You and I both know that the next few years are going to be full of us telling you stories of couples who planned big, beautiful weddings, and then had to re-think every single detail. And that? It means we get wedding stories that are a little different, but actually more than perfect.

For Mia and Nick, who we’re sharing today as part of August’s The Coastal issue, they had planned a big celebration in Surfers Paradise. When COVID hit, they decided, with the risk of Nick’s New Zealand family probably being unable to attend, to elope by the sea instead. “We met by the beach and it seemed fitting to our story” explains Mia.

And the time of day? That’s the truly special part of Mia and Nick’s story and captured in all of its golden glory by photographer Tropical Romance & Co. The pair marrying as the sun rose over the ocean, celebrating with their guests over brunch before jetting off for their tropical honeymoon the very same day  and Mia claims it as one of their best ideas yet. “I loved waking up and not having to wait all day to get married because of the simplicity of a morning wedding.”

The beach, as mentioned, has always played a special role for these two, says Mia “We met at the beach on the Gold Coast actually through mutual friends and we had instant chemistry and a deep connection.”

And sunrise, it seems, has also played a special role in other momentous days for these two, like the proposal! Mia explaining “It was while we were holidaying in Canada. We went on a sunrise hike, and just as the sun was coming over a peak Nick went down on one knee and proposed. It was even more special because my family were there too. They all knew about it but still cried when it happened!”

Mia chose her gown at Grace Loves Lace. She tells “I chose a simple and elegant gown, to tie in with our relaxed beachside elopement. I found the experience exciting and challenging at the same time because there were so many beautiful dresses to choose from haha!”

One of Mia’s favourite parts of the day? The couple’s first look. She tells “One super special detail of the day was that before the ceremony we shared a ‘first-look. It was so beautiful. I tapped Nick on the shoulder and when he turned around I could see tears of happiness in his eyes. As we hugged we felt a wave of emotion run through us. It made the rest of the morning super relaxed and I barely had any nerves walking down the aisle. This should so become tradition haha!”

Mia and Nick opted for a simple white colour palette. The pair choosing blooms by Joy Fiori and marrying in front of an arbour from Ever Arbour And Co. “My favourite part of planning was definitely choosing the florals and colours of the day” says Mia. “I had a few different mood boards I’d always go back to on my phone.”

Mia walked down the aisle on the arm of her father, remembering “I walked down the aisle accompanied by my father to a song by six60, one of our favourite Kiwi artists. It best reflects how we feel about each other.”

Mia and Nick were married by Shane Vincent. “We wanted just a simple, short and sweet relaxed ceremony that reflected our love for each other and love of travelling. Our dash-hound Charlie was also our ring bearer.”

“Start planning earlier rather than later and have patience” advises Mia. “Also have an expert on your side. Konrad was super helpful when planning the elopement with timing and a lot of the little things on the day that just took so much of the stress out.”

These two have all the praise for their photographer Konrad. “We chose Konrad from Tropical Romance because we loved his relaxed and style. He was amazing on the day and are so in love with our images!. He was amazing throughout the whole experience and even brought me a coffee at 5 am while I was getting my makeup done!” laughs Mia.

Post ceremony, Mia and Nick celebrated in a way that just about sounds like perfection, brunch with their guests and then hopping on a jet plane to their sunny Whitsundays honeymoon! Remembers Nick “I remember how amazing it was to have a simple beachside elopement in the morning and were travelling together by the afternoon to our honeymoon destination”.

Congratulations Mia and Nick! May your journey into married life be as beautiful as your wedding. Thank you for sharing your story and thank you to Tropical Romance & Co. for sharing today’s celebration with us!