I feel I have the best job in the world watching beautiful couples express their love for each other on the most stunning (in my opinion) coastlines of Australia. I truly believe Gnarabup will forever hold a special place in my heart as it does for the many couples who choose to be married on it's shores.
As beautiful as it is, I have seen my fair share of do's and particularly dont's which I have mentally recorded for my ideal Barefoot Beach Wedding. From menus to decor, from florals to suits, the possibilities are endless but are also best kept simple. So here is my ideal Barefoot Beach Wedding.
To start, accommodation has a variety of glamor in Margaret River but the most important to me is location. Gnarabup hosts
so many amazing Air bnb's and has Margaret's Beach Resort which are perfectly walking distance from our venue. My choice of
Air bnb is 'By The Beach' Seaside Air bnb for the bridal party and Margaret's Beach Resort for
guests and the Grooms Party. Having your guests all in one location is the best for a prewedding catch up at the nearby Common
restaurant and post wedding brunch at The White Elephant Cafe.
The highly important and most remembered (besides your wedding dress)... the food! My ideal combination from our menus is the Casual
Cocktail Menu + Substantial Cocktail + Late Night Sliders (an absolute must!).
See my full menu selections below...
Canapés
- Exmouth prawn, yuzu kosho, smoked soy aioli
- Scallop, cauliflower, curry oil
- Japanese chicken, kewpie mayo
- Smoked beef, zucchini pickle, potato crisp, black pepper, soured cream
- Mushroom & goats cheese tart, beetroot & thyme jam
- Smoked potato croquette, red pepper vinaigrette
Substantial
- Miso chicken, Asian slaw, sesame & miso dressing
- Pork Belly, rice noodle, ssam Jang, wombok, chilli oil
Late Night Sliders
- Beef & Fish
*This menu or the Chef's Choice Menu (amazing value) are definitely my favs.
These menus makes me hungry just thinking about it! Our wedding chef's create the best flavour combinations and have
the ability to cater for all dietary requirements. Me being a Gluten Free girl... I love this!!!
My biggest advice here is LET THE VENUE DO THE TALKING and SAVE YOUR MONEY! The best part about having an amazing beachside venue like
Barefoot Beach Weddings is the view is your decor! Besides the amazing furniture delivered by Dunsborough Event Co (an
expect in styling) which brings the venue to life, the stunning beach backdrop is all you need. So ditch the tea lights, mums handmade
macramé pots, Kmart lanterns and random recycled jars with sand inside. It's not needed! But if you are still set on just a little
something extra, I would add plants from The Little Plant Bar. An amazing pairing with our venue and DEC styling
packages.
Pampas and dried florals!! My favourite look with ability to recycle the florals in your home after, this set up ticks all the boxes
for me. Either placed on a simple arbour or pillar set as below, I love this love the colour palette with the crystal beachy
backdrop.
Less is more and google the sunset time!
Firstly, choose the details which are most important to you and ditch the ones that arn't. Weddings are becoming less traditional, so going
without cake cutting or a bouquet toss won't have you sued. Reminder, the day is about what is important to you.
Next, plan to get it done all in one or two time slots as EARLY as possible. There is nothing worse than stopping and starting your guests enjoying their food or drinks for formalities and you having to worry about what is coming up next! The earlier everything is done, the more time you have to enjoy your night!
Warning, watch out for the sunset time. Depending on your wedding date the sunset time time can be an hour or so different depending on
the time of year. So plan ahead by googling the date and time for the sunset in Gnarabup.
Check out my recommended timeline below...
4:30pm - Ceremony
5:00pm - Reception starts (Eat, say hey to guests and enjoy)
6:30pm - Depart for Sunset Photos
7:00pm - Sunset Time
7:15pm - Return to Reception
7:20pm - Speeches, Cake cutting, First Dance
*All done at once!!!!!
7:30pm - More food
... Party Time!
Wedding planning always seems overwhelming, especially for most couples it's the first time. But whether it's the first time or second (or third?) time I will always recommend to keep it simple! So, this may be how I vision the ideal Barefoot Beach Wedding, but yours could be different and I am here to help you create that vision. Therefore, let me know hear your plan and we will make your vision come true!
