Sometimes all it takes is a bundle of pretty red and pink bouquets to brighten your Monday morning. Ones that were expertly crafted by Nine Blooms and are literally overflowing with uber-romantic roses from the bride and groom’s very own garden. And when you add to all of that flower power one beautiful moment after another captured by Matthew Evans Photography, well. That’s what we call an inspiration explosion. See it all right here.
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From the Bride… Our main inspiration came from our garden of roses. My wonderful husband has always been a keen rose gardener. My mother-in-law told me that even from a young age, Bryan loved to grow roses and use them to charm the ladies. Bryan would happily spoil the local girls, the neighbors and, of course, his mother and grandmothers with his beautiful blooms. We recently built our home, and naturally, we agreed that we should have a rose garden. So together, we hand-selected all 80 bushes and planted them in our front yard, and now I am the lucky lady who is spoiled with the beautiful roses! As our roses are such a romantic part of our lives, they absolutely had to be a key detail. When we told our fabulous florist, Gabrielle from Nine Blooms, our ideas, she encouraged us to incorporate our own blooms into the florals. So Bryan and I tended the roses with extra care and attention leading up to our wedding and were able to contribute a good bunch of roses that complemented Gabrielle’s stunning florals and made my bouquet extra special!
We also chose a dark navy theme for the important details — bridesmaids’ dresses, groomsmen’s details, the ribbons, invitations — creating the perfect contrast with the juicy reds and silky ivory tones of my gorgeous gown from Fiorenza Bridal, our custom made pearl jewelry and accessories and my sparkling shoes by Wittner! The guys all looked very stylish in their tailored suits from Roger David. Together, everything looked amazing! Exactly as we were hoping for: an elegant classic wedding with a romantic flair. Leading up to the big day we were guided by our wonderful wedding planner, Claudette Good. Her attention to detail ensured that everything was perfect! Words can barely express how she contributed to our happiness and enjoyment on our special day! Photography is a passion of mine so finding a photographer that understood the style of the images I was hoping for was a little difficult; I was quite fussy. Luckily, at last minute we were able to secure Matthew Evans, a well-renowned wedding photographer in Cairns. His attentive, creative and professional technique captured many beautiful images and touching memories. I had such a fun time while getting ready to marry the man of my dreams. Bryan said he was a bundle of nerves, but I couldn’t have been happier or more excited that day. My fantastic bridesmaids made sure I had everything I needed, and together, we all celebrated and enjoyed being pampered that morning by our lovely hair and makeup stylist, Shannon from Purelyou. Shannon really listened to our styling ideas and worked her magic, and we all looked and felt beautiful.
We held our beautiful wedding ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel on the Pier in Cairns, which overlooks the waterfront and city. Bryan’s sister, Jeanette, played her oboe for us as I walked down the aisle with my father. And later Bryan’s brother, David, played a touching piece of music with his bassoon. It was those personal touches that made the ceremony so special to us. Our celebrant, Wanye Rees, was such a charismatic character and added a bit of theater to our ceremony, keeping it light-hearted yet still very personal and meaningful. Our reception followed and was held at the Pullman Hotel. Together, Claudette Good, our wedding planner, and Sandy Downs, the function coordinator, did a fantastic job planning the reception. The ballroom looked absolutely stunning, brimming with the beautiful floral arrangements. The food served by the Pullman was simply divine, and we were gifted with our lovely traditional wedding cake made by our family friend Margaret Tindall. All that was left to do was to dance the night away to a great live band lead by Steve Rockman. Surrounded by 100 of our closest family and friends, we couldn’t have hoped for a more perfect way to celebrate our union as husband and wife.
Wedding Photography: Matthew Evans Photography / Ceremony: Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina in Cairns, Queensland/ Reception: The Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns, Queensland / Wedding Planning: Claudette Good of Cairns Wedding Planner / Reception Coordinator: Sandy Downs of The Reef Hotel Casino / Floral Design: Nine Blooms / Officiant: Wayne Rees / Wedding Cake: Margaret Tindall, A Family Friend / Music: Steve Rockman / Wedding Dress: Pina Fiorenza of Fiorenza Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Wittner / Hair + Makeup: Purelyou / Men’s Suits: Roger David