Ari + Alex
Wedding Date: 15th February 2020
Venue: Casa Mio Surf Hacienda, Crescent Head
Funky and fun yet totally serene. Talk about a couple that made us feel all kinds of ways!
Ari and Alex are so laidback it was almost hard to believe when we met them. We kept waiting for the tone to change but this couple was so cool to work with from beginning to end. And, they totally knew how to have a good time!
Ari and Alex knew they wanted a wedding on the East Coast but weren’t committed to a specific town. It happened to be the very special venue they uncovered that brought Ari and Alex to Crescent Head.
In the end, it was the very fact that the venue was located in Crescent that sealed the deal.
A little off the grid, and brimming with beauty, the town of Crescent Head is calm and cool and seemed set the scene perfectly for the next stage of this couple’s life together.
Past, present and future love
It’s not often you hear of a couple with as much history as Ari and Alex. They first met during high school — 17 whopping years ago!
Ari describes the past 11 years they spent together as a couple as “pretty damn fun,” and after getting to know the pair a little better throughout the planning process, we understand why.
Ari smiled sweetly as she shared the story of the couple’s engagement, “Alex proposed in Menorca, a little Spanish island. And, in typical laidback fashion, he waited until the absolute last day of our holiday. He used a random suggestion on a beach location from the locals to pick the spot he wanted to propose!”
She laughed as she continued reflecting, “He claimed he needed a new profile picture and set up his camera for a timed photo. I was so surprised when the mood shifted. The moment he proposed was just so simple and perfect.”
Alex said “Ari had a near death experience the night before from an allergic reaction to shellfish, so I thought I had better propose before it was too late!”
After hearing this story, we understood why Ari steered clear of shellfish the night of the wedding and were thrilled to be working with a couple who had spent so many years together already.
A hidden gem with inspo to spare
Did we mention that Ari is a wedding videographer?
She shared with us that the inspiration for the venue stemmed from a wedding she had filmed in Crescent Head many years ago. She remembers seeing Casa Mio for the first time and feeling like she had just discovered the most wonderful hidden gem.
Yet over the years, she had forgotten about the treasure.
After looking up and down the East Coast on the Airbnb map in search of a venue for their own wedding, Ari stumbled upon Casa Mio and fell in love all over again. Hard.
She explained, “When I remembered the location was in Crescent Head, the deal was sealed!”
After making the decision on the location and venue, “we didn’t look back once.”
Ari gushed while talking about the venue. She said “Casa Mio has been impeccably designed by the owners Ali and Vaughn, so we didn’t want to force much else in the way of decor on the place.”
They decided to pull inspiration from and enhance the feel of the venue, which to them reflected the relaxed Australian bush with hints of Spanish detailing, that they saw in the architecture.
Ari explained further, “My mum is Spanish and that made me love the Spanish vibe even more.”
“So, the brief for our theme ended up being earthy and bright, with a 70’s vibe,” and that it was.
A ceremony connected to nature
In our experience organising events at Casa Mio, it’s absolutely impossible not to fall in love with the tree. And Ari and Alex were no exception to that sentiment.
Ari recalls the tree being the inspiration for the entire ceremony.
“There is the most ridiculously beautiful Bloodwood tree on the property, so we wanted to keep the ceremony pretty simple.”
There were comfortable, natural wood benches for loved ones to sit on during the ceremony, a few funky rugs that fit well with the 70’s vibe and the florist, Alice Rose Beasley, decorated the entire area with gorgeous wildflowers, keeping the entire space below that big beautiful tree grounded and connected to nature.
Party like it’s 1970
According to Ari, “The reception came together seamlessly with the help of Mel and Ali from Salt and Wildflowers. They worked all morning setting it up.”
“We were flexible on a lot of the planning for the evening but knew we didn’t want a standard sit down dinner.”
We worked with Ari and Alex to design the perfect set up, that was not a traditional sit down dinner but still maintained an intimate feel for the evening. The set up included a few ‘break-out’ areas with regular tables, low picnic tables and some of the couches from inside the house.
We decorated the areas with earthy rugs, cushions, fairy lights and wildflowers to tie everything together and keep the look consistent with their theme.
The set up also included a stretch tent from Willow Tree Marquees, which was crucial in the set up as it suited the theme and also helped break things up and defined the entertainment and dance space.
He’s got talent
Did we mention that Alex is a real life rockstar?
Ari said she knew Alex would be performing at the reception all along “Alex is a musician and pulled together a band of friends – they played both covers and originals.”
She said it was a total hit, “It was so much fun and went off, as you can tell by the pictures!”
“Matt from NoiseFlash Productions did such an incredible job making the gig feel like a high quality production despite being almost in the middle of nowhere.”
To round out the night and keep the energy high, they also had a friend, Alex Tullet, take over to DJ.
“It was definitely a party we’ll never forget,” remembers Ari.
A menu with some colour
“We just loved picking out the menu,” recalls Ari.
The couple sourced Paddock to Plate to cater the event. They suited their needs and already had experience catering at Casa Mio, which was a major plus.
“Matt had already done one wedding at Casa Mio and was willing to create a bespoke menu based on our multicultural backgrounds. Alex is half Aussie, half Indian and I’m half Malaysian, half Spanish.”
Ari and Alex were very impressed by the food, as were their guests. “We were so stoked with the way the food turned out! I’m getting hungry just remembering it.”
Ari described the food as delicious and colourful, and “it did exactly what we wanted — bring everyone together.”
And, we can’t not mention the drinks caravan from a nearby business, August and Lucy. That really got the party started!
Ari shared with us that organising the caravan for the reception was critical and something she’d recommend for anyone who may be on the fence as to whether or not something like it is worth it.
All things bridal
Then, there are all those beautiful bits a pieces that made the day complete.
Ari and Alex didn’t fuss over too many of the details but they put so much thought and care into the ones that were important to them.
Bride’s dress: L’eto Bridal
She wanted something unique that fit the look of the venue and that’s exactly what she got.
Ari loved her dress “At the risk of sounding cliche, it really was a total vibe.
She gushed as she described the sleeves and pleating details, “I literally could not have been happier with it!”
Groom’s outfit: MJ Bale
Bridesmaid dresses: Assortment
Hair & Makeup: Bonnie Lee
“Bonnie was the best! She had a fun and calming presence which was so nice to have around in the morning.”
Ari felt the makeup really did its job without being overpowering.
“She gave me a super natural look, which is exactly what I was after.”
Photographer:
Ari and Alex ended up selecting two photographers to cover the event.
Full Hearts, who handled the digital content. And, The Runaway Hearts who did all of the film photography and Super 8 coverage.
Ari was a little embarrassed they had two photographers but was happy with the choice in the end. “It felt a little extra to have both but we are so incredibly happy with how they turned out.”
Full Hearts is a friend of Ari’s. She said they “captured the whole day perfectly, and the film photography from The Runaway Hearts really had a magical timelessness that their theme.
Videographer/Wedding film:
A wonderful friend Lauri from Agape Stories and Sheila, a team member from Ari’s own business Keeper Films, filmed the day.
Florist: Alice Rose Beasley
Ari couldn’t easily find a florist that matched what she had in mind.
“I wanted wildflowers and little bud vases for the 70’s feel, rather than big bouquets and table settings. Alice nailed it!”
Ari said “She was so kind and willing to trek everything to Crescent Head during a heat wave.
Ari was very impressed at how well Alice was able to bring her ideas to life and recalled “The bouquets were particularly incredible – such a dream!”
Stationary:
Ari painted all the signage herself with friends the day before. She remembers it being by far, the best part of the wedding preparations.
“Natasha Michels did our invite design, but that was all paperless and done over email.”
A Red Hot first dance
Our first dance was to ‘Dosed’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Ari and Alex just love their music and told us “We’re suckers for the Chilis and the lyrics are beautiful.”
Final thoughts
This wedding was an event that was absolutely filled to the brim with life and love. It was an absolute pleasure working with Ari and Alex and we wish them all the best in their future together.