Sarah and James

Tell us your love story. How did you meet?

We met 8 years ago when I moved to Brisbane for university and began working at Woolworths in Kelvin Grove. James was in the grocery department and I was on the checkouts. It took 12 months before I moved departments and began working alongside James and we got to know each other properly. We went out on a few dates and have been together ever since.

The Proposal – him or her? Was it a surprise?

James proposed when he took me away for New Year’s Eve 2016. We went to Montville and stayed in a beautiful cabin up in the hills. After arriving home from a meal out, James took me out onto our balcony where he got down on one knee wearing a “Will you marry me?” t-shirt. He gave me a stunning white gold, princess cut diamond ring and the rest is history…

Your Honeymoon Plans

We went to Melbourne for a few days after the wedding, just to have a bit of a break, but we’re planning a big adventure to Europe at the end of 2018 which will be the real honeymoon. We’re spending Christmas in Dubai with family, then flying to London where we’re hiring a car and driving around the English countryside for three weeks, visiting more family. After that, we head back to London and join a tour through Europe visiting eleven countries in twenty-one days!

Why did you choose Earlando? Was there something that made it stand out from other venues for you?

We chose Earlando for two reasons. One: it is such a stunning property. The views, the lawns, the ocean – everything about it is absolutely beautiful and we liked that Earlando gave our day a private feel. The second reason is that the staff were so friendly and helpful!

Did you have a theme to your wedding/wedding styling? What inspired this?

The colours and decor were inspired by our two upbringings – James from England and Sarah from Australia. So, we incorporated burgundy, navy and white (to reflect the Union Jack) and native greenery/flowers (to reflect the Australian landscape). We also used various textiles such as lace and yarn to create a relaxed feel that went so well with the outdoor venue.

What was your favourite part of your wedding?

We’ve both agreed that we had two favourite parts: seeing each other at the ceremony and then walking into our reception as a married couple. It was such a special moment, joining hands at the top of the aisle in front of all our family and friends – simply perfect. And then, we just felt so excited/elated walking into our reception to one of our favourite songs – a moment we won’t forget.

Do you have any advice to future wedding couples? 

I know every couple will have different priorities when planning their wedding, be it price, location, theme etc… but the thing that really made the whole planning process and the day itself enjoyable, was having amazing venue staff and wedding planners. I was seriously so impressed with how the wedding planners communicated and worked with the venue to ensure the whole day ran smoothly. It was like every time I remembered something that had to be done, I would turn around to see the staff already taking care of it. Throughout the night the staff kept checking on both James and I to make sure we had a drink and confirm details with us. Nothing was too much of a hassle, and all of our guests were taken care of so well. It made the day/night so relaxing for us and that’s exactly how we wanted to feel.