Casey & Mark

Today’s wedding looks just like a Byron Bay wedding as we imagine it – it’s got a gorgeous setting, it’s got bridesmaid gowns that will have you swooning, it’s got beautiful sunshine and stunning photography by Steve Doyle Photography. And it’s got a couple so very much in love.

But this is not a wedding like any other. This is a wedding that truly shows what is important, it brings us back, in a way that we all need right now, to the very core of what a wedding, a marriage is all about, and we’re handing over to beautiful bride Casey to share why.

“Mark has stage IV cancer and was really sick leading up to our wedding week” she tells. “He was hospitalised on the Monday the week of our wedding, the same day that I was driving up to the Gold Coast to stay at mum’s to organise last minute things for the wedding. I hadn’t even reached mum’s house when I was told to get on a flight immediately as he was touch and go. There were no flights from Gold Coast or Brisbane as it was after the curfew time. Mum and I drove back down to Wollongong immediately.

Mark was released from Hospital Thursday night, flew up to Byron Friday night and we got married on the Saturday. We were prepared to get married in the hospital but it was a miracle and so special that he made it to our wedding day.”

Read on for every beautiful moment, of Casey & Mark’s beautiful, and very, very special wedding day.

Let’s set the scene at the wee white venue, Ewingsdale Hall, the sole venue these two chose for their day, explains Casey, “We love Byron Bay and always have a good time when we go there. We chose Ewingsdale Hall for a number of reasons: it was a DIY venue, and we had a DIY wedding. The hall, surrounding grounds and Moreton Bay Fig trees lining the street is extremely picturesque. We could have the ceremony, reception and bridal party photos all in the 1 place, allowing maximum time with our guests. It was cheap, and we had 3 days hire allowing us to set-up and pack-up It was an indoor and outdoor venue, so if it rained, we had a back-up plan”.

 

Casey walked down the aisle with her mother to Jack Johnson’s “Better Together”.

 

Casey and Mark chose Rosie Love Ceremonies to officiate their ceremony, sharing “We wanted our ceremony to be relaxed and light-hearted. We had a few personal jokes written into the script which made for a good laugh. Natalie the celebrant was really sweet and relaxed which definitely set the tone for the ceremony.”

 

Casey found her simple lace gown at Jadore. She explains “My four priorities for a dress was that it had to be under $500, it had to be comfortable, I wanted it to look elegant and have some lace on it. I bought the dress with my sister at the second store I went to.”

“Mark wore a suit, tie and shirt that he already owned” remembers Casey. “I was really happy he wore it as the navy brings out the blue in his eyes.”

Casey’s bridesmaid’s woe beautiful gowns in watermelon pink and oranges from Tigerlily and Mister Zimi.

“The bouquets were Australian native flowers and the table flowers were a mix of roses and other spring flowers,” tells Casey of the beautiful floral bouquets styled by Flowerlovers.

Casey has sage advice for other couples yet to tie the knot. “If you’re planning to have a DIY wedding, I would definitely recommend hiring an on-the-day wedding coordinator or paying a friend who is super organised. You should enjoy the moment and enjoy being with your loved ones, the day goes so quickly, you don’t want to be dealing with problems or managing people. And make the wedding authentic to you as a couple.”

Casey and Mark loved working with their chosen photographer, sharing “Steve was great to work with. He was relaxed, flexible and the photos he captures are really natural. We were beyond happy with the end result”.

“We created a wedding that was unique to our tastes,” remarks the bride. “We had a rock duo, our wedding cake was a profiterole stack, we didn’t have a bridal table or table seating etc.”

“The food from Koobideh was amazing. It was so tasty and plentiful, and the presentation was beautiful. A lot of our guests had never eaten Persian, and I had so many people comment on how good the food was.”

The day was filled with special gestures, including a very special message to the groom, shares Casey. “Mark’s idol Kelly Slater left him a voicemail wishing him good health. We couldn’t believe it. His cousin played the voicemail after we cut the profiterole. My sister, best friend and cousin were all emailing Kelly Slater about Mark, unbeknownst to each other or us. That was special”.

And with celebration comes music, thanks to The GC Duo. Casey sharing  “The band were great – The GC Duo, they were an absolute hit. All of the vendors that we chose for our special day were great, reliable and professional, including my sister’s friend who coordinated everything on the day.”

The music also led to one of the bride’s favourite memories of the day. “I loved Seeing Mark dance on the dance floor (he had a hip replacement in June due to the cancer and his mobility took a hit, especially after being hospitalised the week of our wedding)”.

The heartwarming and funny speeches will forever remain etched in Casey’s memory, she advises  “When you’re doing your speech, take a moment and look at all the people in the room that have turned up because they support/love you as a couple, its overwhelming and amazing.”

A big congratulations to you both Casey & Mark. May your life together be long and wonderful. Thank you to you both for sharing your story and thank you to Steve Doyle Photography for today’s images.