Shadi and Jaie coped with the disappointment of locked borders and far away absent family and friends, by tying the knot by themselves. “We chose to elope, because of the covid situation and our immediate family living overseas. The idea of not having certain family members present because of the covid situation was hard but ultimately, we wanted to get married. Eloping suited our situation and our desire for something simple and uncomplicated.”

With only their six-month-old daughter Alara present “It felt so special having her there and being able to look at photos and see her as our special little guest”, alongside wedding photographer Rach Martin Photography present, this was an elopement that was not just minimal in the guest list (appropriate for The Minimalist Issue), but minimal in the fuss. An all-white colour palette, minimal and simple style and all the details, all the planning letting the story of Shadi and Jaie do every bit of the talking.  “Weddings shouldn’t be stressful; it should be fun and relaxed,” says Shadi, who lived and breathed this motto throughout the couple’s planning.

It was over ten years ago that Shadi and Jaie’s paths first crossed, the pair meeting while they were both working at the casino in Brisbane.  Shadi tells their story. “Brisbane. I was a university student at the time and Jaie had just come back from his overseas travel. We worked together just for over a year until Jaie left to join the Navy. We remained friends on Facebook and 7 years later our paths crossed again at a mutual friend’s party.”

The Sunshine Coast is truly special for these two, not just being the spot they tied the knot, but as it turns out, also the spot where Jaie surprised Shadi with a rainy proposal on the very first day of the year. “We went to Maleny for over the weekend for New Years 2021 and stayed in a little Airbnb cottage. We woke up on New Year’s morning after some heavy rain. Jaie went outside and called out to me while I was inside and said that our brand-new car got damaged by the rain. I sprung out of bed and there was Jaie, kneeling with a ring in hand. After giving me a heart attack, he asked me to be his wife.”

Shadi and Jaie love the seaside setting of Noosa, so chose a beachfront spot in the town for their vows at Hidden Grove. “I have always loved Noosa and remember going there for holidays with my family when I was younger. Jaie is from the Gold Coast and wanted a beach themed wedding. Just for something different and to feel like we were eloping somewhere, we chose Noosa.”

The blooms and decor on the day were kept minimal and beautiful, styled by Blooms Of Noosa, tells Shadi “My style has always been simple. Just like my wedding dress, I wanted my flowers to be simple but elegant. I chose a very classic white bouquet, with roses, baby’s breath and white royal phalaenopsis orchids. I loved our flower arrangements. I sent photos of what I wanted the bouquet to look like to Blooms of Noosa Florist and they delivered! I loved my bouquet.”

Keeping her look simple and classic, Shadi had a gown she found online, altered to her own personal style. “I wanted something simple and classic to wear. I wanted to be able to look back at photos from the day and not cringe cause my dress was no longer fashionable or trendy. I purchased my dress online from Iconic and had the dress tailored to fit my style. The sleeves of the dress were made shorter, the bodice altered, and the back altered to a V cut. I bought my dress two months postpartum, so it was important for me to find a style that suited my new body shape. I took on a lot of feedback from Joanne at Sew Bespoke Studio regarding the alteration of my dress. Joanne knew exactly what I wanted and the kind of fit that would suit my new body shape.”

Shadi walked by herself down the aisle to “By Your Side” by Sade. “The melody of the song always gave us the feeling of calmness and contentment but also encapsulated what we always want each other to feel – that we will always be by each other’s side. It was extra special to walk down to see my future husband holding our beautiful 6-month-old daughter.”

These two knew they wanted their wedding to be stress-free, so they hired Elopements Noosa to plan every bit of their day. A decision that Shadi was well and truly was thankful for. She tells “I am a first-time mum who isn’t the most organised person. I didn’t have time or any desire to plan a wedding. I chose Danni because she took care of everything! I literally just told her what we wanted via email and she did her magic! I recommend eloping and going through Elopement Noosa to organise your wedding. I never wanted our special day to be stressful and because of Danni, everything was super simple! All I had to do was book our accommodation and everything else, from the celebrant, to the photographer, makeup and hair, florists and hotel to venue transport was arranged by Danni.”

Jaie also kept his look minimal in a white shirt and beige pants, the bride explaining  “Jaie wanted to wear something simple and relaxed to match the theme of our beachside wedding and my dress. He went with a simple button-up shirt and light grey check pants all purchased from Myer the weekend before our wedding! He wanted his outfit to be comfortable. Being from the Gold Coast, he is usually wearing a singlet, shorts and thongs so his wedding outfit was all very formal for him!”

The ceremony was officiated by Cassandra Bowles Celebrant. “Cass our celebrant told our story to perfection. It was so relaxed, humorous and intimate. She did such an amazing job. We prefilled a questionnaire before the wedding and we were honestly so impressed with her delivery and storytelling. It was so nice to hear our love story from her perspective. Jaie and I both wrote our vows to each other. We gave each other a word count and honestly, great minds must think alike because our vows were so similar!”

Even the wedding rings these two exchanged held special meaning, the couple working with Kavalri on something truly unique. “My wedding band was custom made using diamonds that Jaie inherited from his grandparents. The diamonds were from his Grandfather’s ring, they were over 60 years old.”

“The weather during February was absolutely crazy! It rained every day but we were so lucky on that day. It was the only time during that day that it did not rain. The weather was perfect, albeit a little windy but beautiful regardless.”

  

The couple spent the afternoon by the sea having their photographs taken. “Our photographer Rachel was amazing to work with” remembers Shadi. “Jaie and I are bit awkward when getting our photos taken. We are okay with the occasional couple selfie but rarely ever have our photos taken together. Rachel was amazing because nothing felt overly posed or cringy. Everything felt natural. She also got some great photos of our daughter, which we cherish. We can’t wait to have all our photos displayed around the house!”

The biggest of congratulations to your little family Shadi and Jaie! Thank you for sharing your story with us. Thank you also to go Rach Martin Photography for today’s beautiful photographs.