We’ve got a bone to pick with Karina Lee – the Sydney-based photographer responsible for these incredible images of Georgie and Tom’s far south coast wedding. Trying to pick only a blog-full of shots to publish was near impossible – but we got there (eventually) and are rather chuffed to be sharing this incredible day with you.
There’s so much we could say about it – the stunning landscape, the venue, Georgie and Tom’s sophisticated styling, the outfits, the golden hour light, the cocktails, the champagne tower, the food (the list goes on). But it makes more sense to let the photos speak for themselves. Check it out below.
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How did you and Tom meet? It’s corny but Tom and I are essentially high school sweethearts! We both went to separate boarding schools and met through friends, we started dating towards the end of year 12 when we were 18.
The proposal: As mentioned, we’ve been together a long time so I knew the proposal would come sooner or later but I was completely surprised by the how, where and when.
We were heading away on a long holiday and Tom suggested we take our dogs on one last walk to our favourite local beach. It was just perfect. He’d planned the whole thing, had friends of ours hiding in the bushes to take some sneaky photos and even had a stick in the sand for where to kneel. His words, the setting, the ring – I was a blubbering mess.
The venue: Tom and I love the Australian landscape and all its beauty, we also love fine dining, so Mimosa fit the bill incredibly well. We knew we wanted our wedding to be surrounded by nature and it was just a dream to have a venue like Mimosa and its incredible team in our local area.
The vibe: We wanted our wedding to be simple with a hint of sophistication. The setting at Mimosa speaks so much for itself, so we kept things quite minimal and earthy. We used natural travertine for styling, white florals with plenty of greenery and pillar candles.
Traditions: adopted, adapted or ditched?
Adapted: We spoke our own personal vows (and we are both so glad we did!). I had both my Mum and Dad walk me down the aisle. We didn’t do a guest book but instead we hired an old phone that takes recordings from your guests, we loved this element but would suggest maybe having both as not everyone is brave enough to record after a few drinks!
Adopted: We had a first dance (which again we loved more than we thought we would!)
Ditched: I didn’t do a bouquet toss (to be honest I completely forgot about this tradition).
The outfit/s: From the get go I knew I wanted something simple, timeless but breathtaking. For me it was all about the fabric and the cut, I spent months pinning certain details of dresses I liked. And then when I had no luck finding “the one” off the rack I decided to go custom, especially after visualising all the details I preferred I just don’t think I would have ever found exactly what I wanted, and it was all well worth it!
One of our great friends is a tailor at P.Johnson and helped Tom immeasurably with his Tux, he also kept it quite classic – even going for a cummerbund.
Hit or (near) miss: One of my many favourite moments was actually during the ceremony. This part of the wedding can sometimes feel so serious and Tom and I are just not such serious people. In light of this we had just started the formalities, with our nerves on high alert when our dog Sammy started yelping with excitement at seeing me (I had been away from home for a couple of days with only my bridesmaids, and Tom surprised me having arranged for both our dogs to be in the audience).
It made us laugh and we encouraged Tom’s mum to let her go so we could say hello. Sammy bounded up to me, jumped on my dress, licked my face, tangled my veil and made light of the whole thing.
I’ll always remember… I’ll always remember the moment before we entered the reception. We were outside the restaurant looking in, it was the first time we didn’t have all eyes on us and instead we were watching our guests. We could see the enthusiasm and the energy of the incredible atmosphere we were about to enter and together with a kiss and a cuddle we spoke about forever cherishing it.
Soundtrack: Aisle song: “Come Away”, by Sons of the East. I do Song: “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, by Queen. Recessional: “This Will Be An Everlasting Love”, by Natalie Cole. Bridal Party Entry: “You Make My Dreams”, by Hall & Oats. First dance: “Into My Arms”, by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Words of wedding wisdom: Everyone is always telling you how fast your wedding day will go, that there is so much lead up and then it’s over in a flash. It is true, so try and enjoy the lead up, make light of the big decisions (although it can be overwhelming, especially without a wedding planner – if you can afford one, then go for it!).
But most importantly, take moments to step back with just the two of you to not only appreciate your vision but revel in the atmosphere – there will be a whole lot of love and it’s truly incredible to be apart of.
The future: It’s not just those big moments we are looking forward to but it’s the everyday moments. Cooking, laughing, travelling, crying, dreaming, loving and being together.
CREDITS: Photos Karina Lee // Celebrant Sol Ceremonies // Venues Mimosa Wines // Florals and styling Poppy Friedman // Suit P.Johnson // Rings Natalie Marie and Zoe Pook // Music Soul Tonic // Bridal gown Helen English // Bride’s shoes Loeffler Randal // Bridesmaids dresses Bec + Bridge // Bridesmaids gifts Zoe Pook // Robes CLB Beauty // Hair Soku Hair // Makeup Lisa Jayne // Signage Maddison Jayne // Transport Rixons Buses.
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