Nestled in the picturesque Jervis Bay and surrounded by the warm summer air, Helen and Quirijn’s fun wedding was a heartfelt celebration of love and heritage. Elements of Lebanese, Australian and Dutch heritage were sprinkled throughout the day, in the most subtle and impactful ways. With stunning photography captured by Becs at Baker Boys Creative, each moment of their day was immortalised.

Moving countries is a huge step in someone’s life, and for Helen, it came with an added bonus. While she was living in Brooklyn, she had no idea she would end up sitting on a couch with her future husband. “Quirijn was staying at his brother’s apartment, for a holiday, around the corner from the party venue. He was playing FIFA on PlayStation with his brother’s flatmate Eric. I sat next to him, as he was the handsomest man in the room, and we made introductions. I told him I was from Australia, and he sacrificed himself by playing for the Australian soccer team. I knew he liked me then,” Helen shared.

While NYC was where their relationship began, it was in France where they took it to the next level. “We were on a champagne tasting tour through the Champagne region in France, where Quirijn’s parents live. My parents had joined us on a tour of Europe, and Quirijn’s whole immediate family was with us. We had just stopped for lunch between wineries and had asked my mother to take a photo of us in front of the beautiful view overlooking some grapevines. When Quirijn bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It took an onlooker to alert the rest of the family to what was going on. I said yes!”

On the suggestion of her bridesmaid Julie, Helen booked a session at Penrith Bridal Centre. It was just her luck that the designer from Hera Couture was in the store the day of her appointment – and she was able to custom piece together a look. “I ended up with a custom order of the Le Belle v2 with an Ayla skirt. It was perfect! I had also found an especially eccentric pair of gold holographic strappy platforms from Dangerfield that I wore on the day.”

The wedding party wore shades to match our beautiful Australian native flowers – so think reds, pinks, oranges and greens. Helen’s wedding party sourced all of their own looks within the colour palette. The groomsmen wore beige suits paired with pink suspenders and bow ties.

As they looked for a suit for Quirijn, they soon realised most suits available simply weren’t colourful enough for him. “We ended up getting a three-piece suit made at InStitchu in a bright salmon with a gorgeous white lining. It had a double-breasted vest and wide lapels on the jacket. The custom tailoring was absolutely worth it, as the fit was perfect,” Helen explained.

“To represent his living in Australia, he had a dark blue bowtie with kangaroos on it, to represent the Dutch heritage, he had cufflinks I had ordered through Etsy with his family crest.”

With so many guests travelling from across the globe to join Helen and Quirijn on this special day, they knew a venue with accommodation was going to be the best option. The Cove at Jervis Bay was the perfect space for this, with a bonus picturesque beach and park setting. “The beach and national park setting were perfect for first-time tourists, especially when you are visited by kangaroos, possums, echidnas and dolphins!”

To start their ceremony, the couple had their wedding party (including all 12 of their flower girls and page boys!) walk down the aisle. “Having the kids all walk down the aisle and seeing them all so excited and attentive during the ceremony was very special.”

Quirijn and Helen walked down the aisle separately with their parents on their arms.

Their good friend, Jeff, was the officiant, who helped keep everything relaxed and lighthearted. Instead of religious elements, Helen and Quirijn invited their wedding party to speak during the ceremony. “Being surrounded by people you love and hearing about their point of view during the ceremony was absolutely amazing. I will always remember that feeling,” she shared.

If there’s one thing that would make a vow exchange even better, it’s a group of kookaburras! “Quirijn included some funny elements to his vows, and as if on cue, the Kookaburras started laughing also!”

Of all the fun shots captured throughout their summer wedding, Helen’s favourite is the first kiss at the ceremony. “Our first kiss as ‘husband and wife’s, the beach in the background, the gorgeous flowers is the one we framed and have on our wall.”

And when we’re talking about these beautiful shots, we have to mention the photographer behind the lens: Becs from Baker Boys Creative! “She was fantastic, she made sure to capture every shot we wanted on the day. She was also so calm and funny; she made us feel completely at ease.”

Another incredible vendor team that helped bring Helen and Quirijn’s fun summer wedding to life is The Wedding and Event Creators. Vanessa worked as their coordinator, and Jules as their on-the-day coordinator, and this beautiful day wouldn’t have been the same without them. “It was honestly a blessing as they were able to put out fires on the day so that we could just enjoy the day,” Helen shared.

The four things that stood out the most to Quirijn and Helen from their fun wedding included:

“1. Including all the kids of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. We had organised babysitters for the kids during the reception so parents could focus on themselves for a bit.

2. The venue, we were able to relax a few days be and after the ceremony. It was nice not having to rush anywhere. Also, the fact that kangaroos just come up to you is so special.

3. Dancing, the Lebanese drumming is always so special as it really brings in big energy before dinner.

4. The Dutch dancing after the clog toss, the saxophonist from the Baker Boys Band was extraordinary and not afraid to get in amongst the crowd.”

All of the signage on the day was made by Helen herself, and all the linen napkins were screen-printed with eucalyptus leaves and wedding details by one of Quirijn’s aunts who couldn’t be with the couple on the day.

For their entrance into the reception, Helen and Quirijn had traditional Lebanese drummers from C’darz Entertainment as one way to honour their different heritages. “Also, instead of a bouquet and garter toss, we did a Dutch clog toss. Fluffy clog slippers were tossed to the next person to get married by the bride and groom.”

Sarah from Flower Pursuit crafted all the incredible arrangements found throughout the day, honouring the Australian native theme. “She absolutely blew us away with the arrangements. Instead of bouquets, I wanted hair pieces for the bridesmaids and flower crowns for the flower girls. The mothers also got a corsage for the day,” they explained.

The piece of advice Helen wants to leave for couples planning their own days is this: “Always take time to talk, life throws a lot at you, but taking that time to talk about your feelings in response just makes your connection stronger.”

As both Helen and Quirijn are both vegans it was no surprise to their guests that their menu was fully plant-based, catered by the amazing team from Rabbit & Co. “We also got a gelato cart, by the Gelato Bike, they have amazing options for vegan sorbet flavours. And instead of cutting the cake, we had an espresso martini tower, provided by Henry Clive Bar.”

Sticking to their theme of honouring Aussie classics, Helen and Quirijn had “Nutbush City Limits” by Ike and Tina Turner as their first dance. “When Quirijn first arrived in Australia, he saw this Nation dance as a curiosity but has come to love it since.”

Congratulations to Helen and Quirijn on this beautiful celebration of love and heritage! Thanks to Baker Boys Creative for capturing every moment of their day.