Vanessa and Adam’s Rustic Beach Themed Central Coast Wedding

I’ve photographed Vanessa a lot. She regularly models for Central Coast Couture Designer Kel-Leigh and I’m the lucky photographer who gets to work with the team. When Vanessa enquired about having me photographing her wedding – sure I was rapt, she’s a stunner, but this would be different to shooting a modelling session… this was the real deal!

I was concerned she wouldn’t like my approach to wedding photography – less directing, working with available light (no studio flash equipment), more of a documentary approach and looking for those real moments with family, friends and of course Adam.

Adam, Vanessa and I had a chat, discussed plans for their rustic beach themed wedding on the Central Coast and we were all happy to go for it – shoot the way I like to shoot and they’ll simply enjoy the day. Perfect! And it was.

Following the wedding, I asked Vanessa about her wedding, what went into the day and if she’d change a thing, given the chance. To put you in the picture my first question was just how did you and Adam meet…

Adam and I met online on RSVP after my friend Laura put my profile up.  After just one week of chatting online we had our first date and it all started from there.

 

The proposal

Adam and I had our first holiday together 8 months after our first date. We went to New Zealand and it was in Queenstown where Adam got down on one knee after dinner, at sunset and popped the question. I actually forgot to say yes as I was in tears, so Adam had to ask again to make sure.

 

Where did you choose for your ceremony?

Our ceremony was held at Blue Lagoon north reserve, Bateau Bay on the beautiful Central Coast.

Adam and I have a pretty relaxed lifestyle and we love the beach. We wanted it to still be somewhere that had a little privacy and this location was perfect.

 

Where did you decide to have your Reception?

Our reception was at the Glasshouse in the Entrance.

We wanted to keep our reception close by for our guests to travel to but still keeping the beach or water as a feature in our day. We went to a wedding expo at the Glasshouse and we fell in love – it ticked all our boxes.

The staff were also lovely and very helpful. This was also going to be our plan B if it had of rained.

 

Were you going for a theme or style?

Our style was rustic beach. I wanted to focus on the beautiful colours of the beach and bring the outdoors in. And Adam, being a locksmith bought in a few quirky little key decorative objects to tie everything together.

 

My wedding dress and some advice for future brides…

My wedding dress was exactly what I had pictured myself in. It was a sweetheart neckline with beautiful lace detailing throughout. A subtle amount of beading and crystals, which was just perfect. It had a train but was still easy to move and walk in.

My advice would be to not go shopping at too many places, you will get confused by all the different options available. My Dress came from Kel-leigh Couture a boutique and more personal shopping experience.

You book by appointment so you can guarantee a team member will look after you and only you.

I would also say to follow your gut, easier said than done when choosing your dream dress but my dress was the second one I tried on and I knew straight away. It may have also been the reactions I got from my mum and bridesmaids, happy tears all round.

 

Where did you find your wedding shoes?

I’m not much of shoe girl so didn’t have anything to fancy, I was actually going to wear some nice beaded flats up until I came across a pair of heels in Forever New. They were a turquoise colour that matched my bridesmaids dresses and also created that “something blue.”

I loved my shoes, however, they did come off half way through the night. So buy for comfort if you can.

 

Where did you find jewellery and accessories?

My jewelry and accessories came from the same place as my dress, Kel-leigh Couture.

It was easy because I had my dress on while shopping for everything else and could see exactly what worked and what didn’t.  It also gave me an overall feel of how I would look on the day.

 

Who did your hairstyling on the day?

My hairdresser, Charity from Vive hair in Wamberal did my hair for my bridesmaids and I. I chose a half up, half down style as I didn’t want anything to slick in an up do but didn’t want my hair all out covering my dress.

Charity also came to the house to do it all which took all the stress out of going somewhere.

 

What about your makeup artist?

My makeup artist was Monique Weightman of U-Nique Beauty Spot.

Monique was great, I booked in for a trial, showed her a photo of what I wanted/liked she did exactly that with a couple of additions to make my eyes stand out more.

She also came to the house making for an easy morning of getting ready.

 

Where did you find the guys suits?

We found the suits at YD. The staff were so helpful when it came to fitting the groomsmen. We decided to purchase the suits so the guys could wear them again and as a thank you.

 

What about your flowers and bouquets?

I did the flowers myself with the help from my in laws who got Hydrangeas (my all time favorite flower)  for us when they were out of season here in Australia.

We spent the Friday before the wedding putting the bouquets and buttonholes together.  I always knew I wanted to use just one flower and hydrangeas are the most beautiful on their own.

 

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?

We chose our wedding cake after randomly tasting some at a market.

Alex from Cake and Plate at Niagara Park had a stand set up and we loved it!!

It was as easy as showing her a photo of what we wanted and she created it. We had everyone loving the cake on the night just as much as we did.  It looked beautiful, nothing too over the top.

 

Did you have Bonbonniere?

Yes, our Bonbonnieres were little succulents that I had been growing a year and half in advance to make sure I had enough for everyone. They also doubled as our guests name tags.

I love succulents and wanted everyone to take home a more personal touch from Adam and I.  It was our way of saying thank you and to watch our love grow.

 

Can you describe the photography part of the day?

Well from what we have seen so far I’m pretty sure the photography is AMAZING!!

Having worked with Andrew previously I knew what to expect but the rest of our bridal party didn’t and Andrew just made it so easy and simple for everyone involved. He is relaxed and easy going and knows how to make it a fun experience.

 

What led you choose Impact Images for your wedding photography?

After many years of working with Andrew on some bridal modeling shoots It was without a doubt who I wanted to be there on our wedding day, not only that but to capture me in the dress that I was going to keep.

I introduced Adam and Andrew and it all felt very comfortable, professional and easy.

 

Do you have a “most memorable moment” from the day?

Adam says watching his bride walk down the aisle and I could say the entire day, but the most memorable and special part for me was when my Dad gave me away and the look he and Adam had in their eyes at that moment.

 

Are you heading off for a honeymoon?

We are actually going on our honeymoon at the end of the year. Two weeks in Italy and one week in Dubai. Can’t wait!!

 

Do you have any advice for brides to be?

Take in as much of the day as you can.

Everybody will tell you this but the way I actually did it was by mentally taking a step back at different points of the day.

Getting ready, I took five minutes to myself, in the car on the way to the ceremony I had a couple of silent moments to myself, (no matter how loudly my bridesmaids were singing) and then at the reception after we got introduced to the room I looked around at all our tables to take everyone in.

 

If you had the chance to do it all again, what would you change?

Our wedding day in my eyes was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. We had planned every detail and had lots of help from family and friends so I was very relaxed on the day.

Remember your day is about you!

 

You can see more photos of Vanessa in modelling role in a range of gorgeous gowns by Kel_leigh Couture here and here.

And if you’d like details on our wedding photography pricing, click here.