Zoe and Chris
Weddings by the seaside are almost always infused with a special kind of ease. A casual romance that is coloured with the scent of the salt water and the warmth of the sand. Zoe and Chris married in a relaxed ceremony on the New South Wales Central Coast and the beauty of their wedding compliments their relaxed personalities.
Zoe tells the story of meeting Chris. “Chris and I met in 2002 while studying at CIT in Canberra. We were friends for over a year before officially getting together. We have been together since 2003 and have travelled together and built our house earlier in 2011.”
Photographs today are by Casandra of Capsix who captured the moments and elegance of the day beautifully.
Zoe and Chris married at Seafarm. Zoe remarks “We wanted a very relaxed, party kind of wedding that really reflected us. We chose Sea Farm as its a stunning location, and meant we could have the ceremony and reception at the same place. We stayed at Sea Farm for 3 days before the wedding, and 4 days after, making it quite an event! We had our bridal party and their partners stay with us the whole time which was amazing. They helped us set up, decorate, clean and organise the last minute details of the wedding and we would have been lost without them! We are very lucky to have such amazing friends!”
Zoe says “My bridesmaids and I got ready in the small cottage on the property (which was a last minute change) and I’m so glad we did. It was great spying on the boys getting everything ready throughout the morning, and watching the guests arrive. The cottage is beautifully decorated, and was the perfect place for us to have a few champagnes before everything started.” Zoe’s bridesmaids wore lilac gowns from Forever New.
Zoe chose a glittering gown from Maggie Sottero and paired it with Wittner Shoes. Angel Blooms created beautiful colourful bouquets.
Chris and his groomsmen wore suits from Roger David.
One of Zoe’a favourite memories was “Watching Max (first Bridesmaid to walk down from the cottage) be redirected by the guests to the actual aisle is something I will never forget. My dad and I had a bit of a laugh watching her go the wrong way!”
Zoe walked down the aisle to a very special song. She explains “One of Chris’s groomsmen (Gethin) played the guitar while we walked down the aisle. He played a song that Chris made up years ago, that I had always loved. It was comforting to hear it as we walked down, especially as Chris also played this song for my sister when she walked down the aisle last year.”
Zoe recommends choosing the right vendors for you. She remarks “All our vendors were absolutely amazing. Everything ran so smoothly and I had so many comments on the delicious food and wonderful service staff- as well as the gorgeous flowers that Tanya provided.”
Of their photographer, Zoe says “Casandra was wonderful, she gave us directions when we needed them, but also left us to our own devices. I think she captured the day wonderfully.”
The reception at Seafarm was filled with decorations made by Zoe and Chris ans styled by their family and friends. Zoe explains “I made all our decorations with help from my wonderful bridesmaids and friends. We all collected jars for months in advance and spent a lot of time scraping off the labels! We also had a couple of nights making poms poms and putting wire on the hanging jars. Sea Farm on its own is just beautiful and didn’t need much to dress it up!”
The reception needed to have a relaxed feel, just as the couple wanted. Zoe says “We wanted the wedding to be a ‘relaxed party’ feel, and I think that’s what it was… we didn’t do any traditional things like throwing the bouquet or a garter toss, as they just weren’t us. Our MC organised a great reception game which was lots of fun. We also hired some giant games (connect four and Jenga) for our guests to play throughout the night.
We chose to have 2 long tables rather than traditional round tables – and I think it worked really well. We also chose not to have a bridal table, which meant we could talk to all our guests easily and our bridal party could sit with their partners.”
There was one final surprise for both Zoe and Chris to round off what was a magical day. Zoe tells the story “I bought Chris a guitar as a wedding gift which one of his groomsmen (Gethin) gave to him the morning of the wedding. It was something he had wanted for years, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get him something special. Gethin also helped me choose the guitar on some secret lunchtime missions.
Little did I know that Chris had been planning to play one of our favourite songs (‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters) on his old guitar after his speech at the wedding. Gethin also knew about this, so had to keep both secrets for months in the lead up to the big day! He did a wonderful job as we were both very surprised!
Chris playing a song for me was the most special part of the day (apart from becoming his wife) and is something I will remember forever. I can’t listen to that song now without thinking of that moment.”
Congratulations Zoe and Chris! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Capsix for sharing today’s photographs!
Photographer: Caspix / CInematographer: Lumina Motion Pictures / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Shoes: Wittner / Flowers & Decor: Angel Blooms / Groom’s Attire: Roger David / Bridesmaid Dresses: Forever New / Venue: Sea Farm, Copacabana / Cake Baker: The Cheesecake Shop / Giant Game Hire: Yard Party
