Elissa & Michael

When Elissa and Michael set out to plan their day, the bride had a clear vision in mind – “modern contemporary (if that’s even a thing, but I’m claiming it).” The day was filled with “lots of peachy and gold vibes with a touch of greenery.” Add to that fun details like a custom neon sign, sparkling festoon lights, acrylic stationery, and a dress and suit that beautifully embody the garden location and you have a wedding that will just about make any Wednesday a good one! We’re so thrilled to share this day, complete with stunning photography by Figtree Pictures in what has to now be the very best day of the week!

It took a few tries for these two to realise they were meant to be, Elissa sharing their tale, which culminated in the couple’s dog, Stella, being instrumental in the proposal. “We have been together for nine years creeping up on 10 years. We both met while holidaying with our families over the Christmas break at Narooma where we both had been going with our families for years beforehand. We meet one year and had a fling and Michael moved from Canberra to Queensland with his family. I lived in Victoria. The following year we again went on holiday with our families and met up again and something clicked and we didn’t want to be apart from each other ever again.

Michael proposed with our dog Stella. He attached the ring to her collar, however, she didn’t come to me when I called her… awkward. We got there in the end.”

Elissa donned a stunning lace gown by Made With Love. “Choosing my dress was the easiest part of the whole process” she tells. “It was the first dress I tried on and I didn’t want to try on anything else.” Her bridesmaids accompanied her in nude pink Alice McCall gowns.

 

The groom and groomsmen. dressed in colourful attire from Dom Bagnato.

Elissa and Michael chose the Italian inspired venue Osteria, for their ceremony and reception, noting “It was the second venue I went to look at and I loved it. I got all the tingly vibes and knew it was the place for us. I loved that they had shared pizza and pasta for the wedding menu and their food is amazing.”

Elissa chose Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’ for her walk down the aisle, remarking “Walking down the aisle and seeing all your loved ones smiling back at you is a pretty surreal moment.”

The planning? So much fun for the bride! “I loved the whole process. Just seeing things come together bit by bit. I want to do it all over again.”

“I have always loved native flowers so it was just the natural option for me,” says Elissa of the floral arrangements styled by Ellee Jay Floristry.

Of their photographer Alice, Elissa could not speak more highly. “She was so cool and chilled out. Really made you feel relaxed.”

Elissa took on much of the decor design herself. “I tried to do as much DIY as possible. I bought a font template pack of Etsy and used it to make all the save the dates, menu boards, place cards & seating chart. I wanted to be really practical and buy centrepieces I would use again. I also got my favourite candle I have at home made into nice glass jars so it made the whole reception space smell amazing, and the bonus is that I won’t be running out of candles at home any time soon”.

The newlyweds kicked off the reception with their guests with a group shot of Fireball.

Elissa and Michael took to the dancefloor to Bernard Fanning’s “Someone To Watch Over Me” under the night sky. “This song is just super chilled and has a great tempo for slow dancing” tells the bride, adding “I’m not gonna lie I was hanging out to get on the dance floor all day. It was so much fun just breaking it down on the dance floor and seeing everyone enjoying themselves.”

A big congratulations to you both Elissa and Michael! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thank you to the crew at Figtree Pictures for today’s stunning imagery.