Real Wedding // Trish & Simon’s Forget Me Not Wedding

Trish & Simon’s Forget Me Not wedding took hinterland classic romance to a whole new level. There is nothing we would change and there is everything we wish to relive about this incredible day. From Trish’s elegant cream embroidered gown paired with bright blooms wrapped in loose ribbon, the emotional ceremony experience, to a mesmerising reception underneath an impressive Sperry Tent. Witness how Stories by Ash perfectly captured the entirety of this unique occasion.

Tell us your story, how did you both meet?
Trish: Simon and I met over 7 years ago at a party when we were in our final year of medical school. After a few weeks of flirting in the library and in-between classes, it all came to a head on “Sports Day” – a day where over 400 medical students dress up in scrubs and crazy outfits and go on a pub crawl through Brisbane. He gifted me all of his drink tickets, and asked if I’d like to “hang out sometime”. So smooth! We’ve been inseparable ever since, working and travelling together.

How did the proposal happen?
Simon: We had been working in Mackay in 2016 and to surprise her I took her for a weekend away. We went on a skippered private yacht to a small Whitsunday island. We had been on the same boat a year earlier and had a magical day out on the reef, so this time I’d convinced them to take just the two of us. We had a swim amongst the coral reef off a private beach, followed by a seafood and champagne lunch before I took a knee and asked her to be my wife (to which she said yes!). There was ‘ugly crying’ and it wasn’t just me. In the moment of ecstasy and relief I actually forgot to put the ring on her finger and promptly closed the box – so Trish had to ask me to repeat the deed a second time! I then further surprised her by getting us dropped off for a romantic night at the Hayman Island resort.

What were the reasons for choosing Forget Me Not as the venue for your special day?
Trish: We were lucky to visit a number of amazing venues in Byron Bay with Che from Byron Bay Weddings. When we drove down the long driveway at Forget Me Not, we both had the biggest grins on our faces and knew it was the one! It is such a special place. The owner Jo puts so much love and energy into it; the gardens are just incredible and there is a picture perfect view everywhere you look. Jo is a tireless and generous host and seemed just as invested in making our wedding perfect as we were. We also loved the flexibility of ceremony location, decorations and reception structure.

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?
Trish: We were both pretty laid back when it came to the decorations, which was why it was so great to have such wonderful help from The Wedding Shed to do the hard work for us. We kept the furniture light and fresh to fit with the natural beauty of the venue, and the gorgeous Sperry Tent brought a bit of a luxe feel while still showing off the view of the gardens and the lake. Alstonville Florists were fantastic and so creative; we essentially gave them an open brief of “bright and colourful” and they did the rest. The arbor flowers and Sperry Tent floral installations were just spectacular!

Were there any vendors that you particularly loved working with and why?
All of them. We had the most amazing team!

Our celebrant Cara Gallagher, Modern Love Ceremonies, was the biggest legend ever. Straight away we felt like she was an old friend, and she made sure our ceremony represented us as a couple. We had so many comments from our guests on how natural, warm and fun she was. She was also so helpful in helping us write our own vows, which was really special.

Ash our photographer, of Stories by Ash, takes the most beautiful, natural photos and we are so happy to have such wonderful shots from the day that we will cherish. She was helpful and flexible, and made us both feel comfortable and able to have fun with it all.

Also a special credit to Shaun our videographer from Lemon Tree Film House. These guys shoot the most gorgeous films, and we are so happy to have such a special memento of the day.

Millie’s of Newrybar made our cake, which was a four tiered lemon chiffon and cookies and cream with buttercream icing. Dione was a dream to work with, and the cake…? Well it was simply delicious and was polished off very quickly! 

Last but not least, Byron Bay Weddings!

What were your favourite parts of the planning process with Byron Bay Weddings?
Right from the beginning, the whole team was so helpful and accommodating. Che helped us pick the right venue that suited our style and could also accommodate our needs in terms of guests and budget. Emily and Helen were great at putting us in touch with our vendors and helping plan all the details to make sure we didn’t forget anything! Lloyd and the team on the day were amazing – it all ran incredibly smoothly, so we could just enjoy ourselves with our guests.

Overall, what was your most favourite part of your wedding day and why?
Simon: My favourite part of the day was the ceremony. It was a cloudy day but the sunbeams started slicing through the clouds an onto the rolling hills in the early afternoon. The setting couldn’t have been more magical – a rustic arbor beside a beautiful pond. Trish had decided for the bridal procession to take the long walk around the pond which was really dramatic, to the Regina Spector version of ‘Real Love’. When she arrived at the aisle and our eyes finally met it was the most exhilarating and emotional feeling. Cara then orchestrated a really heart-felt and personal ceremony with lots of laughs and feeling and this ultimately kick-started the vibe for the wild times to follow.

Trish: Our ceremony was so special – being able to make those promises to each other in front of our loved ones in such a beautiful setting was just magic. It was emotional, but also a lot of fun! A close runner-up would be the after dinner espresso martinis and the dance floor with all of our friends.

Suppliers
Venue: Forget Me Not // Celebrant: Modern Love Ceremonies // Hair & Makeup: Alex Ouston Beauty // Photographer: Stories by Ash // Videographer: Lemon Tree Film House // Florist: Alstonville Florist // Catering: Fig Tree Catering // Drink: The Cellar Bottle Shops // Cake: Millies of Newrybar // Lighting & Audio:  Byron Audio // Furniture & Styling: The Wedding Shed // Transport: Go Byron // Planning & Coordination: Byron Bay Weddings