Weddings don’t always go to plan and plans certainly rarely do and yet somehow, everything, like this stunning Broome elopement, seems to turn out imperfectly perfect.

For today’s beautiful couple – Rhiannon and Nate, they’d planned to marry on the 24th of May. Joy soon turned to devastation when COVID-19’s lockdowns meant that their dream day was cancelled. Knowing that the most important thing was to marry one another, they decided instead to elope alone, and make it official. “Planning our elopement was so fun and no stress at all” says Rhiannon I loved picking details knowing that it was a day about us and we had nobody else to please except us.”

With zero guests, the couple enlisted the help of Julia Rau Photography to make sure their day was captured in all of it’s absolutely stunning sunset beauty. This is a day that centres on what matters and the perfect beauty of changed, but just as perfect plans.

It was an attraction at the first sign for Rhiannon and Nate, who met at work. The bride remembering “We met when we were both working in Tom Price. Nate came into my work one day and I thought he was super cute.
I asked my friend who I was working with who he was. She knew him and showed me his Facebook. While scrolling I accidentally added him. My friend said if I took the friend request back it would still come up as a notification for him, so I left it.
We got chatting and eventually started hanging out. Nate was doing FIFO to Tom Price so I would only see him while he was up at work. A year later he took a residential position in Port Hedland and I moved there with him.”

And the proposal? After a few false starts, Nate finally got the perfect chance to pop the question. “Nate had been trying to propose to me for two months, without me even realizing. He would make plans and somehow I would always have to change them due to work or family commitments.

We went to Exmouth to spend Christmas with my whole family (Nan, aunties cousins and uncles). On Christmas eve we had been to a huge family dinner. After dinner, Nate asked if we could go for a drive up to the lighthouse. I asked if my sister could come and he said he would prefer if it was just the two of us. I was a little upset as we were there to spend time with my family, but I agreed. We got to the top of the lighthouse (the light was not on haha) We were standing in the dark looking at a light in the distance. I was telling him all the things I thought it could be.

When I turned around he was on one knee and asked if I would marry him. He said he had asked my Dad’s permission and had shown my best friends the ring beforehand. Of course, I said yes. I went over to the headlights in the car to get a good look at the ring and then when we got in the car he handed me a whole speech he had prepared. It was so lovely and romantic.”

The bride chose a beautiful Allure Bridal she found on  Still White. “I had seen this dress several times and had always loved it. I live in remote WA so am unable to just pop to a local shop to try on dresses. I had signed up to the website ‘Still White’. One day it popped up for sale and I was over the moon. I got chatting to the lady selling it and she was so lovely and gave me a HUGE discount on the dress.”

The bride carried a sweet bouquet of greenery and white blooms styled by Broome Florist. She tells  “I wanted a classic bunch of white flowers. My dress was champagne in colour so I thought the white would look perfect against it. It was a mix of white roses, babies breath and natives. I couldn’t have been happier with them. Nate also had his boutonniere consisting of the same flowers.”

As for the groom’s look? Rhiannon shares “It was a classic look that he had chosen after scrolling through ideas for months. It looked amazing.”

“Nate’s favourite memory was turning around and seeing me in my dress for the first time. Even though he was still so nervous, he was so happy to see me knowing he was going to get to marry me shortly after.”

“A special detail was that we wanted to be a little traditional and not see each other on the wedding day. We slept in separate rooms and got ready apart and only saw each other at the first look before the ceremony.”

The couple walked to the wedding together, and down the aisle hand in hand to “Better Together” by Luke Combs.

The stunning red cliffs of Gantheaume Point set the scene for the ceremony. “It was secluded, had amazing views, allowed us to enjoy our whole ceremony in private and totally immersing ourselves in each other.”

Kelly Morrow made it official, performing the ceremony by the sea. Says Rhiannon  “It couldn’t have been a better team. Kelly went above and beyond on our ceremony including the little touches of the letter from our puppy and bringing everything we needed for after the ceremony. Her husband was also a witness since we needed two to elope and hadn’t told anyone of our elopement plans.”

“We really wanted a relaxed and casual feeling. I’m not one to talk about my feelings much so when we spoke to the celebrant Kelly we made sure she knew we wanted a relaxed vibe, casual vows and a lot of laughs. Kelly also included a reading from our puppy Archie which totally topped the ceremony perfectly.”

“The day is about you & your husband, not everyone else” advises Rhiannon. “When planning our original wedding we got so caught up in making everyone else happy, catering for family and friends and the day soon became about everyone else and not us.”

“A lady I work with gave me a little doll dressed in a wedding dress. She has given it to several of her friends who have got married. It’s a little good luck charm and everyone whose wedding it has witnessed are still happily married.”

We already know and love the work of the couple’s chosen photographer, but it’s nice that these two agree. “Julia was AMAZING” raves the bride. “She made us feel comfortable and at ease with all the photos. She captured the day perfectly and made sure we were ok with everything happening, and ask our opinion on spots, light and locations. She captured each detail perfectly in photos from our rings and clothing to my flowers.”

A big congratulations to you both Rhiannon and Nate! Thank you for sharing your beautiful story with us. Thanks also to Julia Rau Photography for today’s beautiful photographs.