A hot summer’s day by the beach is always well spent, and when a thunderstorm settles in? Absolute perfection. So when Sarah and Ryan decided to surprise their guests with a wedding, there was no better place to do it than their beachside home in Bellambi.”We planned our wedding in 6 weeks, it was a surprise wedding, we told everyone it was an engagement party so most people didn’t know until Ryan announced it on the day while I was inside getting ready. I loved that there was no pressure and everyone was able to be in their comfy clothes and be relaxed.”

With Alex Hitchins Photography, and their family pitching in, every part of the day was about homespun celebration (helped with plenty of cocktails and dancing!) the beautiful next step for the couple who have been in other’s lives for many, many years

Explains Sarah “I had been friends with Ryan’s older brother since high school. At a mutual friend’s baby’s christening, we were both there in attendance and started speaking. I was Ryan’s first ever girlfriend so it was a slow start as friends.

And of course, the superstar of the wedding day George was present for the proposal! “We were getting ready to take our dog George to a dog cafe in the city, while I was getting ready, Ryan walked into the room and casually said “do you want to try this on?”, I thought he meant his jacket so I replied “why would I want to try on your jacket?”, Ryan said “no, this” and held out my late Grandma’s wedding band. We hugged, shed a tear and then continued with the day and George got waffles and a puppuccino.”

The perfect venue for an engagement party turned wedding? For these two it was home! “We chose our home because after looking at some venues, we had realised we just wanted to be at our home, somewhere where our dog George can be free to roam around. We love our home and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Sarah found her short, feather-embellished mini-dress this way – “I wanted a 70’s disco-themed dress and found the perfect one. It was Santa Brands which is a European brand that I purchased from Desordre Boutique in Darlinghurst. It had sparkles, feathers and was a short dress, everything I wanted and something that suited my personality. I wore green heels to match Ryan’s green velvet suit jacket (we both love green). I wore my Grandma’s wedding ring, and Ryan wore his Dad’s initials on his cufflinks. I also had a Sunny plaque on my bouquet.”

“Brie Elizabeth Makeup (my best friend of many years) did my makeup perfectly I was so happy with it – it was exactly what I envisioned.” Sarah, an ex- hairdresser did her own hair. Oh and spy George? He was an integral part of the day and forms part of Sarah’s wedding day advice. “Nothing will work out no matter how much you plan, just go with it. And if you can have your dog there, it’s the best!! George was the most handsome there.”

Sarah walked down the aisle with her parents to The Kooks “She moves in her own way”.

The couple chose Nicole Smith to officiate their official wedding ceremony, Sarah noting “Ryan’s brother Liam did a reading for us which was short and sweet. We wanted the ceremony to be full of laughs and funny stories about us as a couple and all of the people that have been there with us along the way.
It was important that our baby Sunny was mentioned as well as Ryan’s late Father, Ian.”

The floral arrangements for the day were put together by Sarah’s sister. “My sister Carissa is very creative and sourced all of the flowers and put the bouquets together for me. I had white long-stemmed roses in my bouquet with a white orchid and wrapped in ribbon with a plaque on it with our late daughter Sunny’s name on it. The bridesmaids had white long-stemmed roses and the groomsmen wore a small white rose on their shirts/Ryan’s jacket.”

The groom wore pieces, including a green velvet jacket from David Jones. Shares Sarah “Ryan chose a green velvet suit jacket, with black pants, black shoes, white shirt and a bow tie. Ryan wanted something that he also felt comfortable in and that reflected his personality. After many hours of shopping, he went back to the first jacket he looked at.”

The duo treated their guest to cocktails and drinks from Tipsy Two Bartending. “They the best cocktails (we ran out after two hours, they were meant to last all night haha).”

Ryan’s favourite part of the day? “The way Sarah looked and the giant storm down at the beach for our photos that turned out perfect. And how good our dog George was and looked in his tux.”

The couple made the most of their beachside location (and the incredible thunderstorm that rolled in), thanks to photographer Alex. “Alex’s photos are perfection!!!!” raves Sarah. “I (Sarah) have known Alex for many years as a friend. We chose Alex to capture our day as we knew he would be perfect for the kind of vibe we wanted. We are both awkward with photos and he just went with it and got the most amazing pictures. He knew what photos were important to us and was so willing to get every photo even during a summer thunderstorm.

There was a huge thunderstorm, and we had to run back to the car mid photos, we were so grateful to Alex for driving us around to find the best spots even during the storm, we then got back home and a double rainbow formed. It felt like those we have lost were there with us at this moment.”

“Ryan and I went down to our local beach in Bellambi and got a photo standing at the plaque we had put on the rock with our baby girl Sunny’s name on it. The day was so special – bringing us together after the pain of losing our daughter.”

 

“The speeches were amazing, we are so lucky to have had such beautiful and funny words spoken about us as individuals and as a couple.”

The day was community filled, the couple’s family and friends pitching in any way they could, tells Sarah  “We did all of the decorations ourselves with the help of my family and set up all of the tables, and chairs the day before the wedding.
Ryan’s brother Cameron was our DJ for the night, and his Aunty and Uncle were the MCs.”

 

One of Sarah’s very favourite moments of the day? The father-daughter dance, something Sarah never thought she’d be able to have due to her father’s long-standing illness.

For the newlywed’s first dance? “We danced to “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton amongst the fairy lights and disco balls. It was the perfect mix of us and not too over the top lovey which we are definitely not!”

Congratulation to you both Sarah & Ryan! Thank you for sharing the magic of your wedding day with us, and thank you to Alex Hitchins Photography for sending this beautiful story our way!