Celebrant: Fiona Duce from Coastal Weddings
Dress: Wendy Makin
Music: Alisha from Janda events
Makeup: Kate Johnston
Hair: Isabella Jane hair and Makeup
Cake: Petite Crumb

Favours: sugar cookies by Cassie & her Mum
Stubby coolers: Soupcan
Flowers: Lee Madden
Suits: Roger David
Welcome Signs: Peony and Ink

When Cassie reached us about photographing & filming her and Mitch’s wedding at Howards Smith Wharves, we felt very excited. It’s a newly built wedding venue so we felt privilege to be between the first ones to photograph in there. When Pavel and I went for location scounting, we immediately knew Cassie & Mitch’s wedding will be awesome! There are so many photo opportunities from English glasshouses with high celings and lot of plants to river view and city skyline as a backdrop.
It was a beautiful day with just a few showers predicted for the morning. We arrived to The Fantauzzo hotel, where Cassie & Mitch were getting ready alongside their best friends and families. The Fantauzzo has been opened recently and it’s very stylish hotel featuring original artworks, inspired by Australian painter Vincent Fantauzzo. Having getting ready, ceremony and reception in one place was Cassie & Mitch’s priority and we like it as well because there is no travelling involved so you save time.
Cassie chose a dress from Wendy Makin and I loved it. I have to say I love simplicity.
After chatting and sipping champagne with their closest, it was time to leave for ceremony. It was overcasted from the morning but just before the ceremony the sky clear and it was very sunny and hot. Luckily, HSW’s staff was there to save guests from the sun with umbrellas and bottles of water. It was a beautiful ceremony conducted by Fiona Duce celebrant with lots of tears and laughter.
After the ceremony these two celebrated with their bridal party. Then we took them for a walk around the venue trying to escape from people walking around and to give them some privacy to enjoy each other We finished their photos near the river with beautiful sunset and city as a backdrop.
Cassie & Mitch joined their guests enjoying canapes on the waterfront deck in front of the Rivershed. Meanwhile, the sun went down and we could appreciate the beauty of night city with all lights, especially the Story Bridge, with pleasant music played by Alisha from Janda Events.

How did the two of you meet?
We met where all good love stories start- at the gym! Mitch was a trainer and I really liked how hard he pushed his clients. I trained with Mitch for a few years and we became really good friends before we started dating.

Tell us about the proposal?
Mitch planned a last minute trip to Townsville to visit his brother and his wife. We took a day trip to magnetic island and  went on what was meant to be a short walk to a secluded beach called radical bay. Mitch popped the question by writing it in the sand so when I turned around he was down on one knee! We tried to take a “shortcut” back to the main beach and got really lost. We ended up walking 8km around the island and had to hitch a lift back with some English backpackers. Quite eventful!

What was your favourite part of the wedding day?
Mine was seeing Mitch’s face as I walked down the aisle. Mitch loved listening to his favorite song and saying goodbye to our guests in a big circle at the end of our reception.

What advice would you offer to other couples planning a Wedding?
Try not to get too overwhelmed with the options available or be influenced by others and make decisions that make you and fiancé happy.

What led you to decide on your Wedding venue?
I really liked the idea of being able to stay on site and have both the ceremony and reception in one place. We went for a viewing when the site was still closed for construction so it was hard to imagine what it would look like but we fell in love with the view and hoped the venue would be built to be just as perfect – and it was! We got really lucky that the venue were extremely helpful in coordinating our day.