Sarah and Ruan

A beautiful Palm Cove destination wedding  for your enjoyment today. Isn’t there something beautiful about destination weddings? Like the thought that guests spent the morning enjoying cocktails by the pool, and perhaps the next day basking in the sun as they told stories from the special event. Nothing like combining a wedding and a holiday!

Sarah explains how she met her husband “Ruan was hired to be my French tutor for several months. Ruan tutored Sarah for 2 weeks after which they fell in love and agreed to go on a date. We still speak French with each other!”

Daniel Sheehan flew to Queensland from Melbourne to capture the wedding and I love the way he captured the relaxed feeling of the day!

Sarah and Ruan held their wedding at Angsana Resort & Spa, Sarah says “Angsana Resort & Spa staff were absolute fantastic! They accommodated our every need and were always happy to go far beyond any expectations. They surprised us with a decorated honeymoon suite and the food and service on the day was splendid!”

Cairns Wedding Hair and Make up styled the girl’s hair and makeup for the day.

Sarah wore a strapless sweetheart neckline gown by Mariana Hardwick with shoes from Aldo.

A special surprise arrived from the groom. Sarah recalls “Before the ceremony, the groom sent me 3 presents along with the groomsmen. He showered me with bracelets, earrings, necklaces and flowers which made it so special and exciting! It was beautiful.”

A destination wedding turned into something really special for the newlyweds. Sarah explains “Having the wedding away made us savour all those special moments so much more. The venue was stunning and having all the guests in a holiday mood made the day very enjoyable.”

Sarah’s bridesmaids wore soft pink gowns from Seduce. Pink Moss put together beautiful white orchid arrangements for the wedding.

Sarah and Ruan held their wedding at Angsana Resort & Spa Chapel.

Sarah walked down the aisle to Scott Newman singing ‘ L.O.V.E’.

Having a destination wedding was extra special to Sarah and Ruan, Sarah explains, “Our friends from interstate and overseas who made the effort to be there meant so much to us! We were able to enjoy a few days together up at the beach prior to the day and have created so many fond memories.”

Sarah passes on her words of wisdom. “Don’t make it about the wedding day- concentrate on the married life to come between the two of you that’s the special thing and all the guests are there to help you celebrate that! Enjoy and savour every moment and take the time to speak to and thank everyone there, the time goes by so fast so really make the most of being with all your family and friends”

Daniel got some great shots, but not without nerves of the bride who remarks, “The craziest moment of the day was when the photographer wanted to take an artistic shot up a rock face overlooking the ocean, the wind was pretty strong so my dress was flying everywhere, my hair was in my face and the sea breeze was strong however we made it to the top and got a great shot to show for it! It was the only time I was nervous all day!”

Guests celebrated as night fell at Far Horizons Restaurant, Angsana Resort & Spa.

Another favourite moment was during the speeches, Sarah says, “A great speech was done from the Groom’s sister, Roxi, who decided to creatively sing the speech by combing the 3 languages spoken between the bride & groom with some unique lines about their relationship! It was very entertaining!”

Sarah describes the day as “Fairytale wedding celebrated with friends and family from South Africa, USA, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania and Australia.”

A romantic first dance was held under the night sky. “Our first dance was mix between a Viennese Waltz (Angel by Sarah McLaughlan) and an Argentine Tango (Mr and Mrs Smith). We practiced for several months before the day and were really excited about giving a perfected special item with costumes too!”

In lieu of a wedding cake, the couple adhered to the tropical location  and cut a pineapple!

Congratulations Sarah and Ruan! Thank you for sharing your destination wedding with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Daniel Sheehan for sharing the photographs with us!