Intimate Beachside Wedding at Pilu at Freshwater

Sometimes the best love stories begin with a detour, and for Karen and Andrew, it took a sudden change of plans in the middle of a lockdown to set everything in motion. They chose to celebrate their love with an intimate, joy-filled day by the ocean at Pilu at Freshwater, where the sea stretched out behind them, and their favourite people gathered close. Captured by Jessica Ross Photography, their wedding feels exactly as it was intended: relaxed and full of meaning.

If there hadn’t been a COVID-19 outbreak in late 2020 along the Northern Beaches, Andrew and Karen would have never met! “I was actually driving to Adelaide, but because of the Northern Beaches outbreak, the borders between NSW, Victoria and South Australia were literally closing as I was driving. I only made it as far as Wagga Wagga before I had to turn around and head back to Sydney!” she shared.

“A week later, we were matched online. We briefly messaged, and that evening we spoke on the phone for the first time – for over two hours! The next morning, Andrew messaged because he felt we had a real connection and wanted to get to know me better. For the next two weeks, we Face-timed every day, before work, after work and often late into the night, Karen in Redfern and Andrew on the Northern Beaches. We talked for anywhere between six and eight hours a day and got to know each other incredibly well. It felt like old-fashioned dating. Finally, a fortnight later, just before midnight, when the barriers separating the Northern Beaches from the rest of Sydney were lifted, Andrew jumped in his car and drove down to Redfern. We met in person for the first time in the early hours of that Sunday. Four months later, we moved in together, and as they say, the rest is history.”

Andrew surprised Karen one spring day in 2023, popping the question with a beautiful engagement ring at their favourite spot in Winnererremy Bay. “It’s a place that we have spent a lot of time together walking our beloved dog Leroy, so it’s a special place for us. We had talked about getting married one day, but when it happened, it was completely out of the blue for me!”

Their intimate wedding was set at the beautiful Pilu at Freshwater, overlooking the ocean. “We wanted the atmosphere to feel warm and joyful, surrounded by our closest friends who had travelled from various parts of Australia and from around the world to be with us,” Karen explained.

“It was the perfect location for our wedding day. We held the ceremony in the garden with the beach as a beautiful natural backdrop and then moved to the Pilu Pavilion for the reception.

We wanted a venue that reflected the relaxed, intimate atmosphere we envisioned for the day, and Pilu delivered that in so many wonderful ways. Sofia, our event coordinator, and the team at Pilu were amazing. The whole day ran perfectly.”

Karen walked down the aisle to a violin and cello duet rendition of “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay, with her dear friend Steven on her arm.

Their ceremony was led by Sophie Coombes, who kept things personal and reflective – exactly what Karen and Andrew wanted. “We were incredibly lucky to have the most amazing celebrant, Sophie, who helped create a ceremony that was truly special and meaningful. She asked each of us three questions about our relationship, which we answered separately. Neither of us knew what the other had written until the ceremony itself. Sophie then beautifully crafted our responses together, sharing our love story with our guests, how we met and why we had chosen each other to spend the rest of our lives with,” they explained.

“We also wrote our own vows, which made the moment even more personal and meaningful. It’s fair to say there were quite a few tears throughout the ceremony, happy ones, of course, from both of us. It was a very emotional and memorable ceremony that we will never forget.”

These beautiful flowers were done by the talented Mel from White House Flowers. “Together we chose a simple and elegant colour palette of white and green with touches of blush pink, as we wanted something beautiful but not overly elaborate.

For the ceremony, we had a large square stand with a striking floral arrangement in the top-left corner that draped beautifully. It included calla lilies, roses, pom-pom chrysanthemums, billy buttons and trailing amaranthus, creating a soft yet elegant statement piece.

To carry the look through the rest of the day, we had simple, long and low floral arrangements on the signing table and at the reception, using the same flowers as the ceremony display!”

They had their closest friends, Shannon and Ken, in the wedding party, with Shannon travelling all the way from New Zealand to join in on the festivities! “She wore a beautiful mid-length satin dress in one of our favourite colours, sage green. The design perfectly complemented the wedding’s relaxed style. Andrew’s best man, Ken, travelled from Perth and wore the same attire as Andrew, which tied everything together nicely,” Karen shared.

Karen herself wore a simple yet elegant white dress, perfect for their intimate beachside wedding. “I ended up purchasing my dress online, and when it arrived, it was exactly what I had hoped for. It fit perfectly, and the whole process was surprisingly easy, making the experience feel very relaxed rather than stressful. One of my friends even said to me, “That’s exactly what I imagined you would choose – it’s so your style,” which made me feel even more confident that it was the right dress for the day.”

Andrew wore black pants, a white open-neck shirt and a cream waistcoat. “The look was relaxed yet very smart, which suited the beachside setting of our wedding perfectly. It was exactly the style we both had in mind for the day: comfortable, stylish and not overly formal. And I have to say, he looked so handsome!”

For both Karen and Andrew, their wedding wasn’t just about the main event. It was also about the celebrations that continued before and after the wedding with their closest friends. “Many of our guests had travelled to be here with us, some from interstate and others from overseas, and that meant the world to us. The evening before the wedding, we organised a lovely dinner at The Newport with our interstate and international guests, which was such a special way to begin the celebrations. In the days surrounding the wedding our home was filled with friends who were staying with us, which created such a warm and fun atmosphere.

On the day itself, we wanted the wedding to truly reflect us, relaxed, fun and focused on everyone enjoying themselves and celebrating together. We were lucky to have the most beautiful venue, incredible food, a wonderful celebrant, gorgeous flowers, an amazing photographer and perfect weather. It was also important to us that those who couldn’t be there in person still felt included, so we live-streamed the ceremony through a private Facebook group we created for the day. Our celebrant, Sophie, did a wonderful job of acknowledging and including them during the ceremony, which made it feel even more special.”

Jessica Ross Photography captured the day alongside Andrew and Karen, making them feel instantly relaxed thanks to her friendly approach. “She somehow managed to capture every special moment without us even noticing she was there. The photos perfectly reflect the emotion and joy of the day, and we’ll treasure them forever.”

As for their favourite shots, Karen and Andrew couldn’t just pick one: every single one took their breath away. “Oh wow, too many to choose from! Love the group of everyone who was there, along with so many of the ones that Jess took of us on the beach, they capture our love perfectly.”

The things that stood out to Karen and Andrew the most about their intimate beachside wedding included:

“1. Reflecting on the journey that brought us together: from meeting during COVID to finally celebrating our wedding day surrounded by our closest friends

2. Seeing each other for the first time during the ceremony was such a special moment and one we’ll never forget.

3. Having friends make the effort to travel and celebrate with us meant the world to us

4. Having some of the most important people in our lives play special roles in the ceremony

5. The day unfolding exactly as we had hoped: Seeing everyone laughing, dancing and genuinely enjoying themselves.”

When it came to advice, Karen and Andrew have three nuggets of wisdom to share with you:

“1. Good planning for your day together: start early and secure your vendors. Nothing beats a good spreadsheet!

2. Select vendors you can build a relationship with to deliver on your vision for your day – you will know when you meet them for the first time that they are the right ones.

3. Relax and have fun marrying the love of your life!”