LOVE STORY: JACKSON & KATE | FIGTREE RESTAURANT WEDDING BYRON BAY NSW - to the aisle australia

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"Take the time to write your vows from your heart, as that is the part from our ceremony that we will remember for years to come." Jackson + Kate

Together for nearly ten years and becoming engaged in February 2017, Jackson and Kate met in Year 12 at Canterbury College in 2007. Bonding over having the same birthday, year and even the same hospital, marriage to these two means: "Having my best friend by my side for the rest of my life. Having someone to share life's trivial day to day happenings with, both good and bad. Knowing that there is someone that loves me unconditionally. Having someone to laugh and cry with. Having a travel buddy to explore the world with and eventually have a family of our own." Now, to how Jackson proposed and all about their stunningly gorgeous Wedding day celebrations.

BYRON BAY WEDDING PINEAPPLE IMAGES GOLD COAST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOGRAPHY

➳ THE PROPOSAL: It was Sunday the 5th February 2017, we got up at 3am to go for a sunrise hike up to the Glasshouse Mountains. We made it up to the lookout of Mount Beerburrum just in time for a beautiful sunrise. While Kate was taking a panorama photo of the view, she turned around to Jackson on one knee. Celebrating with tears and hugs they then got swarmed by mosquito’s and quickly ran back down the mountain where Jackson had sneakily packed champagne in the car.

➳ How did you decide on your Wedding venue? We spent A LOT of time deciding on a venue. We looked at venues all around Queensland and Northern NSW, in many magazines, websites and Instagram. Figtree Restaurant was the first venue we went to visit and it instantly connected with us. We met with the owner Che and loved hearing the history behind his family’s home and what it has become today. It was the perfect size for our amount of guests. Its incredible view over Byron Bay and down to the Lighthouse made us very keen on having our ceremony and reception outside under the beautiful Fig Tree and festoon lighting. Plus we had heard great reviews on the food from a family member.

➳ What was the inspiration behind your Wedding theme? We wanted something relaxed and intimate with our guests. We really loved the idea of eating outside under the stars under festoon lights. We kept our colour palette quite neutral, and the floral arrangements had lots of white and an eclectic mix of greenery.

We also loved the idea of turning it into a long weekend celebration with our family and friends, as one day just goes by too quickly. We booked out all the houses at Byron Luxury Beach Houses for most of our guests to stay, so we could continue the celebrations over the Saturday and Sunday. It turned out perfectly, and our guests really loved their weekend away in Byron.

➳ What was your most favourite detail about the day? The favours, which were handmade pottery side plates by us. We inherited a large pottery collection and supplies from Kate’s grandmother Ruth. With her teaching and Jackson’s natural creative flare, we were able to complete all the side plates within 2 days. They were a hit with the guests and a nice memento they can use for years to come.

➳ How long did it take for you to find your Wedding dress? I had 1 big shopping day with all the ladies nearest and dearest to me; mum, mother in law, grandmother and best friend, (unfortunately my sister couldn’t make it up from Melbourne). I didn’t find ‘The One’ that day, but we had a fun day playing dress ups and I had a great idea of what I wanted.

My next trip was to Graces Loves Lace and I instantly fell in love with ‘Mai’. It was perfect, and had all the elements I had been looking for. Plus it was custom made to my size and height which was a huge bonus when I am quite short. I received excellent service from all the ladies I dealt with at Grace Loves Lace.

➳ Most favourite moment of the day: By far the ceremony. Our celebrant Ben Carlyle was absolutely fantastic! He kept us relaxed, had all the guests join in with a fun pledge “to cut loose, and celebrate the night away”, and he kept the whole ceremony running effortlessly. There were plenty of laughs, tears shed and memories made that will last a lifetime.

➳ Are there any stories from the day that you would like to share? On the morning of the Wedding, Jackson and the boys went for a surf down at Byron Bay. Of all the days for something to happen, Jackson fell off his board into a sand bank and got a big graze and egg on his head. And in true style all his mates thought it was the funniest thing ever! Luckily Jackson was coming to the ladies house to get his hair touched up, and Lara our amazing makeup artist was able to cover it up with some TV make up. Nothing was mentioned to me as I wasn’t there, but everyone else knew. It wasn’t until we were signing the Marriage Certificate that I noticed the make up his face, thinking it had rubbed off my head when we had our First Kiss, to only notice the big lump. We all had a bit of laugh that it took me so long to notice – “blinded by love".

➳ Advice for other couples planning a Wedding? Invest in a great celebrant, as they set the scene for the rest of the day. Remember the day is about you both as a couple, and celebrating your love and commitment to each other. Take the time to write your vows from your heart, as that is the part from our ceremony that we will remember for years to come.

➳ Any stand out vendors for the day? Someone that went above and beyond? Honestly all of our vendors were sensational! They all worked together so well on the day and made it a seamless and easy process for Jackson and I throughout the lead up as well.

We had rain predicted for 12pm on our Wedding day and all the Figtree Staff, florist, celebrant, photographers worked around this. We pushed our ceremony back 10 minutes just so we could have it out under the Fig Tree, and then we were so fortunate that all the rain cleared by our reception and we were able to take the tarps off and we got to have our dream dinner out under the stars.