This Sydney couple tied the knot with a simply beautiful wedding at Bali Hai in North Queensland’s Port Douglas. Surrounded by 105 loved ones, Rachel and Scott enjoyed a fun-filled reception, dancing the night away.
“Port Douglas holds a special place in our hearts as Scott took me there to celebrate my 30th birthday and had a surprise engagement planned.We always wanted to have a wedding in a relaxing, beautiful location because being away from our everyday routines is when we are happiest, and we wanted our family and friends to have a nice, fun holiday too!”
Why the Bali Hai?
“I stumbled across an article on Bali Hai by Executive Retreats when looking for unique wedding locations and I fell in love with the place. It’s set in 80 acres of rainforest and I knew it would be a magical location for our special day. It’s like a little slice of Bali without actually having to leave Australia!”
Quirky Celebrations/Rituals
“We surprised our guests with fireworks at the end of the night – it was surreal and fun.”
The Music
“We had a DJ playing a mix of modern music and easy listening soulful songs like John Legend, Coldplay, Van Morrison, Bryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen, along with some more upbeat hits for everyone to dance along to.”
The Menu
“We had canapés on arrival followed by a sit-down, three-course banquet by Port Douglas Catering and Events. Some favourite dishes were the seafood platter, slow-roasted beef striploin, sweet potato gnocchi, Caprese salad, caramel macadamia tarts, and our wedding cake – which was chocolate with nutella ganache.”
The Honeymoon
“We went on a six week European holiday to France, Switzerland, Venice, Florence, Rome, the Amalfi Coast and the Greek Islands, followed by a week in Thailand.”
Best Photo Locations
“Our favourite photo locations were the sugarcane fields, Rex Smeal Park, and at Bali Hai.”
Advice for Brides
“Hire a wedding planner because they know the location and suppliers in the area and can recommend exactly what you’re looking for. It was worth every cent and helped eliminate stress. Also hire a videographer – we’ve watched our video so many times and even got to see parts of the day we didn’t remember because they went by so quickly.”
