Oh, sweet sunshine and sandy toes! If anyone ever said that planning a wedding takes a year-long effort, they haven't met Dom and Georgia! These two lovebirds pulled off what many might think impossible – planning an intimate elopement on the pristine shores of Moreton Island in just a smidge over a month. I mean, come on, how epic is that? 🌴
Thanks to the dynamo team at Moreton Island Weddings, our adventurous duo transformed their dream of a beach wedding into a reality, and let me tell you, it's the kind of elopement that makes your heart skip a beat. Imagine this: waves whispering their congratulations, the golden sands of Moreton Island cradling their vows, and the tropical breeze (as well as their gorgeous family and friends) as the only witnesses to their first dance. Dive in as we unravel the magic behind Dom and Georgia's dreamy day under the sun and as they share their best tips with you all.
What were your hopes and dreams for your wedding ceremony?
Something casual, relaxed and fun.
Moreton Island is very special to Dom and Georgia, and it was only natural that they would get married there. What started as a sneaky elopement with 5 to 10 guests, turned into 40 of their nearest and dearest, some of whom changed overseas travel plans to share the most epic 3 days with them both.
What were you worried about or didn't know when planning your ceremony?
Costs, legal documents, weather.
It doesn't rain on Moreton Island in June (hardly) and we were threatened with 40mm for the ceremony (shock face), but Mother Nature put on her show and we had the most amazing dark clouds in the background and the sun shining over this amazing couple for their epic beach wedding at Bulwer Wrecks. How lucky were they! And the photos - magic!
What are you thankful for?
Celebrants help with the legal side of things, caterer was so flexible to change locations due to weather, and everything came together so seamlessly and on a quick timeframe.
Like a Whirlwind romance. These guys came into my life via Moreton Island Celebrant Facebook messenger, one day later we were zooming to make sure that we were the right vibe for each other and two days later we were signing the Notice of Intended Marriage form (NOIM). I only had just over a month to plan with these guys which included 2 vow inspiration sessions and a personalised ceremony script, but in that short time, I learnt so much about them and was able to create a script that “nailed them” as a couple. So many of their gorgeous family and friends commented on how the script was “so them” and I’m so honoured that I got to share their journey with them.
How would you describe the feel of your ceremony?
Casual, relaxed, fun, romantic, intimate, beautiful.
Dom’s reaction to their wedding ceremony script: “Just stopped and had a moment to read through for the first time - shit got real, I’m going to read through the script again and let you know of any changes, but Georgia's 1000% happy.”
For me, it was the the way Dom and Georgia look at each other. They way they were both so nervous, but once standing in front of their family and friends, it was the two of them against the world. There was an instant calmness that surrounded them.
Dom and his boys all arrived in their ribboned 4WD’s and Georgia arrived with Mum and Dad on each arm where they proudly promised to love and support Dom and Georgia in all of their adventures together. Dom and Georgia’s ceremony script included an Acknowledgement of Country, a memorial verse acknowledging their loved ones past and those who couldn’t be with them on their day. Their script also included the most amazing crowd support with the crowd vows and personal vows that had us all crying with laughter and tears.
Where did you get your vow-writing inspiration?
Kerri’s questionnaire and vow writing session.
Dom and Georgia took advantage of my vow writing sessions and WOW!!!! Their words were incredible, I just assisted them in pulling them together with a flow, but it was all 99.99999% them!!!! We laughed and I may have shed a tear (shhhh)... If you are looking for assistance with writing your wedding vows, check out this blog post.
Dom: “You absolutely nailed it!”
Did you keep them secret from each other or did you share?
Secret Squirrel.
Would you change anything about your vows?
Nope, loved them. Feedback from other people as well was they hadn’t heard vows like ours before, a real story!
Dom and Georgia also kept their vows secret squirrel from each other and we had so much fun pulling out all the juicy details in our vow inspiration sessions.
What are the things you would never change?
Shots on arrival, BBQ for dinner, spending that extra money on decorations and some light catering to give it that wedding feel (it doesn’t have to be expensive).
What was your highlight/must-have at the reception?
There are so many; dance floor/speakers, speeches from loved ones, playing games (keep it fun and light-hearted).
What would you change if you had your day over again? If anything.
Allow more time, everything goes so quickly and we felt rushed to get to the next thing. Wish we had more time between the ceremony and the reception.
Top 3 tips
When things get stressful remind yourselves this is a day to celebrate your love as a couple, it doesn’t matter if things don’t go to plan.
It doesn’t have to be expensive to be the most beautiful day/dream wedding.
You don’t need as much time to plan as you think (if you are willing to keep it small).
Anything else you would like to share with other couples?
Book Kerri as your celebrant and the rest of the Moreton Island Weddings team. They were so great to work with and so accommodating of our requests.
Nawwww we love you guys!!! Thank you for choosing the Moreton Island Wedding Dream team to share your day with you all.
Who were your vendors?
Sunset Picnics and Platters - Styling and Grazing
Moreton Island Weddings - Dream Team
How would you describe your vendors?
Amazing! Helpful, problem solvers, kind 🙂
How would you describe Kerri Watkins Celebrant to other couples?
Helpful, fun, above and beyond
Dom and Georgia left me this amazing Google Review:
"Highly recommend Kerri as your wedding celebrant. She worked with us to coordinate the day and to write our vows. Kerri’s confidence and passion in what she does made me feel so relaxed about the wedding day. Kerri is friendly and very easy to work with. You won’t regret it!"
Was a One-Month Beach Wedding Plan on Moreton Island Madness or Magic?
Dom and Georgia share further inspiration, challenges, highlight moments, advice, and their reflection and experiences in this blog post. Was it Madness or Magic?