This was one of those really cool events that you definitely wanted to be part of.
Australian born, London based, Tom wanted to bring his stunning, English girlfriend over to Australia to stage a wedding proposal. But not your usual dinner and candles. Tom wanted to give Laura a classic, uniquely Australian beach wedding proposal. My brief was simple. Secluded beach, picnic, arrive by helicopter or seaplane. Sounds awesome and simple, right? Not so much…..
Months of thinking and planning
I like different, and I like challenge, so I was eager to smash this out of the ball park. First task – find a beach. A big one with sand as far as the eye can see. One where not many people would be around with prying eyes watching. Oh, and you have to be able to land a helicopter on this beach. Yeah……. Weeks of research proved that one to certainly be a challenge. Queensland does a wonderful job of protecting its environment and that means NO helicopters allowed on a beach.
I finally came across a little airstrip right next to a secluded beach on one of our most stunning islands. A wonderful local offered to transport our guests and all of our equipment over the dunes and we were in business!
Tom and I were messaging each other almost daily in excited anticipation.
- Beach location found – tick
- Helicopter good to go – tick
- Picnic set up – tick
- Seafood platter – tick
- Bottles of Dom Perignon – tick
- Personalised champagne flutes – tick
- Story of why Laura was going on a scenic helicopter ride with us tagging along – tick (I was in for an academy award for this one).
Two of these bottles – Yes please! We were all set to go.
What to do when you can’t control everything
Until the night before. As I am in transit back from my holidays, sitting in Sydney airport, the helicopter company call to say they had to call off the job due to the bad weather that was rolling in over the island. NOOOOO!
No, no, no. This cannot be happening. We have worked way too hard on this for it not to happen. But it did. Safety of our clients comes first and it was acceptance time and…..Plan B.
I’m very blessed to live beach front on a very quiet stretch of the Sunshine Coast, so I decided to move the wedding proposal here. Quiet, sand and water as far as the eye can see. Hopefully not to many people around. No dramatic entrance of the helicopter, but perhaps Laura wouldn’t see this coming? An easier surprise to pull off, perhaps?
Tom felt that it would be easier and less suspicious to get Laura to go for a walk through Noosa National Park. So the night before the proposal we moved the event to Tea Tree Bay. Knowing the area well, and how busy it would be, I aimed for a mid morning set up, after I had collected the seafood platter. Unfortunately, the weather was not looking the best for the morning.
So on the morning of the proposal, we moved everything to be set up in the mid afternoon. This was nail biting stuff here. But Tom was the most calm and accepting client. Knowing in his heart that this was going to be fantastic, no matter what Mother Nature threw at us.
Rolling with the punches
It was quite the feat to get all of our equipment through the throngs of beach goers up to Tea Tree Bay and to find a spot to set up that wasn’t on top of someone sun baking AND where the tide wasn’t going to wash us away!
We decided to set up the tipi back from the masses on the beach for a little privacy, and to allow the best view of Noosa’s stunning water view. As we were setting up we had so many curious on lookers. Not only did we look a little insane pushing suitcases through a national park, but then to set up a tipi, adorn it with fresh flowers, and fill it with pillows and rugs, must have looked a little high end for a family day at the beach!
It was lovely to have so many locals and tourists come up to ask us about the experience we were creating. The excitement on the beach was brewing as everyone learnt what a special job we had, and everyone was on the look out for our loving couple.
Ending with perfection
Tom read Laura a beautiful poem that he had written her and then dropped to one knee to propose. The answer was a resounding YES and I think you would have been able to see her smile, and the ring, from the moon.
Despite all of the meticulous planning and finger crossing, everything did not go our way on that day, and it was soul crushing for me. These events we create are our babies. We want nothing but the absolute best for our clients.
But the one thing that pulled me from my pit of despair was the hugest hugs that I was enveloped in when I finally stepped forward to meet Tom and Laura in person. I have never seen two more people more ecstatic to see me! Never seen two people more happy with the outcome of Plan B in my life. I think if they could have written in the sky how pleased they were with everything we did for them, they would have. And that was such a heartwarming response, because we really do pour our souls into our work, and it is so lovely to have it loved and appreciated.
We wish Tom and Laura all the best for their upcoming wedding in Italy. Oh if only it was to be held on the Sunshine Coast!
