There are moments in life where, no matter how much you try to anticipate them, they still manage to take your breath away. That’s exactly how Cassandra described her engagement—equal parts surprise and inevitability.
“We had been shopping for engagement rings for a long time,” she recalls, “so I had an inkling that it was coming.” Yet, in a twist of fate and timing, her discovery of the ring specs while searching for Post-it notes on her partner’s desk didn’t diminish the joy of the actual moment. Four months after that sneaky find, on the golden sands of Curl Curl Beach, with the waves as their witness, he dropped to one knee. “I knew it was coming, but it was still a complete shock! There were lots of tears,” she adds, reminiscing about that emotional day when everything came together.
From the very beginning of their wedding planning, the couple knew one thing: they wanted their day to feel relaxed, colourful, and filled with joy. Their vision was simple yet vibrant—a huge party, surrounded by friends and family, without too much formality or fanfare. “We don’t like having all the attention on us,” Cassandra admits. “So, we focused on beautiful décor, excellent food, and a fantastic venue. The rest just fell into place.”
For them, it was less about tradition and more about creating a day that felt personal and authentic. “We did not include any cultural or traditional aspects to our day, the only unique personal touch was a tribute to family members who had passed recently. We wanted to honour them and remember their presence.”
Planning a wedding comes with its share of challenges, but one thing the couple were most excited about was the flowers. As a lover of orchids, Cassandra knew from the start they would play a starring role in her big day. “I’ve always loved orchids! And being married in the spring, we had so many gorgeous seasonal options to choose from.”
Pinterest boards were the name of the game during the floral planning phase, and Cassandra and Michael loved the process of compiling inspiration for the décor. “The décor was the hardest thing to conceptualise, but Kris was exceptional at creating mood boards for us. Those were lifesavers! They made it easier to communicate with our other vendors, so everyone was aligned.”
Her bouquet? A stunning combination of ranunculi, dahlias, tulips and her beloved orchids—perfect in every way.
Like many couples, this bride and groom decided to plan the wedding themselves. And while it was a labour of love, it didn’t come without its hurdles. “The hardest part was filling out all the questionnaires and forms from our vendors. With no wedding planner, it was just us, tackling everything together. We had a lot of late nights and weekends spent behind a computer.”
But amidst the paperwork and planning chaos, they found moments of pure joy. After the wedding, the couple took time off from work to soak in the bliss of their newly married life and relive the memories of their BIG day. “Everything felt so surreal,” Cassandra reflects. “The best part was seeing all of our friends and family in one place, celebrating us. And then reliving the moments between us afterwards.”
When asked what tips she would give to future couples planning their big day, the bride didn’t hesitate. “Stay organised! My husband is the organised one, and he set up a OneNote and shared drive where we kept links, to-dos, payment reminders, and all the questionnaires we needed to complete.”
In the end, it was this shared organisation, love for each other, and a commitment to keeping their day true to who they are that made their wedding the colourful, joyful celebration they had always dreamed of.
Flowers and Styling: Kris McKee Floral Design (AKA- Us)
Venue: Q Station Manly
Photography: Amber Wynn-Jones
Cake: By Gigi
“Kris was recommended to me by a close friend for wedding flowers and she did not disappoint. The wedding process was a bit daunting for me and Kris took the time to have a chat about styles, flower sustainability and budget. Kris was amazing to deal with throughout the whole engagement, is sustainable and super understanding and smiley to boot. Love what Kris did for us on the day and would recommend Kris to anyone looking for wedding flowers.”
Copyright © 2024 Kris McKee Floral Design – All Rights Reserved – Terms & Conditions
