Our Mel and Don eloped with us in the hills of Mt Tamborine, with their tribe making up most of their witnesses. Flowers crowns and braids, Mel wanted to feel like a fairy princess on her special day, and with help from The Beauty Lineup and Fifth Avenue Florist– she got her wish. They wanted a day that was relaxed and fun and centered around them coming together as a family- the rest we took care of! With a ceremony by Josh Withers and Morgan Roberts Photography capturing every moment, this day will go down as one of our most special elopements. Mel and Don tell their story:
1. How much of your wedding had you planned before you decided to elope?
“Don, the kids and i had visited one venue, loved everything they offered and the location and then almost had a heart attack at how much it was going to cost us. It was a similar feeling each time we looked at online brochures from vendors. We have 3 children, a mortgage and could use that money in many other areas of our lives. We didn’t want to start our marriage in huge debt just to officially be Mr and Mrs Berry. I already had my dress chosen and we had the rings, this is as far as we got in the planning.”
2. What made you decide to elope, and what drew you to the Elopement Collective?
“I had been following a few wedding vendors on instagram and come across a post from The Elopement Collective and fell in love instantly. I followed them and the more we saw, the more we knew it was “us”. We originally were going to do a “pop up” wedding in Byron Bay but dates didn’t align and when I enquired about an elopement, everything started falling into place so easily. Britt was responsive, informative and honest about what eloping was going to be like. We wanted it to be about us and our kids and not about table settings and speeches. We loved that we could do our own thing but have the support of Britt and her team.”
3. How did your friends and family react to your elopement idea?
“We only told a one person in the early beginnings when we booked an official date. We wanted to keep it private and personal but told our families the week before. We then told our dearest friends (people we would of invited to a wedding) a few hours before we got married. We had nothing but excitement and support from everyone. People who know Don and I understand why we chose to elope, we are low key people, we don’t need the fancy things, we weren’t getting married to get gifts and do speeches, we were doing it so we could be husband and wife.”
4. What details did you have to organise?
“Very little!!! Which made the whole experience even more exciting. We had chosen Mt Tamborine as our location and stayed at Edges Lodge, which is where the ceremony was held. We organised the outfits and rings. Britt gave me a choice of photographers, I gave her a mood board of flower inspiration and a pic of my dress. The rest of our day was created by her and the team. I let Sarah from The Beauty Line up choose my hair and makeup and the flowers by Fifth Avenue Florist were a gorgeous surprise as I let them create both the
bouquet and crowns.”
5. What mattered to you most when it came to celebrating your marriage?
“Our blended little family. Don, Patrick, Olivia, Sofia and I. It was about making it memorable for all of us, not just Don and I. we wanted them to feel involved in our day. After the ceremony we had a handful of friends and family come up to help celebrate with pizza, platter and drinks. We kept it small and intimate. We didn’t have a typical honeymoon, we spent a few days in Mt Tambourine as a family and then back to work by Thursday.”
