elisha & michael

26 May

OSTERIA, CASUARINA, NSW

Photography by Figtree Pictures | styling by: C. Moore Creative

Elisha met Michael through her former employer, “Michael was my boss’ brother!” The couple hit it off immediately and despite being a little hesitant to date someone so close to her boss, Elisha is thankful it worked out so well that Michael proposed 5 years later in a chocolate boutique. “We were on a getaway in Melbourne. Surrounded by our best friends, my sister and mother, Michael got down on one knee in the middle of the store with a chocolate that read, ‘Elisha will you marry me?’ It was such a surprise and everyone around us clapped and cheered.”

GO WITH THE FLOW |  “Planning our wedding was enjoyable and things seemed to happen organically. Having worked in marketing and events for nearly 10 years I knew how to create a timeless style for our wedding that I wouldn’t look back on and cringe about in the future.” 

Elisha and Michael started planning a year in advance and enlisted local suppliers who understood their vision. “This way we weren’t making any stressful last minute decisions.” Although Elisha had made sure everything was organised down to the finest detail, “On the day I didn’t notice any of it. All that captured my attention was Michael looking at me from the end of the aisle, being surrounded by family and friends and sharing the joy of life and being loved.” 

MONOCHROMATIC MODERNITY | “We wanted our wedding to reflect a modern style but also have a warm and welcoming feel. My preferred colour palette is monochrome so there weren’t any bright colours or pastel tones.” The wedding was styled with white and gold as the base colours against wooden elements and the couple incorporated clear accents and greenery to add natural warmth to the space. “We paired modern pieces with classic elements for a timeless feel.” Decorations included beaded glass charger plates, gold vases, timber and white bar tables, ghost chairs and bulb and tube lighting entwined with foliage. 

FUNNY, SWEET & STRESSFUL | "Michael forgot to shake my Dad’s hand once I reached the end of the aisle as he was a little nervous. Everyone laughed and booed!”

“There were so many emotional moments during the day but seeing Michael cry during his speech was very touching. His words meant so much to me and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be married to him.”

“Our flowergirl didn’t arrive until an hour before the ceremony started. We were madly trying to brush her hair and get her ready moments before we ran out the door!”

ITALIAN HOSPITALITY | Elisha and Michael held their wedding reception at seaside restaurant Osteria, so named after the owners’ love of the emphasis placed on good food, wine and produce at the osterias scattered throughout Italy. “The venue was sophisticated, sustainable and allowed us to be as creative as we liked. We hosted both our ceremony and reception there. We’d seen many beautiful weddings held there via Instagram and loved how it could be transformed to reflect the style of the bride and groom both in the reception hall and in the garden. It was also meaningful for me to be married in the Casurina area as I spent time there as a child with my extended family.”  

HONEYMOON | “We didn’t use a gift registry. Instead our friends and family contributed to our honeymoon in New Zealand where we climbed glaciers, flew by plane over Milford Sound and visited the set of The Lord of the Rings.”

MIX IT UP | Elisha chose her gown only 3 months before she was due to walk down the aisle.  “I was flicking through Instagram and saw the gown on Suzanne Harward’s page. I immediately fell in love with it and flew to Melbourne to try it on the following week. It was modern with a hint of a classic style and could be made a little edgier with a leather jacket and gold belt, as I’m a huge fan of the brand Balmain. I loved how the gown reflected a strong feminine style without being overly girly.” Elisha could not recommend the team at Suzanne Harward enough. “The girls were friendly, accommodating and made me feel like a queen.”

Suzanne Harward commented, “Elisha was so in-tune with her personal style. She found our Mystical gown online and made it her own. A true decisive, fashion-forward bride, Elisha looked stunning in the regalia lace gown with double plunge neckline and full skirt.” 

THE MAIDS | Elisha’s bridesmaids wore white, off-the-shoulder dresses with a simple slide split from Sheike. “I always wanted my bridal party to wear white because it’s classic and timeless.”

UNIQUE IDEAS | “One of the styling centrepieces of our reception was the light-up ‘Happily Ever After’ sign that was fixed to the wall above the cake and gift table. It was a great attention-grabber. We also sourced unique table numbers and place card holders to add an additional layer of intrigue and curiosity to the space. The place card holders were gold porcelain bunnies that doubled as our wedding favours. Our guests loved them! The flowers we chose were a combination of natives including eucalyptus, king proteas, thryptomene calycina and white stock. We used the same flowers for the bouqets and table arrangements and simple green foliage for the hanging installations, signage and ceremony arbour.” 

credits

gown: Suzanne Harward, suzanneharward.com

shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood, farfetch.com/au

photographer: Figtree Pictures, figtreepictures.com

wedding venue & caterer: Osteria, osteriacasuarina.com.au

stylist & reception decorations: C. Moore Creative,instagram.com/cmoore_creative

flowers & floral decorations: Ellee Jay Floristry, elleejay.com.au

cake: Take The Cake, takethecake.net.au

stationery: State of Elliott, stateofelliott.com.au

planner: Byron Bay Weddings, byronbayweddings.com.au

groom & groomsmen: Black Jacket Suiting, blackjacketsuiting.com.au

bridesmaids: Sheike, sheike.com.au

flowergirl: Bardot Junior, bardot.com/bardot-junior

page boy: David Jones, shop.davidjones.com.au

music: Liam Bryant, liambryant.com.au | DJ Cut A Rug, cutarug.com.au

celebrant: Ben Breitenstein, bb-mc.com.au

hair & makeup: Blush and Bangs, blushandbangs.com.au

additional suppliers: In The Booth, inthebooth.com.au | AVIdeas, avideas.com.au |  Hampton Event Hire, hamptoneventhire.com Innovative Hiring, innovativehiringqueensland.com.au