Ali + Vaughan
Wedding Date: 21st September 2019
Venue: CASA MIO Surf Hacienda, Crescent Head (Couple’s own property)
Ali & Vaughan’s Excellent Wedding was featured on Festival Bride’s Blog. This is the information that they provided for the blog. If you want to read it there and see more inspiring weddings head over to the Festival Brides website
On bended knee in the Maldives
Vaughan having a creative mind and an awesome sense of humour wanted to surprise Ali with something clever he had been thinking about for years, like hiding a ring in a crystal fossicking site and having Ali dig it up as if she’d found it, or putting it on the end of a fishing line somehow. In the end Ali wanted to get barrelled out in the surf so he took her on a boat trip to the Maldives to pop the question. Only problem was he couldn’t get her to shore. He had to lie and say there was a local guy who sold super cheap lobsters (apparently Ali LOVES lobsters). Another road block was that their friends had shouted Ali a massage on another boat at exactly the same time he was going to pop the question. In the end he dropped a knee on a secluded beach and (because he didn’t know her ring size) slipped seven gold bands straight on her finger. It looked ridiculous, she couldn’t even bend it, but she said yes, although she never got the lobsters or the massage.
Home Sweet Home
Ali & Vaugan held their wedding at our house in Crescent Head, the Casa Mio Surf Hacienda. They had bought it two years earlier and always dreamed of getting married under the huge bloodwood tree in the back yard. We had many working bees and so many amazing friends contribute to getting the house ready for the big day. It was a mission but a wonderful time and all the better to share the big day with everyone who had helped make it possible. They were still painting the building the morning of the wedding!!
The best part was there was plenty of space for all of their friends to hang out on the three acre property and it was halfway between Sydney and Byron which is where they previously lived. They made a weekend of it with the festivities rocking on for three days so that everyone could enjoy a weekend in Crescent as well.
Wedding Ceremony with a personalised arbour, special readings and a secret surprise!
The afternoon ceremony was held under the massive blood wood tree in the back yard. They wanted something different for the arbour so they had their good friend and artist Ozzie Wright (also the best man) to make and paint us an arbour. We didn’t know what it was going to look like until they were setting it up the morning of the wedding and it was incredible!
The flowers girls and boys walked down the isle to Classic girl – Jane’s Addiction – one of Ali's all time favourite wedding ballads. Ali walked down arm in arm with both her mother and father to Golden Brown by the Stranglers.
One of thier dearest friends Rainbow Rach started the ceremony bringing everyone together for a charge blessing, a communal cheer to bring all the love into focus. Marcie O’Neil followed with an amazing spoken word poem that was a mish-mash of evangelical passion mixed with the rock and roll moxie of a young Chuck Berry in full cry.
Celebrant Melissa Verity Robinson-Blakey finalised the proceedings with officiating duties that were lovely, raucous, tender and perfect all at once. At Missy’s announcement of their becoming “man and wife” a surprise confetti cannon shot eco-confetti into the afternoon sunlight while “Down in Mexico” by the Coasters echoed out into the yard at full volume, sparking an impromptu and unrehearsed first dance that the whole crowd of friends and family participated in. It could not have been more magical if they’d hired Cirque Du Soleil to choreograph the whole deal!
Theme Dream becomes reality
“We always wanted a Theme but not necessarily dress up. Casa Mio is a striking concrete rendered hacienda with natural log poles that run through it. Very rustic and very South American so we decided on the theme 70s Colombian Cocktail –70s inspired with a Latino twist. The colours ended up being gold’s and reds and burgundies. We had vintage Spanish paintings hung on the outside walls with a retro Sangria bar with hundreds of collected seventies glass wear from all the local op shops.
It was a risky theme because we didn’t want the wedding to descend into 70s fancy dress, but we did want everyone to glam up in the same style of the house. We sent out mood boards to everyone who was invited and made sure the food, decorations, music and basically the entire flavour of the day was as close to that as possible… and it didn’t disappoint! Everyone looked absolutely amazing, and our only regret is that we weren’t in town when everyone was gathering at the bus stop to get a ride out to the wedding because it would have been quite a sight for what would otherwise have been just another day in Crescent Head.”
Stunning wedding marquee & DIY reception styling
“We had the best wedding marquee on Earth!” - Ali.
Dave and his team from Katalane had the marquee complete with lighting, stage, dancefloor, bar, bar stools, rugs, barrels, yard cushions and table and bench seating all set up in half a day. Ali believes the wedding simply would not have been the same without them. “They brought the glamour and the earthiness and created a communal space that was absolutely magic. The bands and speeches were all in the tent and everyone fit beautifully. We were so sad when they had to leave. We wanted that marquee in our yard forever.”
Ali & Vaughan’s styling was mostly DIY. Old chandeliers, platters and glasses were from op shops. Hay bales for seating. Throws and blankets also collected from ops shops and vintage stores. Their florist, Alchemallia, used her own flowers from her property in Federal and mixed them with local wattle, folliage and other natives from the Casa Mio property grounds. All those little touches combined with the marquee, mobile cocktail bar (The Roaming Eagle), multiple fire pits with rugs and cusions came together to create a very pretty and complete picture that suited their theme.
“To be honest we were on the tightest budget imaginable because as well as the cost of our wedding we’d just done two years on renovations and out of nowhere had to move house a week before the big day. All our glassware was bought from Vinnies (so we didn’t have to return anything or pay for damaged goods), we just scrimped and scrapped as hard as we could but always with the style of the day in mind so that it wasn’t all over the place.”
Catering and delicious treats
Mexicano did all the catering. The boys made three huge paellas on site - Seafood, meat and vegan. They served up salad, toasted bread and jalapeno margaritas right by their side. They hung around all the next day and offered to cook the BBQ free of charge as they were having such a good time. Absolute 10/10!
Ali & Vaugahn also had the Azteca Taqueria create the most incredible grazing table (we called it the Spanish Gothis Medievel Wog Platter) which tasted even better than it looked – which was phenomenal. They opted for handmade baklava and Turkish delight for desert from a little deli in Ballina that was delivered by some guests.
All things Bridal
Dress: Ali designed her outfit and had it made in Bali with the help from one of her besties and MOH Nikki Penny. She wanted something different , not white, a jumpsuit and something that was fun and festive and that she’d never worn before. Ali had two outfits made with the same shape but different material. One gold lace and one embroidered red roses. Ali decided on the gold for the wedding and has another amazing outy if she can find an occasion fun enough to wear it.
Shoes: Ali designs leather wear so she made had her favourite boots made in a metallic bronze leather. “Vaughan is over 6’4 so they were nice and chunky and high.”
Headwear: Ali’s forever been obsessed with wearing hats and had two made (one for each outfit ) in Greece. Ali’s heritage is Greek so it was nice to have a hat that tied back to her roots.
Jewellry: Hand carved wooden rose incrusted crosses were given to Ali from MOH Nikki Penny from KT Jewellery in Bali. Their wedding bands were black diamond in sterling silver created by the ever so talented Carpe Diem
Groom's Outfit: Burgundy Velvet flared three piece suit created by dear friend and talented tailor/ designer Sam Elsom.
Photographer and Videographer
Few photographers capture the heart of their subject better than Sarah Christensen. Her strength lies in her easy ability to connect, to convey warmth and emotion through light and composition, all within the framework of the viewfinder. Mix that skill with an absolutely undeniable commitment to excellence and passion for the craft and you have yourself a once in a lifetime artist.
The photographer did not stop for two days straight. When we got the photos back we had tears in our eyes and could not believe the magic that she captured . So many beautiful real authentic moments that we will treasure for ever
“Joyride films did such an amazing job. Never thought we’d be ones for a wedding video. Now we can’t stop watching it. Such a great unique take on a wedding video and in a wonderful style that unlike most wedding movies will only get better with age.”
Lifetime moments…
We had such a stressful year leading up to the wedding and felt like lives were such a crazy blur. My favourite moment of the day was when they pronounced us man and wife and our friend fired a confetti cannon into the brilliant afternoon sunlight right as “Down in Mexico” came blaring through the speakers. It was like a symbol to the new beginnings ahead. Dancing down the isle looking at all the smiling faces or friends and family is one we’ll remember forever.
All the other bits…
Bridesmaid's Dresses: A range of beautiful silk slips from Nikki Penny’s 1920 table. Different shapes and tones that were all different but look so nice side by side. As it was a winter wedding they also wore vintage furs which looked great for the theme.
Flower girls: They all wore Ginger and Coco hand embroidered dresses which were simply stunning.
Hair: Janette Lovell
Make Up: Nicholas Morley – Bride | Jolin - Bridesmaids
Entertainment: Vaughan is in a band so we are lucky to have lots of musically talented friends. We had the beautiful sounds of Mylee and the Milkshakes on the wedding day followed by Rad Dan djing into the night. The following day we set up the caravan bar with Bloody Marys pulled out the bbqs and an array of bands played music all day and all night. Goons of Doom, Mylee and the Milk Shakes, Ross Keller, The Bleach Girls, Bunny Racket, Dusty Duets, …………
Stationery: We made a pretty funny zine / program to be handed out to guests which open with the two ugliest baby pictures we could find and a brief run down of events and photos of all the family members
Advice for couples planning their wedding day
Don’t renovate your house up until the day you’re getting married :)
Never take it too serious it will always be what it will be. Out of the mistakes comes the magic just let it flow. And finally a friend told us to find each other just after the speeches, when all the official duties and photos and everything else is finished, and walk to a place out of sight and look back at the entire scene from afar, take in the the lights, the sounds, the friends, the moment, and share that together, because it really is the most amazing feeling to have all of that going on in celebration of the love you feel for eachother.
Anything else?
We had the awesome local Crescent head girls from Salt and Wildflowers to run our wedding and they were fantastic. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a destination wedding in Crescent Head