We are thrilled to share our Italian-inspired wedding styled shoot that took place in the Byron Bay hinterland, Australia. Our warm colour palette was inspired by quintessential Italian summer: citrus orange, lemon yellow, lime green, grapefruit red & pomegranate red - as well as playful pops of pink to accent. We embraced rich colour, as well as texture, with key elements, such as whimsical floristry & bespoke artisan stoneware.
Our venue was a hilltop sanctuary nestled in the gorgeous Byron Bay hinterland: SummerHills Retreat. Serene SummerHills Retreat, overlooking the Nightcap Range Mountains, offered space to bring everyone together. Our ceremony, simply decorated with locally designed & hand-drawn cotton canvas aisle runners by Wandering Folk, was held at the on-site open-air chapel and led by lovely Leisa Ottley, a local celebrant from Ceremonies by Leisa. The macadamia orchard provided the perfect location for a 16-person long-table reception. Light danced over the table setting as it filtered through the orchard canopy. The backdrop for post-reception portraiture was a fig tree - an old & rare Ficus superba var. henneana (approximately 300 years old).
Our 'bride' - Demi - and 'bridesmaid' - Hannah - wore elegant, sleek gowns from Sew Master Fashions. In line with the well-established theory that less is more, the design for each of the gowns was neutral, effortless & clean. Classic cut meets great fit! An exquisite combination of romantic colour palettes teamed with timeless beauty inspired both hair & makeup direction by Ava Belle Hair & Makeup. Finely detailed hair accessories & jewellery from Wendy Louise Designs complemented the classic styling. Our 'groom' - Dylan - wore a navy-blue Peter Jackson suit with a contrasting orange boutonnière.
The unique floral recipe for this shoot was created with care and attention to detail, warm & earthy colours to suit Italian-style ceramic vases & dishes. The brief reminded our florist, Nadja Salter from Le Sans Souci, of Italian landscape: wheat fields with red poppies, blue cornflowers, & delicate grasses - all of which grow all summer in Europe. The above-mentioned selection was paired with green poppy seed pods and burned orange/rusty-coloured paper daisies. The hero bloom chosen was a rare variety of locally-grown rose sourced from Currey's Flower Farm, a farm located west of Brisbane. The stunning warm tone of the burned red rose petals looked almost like red soil. With its green centre, or 'grass heart', this Queen of a rose had a unique shape with the longevity to hold up to a day of Italian celebrations.
The long-table setting supplied and expertly styled by Scenic Rim Wedding Hire provided the canvas for our reception to come to life with some explosive pops of colour. In a nod to Italian country life, the ceramics had been lovingly handcrafted by Miya Valmadre-Morris of Two Warm Hands, providing an earthy, grounding element. The specialty cake stands, vases, platters & plates celebrated the acts of gathering, sharing and connecting with loved ones & the environment around us. The sophisticated stationery, designed by MVP Design, embraced both the stunning palette colours & the overall theme: in effect, an invitation to both the event and Italian summer daydreaming! There was a special & unique inclusion in the invitation suite: a recipe for Ligurian-style sea bass.
The colourful grazing platters from Conk & Co were artistically designed & carefully constructed. In line with the traditional Italian approach to gastronomy, components were kept simple, fresh & of high quality - Nonna- &/or Nonno-inspired. The three-tiered wedding cake, from cake designer Katrina Allan of Cake House, married boldly coloured tiers of wrapped linen- & terrazzo-textured fondant & was draped perfectly with gum paste lemons on branches. Katrina's cake captured elements & textures iconic to Italy that she fondly remembers from her own travels - especially in the Chianti Region. Limoncello tarts, with handmade sun-dried citrus, were placed at each guest's seating. In addition, a rustic caramel cake topped with seasonal fruits paid homage to Nonna’s table. Simplicity. Flavour. Made from the heart. Lashings of hot caramel sauce was poured over the cake by our bride and completed the gastronomic celebrations. Summer evenings in Florence brought back memories of late-night strolls eating beautiful gelato. Guests were treated to a post-ceremony treat of Gin-soaked Davidson plum ice cream at Knox & Aya's ice cream bar. Local to Byron, Knox & Aya create refined, as well as classic, artisan ice creams from their solar-powered kitchen. Using organic, plant-based ingredients, their indulgent scoops were enjoyed by our guests - both young and old.
If you have fallen in love with the enchanting Italian summer, we hope you have enjoyed our wedding styled shoot showcasing key elements inspired by la dolce vita through a dreamy prism of summer colours, as well as textures.
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Aisle runner: @wanderingfolk
Bride muse: @demi_groot
Bridesmaid muse: @hannahhayessisson
Cake: @cake_house.chef.sugar.soirees
Catering: @conkandco
Celebrant: @ceremoniesbyleisa
Concept, planning & photography: @poppyandsagephotography
Dresses: @sewmasterfashions
Event styling & hire: @scenicrimweddinghire
Florist: @le_sans_souci_flowers
Groom muse: @dylan.john.irvine
Hair accessories: @wendylouisedesigns
Hair stylist & makeup artist: @avabellemakeup
Icecream: @knoxandaya
Stationery: @mvp_design_
Stoneware & publication submission: @twowarmhandsceramics
Venue: @summerhillsretreat
Special shout out to @andreasiligardiphoto for his incredible direction and support on the day; Byron Bay is lucky to have this photographer in their backyard!