Lizzie and Mick Get Married

On a beautiful summer's day at the beginning of the year, I had the pleasure of photographing Lizzie and Mick's beachy vintage-inspired wedding day.  

Lizzie and I met some years ago when we were both living overseas, on a "Sail Croatia", a beautiful sailboat that wandered around the Adriatic Sea as those onboard ate, drank and made merry.  After a few years of living abroad in London, Lizzie returned to Australia and met Mick at a weekend retreat run by their church.  Lizzie could only stay for half the retreat as she was running the Gold Coast Half Marathon that same weekend. But on that one night, Lizzie and Mick talked and talked and knew they could be great friends if nothing else.  Apparently, Mick thought Lizzie was pretty cute and there was something about her eyes ... he couldn't wait to see her again.  Lizzie felt the same way and had an extra spring in her step for the half Marathon!  As you can guess, this friendship blossomed into a beautiful love, and before long these two were planning their march down the aisle ...

Lizzie's stunning flowing wedding gown was from Flower Girl Fairy in Tweed Heads, shoes by Aussie favourite Novo.  Ashley Moir from Lennox Head was recommended to Lizzie by a friend and did a fantastic job on the girl's make-up.  And in a lovely touch of keeping it in the family, Lizzie's sister-in-law-to-be, Lisa Levick, took care of the hair.

Mick's father and step-mother visited Lizzie while she was getting ready, to deliver Mick's gift to his blushing bride - a stunning pearl jewellery set for her to wear.  This was accompanied by a very sweet cards ...

Father of the Bride looking fairly impressed with his beautiful daughter

The wedding ceremony took place in St Anthony's Catholic Church, Kingscliff; a beautiful light-filled church only a stone's throw from the beach.  

When asked what the most memorable moment of the day was, Mick replied "For me, the day was all about my beautiful bride. I have so many great memories of friends and family from the day but nothing can compare to the moments in the church when we put the rings on each others fingers and got announced as Mr and Mrs Levick for the first time. Words can not express how it made me feel when Liz officially became my wife...".  

Introducing the new Mr and Mrs Levick!

After the ceremony, the newlyweds hosted an afternoon tea with friends in the adjoining parish hall.  Friends and family had baked and cooked, putting on a delicious spread.  The afternoon tea was a really nice spin on traditional wedding timing, allowing the new Mr & Mrs Levick to linger with their guests and receive congratulations in the moment, rather than be whisked off right after the ceremony for their bridal shoot.

For the bridal party shoot, we drove to nearby Fingal Head, a lovely piece of the world just north of Kingscliff.  We had fun with a number of props and the natural backdrops provided the perfect contrast to the bright and beautiful bridal party, who were lots of fun to work with!

After a few group photos, I left the bridal party to their drinks and whisked Lizzie and Mick away for some Bride & Groom shots.  Even if a couple isn't shy about PDAs, having this time alone is a great opportunity for me as photographer to capture some beautiful tender moments.  It also gives the couple some much-appreciated quiet time, after the hype of the ceremony and before the whirl of the reception.

When Lizzie first told me about Mick, this is what she said:  "Mick is great.  I'm head over heels in love ... He is my best friend, my partner in crime and my sanity!!!  I can't imagine life without him!!".  You only had to see the way Mick looked at Lizzie all day to know that he feels exactly the same way.

After the bridal shoot, it was onto Kingscliff Surf Club for a cocktail reception, which was full of fun!  Lizzie and Mick described their wedding day as "relaxed, special, us".  They wanted to have a party with all their friends and share the special moment with them, thanking them for being part of their lives and looking forward to a new chapter.  

When planning, Lizzie and Mick strived for a relaxed atmosphere where the company of family and friends could be enjoyed.  They definitely achieved this goal - guests drank and danced, laughed and cried at the heartfelt speeches, and then drank and danced some more.  

Mick pulled a rabbit out of the hat when, after his speech was finished, he instructed Lizzie to sit down.  She sat down with a rather confused look on her face while his groomsmen joined him with instruments and he broke into song - Romance with a capital R!  For Lizzie, this was her most memorable moment, saying "On our wedding Mick performed Everything by Michael Buble. I had no idea he had been planning and practicing it for weeks.  His speech was so beaufiful and then he sang to me, and then we danced... It was so beautiful and I felt like the luckiest woman alive."

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Levick!  Thank you both for inviting me to be a part of your special day and allowing me to share your story xXx