Wedding Date: 18th March, 2021

Venue: Casa Mio Surf Hacienda, Crescent Head

Living in Newcastle at the time, Emily had a trial shift at the cocktail bar where Jesse worked. Unfortunately, Emily didn’t know the difference between at Shiraz and a Sauv Blanc, so didn’t end up with the job. A few nights later they bumped into each other on a night out with friends, with the help of social media they got chatting and Jesse asked Emily out on their first date to get ice cream at the beach. The rest is history.

The time is right

Whilst visting family and friends in Newcastle, Jesse suggested a casual beer at the beach to watch the huge swell. After pulling up at Kind Edward Park, Emily realised it was a picnic just for two. Emily could tell something was going on as she had never seen Jessee so nervous. After pulling out a picnic rug and cracking open a beer, Jesse said he had a really nice peom one of his students had written. Pulling out a scrappy little A3 notepad Jesse began to read the poem. It was called ‘the time is right’ and from the first line Emily knew this was not written by a student and in fact he was talking about her. After the poem Jesse got out the ring box and asked Emily to be his wife.

A special place in our hearts

Crescent Head has always held a special place in their hearts. It was the very first spot on their maiden van trip together up the coast and continued to be a favourite destination for many little weekend getaways. After relocating to Port Macquarie, Crescent Head was only a short trip up the highway. When searching the area for potential wedding venues, Casa Mio Surf Hacienda popped up and they knew instantly they had found the perfect venue. Having recently returned from a Mexican holiday, the unique vibe of Casa Mio had them totally hooked. Wanting to incorporate their new love of Tequila and Margaritas, Casa Mio provided the perfect venue to complement their styling inspiration.

Stunning simplicity

Jesse and Emily wanted a minimalist style for their ceremony, simply standing under the beautiful tree and feeling as much a part of nature as possible. Guests were seated on timber benches with a stunning simple flower arrangement from Botanic Merchant attached to the trunk of the tree.

As Jesse was greeting the guests and awaiting Emily to walk down the aisle, it was suggested to play four of Jesse’s favourite songs that bring calm vibes. Emily could hear these songs as she was finishing getting ready and loved the excitement she felt in this moment. Emily walked down the aisle to ‘River’ by Leon Bridges.

Arlene from Heart & Earth ceremonies began the ceremony with a moment of mindfulness. This was their favourite part as it allowed Jesse and Emily to close their eyes and really soak in the moment. They had a good friend who is a relationship therapist say a word on love, followed by their personal vows and a big old first kiss.

‘it’s not about waiting for the storm to PASS; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain’

Well… Every idea they had planned for the reception was scrapped the day before due to floods. Ideas of a sunny, picnic styled afternoon ended up as more of a cocktail style with last minute marquees. Despite the weather challenges, our team at Salt & Wildflowers designed and styled the new layout that still utilised the beautiful rugs and vintage lounges that Jesse and Emily had planned. Whilst they didn’t get to use all the beautiful outdoor space that Casa Mio has to offer, furniture was moved and resulted in an incredible cosy space for the guests to mingle under shelter during the floods.

DELCIOUSNESS

Catering Paddock to Plate put on a vegetarian feast of stuffed spit roasted pumpkin, barbequed pepper tofu, crispy potatoes and an abundance of salads all using fresh, in season local produce from farmers in the mid north coast. It was incredible and one of the highlights of our wedding.

Cake: Kate Caters made a delicious 2 tier cake consisting of an orange & almond flourless and a lemon and coconut.

Bar: August & Lucy Caravan bar served up margarita’s all afternoon

‘all things bridal’

Emily wore the Behati two-piece gown by Grace Loves Lace, ordered online only 6 weeks before the big day. Without even trying it on Emily knew this was the gown for her. Emily wanted something she could run in, do cartwheels in, wear all day and be comfortable whilst still feeling that little bit special. Emily wanted to wear something a bit different but also feel herself and could not have designed a more suitable gown if she tried.

Bride’s Shoes:

Emily’s shoes were the Dosa heels by Grace Loves Lace. Simple, stunning and will definitely wear them again.

Bride’s jewellery:

Earrings- Grace Loves Lace

Bracelet and Necklace- Natalie Marie Jewellery

THE MOMENTS

‘first dance’

The first dance was Coming Home by Leon Bridges. Leon holds a spot close to both of their hearts, after seeing him live at an interment venue and fell in love. Coming Home has beautiful lyrics and is a song they would always dance around the house to. It just felt natural to use it on their special day.

‘favourite moment’

Jesse and Emily said ‘Our favourite moment was in the afternoon, a little bit of sun peaked through the rain clouds momentarily and our photographer told us to run out under the festoon lights for a dance. Jesse and I both say in that moment it honestly felt like we were the only two there. It was the most magical moment and we will never forget it. There were also some stunning photos captured during this time’.

CREATIVES

Photographer

Nic from Fox & Kin was an absolute saviour on the day. She just knew what to do and when to do it. Jesse and Emily said ‘Every moment with her felt so natural and you can see this in the photos. She captured so many beautiful candid moments throughout the day and just absolutely smashed it in all the rain. We could not have been happier with the photos and we were lucky enough to have a second afternoon with her when the skies cleared for our beach side portraits. Apart from being an awesome photographer she’s also just so damn fun to be around! I would highly recommend, she is worth every cent!’

Videographer

The videographer was a family friend named Jacob Stoner. He does not film professionally but he is just damn good with a camera!

Stylists

Salt & Wildflowers. Emily said ‘They were fantastic from the start, from showing us around a few different venues in Crescent Head to help us decide on the one, to answering stressed phone calls about wet weather plans. The girls were always there to answer any and every question I had through email and phone call but were also always available for coffee met ups to discuss details. They have such a beautiful eye for design that I completely lack so I would not have been able to pull it all together without them’

Hire: Port Hire supplied the last-minute marquees and were very happy to chop and change the order during the process of planning. They set everything up in the rain and were great to work with.

Entertainment: Their best mate Kurt Divall play acoustic after the ceremony. He is so talented and set an amazing vibe for the afternoon. When the sun went down, Head Over Wheels from the Sunshine Coast set up their unique vinyl DJ service to create a memorable retro experience. Bartley was fantastic taking all song requests with absolute joy. Jesse and Emily love their own vinyl player and wanted nothing more than to have this old-fashioned vibe at their wedding. ‘We were so grateful Bartley travelled all the way down for us and it was well worth it!’

Florist and why you opted for the flowers you did? Botanic Merchant in Port Macquarie did the flowers. They were absolutely STUNNING! With a collection of orchids, roses and baby's breath. The type of orchids and roses Emily wanted were a specific style and the girls at Botanic Merchant made it happen. They also offered to travel up to Crescent Head and construct a piece to be attached to our ceremony tree at such an affordable price. Jesse and Emily were so stoked with the final result.

Stationary/Signage: Jesse and Emily constructed their own signage and invites using a Mexican themed template from RosemaryLines.

ALL THE OTHER BITS

Groom’s outfit: Jesse got his suit from Suit supply in Sydney. The overall experience from trying on the suit, instore alterations and purchasing accessories was amazing and one they would definitely recommend. The shoes were Windsor Smith, he wore a classic Casio watch and sunglasses by RAEN.

Bridesmaid dresses: The girls wore terracotta-coloured dresses by Shona Joy. Both in different styles, one in the La Lune Bias Cowl Midi and one in La Lune Bias Cowl Maxi.

Bridesmaid accessories: Shoes were Sophie in Blush by Billini and the girls were different jewellery of their choice. They looked absolutely stunning!!!

Hair: Kayla from Gypsy George did all the hair. Emily said ‘She was amazing! Great at what she does, had a beautiful wedding morning vibe and was happy to travel down from South West Rocks. Highly recommend this weapon!’

Make up: Zoe from Ella Bache in Port Macquarie was the talented make-up artist of the day. Emily wanted very minimal makeup and as natural as possible and she absolutely nailed it.