Anna Karl

real life wedding inspo

Anna & Karl

photos Richie Norris Photos mobile 0431 981 499 email info@richard-norris.com web www.richard-norris.com

Meeting through mutual friends at a country race event, Anna met Karl, her future husband…she just didn’t realise it at the time. A country girl hailing from the Atherton Tablelands, Anna was on the lookout for a refined country gentleman - Brisbane born Karl didn’t quite fit the bill.

Something must have struck a chord between them though, because three years later, their friendship blossomed into romance. On Christmas Eve of 2018, Karl surprised Anna. They were at home, had finished dinner he had cooked and were enjoying some bubbles on the couch. Anna remembers thinking it was odd when he asked if she’d like to open her Christmas present early. “He is usually a real stickler for waiting until Christmas Day”, she says. When she opened it, a beautiful engagement ring was revealed, with Karl sitting next to her with a big nervous grin. So with just under 12 months to organise their wedding, Anna got busy gathering all of the inspiration she could find on Instagram and Pinterest. Once they had chosen their suppliers, Anna would show them the relevant photos saved to folders in her phone, and then hand over the reins to them to make their magic happen. Both enjoyed pre-wedding celebrations – a trip to Noosa for Anna and the girls, while Karl stayed local and visited some Brisbane Breweries with his mates.

The church, their reception venue and their photography were details they placed a great deal of importance on for their wedding. “Our dream wedding location initially was Port Douglas at the Sugar Wharf, but it was just a bit impractical” says Anna. “But after the day we had at Burleigh, I couldn’t imagine having it any other place now! It was the dream!” Family and friends from South East Queensland and further south celebrated with Anna and Karl on their special day. The day started with some light rain in the morning, but by lunch time it was clear blue skies all around. “From getting ready with Mum and Dad and the bridesmaids, the car ride to the church and all the excitement and anticipation, walking down the aisle and seeing Karl, the ceremony, it was all so beautiful” Anna recalls. “When I look back on the photos from the ceremony, each photo beautifully portrays the moment, and the memories come flooding back!” Neither Anna nor Karl realised the amount of time they would spend on the day with their photographer, Richie from Richie Norris Photos. Being so personable, he always made them feel at ease. “He could read the room and had such a great energy, It just made everything feel easy and it was a really enjoyable experience.”

Savour every moment

Wearing a beautiful Grace Loves Lace gown with hair and makeup by TinaKristen Weddings, Anna and her bridesmaids all looked and felt amazing. “Tina and Kristen’s artistic skills and styling were incredible” says Anna, “they did everything so effortlessly and added such a lovely energy to our day” Anna was also impressed with her flowers. Haylee at Huckleberry Flowers provided for the wedding. Admitting she was very much out of her depth with the flowers, Anna was relieved to find Haylee who took all of the stress out of the process. “The different floral arrangements surpassed all our expectations, the richness of colours and textures were incredible” she says. After their ceremony at Stella Maris Catholic Church at Mermaid Beach, a reception at Rick Shores followed with the beautiful Burleigh beach as the backdrop. Guests were most impressed with the level of service, the quality and the quantity of food and beverages at the venue - as were Anna and Karl. As the night came to an end, the band played ‘Closing Time’ and Anna and Karl found each other on the dance floor. They had organised in advance that when the band played this song, it would be their cue to leave.

“For some reason one of my fondest memories is singing, ‘I know who I want to take me home’, at the top of our lungs on the dance floor before we toddled off together along the beach to go home.” They spent their first night at Ambiance at Burleigh Heads, before leaving for their honeymoon in Vanuatu. The highlight of their trip was staying at the Plantation Villas. “They have two of the most beautifully appointed villas with your own private plunge pool on the waterfront” says Anna reminiscing. “Many a sunset was spent in the plunge pool with a bottle of champagne.” When asked if anything surprised them at their wedding, they reply “How quickly the day went!” And what would they change about their day? “Perhaps starting everything an hour or two earlier so we had more time to enjoy the day.”

Anna’s wedding advice: “Savour every moment, it really does pass by in the blink of an eye!”

Wedding Date: 28th November 2019 • Number of Guests: 75 • Wedding Song/Dance: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – by Franke Valli • Photographer: Richie Norris Photos • Bridal Gown: Grace Loves Lace • Bridesmaids Dresses: Chancery • Rings: Artisans Bespoke Jewellers, Paddington • Accessories: Grace Loves Laces (Bride), Mimco (Bridesmaids) • Hair: Tina Kristen Weddings • Makeup: Tina Kristen Weddings • Groom’s Suit: Peter Jackson • Groomsmen Suits: Classique Formal Wear, Indooroopilly • Ceremony: Stella Maris Catholic Church, Mermaid Beach • Celebrant: Fr Paul Kelly • Reception: Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads • Entertainment: The White Tree • Florist: Huckleberry Flower – Gold Coast • Cake: Frangipani Cakes • Transport: Hughes Limousines