In The Stars - Russell and Suzzie

When Russell Harvey and Suzzie Johnstone met four years ago at a Brisbane Lions AFL match and after an instant connection but a "rough start" to their relationship the two have never looked back.

Suzzie's 23rd birthday was a special one, when Russell took her to the Barossa Valley in Adelaide for a week then onto Glenelg for a few days. When a proposal didn't happen in the Barossa Valley, Suzzie was resigned to it not happening at all. So when Russell took her out onto a freezing cold balcony in Glenelg, got down on one knee and nervously proposed, the surprise was understandable. Of course she said yes!

Originally, when planning their wedding, they thought they would have a bright coloured theme, full of purples, oranges and reds. But as planning evolved, their colour palette was toned down to two colours, purple and yellow. There was no particular reason for these choices other than they both thought they would be nice colours for their wedding, subtle and not too over the top.

Suzzie's flowers were a simple but elegant teardrop bouquet consisting of phalaenopsis orchids of white and purple with purple wiring and beading throughout the bouquet. Her bridesmaid had a posie of the same orchid except with yellow beading and wiring. Flowers were provided by international award winning German florist, Katja Bohme from Floral Initials.

Suzzie's dress was a couture gown with inbuilt corseting, extremely detailed hand beading and lacing and about 12 layers of silk and tulle in the skirt. After two hours of standing in the dress at the shop, she just knew she had to have it. The bridesmaids dress was done in a beautiful silver and was found in Garfunkle.

The choice of venue for the wedding and the reception was a personal one. Having practically grown up on North Stradbroke Island, and the fact that Suzzie's parents own a holiday house with a 270 degree view of Moreton Bay and Brisbane City, they decided it would be lovely to have a beach wedding ceremony with their reception at the holiday house.

Suzzie reflects on the location of the ceremony as being one of the most beautiful places on North Stradbroke Island. The ceremony was held at South Gorge Beach where they set up chairs for their immediate family and older guests as well as bali flags on either side of the bridal party.

Tables at the reception were simply decorated with purple runners hand made by Suzzie's mum, and alternate centrepieces, one made up of 3 different sized candle holders with sand in each and the other being purple hydrangeas immersed in water filled hurricane vases. The place cards were double sided, one side with the guests name and the other with a photo of the bride and groom.

The mood of the reception was set with an abundance of fairy lights and lanterns. A lot of family helped to set up the reception which led to extra loving touches that were not planned, but just happened as everyone added their own ideas in the process.

The cake was a split level affair, with the top layer, a fruit cake, made by Suzzie's mum and iced by her uncle. Underneath, vanilla Bailey's and chocolate Cointreau mud cupcakes were served as a delicious and meaningful desert for all the guests.

Photographs were superbly taken by Russell's brother Brett who owns his own photography business, Brett Parnell Photography. The stunning photos show the uniqueness of the setting and they explore the personal feeling of the day beautifully.

Suzzie believes that listening to the speeches, her wedding dance and the vow exchange were all very special parts of her wedding day. Ones that she will cherish forever.

One of the most unique and memorable things about this wedding was that as Russell does not wear any jewellery whatsoever, Suzzie surprised him by officially naming a star after them and dating it with the wedding date. This element was integrated into their vows and Russell received a crystal star on the day as a replacement to the wedding ring, to symbolise the star that holds their name in the sky. This delightful touch proves that this charmed couple is truly in the stars.

Until next time...

Lea
xxx