Family Filled Wedding At The Lodge Jamberoo

When Kate and Byron decided to tie the knot, they didn’t just plan a wedding—they created a family-filled celebration that stretched over three incredible days! From the very start, their story was anything but traditional (they even booked their venue before the proposal!), and that same fun-loving spirit was woven throughout their entire day. With their son Monroe leading the way and their beloved dogs by their side, it was a wedding that felt more like a family reunion, filled with joy, laughter, and love.

When Kate went in for a casual interview, she had no clue she’d be walking in to meet her future husband! Kate and Byron didn’t actually start dating until after he was transferred to another store.

They had actually booked their wedding before the proposal had even happened! “We just decided it was time; we have a 5-year-old son, two dogs, and a house and thought, what next… ‘Let’s Do it’,” Kate explained. “Byron did propose a few weeks later at Taronga Zoo. We had a lovely day at the zoo and went out for a beautiful dinner at MeGal. Once we went back to the room, Monroe (our son) gave me the ring and said, ‘Mummy, will you marry Daddy’ It was so lovely and just so us.”

Byron picked out a simple yet elegant black suit and bowtie, with Monroe wearing a matching outfit – how adorable!

Kate wanted something simple and no fuss, with long sleeves to keep the winter chill off. “I went to a few places in Sydney; however, it was our local bridal place Sposabella that had the perfect dress. The ladies were so accommodating and altered my dress to fit perfectly. It was so me, and I just loved the clean lines and simplicity.”

Since their venue had accommodation, Kate and Byron made it a three-day affair and made welcome boxes for all their guests! “We have personalised coldie holders with beers or premixed drinks, chocolate, lollies for the kids and some nuts.”

Their favourite part of the planning was checking out their venue – The Lodge Jamberoo. “I just loved going there and meeting with the staff and talking through our options and the possibilities. All our needs were catered for, whether it be making sure my elderly grandparents were comfortable, catering to 26 kids, or allowing our dogs to be a part of the day. We are just so grateful and thankful for everything the Lodge did for us and for making the three days an absolute delight,” she shared.

“The Lodge Jamberoo had everything we needed. All venues from our welcome dinner the night before where we could get together with our friends and family for a casual dinner, the kids could play, and we could catch up before the big day. The Lodge had an amazing Bridal room to get ready and a Grooms room. The location was close to us, and it had all the amenities for everyone to stay for a few days and enjoy each other’s company. The staff were amazing, and the food was exceptional. I would not change a thing.”

In their wedding party, Kate had her sister as her Maid of Honour and Byron had his brother as his Best Man. “Again, we wanted simple and decided to go with black. My sister could choose her own dress that she wanted to wear, and it just made the whole process easy.”

Brightening the day with bursts of colour, Alicia from Form Over Function created the perfect floral pieces with pops of tangerine among white bouquets. Paired with all of her incredible styling, hiring, and planning work, it’s clear that her hard work really brought this beautiful wedding together, hand-picking vendors and tying together each and every element from start to finish! “I trusted her with everything, and boy did she deliver! We had tulips for my Dutch heritage, and poppies brought those pops of colour with white roses in my bouquet to bring it all together.”

As it was a family-filled wedding, they knew they wanted to honour Byron’s parents, who are no longer with us. A piper played as Byron walked down the aisle with their clan flag and a framed portrait of his parent’s wedding. “It was important to consider them on this day but in a way that was uplifting and special.”

Kate walked down the aisle with her father and son as the notes to “Blackbird” by The Beetles played in the background.

They wanted the ceremony to be short and sweet, as Kate hated the attention solely on her. “It turned out amazing; Monroe stood by our sides the whole time and gave us the rings. It was just so special being there, the three of us.”

One of their favourite details of the day was having their son, Monroe, with them every step of the way. From the aisle walk to their vows and even signing their wedding certificate! “It was just so great to include him in everything. He said, ‘I loved our wedding; I want to do it again’,” shared Kate.

Their favourite shot was this gorgeous one of their little family walking back down the aisle. “We all looked so happy, and it’s just a great shot.”

Kate was nine weeks pregnant at the time of their wedding – so it was extra special knowing all four of them were there as a family. “Also, having my Opa and Oma there for the whole 3 days just celebrating with us and enjoying themselves and probably the mixing of all our friends and family in a way that was so enjoyable and easy. We had 26 kids attending, and they all played 24/7, making friendships that will last forever.”

Cortney from Powderpuff Photography was the talented photographer for this couple. “She was so easy to talk to and convey our wishes. We were upfront from the start with our unease at being photographed. We wanted to ensure it felt natural and just about us and our family and friends. I told her of a few shots I had seen from other weddings that I would like to try, and we did it. We are so happy with every photo!”

With so many incredible vendors, it was hard for Kate and Byron to pick their standout. “Everyone was amazing! Alicia went above and beyond, Cortney captured every moment, Yvette from Ethix Makeup made me feel so natural and amazing, Amanda did my hair exactly how I wanted, and Bec, our celebrant, made it completely us. Everyone made the day/days so us and so meaningful we have nothing but amazing memories from our day.”

The five things that made their wedding special were:

“1. Family

2. Friends

3. The fun we had all together

4. How easy it was

5. The lack of stress. I felt so great the whole time; nothing worried me, and nothing went wrong.”

Some advice Kate and Byron want to leave for future married couples is this: “Be patient with each other, do the invites early to avoid stress. If possible, do it over a couple of days to ensure you can talk to everyone and enjoy each other’s company. That was probably a highlight. The time we could spend with everyone.”

For their first dance, Kate and Byron chose “Rooting For You” by London Grammar. “It is our favourite couple song – but we can’t dance; it wasn’t great.”