Thanks for having me along guys!!!!

Lea and a couple of her amazing girlfriends planned this wedding down to the very last detail, and they did a brilliant job. I think you can really learn a lot from someone by the lengths their friends will go to make them happy, and these girls really went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. We should all be so lucky to have friends like this in our lives.

It was a small and intimate affair, with guests travelling from all over to see them become a family and celebrate with them.

This is the story of Lea & Chris’ wedding.

It is a beautiful story.

It is one of laughter and of friends and of family, and above all else, it is a story of love.

And these things, I think, make the best, most beautiful stories.

This is the wedding of Lisa & Johnny. It was a day to remember, for so many reasons. It was held on a family property in Kyogle, a small country town in Northern NSW, which also happens to be the town my husband grew up in. Its a beautiful part of the world, and has a special place in my heart. Its where my kids Nanny & Pop live, as well as many, many (many!) cousins and auntys and uncles. For this reason, I knew many of the guests at the wedding, which I loved! It also happened to be the coldest night in the history of any day, any where, and I don’t think I have ever felt so bitterly chilled to my bones in all of my existence. True Story.

Lisa got ready at her mum & dads property, and after a beautiful ceremony at the catholic church, all the guests headed to the Bottom Pub (as opposed to the Top Pub ) for drinks. The reception was held at another family property, which is when the cold kicked in, but everyone forgot about it once THE FIREWORKS STARTED!!!!!

A happy and wonderful day for Lisa, Johnny, their little man, Ethan and all their amazing family and friends. Thank you sooo much for having me!

xoxo

David surprised everyone by giving Sienna a ring also, promising to be the best dad he could be and to love her forever and ever. It was a pretty special moment, and as you can see, Sienna thinks the world of him. Everyone cried. I’m too tough to cry, so I think I just got some dust in my eye.

So, 8 months later, the 5 of us were at the airport, leaving the cold winter behind us to defrost in beautiful, amazing, spectacular, breathtaking  Fiji.

We arrived at Musket Cove, and from the moment my feet hit the sand, I knew I was in love. It was dark, I could see practically nothing, but I just knew. It was love at first sight. Even as I write this I feel strangely homesick, something which in all my extensive travels I have never felt. I could have stayed there for the rest of my days, surrounded by the beautiful people that are lucky enough to call it their home, and the calmness which came over us all (yes, even The Fat Baby) as soon as we arrived. Belinda & Damian, in my eyes, bought us to Paradise.

The thing I realised early on in this epic week, was that other people also think these two are awesome humans. So many of their family and friends made the journey from all over to be apart of their celebration, which really is a reflection of the type of people they are. They have a really close knit family, that made us feel right at home from the moment we stepped off the boat. Bel had a small group of women there who have remained friends from way back in high school. I  have a similar group of girls in my life, who have been my friends for nearly 2 decades, and I know how much they mean to me, so the fact that she had this same connection made me love her even more.

The day before the wedding it started to rain. And it rained and rained and rained. Then it got really windy and rained some more. The day of the wedding I woke up to……rain. Like I wasn’t nervous enough!!! It stayed that way right up until lunch time, and then it just stopped! The sun didn’t make much of an appearance, but it was dry and the gale force wind had subsided, so I was happy. Not that that was hard. I had such a fun day, that I kept having to pinch myself had how very lucky I was to be there.

The boys wore Sulu va Taga, a traditional Fijian mens skirt. The ceremony was held in the Chapel on top of the hill with spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding areas. Belinda was escorted by traditional Fijian Warriors (*swoooon*). They had a ring blessing, where their wedding bands were passed around to all the guests to pass on their love and well wishes, as well as incorporating a traditional Hawaiian leis ceremony, both having strong connections of time spent in Hawaii. It was amazing. They even had a special Kava ceremony at the reception. Told you they were cool.

I have posted more photos than I usually do, (it was so hard to choose) but I really wanted to tell the story of the day as best I could. I hope with all my heart I have done it justice. I hope that it portrays how amazing this day was and what amazing people Bel & Damo are. Laid back, cruisey, funny, generous and so full of love.

A special shout out to Grandma. What an amazing woman you are. It is your influence that has shaped your family, and what an amazing family they are. In particular your beautiful grandchildren. You should be very proud.

El

xox

We arrived at Deux Belettes, the breathtaking wedding venue in the Byron Hinterland, to be met by the very calm and relaxed Kun & Eamon. Such a lovely, sweet couple, who had this amazing, intimate day planned with their generous and beautiful friends and family. Thank you both for making Christine and I feel so welcome. It really was a spectacular day. A wonderful beginning to what will be, I’m sure, a long and happy life together.

Thank you also to Christine, for having me along as your wing woman. I had such a laugh, and it is inspiring to watch you work, and to shoot along side you.

Here are a few of my fav pics from the day. For the full post, go here, and while you’re at it, have a good sticky beak at Christines Blog, if you don’t already know her work.