It’s a tale as old as time: teacher meets teacher, love blossoms and a Noosa wedding ensues.
Seriously, the only thing that comes close to highschool sweethearts is two freshly qualified teachers on their first ever rural service post locking eyes at the local pub in North Queensland.
Cut to 2023 and Samuel and Leah are saying their vows amongst 100 of their nearest and dearest in a Noosa wedding ceremony. As Sunshine Coast locals themselves, they couldn’t think of a better backdrop for their wedding than Maison La Plage, Noosa with the shore poking through the trees.
What I love about this wedding is that it’s evident they put a lot of focus on the ceremony and making it really special for themselves and their guests. When going through their album to select images for this article, I almost felt like I was there as Noosa wedding photographer Alan Hughes had captured every special moment so beautifully from every angle.
Then when reading about what the groom, Samuel, had written about how they felt saying their vows with Noosa celebrant, Philippa Holness, was the most magical moment of the day and they splurged to make the ceremony extra special, it all made sense. The getting married part was the focus of their day, and the relaxed, atmospheric party at Noosa wedding venue, Noosa Boathouse, was the icing on the cake.
For something different, as I mentioned, it’s the groom who has shared the story of their Noosa wedding day with us. It’s great to hear his perspective, so please do read on and enjoy!
Vendors
Photography | ALAN HUGHES PHOTOGRAPHY
Venue | NOOSA BOATHOUSE
Celebrant | PHILIPPA HOLNESS WEDDING CELEBRANT
Hair + makeup | SUNSHINE BRIDES
Stylist | LOVEBIRD WEDDINGS
Florist | BUD NAKED FLOWER
Cake | CHOCOLATE 2 CHILLI
Wedding night accommodation | THE SEBEL, NOOSA
Ceremony dress | CHOSEN BY KHYA
Reception dress | STILL WHITE
Suit | JOE BLACK
Big on The Ceremony
“Flowers were probably our biggest splurge. They make a huge difference to the personality of the day. Generally as well, we wanted to splurge a little on our ceremony. It means the most to us that we got that right. So we had wonderful flowers, a champagne tower and a bar for our guests.”
The Proposal
“I proposed to Leah on a private handmade boat on Lake Como in Italy. It was one year, to the day, before our ceremony. It was a perfect day on the water and we shared it with Leah’s best friend and sister, Michaela (my photgrapher, who captured the moment). We then celebrated with champagne on a stunning rooftop terrace overlooking Lake Como.”
Wedding Secrets
Biggest splurge: The flowers and extras for the ceremony, like a bar and champagne tower.
Best bargain: Buying a secondhand dress from Still White.
Groom’s and groomsman’s attire: Joe Black suit and shoes from David Jones.
Bride’s gowns: Chosen by Khya, and reception dress was secondhand from Still White.
Bridesmaid’s dress: Lidee
Bridesmaid’s shoes: Bared Footwear
DIY: Electronic invitations and thank you cards to save on postage and printing costs.
Honeymoon: Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest in North QLD.
Number of guests: 100 to the ceremony and 70 to the reception (70 was our reception cut off, but we sent out separate invitations to some other close friends inviting them to the ceremony – perhaps a bit unorthodox, but they understood and LOVED being invited).
Budget: $30k
Actual cost of the wedding: Approx $35k
Getting Married in Noosa
“Ensuring that our families were all able to make it was our biggest wedding priority. It was just about the only reason we didn’t elope. Oh, another priority was location. Noosa Heads can’t be beaten.
“We wanted to ensure it was local. We love that we can take some beers and wine down to the exact place we were married and celebrate our love. And, I mean, check out the photos. What a stunning place to get married. Few better places in the world.”
