Could there really be a better way to kick off a month of all things red than a bride wearing a red dress? Daile’s brilliant gown, truth be told, just one of the things that make her and Michael’s beautiful wedding a standout.

With the ever-talented Tennille Fink these two planned a day that centred not only on themselves but on their family. The couple’s three children ever-present throughout the day – from walking down the aisle to the speeches and the dance floor. It was utterly warm, utterly inviting and utterly appropriate for the newlyweds, who met through their passion for politics. In the bride’s words “We met through politics! We were both involved with a political party and realised we had lots in common over a few glasses of whisky and Japanese food one Friday evening. We clicked immediately and fell in love.”

Beautiful Japan on the snowfields was the setting for Michael to ask Daile to marry him. “Michael proposed on New Years Day in Japan on the top of a ski slope in Nozawa Onsen. Michael’s two kids were there and threw snowballs at us when I said yes! It was very unexpected and Michael hadn’t told many people. We were also pregnant with our little girl Juniper at the time. He had picked out a green sapphire from Queensland and proposed with the stone, knowing I would want to incorporate some diamonds from a ring left to me by my late mother Christine. We designed the ring together with a jeweller in Brisbane.”

Daile found her incredible two-toned gown at When Freddie Met Lilly. She shares “I knew I didn’t want to wear white or anything traditional so I searched for something eye-popping. I love the colour red, so when I saw the deep red two-piece lace and tulle gown I was obsessed with it. I had just given birth 6 months before the wedding so wasn’t sure if I could rock a midriff-baring two-piece but I felt confident and amazing in the dress.”

“The groom chose a suit he already knew would work”, laughs Daile. “Michael wore an MJ Bale suit that he already owned! He did make sure it was freshly dry cleaned though. His bowtie was a Peggy & Finn and fit into the theme of native Australian flowers.”

Daile and Michael met before the ceremony for a first look, the moment leading to some of Daile’s advice if you’re yet to walk down the aisle. “Get your wedding photos done before the ceremony so you don’t have to go off and leave your guests for too long and you can just join the party when you have said I do! Also that you don’t ‘have’ to do anything. Make it your day and create a wedding that you want.”

The above moment? One of Daile’s favourite photographs of the day. “A sneaky shot of Michael and I getting Juniper ready before we had gone out to greet the guests. It was an intimate moment of our parenting and the reality of having a 6-month-old when you get married! ”

The core of the day, and undoubtedly one of the most important parts, was the inclusion of the couple’s children, says the bride. “Noah, 10 years old, Bonnie 8 years old and Juniper 6 months old were our wedding party. They had a shopping spree at H&M to pick their outfits and were allowed to choose whatever they wanted. Juniper may have got some assistance from Daile.”

For a day that was all about family, it makes sense that the processional was a family affair. “Michael and the three kids danced toward me while ‘Crazy in Love’ by Beyonce and Jay Z was playing.”

Erin Woodhall officiated the ceremony, Daile explaining “Our celebrant Erin Woodhall was a complete standout. She guided us through how to have the right balance of formalities and humour. The way she handled the pretty loose vibe and direction of the day with professionalism and care made things simple. She knew a bit about us and our lives and weaved that into her speeches. She included the kids and made the whole moment special and memorable without feeling too formal.”

The kids were involved in the ceremony, just as much as the adults. “We gave them each piece of jewellery engraved with the wedding date during the vows to symbolise our family. Noah got a bracelet and Bonnie and Juniper received a locket.”

“We wanted it to include the kids and symbolise the commitment to each other and our family. The kids made vows to be kind and clean their rooms and we promised to always communicate and for Michael to continue bringing me coffee in bed every morning.”

 

If you’re wondering where this all took place, Daile and Michael hired Tallai Retreat for the weekend and made the most of its expansive grounds. “We wanted one venue for the ceremony and the party. We stayed at the villa on the Gold Coast with six other families for five days surrounding the wedding which meant we had settled into the location by the time the actual day arrived. We hired furniture and a dance floor for the backyard and decorated it to make it feel like a wedding.”

 

The blooms were arranged by the bride, alongside friends and family. “I went to the Brisbane Flower Markets a day before the wedding to collect a few things and the houseguests made up bouquets and table settings the night before the wedding.”

“Tennille Fink was amazing” raves the bride. “We booked her for an elopement package which meant we didn’t have her for very long but she managed to utilise the time and get the most stunning moments captured. I felt immediately connected to her and comfortable. She listened to what we wanted and captured the vibe of the day and the special moments perfectly.”

So much of this day was put together by the couple themselves, including a gin bar! “We had lots of creative and amazing helpers and no really set ideas so things just came together. We DIY the flowers, table settings and the whisky and gin bar (We had a serve yourself gin and whisky bar with mixers and a range of interesting gins and whisky.) One of our creative friends put together the cheese tower and macaron stands.”

One of the special moments of the day for Daile was during the speeches. “I asked my dad to give a speech on the day but he refused because he didn’t think he would be able to do it without getting upset because my mother is no longer with us. But he organised with my best friend and one of the MC’s Catrin, to do a speech,  but for Catrin to finish his speech if he couldn’t get through it. She stood next to him and helped him through the speech and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the entire wedding after that.”

Daile and Michael made sure everything was kid-friendly. “We had lots of kids at the wedding so we hired a children’s entertainer to keep them amused and ordered pizza to fill their bellies. We put on a movie and gave them popcorn and ice-cream in the evening while the adults danced and had fun.”

 

For the first dance, Daile remembers “We danced to ‘Half of the Way’ by Vulfpeck and it wasn’t a moment that everyone watched, we just had our little moment together.”

Says Daile “We asked the guests to give us one song that would get them on the dance floor and we were not disappointed. The music ranged from ‘Juice’ by Lizzo to ‘Transmission’ by Joy Division, ‘Don’t Stop’ by Fleetwood Mac and ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem. The small dancefloor was packed and everyone was excited when their song was played.”

Congratulations to you both Daile and Michael! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us. Thank you also to Tennille Fink for sharing today’s beautiful celebration!