Today on the blog we meet gorgeous couple Peter & Katie and hear about their beautiful beach wedding in Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia. We are super excited to share with you not only their amazing surf-themed party extravaganza, but the HAPPIEST, MOST FUN FILLED wedding video we’ve ever seen. You REALLY don’t want to miss it.
Peter is from Germany, and Katie is from England, but they’ve both lived in Sydney for the last 11 years. Katie tells us they both love the sunshine, ocean, surfing and the outdoor lifestyle too much to return to Europe! They met just over three years ago and have had a very fun few years of hanging out with great friends, exploring Australia in their van, and going on pretty cool adventures.
How did you get engaged?
Peter proposed to me on a trip to WA, on the beach in Margaret River. My family were arriving a day later for a holiday so it was lovely to celebrate with them too!
What kind of wedding did you plan?
We had a whole weekend with 100 of our friends and their kids for our beach wedding down on the South Coast of NSW. It is a very special venue which feels like you’re on a secret deserted island. You and your guests are the only ones there – there is a mix of gorgeous cabins and glamping tents. We had a Friday night BBQ + drinks on the beach, Saturday brekkie, followed by a fancy dress surf competition, chill time and then our ceremony in the afternoon overlooking the beach, followed by drinks, dinner and dancing. Sunday was hungover brekkie, paddle boarding, kayaking etc and then home. All in all very casual and very fun!
How did Covid affect your beach wedding plans?
Our family and friends overseas devastatingly couldn’t make it. My dad did an amazing speech on video which we played to everyone and our family and friends did an amazing collaboration video. We also live streamed our ceremony to everyone back home!
What was your first dance?
We didn’t have one! After a year of no-one being able to dance, as soon as the music started, everyone exploded onto the dance floor and bounced up and down with such incredible energy for hours!! It was insane to see.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Literally all of it. But the ceremony was so special, I’ve never felt such strong emotions all at once to walk up the aisle and see Peter. The speeches were amazing, the dancing, and the surf comp!
What made you choose Patchwork for your gift registry?
I found you on insta, I think someone was recommending you guys! And it felt like the coolest gifting site I’d seen by far. It was so easy to use, and looks really good! It’s also probably the easiest way to ask for money, which we found very awkward! Our friends and family all loved it, it made it a bit of fun!
What did you invite guests to contribute towards on your Patchwork?
We are big believers in experiences rather than material possessions. Due to covid, everything is so unknown so we couldn’t be too specific, just an idea of what we’d like to do. So we asked our friends to contribute to things like a drink, dinner, massage, skinny dip etc
What are your honeymoon plans?
As the borders are still closed around Australia, we have decided to make the most of it and travel up the coast in our van for about 5 weeks! We can have some pretty cool adventures all the way up like sailing the Whitsunday Islands, diving at Great Barrier Reef, surfing amazing deserted beaches and hiking in the rainforest. We can’t wait!
Thanks so much Peter and Katie for sharing your stunning beach wedding with us and huge congratulations from us all at Patchwork!! If you’ve been inspired to start your honeymoon fund check out our gorgeous easy-to-customise templates and get planning! We’ve also got loads of ideas for exciting and alternative wedding gift registries. If you’d like any inspiration for styling your own wedding, Katie runs an event styling business based in Sydney called With Smee. Check them out for brilliant inspiration for your weddings or parties!
Design concept and styling – With Smee
Katie & Peter would like to say a special thanks to the following suppliers for making their day extra amazing:
Matakata Tipi for the awesome tipi
Married by Todd for being the coolest celebrant there is
Mitch Pohl for epic photography
The Wilds Sydney for truly stunning flowers
Soft Launch and Georgia Draws a House for beautiful signage design and booklets
The Cove Jervis Bay for the most perfect wedding venue
The Vintage Stylus for the banging tunes + energy on the dance floor
Rabbit & Co Caterers for delicious food
Meet Mabel for awesome cocktails
Carte Blanche Bride for her beautiful dress by Laure de Sagazan
Kate McCoy for her gorgeous rings
P Johnson for Peter’s suit