Emily and Phil // Coral Sea Resort

Whitsunday Wedding Suppliers

Ceremony: Coral Sea Resort
Reception: Coral Sea Resort
Celebrant: Kerrie Long
Photography: Nadine Kemp Photography
Wedding Coordinator: Coral Sea Resort
Decorator: The Event Company Whitsundays
Hair: Adam and Eve Hair
Make-up: Lush MUA
Flowers: Blooming Lovely Bouquets
Dress: Casar Elegance Bridal and Bridesmaids
Accommodation: Coral Sea Resort

Your Love Story…

We first met on the 12th of June, 2008 at a mutual friends birthday party. The very next day Phil asked me to be his girlfriend and we have been together ever since.

We definitely were inseparable as we went to the same high school, lived together, both worked together at Australia Zoo, studied at University together and we are now both primary school teachers.

Eight years later Phil popped the question on the 7th of January, 2016. He had a romantic evening planned with a picnic by the beach followed by a walk along the water at sunset when Phil asked me to marry him!

Destination Wedding…

Airlie Beach was a destination wedding for most of our guests as we both used to live on the Sunshine Coast. However, as we are now Mackay locals it was very convenient for us. We were able to meet with vendors in person which definitely helped the planning process.

One of our favourite things about our wedding was that our celebrations lasted over a few days.

As most of our guests had travelled it was a destination wedding for them and a long weekend away. This meant everyone was so relaxed and in holiday mode. Also, this meant that we had more quality time to catch up and celebrate with our nearest and dearest.

Whitsunday Wedding…

We live in Mackay which is so close to the Whitsundays so we had spent several weekends in Airlie Beach. Planning a wedding in Airlie Beach was also a great excuse for a lot more weekend trips up to meet with vendors and have wedding appointments in paradise.

Wedding Week….

We stayed in Airlie Beach for a week. We decided to have drinks the night before our wedding so that all our guests could get to know eachother before the wedding. Then on Sunday, the day after our wedding, we spent the day poolside at out resort with everyone and then went out for a meal at one of the local pubs. That night we organised to do a sunset cruise around Airlie Beach and then watched the football grand final at a local restaurant. Also, one of our bridesmaids and her partner surprised us with a scenic flight over the Whitsundays and the Heart Reef which was definitely a very memorable experience that we will never forget.

Wedding Day Vision…

We had a very elegant theme with lots of flowers and sparkling fairylights to add to the beauty of our venue. Also, as the stunning ocean was such a beautiful pop of colour in the background of our photos we decided to stick to a very neutral colour scheme of blush pearl (mushroomy colour for the bridesmaids), rose gold and navy which looked so lovely all together. My dress had a lot of lace and beading which glistened in the sunlight and a beautiful train which could be clipped up which worked perfect for dancing at the reception.

Sit Down or Cocktail…

We had just under 50 guests celebrate our special day with us which was the perfect number for us as it allowed us to celebrate with our nearest and dearest family and friends. We chose a sit down reception as we preferred our guests to feel more relaxed and comfortable whilst enjoying an amazing meal.

Splurge Vs Save…

We splurged and got an amazing photographer and videographer for the whole day. This was definitely something we didn’t think twice about as these would become our treasured memories of our big day to look back on in the years to come. Also, a fair bit of our budget went into our venue however it was a package so included A LOT of things as well as an amazing wedding coordinator who helped us so much during the planning process as well as on the day making sure that everything ran smoothly.

We saved money on several prizes that we won by attending wedding expos and entering wedding competitions online. Also, as our venue had such a stunning backdrop of the stunning Coral Sea we did not need to spend a lot on decorations. It was mainly just fairy lights and a simple floral table centrepiece that we needed to hire.

Whitsunday Wedding Venue…

From the moment we visited Coral Sea Resort for the first time we both fell in love with it and knew it was where we would get married. We absolutely loved that it provided beautiful location options for both our ceremony and reception which meant our guests did not need to worry about travelling between venues. Also, they offered a discount for accommodation which meant that many of our guests ended up staying there too. The wow factor was definitely that amazing view!!! An even bigger plus, was that our package included a wedding coordinator who really went above and beyond to make sure our special day went perfectly.

We also absolutely loved the jetty over the water for a very unique reception venue with its own dance floor under the stars.