The dreamy colour palette of peaches and pinks is only the first detail you’ll fall in love with when it comes to Elle and Steve’s romantic Yabbaloumba Retreat wedding. This was a day bathed in golden sunlight, in beautiful Australian native blooms, romantic details, and a barn reception. Talk about ticking the boxes when it comes to a wedding of utter country style! This is a day about love, romance, and community. “It was so wonderful to have all the friends and family who came just for me and Steve and did everything they could to make us feel special,” remarking Elle.  Just wait until you dive into every beautiful moment, captured by Emma Nayler.

The Sunshine Coast has played host to not only Elle and Steve’s wedding, but it also happens to be where their paths first crossed, one night in Noosa. Says Ella “We met while on a night out in Noosa Heads. We danced all night long. Then he dropped me home in a taxi. The next morning he called me and asked me out for breakfast and we have been together ever since.” Steve took the opportunity, during a holiday to Fraser Island to ask Elle to marry him. “After a beautiful day adventuring and setting up our campsite he proposed on the beach.”

Elle found her dreamy wedding gown at Luv Bridal & Formal. She shares  “Finding a wedding dress was so much fun. Trying on all the different styles and being spoilt with champagne I felt like a princess for the day. I loved my dress from the moment I saw myself in it.”

The weekend-long celebration, complete with glamping, was held at Sunshine Coast working farm Yabbaloumba Retreat. Says Elle “The venue I chose was fantastic! I couldn’t recommend them enough. I chose this venue because we got it exclusively for the entire weekend and it suited exactly what we wanted. The planning team was amazing and the venue is truly stunning. The cabins were warm and cozy.
We were able to stock our bar, choose catering, use the accommodation facilities and also have as many people free camp as we liked.”

 

Escorted by her mum and stepfather, Elle chose an acoustic version of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” to play as she walked down the aisle.

Elle and Steve wanted their ceremony to embody the relaxed vibes of their day, Elle sharing  “I wanted it to be short sweet and fun. It was more about our story and fun cute bits about what we love about each other. It was short and sweet.”

You will admit, the flowers for Elle and Steve’s wedding are breathtakingly beautiful. The couple worked with Heavenly Blooms. “I had been following them on Instagram for years and was so excited to have the talented Nat designing my arrangement. They were beyond anything I dreamed of. I wanted big messy bunches of natives, long and wild. She more than delivered.” Elle’s five bridesmaids chose their gowns in the bride’s chosen colour palette “They were all allowed to choose the dresses – I just gave them a colour palette. I was nervous at first about how the colours were all going to come together but in the end, they were all beautiful and worked perfectly.”

“Emma Nayler’s photos are stunning” raves Elle of her and Steve’s photographer. “I had been following her for years on Instagram. When I got engaged she was pretty much the first person I contacted because I wanted her so badly. She is so talented and a beautiful person. I loved working with her and when we have kids I would love her to also do our family photos.”

Doughnuts and cupcakes weren’t quite the plan, but these two admit that what was a bit of a disaster, turned out to be quite funny! They tell “We had a pretty funny wedding disaster. Our venue is in the hinterland so mobile service was very in and out. On the morning of the wedding, my sister wakes up and has a missed call from the lady making my cake. My sister-in-law was picking it up so we were like of surely everything is fine.

We drove into Kennilworth to get coffee and mobile service to make sure. We call the lady back and she told us that she had taken to cake out to finish off the decorations and she tripped over her cat and fell into the cake. She sent us a picture of a human-sized smooshes on the side of the cake. It was pretty funny. So we went to the famous Kenilworth bakery and pretty much bought them out of doughnuts and this turned out to be our dessert.”

Elle’s favourite part of it all? “Picking everything and then seeing it all come together. It all feels like a crazy mess and then seeing it come together and everyone having a great time was rewarding. Also, I loved meeting new amazing people.”

Elle’s advice to you? “The day goes quickly so take a breath and enjoy every moment.”

Congratulations Elle and Steve! What an utterly beautiful wedding, and story you have shared with us. Thank you both and thank you to Emma Nayler for sharing today’s beautiful story with us.