Real Wedding // Emma & Tom’s Fig Tree Restaurant Wedding

Emma & Tom celebrated their gorgeous wedding day at the Fig Tree Restaurant on the first day of spring. Their wedding was an ode to modern minimalism and timeless elegance, flawlessly encapsulating the essence of their love and connection as a couple. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of simplicity and embracing an all-white colour palette, every detail was meticulously styled to create a day that was nothing short of perfection. From breathtaking ceremony florals to soft, intricate, and sculptural table arrangements, we are in awe of their exquisite details! After years of wedding planning, with a few unexpected twists and turns, Emma & Tom’s dream day turned out to be everything they had envisioned, and more. It was a privilege to play a part in their day, alongside an exceptional team of suppliers. Read on to hear more about their beautiful love story.

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

Tom’s younger brother and I are both the same age and have always been in each
other’s social circles. When we both turned 18 Tom took it upon himself to show his little
brother what Perth’s nightlife scene was all about and that is when we first met. Young
and carefree we instantly hit it off. We shared the same sense of humour and met for
many weekends in a row to laugh and dance the night away. We have been together
ever since.

In 2018 we had planned a trip around Europe where we would also be attending Tom’s
sister’s wedding. We had arrived in Santorini, the day before, and were very much
excited for a full day of exploring together. We had woken up early that morning to enjoy
breakfast overlooking the breathtaking Caldera. Tom proposed just as breakfast was
being delivered to us. It was a magical holiday that we will never forget topped off with
being able to celebrate with family and friends as we arrived in France for his sister’s
wedding.

What were the reasons for choosing Fig Tree Restaurant as the venue for your special day?

We were engaged for 2 years before beginning our planning process in 2020. We
had been playing the long-distance game due to Tom living in Adelaide for work. Once
Covid hit and state borders we about to close, I quickly made the move from Perth to
Adelaide to be with Tom. Call us crazy but we thought that was the perfect time to start
wedding planning. We had envisioned a destination wedding for when everyone would
be free to travel again. Tom and I, along with our family and friends, had never been to
Byron before, so we thought it would be the perfect place to explore together for our
wedding weekend.

We quickly found Fig Tree Restaurant online and instantly knew that it was the place
where we would get married. It had everything we had pictured for our special day – the
onsite accommodation, the ceremony and reception being held within the same venue,
the beautifully manicured gardens where we would have our wedding portraits taken as
well as the effortlessly cool poolside area, where our guests would enjoy delicious
cocktails and canapes before heading into our reception

Three years later, after bushfires, a pandemic, and the arrival of our baby boy Archie, we
were finally able to see Fig Tree Restaurant in person – the day before our wedding!!
Che gave us the most special tour of the grounds and it was even more magical in real
life, we were absolutely blown away by every aspect of the venue.

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?

We wanted to allow for the beauty of the Fig Tree grounds and restaurant to shine through with limited styling and finessing. We were aiming for modern minimalism and timeless elegance.

As a graphic designer, it had always been a dream of mine to create the collateral for my
own wedding day. I worked on all of the stationery and signage designs myself. Of
course, I was my own worst client and was very indecisive but after finally locking in the
designs it was a pleasure to work with the amazing Signed by Shaun who printed and
set up all of our items for us on the day.

We also worked with the gorgeous Emilia from Bloodwood Botanica who created the
most beautiful blooms for our day. Some of these were, the pillar alters for our wedding
ceremony, the fluffy yet intricate tablescapes as well as my beautifully curated bouquet
of white long-stemmed roses. Sticking within a floral scheme of modern understated
designs with sculptural floating florals in an all-white palette.

Our stationery and florals tied in perfectly with the hire items we selected from The
Wedding Shed. We again, stuck with an all-white colour palette with a touch of gold.
Drapey white linen tablecloths and napkins, modern gold cutlery, and the beautiful
candles package that flickered throughout our reception were just some of the items
from our hire list.

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

We had the absolute dream team of vendors behind our big day and we could not fault any of
them. All of their hard work for the years and months leading up to our day is something
we could never thank them enough for.

An upside of having to postpone our wedding twice was that I was able to lock in a
makeup artist that I wanted, but was unavailable, for my previous wedding dates.
Phoebe Fever was such a calming personality to have on the morning of the wedding.
She made me feel absolutely beautiful with the cool, effortless, editorial look she created
for me. It felt like I was chatting with an old friend as I was getting ready with her.

Amanda from Salon ALM was not only my hairdresser but a gorgeous friend of mine
who has been doing my hair for years. I was lucky enough to have her fly all the way
from Perth to attend our wedding as a guest. She created two stunning looks for me on
the day. Safe to say I would not have had anyone else do my wedding hair.

Our celebrant Skai from Skai Ceremonies was a vendor we had booked years in
advance. When I finally met her on the morning of the wedding it had felt like I had
known her for years. Throughout our magical windswept ceremony, she managed to
hold us together with her warm and welcoming nature. She gave us direction without
feeling pushy. It felt like a real-life fairytale. She made everything feel so personal and
special.

Rory and Pearce from Allume Weddings captured our wedding day and they brought
such a fun energy to the day. Tom and I were completely at ease in front of the camera
and we particularly had fun with them on the dance floor.

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

Sophie and Laura from Byron Bay Weddings both assisted us with our
planning. Every step of the journey was enjoyable and I loved our monthly catch-ups.
Nothing was ever too hard for the girls and they knew the answer to absolutely
everything. They were both so lovely to deal with and had me feeling organised and
ready to tackle each step of the planning process.

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

Our ceremony was definitely a highlight. After 12 years together our wedding had really been a long time coming. As I walked down the aisle it felt like a dream come true that we were finally about to get married. It was so special having everyone we love in the same place at the same time, especially our son
Archie whom we had postponed the wedding due to his arrival the year before.

Tom and I are big foodies so sitting down for a meal at the reception with all of our loved
ones was a really special moment.

We would not have survived without our day-of coordinators Jimmy and Rhonda who
made the day run so smoothly. It was so nice to know we had a team that would look
after us every step of the way. The details they both focussed on were things we would
never have thought of. We particularly loved the fact that you sat our direct family across
from us diagonally, for the ceremony, so we could see them all there as we were taking
it all in. Such a simple detail like that made all of the difference.

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

Everything will fall into place just the way it was meant to be. You can’t control every tiny detail and the little things that come up will just be the unique aspects that make your day so special and unique to you.

Don’t be afraid of the weather. Our ceremony was extremely windy – my hair was going
all over the place and my veil blew off but it all made for epic wedding photos!

At the end of the day, you are there to celebrate your love. As soon as I saw Tom
smiling back at me at the end of the aisle nothing else mattered.

Emma & Tom xo

Suppliers
Venue: Fig Tree Restaurant // Hair: Salon Alm // Makeup: Pheobe Fever // Celebrant: Skai Ceremonies // Photographer: Allume Weddings // Videographer: Allume Weddings // Florals: Bloodwood Botanica // Musician: DJ Scradley // Cake: Rebellyous Cake Co. // Transport: Byron Bay Double Deckers // Childminding: Rugrats Helping Hands // Catering: Fig Tree Catering // Lighting:  Byron Audio // Furniture & Styling: The Wedding Shed // Planning & Coordination: Byron Bay Weddings