Real Wedding | Jess + Mitch | Yamba Shores Tavern

Moody grey skies, a floral wreath backdrop, a sunset-soaked reception overlooking the Yamba river… it’s safe to say that this was one heck of a beautiful wedding down south!

High school sweethearts Jess and Mitch tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at the Yamba lighthouse, followed by a lively reception at the Yamba Shores Tavern where friends and family came together to dance the night away. This seaside wedding had so many gorgeous details, it’s hard to believe the happy couple pulled it off themselves (whilst working full-time!) so perfectly.

Captured beautifully by our friends at Heart and Colour, these images definitely tell the story of a seriously fun and love-filled day that we were lucky enough to be involved in.  We spoke to Jess about how she chose her dream team of Yamba wedding suppliers to bring it all to life, and how she managed to stay so organised juggling wedding planning with everyday life!

Describe your wedding day: We have been together since Year 11 in high school (11 years ago!) so we wanted our wedding day to just be a laid back celebration with all of our friends and family. This is also why we chose to get married at Yamba, as we holiday there every year and there is no better place to have a relaxing holiday and a laid back wedding!

Our wedding ceremony was held at the Yamba Lighthouse overlooking main beach and our wedding reception was at the Yamba Shores Tavern – looking over the Clarence River.

Where did you find your inspiration for your wedding day? Instagram was probably my main go-to, however I did use Pinterest and Etsy every now and then.

What was the feel and style of your wedding? Boho-chic with natural, earthy colours.

Where was your wedding venue and why did you choose them? Ceremony – Yamba Lighthouse. I think the location says it all – who wouldn’t want to get married with a view like that behind you! Reception – Yamba Shores Tavern. We have been holidaying in Yamba for many many years and have always had great food and entertainment at the Yamba Shores Tavern. We have always loved how beautiful the deck is overlooking the river and thought it would be perfect for our reception. Tiffany from Yamba Shores Tavern deserves a huge shout out as she went above and beyond for us. NOTHING was an issue for her to do.

Who was your photographer and why did you choose them? Heart and Colour – I found them on Instagram and absolutely loved all of their photo’s – they were exactly the style I was looking for. They were so so lovely to deal with and on the day even better! They even had a sneaky dance on the d-floor with us!

Who was your florist and why did you choose them? Mel from Wildflower Wanderings – again from her style that I could see on Instagram, and she was another local Yamba vendor. She was absolutely great to deal with and went above and beyond. The flowers were absolutely stunning.

Did you have wedding favours? If so, what did you choose? Yes, my mum did these for me. For about 10 months before the wedding, she grew each and every succulent for the pots for 90 people. She then potted them all up when we got to Yamba. I absolutely love succulents and I thought it would be something everyone would probably display in their house. I got Fox and Robin (on Esty) to complete tags for me to put on the succulents. Each tag was selected for each guest and had a life quote/love quote that Mitch and I live by. I must admit though my mum and I spent hourrrrrssss tying these – it was a mission but worth it in the end. Fox and Robin also made our name plates and table numbers. I had the name plates made also as a favour for our guests to take home.

Who did you hire for entertainment purposes and why? G&M DJ’s – Glenn (MC) Zac (DJ). Honestly – our wedding wouldn’t have been the wedding it was without Glenn and his team. They made our wedding more than just the same old wedding that everyone had been to before – they personalised every detail and for that I am so thankful because that is we and our guests remember the most! I don’t think any of our guests did NOT comment on how amazing Glenn (MC) was.

Who provided your cake/desserts and why did you choose them? Mitch’s Nanna actually made our wedding cake (at 75 years old!).  She made each and every one of the flowers from scratch. She is truly the best!! She also altered my wedding dress and all the boys suits, plus made the ring boys outfit and the mother of the groom’s dress. She is one amazing woman!

How did you manage your budget? I had an excel spreadsheet, which was like my to -do/check list as well.

What was your experience like planning your wedding? I would have to say stressful – working full time and planning a wedding is just insane. Every spare moment you have is planning…BUT it was worth it in the end as everything worked out exactly how we wanted it.

Do you have any tips for other brides: I would 100% recommend including a wedding planner in your budget! If I could have afforded it I would have hired an events planner to help with the planning and set up of the day. My family and friends helped so so much with the on the day set up.

If you could do it all over again, is there anything you would change? Absolutely not – kind of cliché, but everything went to plan and was exactly what we wanted the day to be – EXCEPT the dancing time was just not long enough!!

Reception location: Yamba Shores Tavern
Photographer: Heart and Colour
Videographer: Roost Film Co
Hire: Hampton Event Hire
Entertainment: + Lighting: G&M DJ’s
Celebrant: Christine Preston
Catering: Yamba Shores Tavern
Florist: Wildflower Wanderings
Hair stylist: Elvarl Hair Artistry
Makeup artist:  Lauren Chadwick MUA, Kristy Chadwick MUA
Stationery: Fox and Robin, Honest Paper Shop
Signage: Honest Paper Shop
Dress: White Lily Couture – Brisbane
Accessories: McGlades Jewellers
Groom + Groomsmen attire: Politix
Bridesmaid dresses: Show me your MuMu
Bridesmaid accessories: Samantha Wills

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