If you’re anything like me sometimes you need a little inspiration to get cooking in the kitchen. That’s when the Wholesome Cook is your knight in shining armour ready to spice up your tired meals. Martyna is the lovely lady behind the deliciousness that is the Wholesome Cook. She fills her website with photos and recipes that are bound to make you ask for more! We shared a virtual glass of bubbles with Martyna and chatted about her wedding in Port Douglas.
Tell us about you and your business/blog?
My blog, Wholesome Cook and now The Wholesome Cook cookbook, is where I share recipes for healthy living that are optioned for various intolerances and dietary lifestyles and low in added sugar. While the focus is always on food, I like to intertwine recipes with stories from our kitchen, travels and home.
When I’m not blogging I develop, test, style and shoot recipes for Nourish magazine and a handful of clients. It’s never a boring day at the office, and we definitely do not go hungry.
Tell us about your wedding?
We wanted our wedding day to be fuss-free and very much about celebrating our special day with just a handful of our closest family and friends. It was held in late spring over an extended weekend in Port Douglas in Tropical Far North Queensland. We both love the area and thought it would not only be a lovely backdrop for the nuptials but provide a perfect weekend getaway opportunity for our small wedding party of just 22 guests.
We provided accommodation at the QT Port Douglas for two nights with the option for guests to extend their stay if they so wished. We thought it would be a lovely gesture of thanks for being there for us.
We were married on the morning of the 24th August 2013 at the beautiful St Mary’s By The Sea, which we booked without seeing it! The staff were amazingly helpful and the venue itself picturesque and very much the vintage chic look we were going for with our theme. Our friend, Aaron, who is a minister, oversaw the nuptials. Our wedding bands were by Cerrone – Matt’s ring features our wedding date in Roman numerals on the outside of the band.
My gown was by Allure Bridals, featuring luxurious lace appliqué and a V-shaped neckline and backline with scalloped straps and a crystal encrusted satin band highlighting the empire waistline. It fitted me perfectly from the moment I tried it on, but I did have the train shortened a little. I choose a fascinator instead of a traditional veil, which I purchased along with the vintage-look earrings from Lovisa, leaving extra money in the budget for my shoes – platform sling-backs – and purse from Jimmy Choo.
Matt’s suit was custom-made by Tom James. He wore a black skinny tie with small white polka dots, Louis Vuitton black Champs Elysees cufflinks and a matching tie bar, all set against a crisp white collared shirt. The groomsmen, Simon and Matt’s son Zachary, wore black suits with grey skinny ties with small white polka dots.
The two bridesmaids (our friend Emma and Matt’s daughter Liana) wore dark grey dresses purchased from Vision in White Bridal. Each was different in style which was tailored specifically for their needs. Since Emma was expecting her second child with hubby Simon (yes, Matt’s groomsman) and was heavily pregnant by August, we actually ended up ordering a floor-length dress for her that was altered to knee-length a week or so before the wedding. It worked a treat.
Our flowers, yellow and cream roses and seasonal selections, were by the amazingly talented Floral Edge girls. They ended up delivering an extra corsage to the hotel (I messed up the original order) and provided vintage bottle flower arrangements for the lunch venue as well.
Because our wedding was only small we decided on a late lunch reception at Zinc in Port Douglas, utilising their private dining room next to a lush garden terrace. The room was very private, light and decorated beautifully. We asked the room to be set up in a way that our family and friends could join us at the same table.
We also made sure that the kids’ table had plenty for them to do. There was a polaroid camera with a “treasure hunt” for them to complete, each junior guest got a big party bag full of crafts and little games and we placed a big bowl of yellow, white and grey Lego for them to play with. The kids’ menu was fabulous also!
Virgin mojitos were served to the guests on arrival as a refreshment (it’s our favourite drink) and Danielle made sure that everything ran smoothly so that I could enjoy myself on the day.
Our wedding cake and cupcakes were made by Roberta Dana from Cupcake Cafe. She did a fantastic job accommodating the cakes to our needs as some of them had to be gluten- and dairy-free. I also wanted them to be low sugar. Diana delivered a stunning cake and custom cupcakes which could be enjoyed by all our guests.
An old-world charm vintage Rolls Royce was our mode of transport on the day and it proved to be a one of a kind prop for some of our more romantic photographic shots. I am so glad it was available on our wedding day!
What was your most memorable moment (or moments!)?
There were so many! From arriving at the chapel, having my Mum walk me down the aisle to the sound of Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” through to exchanging our vows with the beautiful Port Douglas skyline altar next to us. Not to mention Matt’s heartfelt speech at the reception.
If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I would have loved to have had my Dad there. He couldn’t travel to be there with us due to his age, but we made sure he received a copy of our vows and speeches before the big day and a big photo book with the song lyrics and photos from the day afterwards.
Who are your favourite vendors?
As many brides and grooms planning a destination wedding can attest, picking your vendors long-distance is not the easiest of tasks. However, we were absolutely thrilled with everyone who made our day special and run smoothly.
The beachside location of St Mary’s by The Sea in Port Douglas is very unique. It’s almost like having a beach wedding. The staff there are amazing and very helpful.
Zinc in Port Douglas was a great venue for a pre-arrival cocktail and lunch. The staff were amazingly attentive, especially when it came to catering for those in our group with food allergies.
I also adored the romantic floral creations of the girls at Floral Edge. For anyone looking for an allergy aware special order wedding cake in Far North Queensland, Roberta Dana from the Cupcake Café is the lady to contact.
Cairns Luxury Limousines have the vintage Rolls Royce which is a must for anyone planning a romantic, old-charm wedding.
Who was your photographer?
Our photographers, Corné and Lara Lategan are a Gold Coast husband and wife team whose style of photography I loved from the moment I saw their work. They arrived a day earlier to scope out locations, lighting, sunsets and so on so there was no guesswork of where we needed to be on the day. They made us feel very comfortable and did an amazing job of capturing our special day from dusk till sundown.
What advice do you have for others planning their wedding?
Plan your wedding together – I tend to get bogged down in detail, whereas Matt is very good at making decisions. If I was ever stuck on an idea or a decision I asked him for help. This way, what could have turned into a two-day process for me, was talked out and resolved on the spot.
Then, on the day, don’t sweat the small stuff even if it might seem big right then and there. While I didn’t get the corsage order right, I mentioned it to the girls and it arrived in time. If it hadn’t, my day would have not been ruined. When we got to the reception venue the cake and our custom cupcakes were running a touch late – we got there early. I asked the venue manager to follow up and left it at that. I didn’t even notice when it was placed on the table, but it arrived in time and I was free to enjoy some of the most memorable moments of the day and our life together.
Images by Corné and Lara Lategan
Ms Chinoiserie Says: Thank you Martyna for sharing your special wedding day memories with us; what a beautiful part of the world to be married surrounded by your family and closest friends. With beautiful and emotive photography, pop on over to Wholesome Cook; Martyna’s low sugar recipes with options for various intolerances and diets intertwined with stories from her home, cookbook and allergy-aware product mentions is a great place to spend some time – and to decide what’s for dinner!
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