Real Wedding // Courtney & Bird’s Forget Me Not Wedding

Nestled in a tranquil and secluded hinterland setting, Courtney & Bird celebrated their gorgeous wedding at Forget Me Not. Their vision was clear: to have a creative destination wedding, all in one picturesque location. Forget Me Not effortlessly ticked all the boxes, and felt like the perfect combination of Courtney & Bird – country & coastal. Their impeccable styling embraced a tonal palette adorned with playful pops of colour and captivating statement florals, seamlessly matching the vibrancy of their love. The day unfolded in an atmosphere of laughter and joyful moments, all set against the backdrop of the stunning hinterland vistas. Read on to hear more about Courtney & Bird’s special day.

Tell us about your story, how did you meet and where did the proposal happen?

We met at the music festival Big Day Out through a mutual friend of ours. There’s nothing like a 40-degree day dancing to the Prodigy to kick off a love story!

We have been inseparable since that day. We got the opportunity to move abroad to Singapore for work and jumped at it. Bird proposed to me on one of our long weekends away travelling in Siam Reap in Cambodia, it was so special and took me completely by surprise!

What were the reasons for choosing Forget Me Not as the venue for your special day?

Planning a wedding from Singapore we knew we wanted to get married back home in Australia, but still wanted it to feel like a destination wedding for all our friends and guests from around the world. We stumbled across a photo of Forget Me Not set up like a music festival and from there we just fell in love! Bird originally being from the country, and Courtney grew up by the beach Forget Me Not ticked all the boxes for us, the beautiful outdoor setting on the property but close to the beaches of Byron felt like the perfect combination of the two of us. And not to mention the venue gave us the flexibility to get creative and use the space however we wanted to was a big bonus!

What style were you striving for with your table settings, florals and reception? Was there a certain look or vibe that you wanted to create?

So, originally when we set out to plan our wedding we were going for an elevated music festival vibe full of colourful florals, disco balls and all kinds of structures! Fast forward and after 2 postponements our idea had evolved and grown up a little. We ended up wanting a long lunch, which then allowed us to maximise the evening for partying! We kept the florals tonal, and the tables simple so we could have space for all the shared food platters.

Were there any vendors that you particularly loved working with and why?

Everyone we worked with was fantastic, but our two most favourite people would have to be our photographer Shane Shepherd, and our DJ Brad, Scradley Beats.

Those guys were with us from the beginning and throughout all the changes never failed to keep us feeling upbeat and excited about the day. On the wedding day they felt like an extension of our mates and were there to have a great time with us. It really made us feel relaxed and our day wouldn’t have been the party that it was without them!

What were your favourite parts of the wedding planning process with Byron Bay Weddings?

The ease of being able to organise the whole wedding abroad without having even been to our venue until a few months out was amazing. Their knowledge of the local area, the venue and suggestions along the way were incredible. From day one we have always wanted the day to be relaxing and enjoyable for all of our guests, without anyone having to run around and do jobs. Byron Bay wedding planners and the on the day coordinators really allowed that to happen.

Tell us what were the most important aspects of your wedding day and which moments really stood out to you?

Our ceremony was really special and to be honest I think caught us both by surprise! We asked one of our best friends to be our celebrant and it made it feel so warm and personal, we both loved being up there in front of everyone feeling exactly like ourselves. We also asked friends to co-host and MC the day and my word did they deliver!  They surprised us with everything along the way and ran the schedule like a music festival, they had everyone so engaged and in stitches. Having friends being able to take part in the day really made it for us.

Also, Bird being able to announce in his speech to all our loved ones that not only had we made it to 13 years together, but we had also made it to 13 weeks pregnant was a moment I will never forget! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

What would be your biggest advice to other couples currently planning their wedding?

Do what you want, it’s your day! Don’t worry about traditions unless they are important to you and flow the day how you like. We played around with the schedule to enjoy the things we love like long shared lunches filled with rosé, and more dance floor time at the end of the night, and didn’t worry about what usually happens at a wedding. The end result just felt like us.

Courtney & Bird xo

Suppliers
Venue: Forget Me Not // Marquee: Sperry Tents Australia // Hair & Makeup: Alex Ouston // Celebrant: Friend of the Bride & Groom // Photographer: Shane Shepherd // Videographer: Gold Bear // Florals: Wilderness Flowers // DJ: DJ Scradley // Transport: Byron Bay Double Deckers // Bridal Transport: May The EK // Catering: Fig Tree Catering // Lighting:  Byron Audio // Furniture & Styling: The Wedding Shed // Furniture Hire: Hampton Event Hire // Planning & Coordination: Byron Bay Weddings