tells their story. “We met as teenagers through friends at Freshwater Beach, we both have a love of Surfing. We then lost contact until our early 20’s and reconnected again after both travelling through Canada.”

Shari’s look kicked off with a bright floral crown created by White House Flowers. She notes, “I love bright and classic blooms. Flowers were one of my main ‘wants’ for the day. There are so many different types of flowers I wanted – and I couldn’t narrow it down to just a few. Jessie from White House Flowers in Manly, was awesome. I went to her with images, themes and my favourite blooms. Right up until the day I wasn’t sure exactly what the bouquets, headpiece, arrangements were going to look like – it was a great surprise, a great mix of everything.”

Shari chose a gown by Grace Loves Lace. The bridesmaids work pale pink lace dresses from Review.

Shari and Nathan held their ceremony and reception at Long Reef Golf Club. Noting “Long Reef Golf Club is a beautiful venue for an event, it has the beach as well as the beautiful landscape around it. This was a great place, close to home where we were able to hold the ceremony and reception as well an awesome back drop for photos.”

Shari walked down the aisle to Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine.

Of their photographer, Shari tells, “We were lucky enough to have Dave Swift from Lovedale Wedding and Portrait Photography shoot our wedding. The shots could not have told a better story of the day, everything from our ceremony through to our crazy reception. Dave is a true professional, he really understood the look we were going for. Dave also made us feel so comfortable and relaxed, it was like having a good mate take photos at your wedding.”

The couple created a few little elements themselves for their day, Shari remarking, “We made our favors the day before the wedding. They were our favourite mixed lollies in brown paper bags, with the guests’ name hand stamped on a tag attached. I also collected old doilies for the centre of the tables, jars for flowers, and antique frames for the welcome table.” Waves & Weddings helped style and setup the wedding decor on the day.

There was a special treat for the bride and groom who remember, “My very talented brother Blake did a great job in putting a slideshow together. The slideshow displayed photos of Nate and I from the day we were born right up until our wedding day. He went to such a great effort and has made such a great memory.”

Of their first dance, Shari remembers, “It was to My Girl – The Temptations. As mentioned I am a massive fan of the 60’s and 70’s. We wanted a song that was from that era, and a song that we could sing along to in years to come and remember our wedding day. Our first dance on the other hand, we had not practiced anything, we just went with it – which was pretty funny – but really us.”