Pete and Michaela’s Super Chilled Byron Bay Wedding is a breath of fresh sea-breezy air! These two gorgeous humans tied the knot outdoors at The Farm Byron Bay with a relaxed reception to follow at Three Blue Ducks. All of their closest family and friends joined them to celebrate in Byron, including an “enormous bridal party” and a very special (and cute) guest of honour, their son Rapha. Michaela wrote about their day below and the precious memories were captured by Photographer Amelia Fullarton. 

How did you two meet? We properly got to know each other at Schoolies in Byron Bay. How romantic?!

Style and atmosphere… Very relaxed, outdoors. We jazzed up the barn vibe with lots of tropical greenery and retro pink anthuriums, peonies and poppies. We had a huge red full moon that rose just behind the band as the sun went down. Mother Nature turned it on for us.

The dress… A white Fendi dress, tea length, in a beautiful Matelassé fabric. It was the first and only dress I tried on. Mum cried, and I was in and out of the store in around six minutes. Dreamy experience.

The suit… Pete wore a navy suit by The Suit Shop – nicely cut suits by the boys at P Johnson.

The bridal party… We had an enormous bridal party. Six bridesmaids and six groomsmen. All our besties from different parts of our lives- made for a very noisy, fun day.

The flowers… I adore NYC-based florist Brrch who uses loads of anthuriums, poppies and peonies. Ros and Elle at Flowers By The Farm absolutely nailed my brief, and added plenty of tropical green monstera and palms to keep it relevant to subtropical Byron.

The venue… Three Blue Ducks at The Farm in Byron Bay. The ceremony was at the back of a beautiful macadamia orchard, and the reception was in the outdoor restaurant. I walked down the aisle to Ray Lamontagne’s ‘Hold You in My Arms’ and I bawled the whole way.

The ceremony was…  super relaxed. Our celebrant was a surfie from 20 minutes down the coast and kept the whole undertaking very informal and warm. We had no readings, but our one year old son carried the rings down the aisle, and our four parents were a part of the ceremony, so there were plenty of special moments.

The first dance… Billy Ocean’s ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ – we had rehearsed something pretty basic, but everyone seemed highly entertained with our efforts.

The DIY details… We hired some Audi SUVs from the local Hertz, and DIY’d some ribbon. Our chauffeurs were a few brothers and handsome best mates.

The best bits… Having our little boy Rapha, his cousin Theo, and a few other babies at the ceremony was beautiful.

Tear-jerker moments… Dad presented me with a beautiful bracelet in the car en route to the wedding. I started heaving (worst timing for sentimental gestures, Dad!) so our chauffeur (my brother) cranked the music in the car and the tempo was restored fairly quickly.

Let’s eat… I also loved seeing Darren Robertson (one of the incredible Ducks) pop up in the open kitchen. All the food was sublime. Brides apparently don’t find time to eat… That was not me.

Something old, something borrowed, something blue… Mum’s garter, which was made from blue and white lace and far too small. However it did tick off something old, something borrowed, and something blue, all at once… worth the squeezed thigh.

Pic of the day… There is one of Pete, our son Rapha, and I having a laugh taken by our photographer  Amelia Fullarton. I’ve had a girl crush on Amelia for years, she is heaven.

The recovery party… A huge thunder and lightning storm rolled in, meaning nobody could leave our recovery the following day at Treehouse. Things got pretty wild- lots of dancing on furniture and drinking rose from the bottle. Like schoolies all over again…

Vendor love… Our wedding planner from Three Blue Ducks, Stephanie Brodeur, was a sensational legend. Her unique blend of expert organisation and laid back attitude suited us perfectly. From helping us bend the rules on the menu, to recommending seaside accommodation options for our extended family, and keeping the whole process uncomplicated and stress-free – she is a friend now.

Advice for others taking the plunge into married life… Pick three things that are most important to you to get right, and don’t stress the rest.

Pete’s favourite memory… He says seeing me come down the aisle with Dad was unforgettable. It was pretty emoshe.

Ms Zigzag says: So much beauty and happiness radiating from these incredible pics. I think many engaged couples will be considering a Byron Bay wedding after reading about Pete and Michaela’s day! We wish them a very happily ever after. x