An Intimate Wedding in Currumbin

What led you to decide on your venue? Did you see many beforehand? Google is a wonderful thing however it can lead to unlimited options… We found Villa Sanchea 6 months earlier when we were looking for a place we could stay for our wedding. Once we decided on a small family wedding we knew the Villa would the perfect venue.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme? And if no theme, the vibe? Small and intimate was our theme. We only decided on a small family wedding a few days before Christmas so we had 3 months to plan everything. The best thing was it now felt like we were planning a family dinner with flowers and a photographer rather than a big wedding.

What was your favourite detail from the day day? I was surprised how relaxing my day was actually. I even had time to do my nails and practice my vows while Nicole was busy taking the grooms photos. I honestly think the key to my relaxing day was due to three people: 1. My beautiful sister, Simone, who organising all the little things for me on the day. 2. My hair and makeup artist. When you spend most of your day with your hair stylist and makeup artist, I was certainly glad to spend it with the lovely, chilled and extremely talented Kylie Rose. 3. The silent achiever on the day, our amazing photographer, Nicole. My favourite moment on the day was walking down the aisle when the groom turned around to see me for the first time.

Talk to us about your dress? Where was it from? How long did it take to find and how did you find the over all experience? I actually bought the dress back home in Mackay at Jill Burston for Brides before we confirmed the wedding date. We had already planned a 3 month holiday from Christmas to Easter and we ended up getting married the week before Easter. With such a short time frame my dress was put on a rush order and sent to the Gold Coast. The first time I saw the dress was a week before the wedding. Luckily it was a perfect fit and only needed the hem taken up. The dress was a Stella York which was always the brand I loved the most when I was originally looking at dresses. I guess you always have a favourite style.

Favourite moment / memory from the day? I loved having one big table for the reception. One of my favourite moments was when the chefs brought out the cake/dessert, their signature croquembouche with baileys filled profiteroles and spun toffee rings. It was the largest croquembouche the restaurant has ever made so they were proud of themselves. I love my desserts and those profiteroles were amazing!

What does marriage mean to you? Our wedding was the perfect way to finish up our 3 month holiday travelling around south east Australia. It really made us think about the truly important thing in life without the distraction of our full time jobs. Marriage is a partnership and we are a team. (A team living in a roof top tent for 3 months ) I think the holiday made us stronger together. Especially when we were both so looking forward to the wedding even after spending 24/7 together for such a long time before hand.

Any funny stories from the day?
I think I thought I was Speedy Gonzales on the day. Nicole had specifically told me to walk down the aisle slowly for the photos but I forgot everything when I saw him. I had tears in my eyes (as did everyone else). I was so quick that it meant I got to stand with Craig and wait as the song played out. This was actually great because it meant we could have a quick little chat and breath before the ceremony started. And in true speedy fashion, I didn’t listen to my celebrant either. I had the grooms ring on his finger before I had even said my lines. At least we all got a little laugh at my speediness during the ceremony.

Any advice for other couples planning a wedding? If you’re getting anxiety just thinking about a big wedding (like I was) then don’t be afraid to have a small wedding. It’s your day, not anyone else’s.

Anything you are really glad you did? Or wish you didn’t do? I’m so glad we were able to get ready at the same place we got married. Just one less thing to organise or worry about was getting to the venue.