Shane and Belinda // Headland Park
Whitsunday Wedding Suppliers
Ceremony Venue: Headland Park
Reception Venue: Coral Sea Jetty
Hair: Amanda Fern
Makeup: Airlie Beach Hair & Makeup
Florist: Flower Hut
Photographer: Nadine Kemp Photography
Celebrant: I Do Whitsunday Weddings
Décor: Event Co
Wedding Cake: Whitsunday Baked Creations
Accommodation: Coral Sea Resort
Pre-wedding: Rehearsal dinner at Sorrentos
Post-wedding: Ocean Rafting and Sundowner
Your Love Story
Shane and I both worked in the same office building in Townsville, however never once ran into each other. Instead, we met at the gym in 2012. I had just got back from New York & was hoping to drop a few donut induced kilos. Shane was working on his leg strength. I could lift heavier weights than him, but don’t tell him I told you that!
The Proposal
My parents were visiting Melbourne from Hervey Bay and staying with us. It was the night of the Super Moon!
In true Melbourne fashion it was cold, windy and cloudy as anything… yet still Shane kept bugging me to go to the beach with him to check out this moon (which you couldn’t see behind the clouds anyway). I kept insisting we should just look from the backyard, but when he persisted I knew something was up! We were alone on the beach when he dropped to his knee. The rest is history!
Honeymoon Heaven
We stayed in Airlie Beach & the greater Whitsunday region, sampling local produce & relaxing in a way only QLD offers.
Hens and Bucks
Bachelorette luncheon at Hemmingway’s at the marina, followed by a multitude of martinis at Breeze Bar, karaoke & kicking on at Beaches.
Bucks dinner at Mika’s, then drinking down the strip.
Splurge Vs Save
Our budget was $20,000.
We saved the minute we decided to hand over the reins to Jess & The Whitsunday Wedding Planners.
Everything was so reasonably priced, we were shocked!
Whitsunday Wedding Venue
Having both come from Townsville, we wanted somewhere beautiful & not too far from there for our Townsville guests.
We had guests from all over the country, so we knew everyone would have to travel, we decided where better to travel to, than the beautiful Airlie Beach!
Our guests got to relax and enjoy the region, even if it was only for the weekend.
Nothing compares to the Whitsunday Coast in our opinion.
Gifting the Guests
Shane & I crafted handmade, engraved, edge-lit acrylic nameplates with pine bases. We also had bottle openers, coasters & bookmarks for the sober guests!
Wedding Day Vision
We wanted something laid back, with plenty of personal touches and a relaxed elegance.
DIY Details
We created interactions for the guests, which we could keep as reminders of our day. Our ring box, card box, anniversary message in a bottle, a date idea line and our guest book photo frame to name a few.
We love having a project to work on together, so creating things for our wedding was super important to us!
Funniest Moment
We had Shane’s brother’s 18-month-old twins walk down the aisle first- as a ringless ring bearer & flower girl. They took off at a great speed, ready or not!
Casey did not want a bar of his sign. Kara, being the cleverer of the two, ran off behind him with it. As they ran down the aisle to the arch, they noticed they had got a bit carried away, so ran back again to meet us mid aisle walk.
Remarkable Memories
Our ceremony, and especially our vows were a moment in time that Shane and I will remember forever. Writing our own vows allowed us to express our love in ways that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
Our first dance was the culmination of 5 dance lessons & a heap of late night practising in our front room.
Having a choreographed dance allowed us to take on something together that was neither of our fortes, and conquer it together.
We thoroughly enjoyed our lessons & having that time together at the end of each day, face to face in each other’s arms while we danced to the music and discussed our days, our future & of course the next step!
Special Thanks and Supplier Shout Outs
We have quite a few thank you’s…
To our guests, for travelling all that way and sharing in the happiest day of our lives, we can’t thank them enough.
To Carnie Lee, the kindest make up artist I have ever had the pleasure of working with, thank you for skills and more.
Thank you to Nadine Kemp, our photographer, who was able to capture our love & freeze it in time for eternity. Her photographs speak for themselves.
And lastly to Jess at WWP, for everything she did leading up to and on the day of our wedding. We simply could not have pulled it off without her.
To have someone so in tune to our needs and ahead of the game in terms of planning was just amazing!
Bride’s Wisdom
Don’t spend too much time or energy stressing, it will all come together in the end and a positive planning journey will help you stay chilled out on the day.
Be flexible with the small details, as your day will be beautiful regardless. Make your wedding about the two of you, showcase your souls & involve your guests in your story.
And definitely hire a wedding planner!
