O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park, QLD

photography by Lover of Mine

THEIR LOVE STORY Shannon and Jamie were High School sweethearts meeting as 16-year-olds who did PE together. "Jamie followed me to university whilst I studied and he began working in IT. Once I graduated I got a job that meant we had to do a long distance relationship for a year whilst Jamie started his own business. Fast forward to our 8 year anniversary, Jamie took me to Sydney where we spent a night in the Blue Mountains in the gorgeous Spicers Sangoma Retreat. After being wined and dined on a glorious 5 course meal we stepped out on the deck overlooking Sydney's glimmering lights." It was there Jamie got down on one knee and asked Shannon to spend the rest of her life with him. "Everyone said the proposal shouldn't have come as a surprise after 8 years, but I didn’t expect it at all, It was still a surprise in the most delightful way (so much so he had to disrupt me from a John Snow impersonation to propose)." Needless to say Shannon said yes immediately!

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT PLACE

Shannon and Jamie knew they wanted a venue with a natural vibe, it was important to them both that their wedding day location felt peaceful and intimate. The minute they discovered O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat that they knew they had found that place. "We knew if we held the wedding there its was really going to be about family and there wasn’t going to be any distractions. The forest was breathtaking with endless mountain views as our backdrop."

THE GOWN

"I struggled wedding dress shopping, everything I thought I would like didn’t look the way I thought it would. I kept having the same problem where I really loved individual parts of a dress but not the dress as a whole" Shannon said. Luckily Shannon came across Ella Moda and after their initial meeting and discussing what she loved they began designing a wedding dress with all of her favourite elements coming together. "It was a beautiful clean and simple gown yet with class and the thing I loved most she designed with elements that reflected all my quirks. Ella was so helpful making great suggestions and having patience dealing with my decision process. I was so pleased with the final result I would do it again in a heartbeat."

A LITTLE TIME OUT

Jamie and Shannon spent the days leading up to the wedding with their bridal party staying at the venues rainforest retreat. "It was so relaxing, going on walks and enjoying the quiet, I couldn’t recommend it more with such a big week ahead" Shannon said.

THE THINGS YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR

Two hours before the ceremony Shannon's mother put on her gown only to discover the security tag was still on the dress. Rather than panic Shannon, with her father and brother on hand, spent the next hour trying to remove with damaging anything. "It provided some great comedic relief," laughed Shannon.

HEIRLOOMS Shannon wore her mother's veil from her wedding day.

"I initially thought that it would be way too 80's, but once it was styled correctly it became one of my favourite items I wore. I also wore a pearl necklace that my grandmother wore on her wedding day to my grandfather; and a brooch that the women on my father's side of the family wear on special occasions and weddings, the brooch has a ruby on the inside that says ‘dearest’." Jamie's mother gifted them both with a bottle that contained a letter she wrote to her future child on her wedding day and Jamie wore his grandfather's cuff-links.

BRIDAL PARTY

Shannon let her bridesmaids choose their dresses, "I was happy for them to direct and decide what they did and didn’t want." Their final choice was a stunning full length deep forest green dress from Sheike.

Meanwhile, the groomsmen made a trip out of choosing their outfits and again Shannon put her trust into their choice. "I think they did a better job than I would have. It’s possible the staff at M.J Bale had a lot to do with it and I am rather grateful for it because they looked incredible. I really love that Jamie didn’t want to be wearing exactly the same outfits as his groomsmen, he stood out whilst his groomsmen still matched.”

MISTY AIR

The morning of the wedding a big ball of mist and fog had settled across the valley "...it was oddly calming. The fog cleared just as Shannon and Jamie said 'I do' and walked down the aisle through a sea of petals and confetti with the most beautiful live acoustic version of 'Rainbow Connection' to all of our friends and family. "It is my favourite and most vivid memory of the wedding because it was a moment of pure happiness, which is completely unparalleled by any other memory in my life."

FLORAL

Flowers for the bouquets and arbour were an arrangement of white anemones, ranunculus and roses with lots of greenery with the occasional pop of darker colours for their forest theme. Centrepieces were arranged with pine cones
and greenery.

LESSONS

"One thing no one ever tells you is that you probably need a quick practice of throwing your bouquet. I truly did a terrible job of throwing it. It landed short of all the girls by a few meters," laughed Shannon.

FIRESIDE

A personal favourite was having a fire pit at the end of the night where guests roasted marshmallows and made smores "...so delicious, especially at the end of such a big day!"