Sunrise is Georgia and Sam’s favourite time of day. So when their original wedding plans were cancelled, and everything had to be dreamed up again, it was sunrise, on their very favourite Byron Bay beach that held the key to them finally tying the knot.

In a stunning wedding, that Georgia describes as “Warm, romantic, authentic, and carefree” which took place as the sun rose over the sea, they invited a handful of guests, celebrating with doughnuts and champagne as the sun rose. It was, as evidenced by the beautiful photography of  Tropical Romance & Co., absolute perfection. Georgia agreeing “We loved just being able to do our my way. No rules or traditions, just what was important to us.”

The couple first laid eyes on one another in London of all places! Georgia telling “We met in a hostel in London and we were meant to be catching a bus around Europe. Five minutes before we were meant to leave we spontaneously decided to go on a quick coffee date and popped into a random Starbucks and made it back onto the bus just in time before it took off!”

Sunrise it seems, is a running theme for these two, because it was at this very time of day that Sam surprised Georgia with a proposal. “We love sunrises. So sunrise picnics are the romantic thing we love to do together. So on New Years day 2020, we walked out to the headland and then when I was least expecting it Sam pulled out a beautiful ring and told me he loved me and asked me if I’d like to be his wife. So naturally, we had to get married at the same spot!

“How beautiful you looked in the sunshine, particularly how much you glowed in the golden morning rays!”

Wanting to keep in with the relaxed, styling of the day, Georgia wore a boho style white frock from Jaase.  She tells”I found my Jaase Bohemian dress online and was going to go to the store and purchase it until a friend of mine found the same dress and size secondhand so I picked that up instead. What a find!”

The couple started their day before the sun rose, alone on the beach, with their photographer. “We set up everything so early we had time for an extra little portrait session with Konrad before all the guests arrived and the sun came up. It was very intimate and emotional just being able to have that little moment with each other before we officially started the next chapter of our lives.”

The couple was married to Victoria Armstrong, who had something special in store for the guests! “It was a short and fun ceremony” remembers Georgia. “However for the witnesses on our certificate we put all the names of our guests in a hat and randomly chose two names haha. Just to keep it spontaneous.”

Sam’s favourite moment of the day? “How beautiful Georgia looked in the sunshine, particularly how much she glowed in the golden morning rays!”

Georgia’s absolute favourite part of the day? “Definitely seeing my nana living her best life after the ceremony with a champagne in one hand and a wedding doughnut in the other haha.”

“Sam kept it relaxed and simple with white linen and chinos” remembers Georgia. “He, unfortunately, injured his ankle a few weeks before the ceremony so he opted for the shorts to make it easier for him to move around.”

The beauty of Broken Head being a favourite, meant it was a natural choice for the ‘I do’s’. “Broken Head in Byron Bay has always been our special place so naturally that was where we knew we were always going to get married” explains Georgia.

Georgia picked the flowers for her bouquet the day before. And as with keeping with the heartfelt and loving mood of the day, she honoured her grandfather through the jewels she finished her look with “We both had very special relationships with each of our grandfathers. So I had a photo of him in a locket around my neck. Also, Sam wore a hat similar to his grandad’s.”

Marrying at dawn means you need a photographer who will beat those morning sleepies and hit the beach with you. These two have nothing but good things to share about their choice! “We had Konrad from Tropical Romance & Co photograph our elopement. Honestly, I’ve never felt so at ease with someone, from the very beginning of our experience it felt like Konrad was an old friend. Our entire elopement was magical due to his advice, guidance and assistance on the day.

My family won’t stop talking about him and how relaxed they felt having photos taken, even my super shy Nana was comfortable around Konrad. Oh my gosh and the photos…WOW, every single image is a piece of art that will be treasured. Konrad has an exceptional eye for detail and is an amazing artist behind the camera. We are so grateful for everything, thank you, Konrad!”

And just because it was at sunrise and super casual, did not mean that Georgia and Ben made any less fuss of their special guests. Georgia noting “It was so amazing having my family there from New Zealand. We made little gift bags for our guests as well as stubbie coolies with our photo on them as a bit of a laugh. It was all very simple and fun. We had a confetti tunnel made out of natural petals, as well as wedding doughnuts and champagne at 7 a.m. in the morning!”

A big congratulations to you both Georgia and Sam! What an incredible way to start a day! Thank you to you both and to Tropical Romance & Co. for sharing today’s beautiful wedding with us.