75 Guests, One Island, and a Completely DIY Wedding
Yasmin (she/her) and Emma (she/her) built their wedding around a place that already meant everything to them: Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), where they had gotten engaged and spent countless days together.
Planning a wedding on an island – where nearly everything and everyone had to travel – was no small task, but they approached it the same way they approach life together: with honesty, communication, and a willingness to step in for each other when things got overwhelming. They kept things relaxed, prioritising their guests, their experience, and the commitment they were making, letting go of traditions that didn’t feel aligned.
The result? A completely DIY day, grounded in the natural beauty around them, filled with colour, connection, and 75 of their favourite people all in one place, for what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Tell us about how you two met.
We met through mutual friends in 2017, but it wasn’t until 2019, after brunch with a friend, that things clicked. We messaged about a book we were reading, then met up for a drink and a cabaret slam show. Neither of us knew if it was a date, and this theme continued through our next few meet-ups: an art exhibition, dinner, drinks with friends, and a hike. Eventually, we worked it out!
Since then, we’ve built a life together based on shared values of honesty, communication, reliability, and empathy. We love our adventures together. Hiking, swimming and camping in nature, cooking at home, playing or watching football, enjoying time with our friends and family, and delighting in the arts and being creative.
How did you navigate wedding planning?
We organised everything ourselves, which was not an easy task when it required basically everything and everyone to travel to an island! But as always, we worked as a team, stuck to a plan, and delegated some things to family and friends. If one of us got overwhelmed or stuck, the other would jump in. We kept it fairly relaxed, knowing that the most important thing on the day was us and the commitment we would make to each other.
What led you to your wedding venue?
We were married at Point Lookout Community Hall, on the beautiful Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), on the lands of the Quandamooka people. Minjerribah is an island paradise, full of natural beauty, where Mother Nature’s presence runs strong and magic dances on the water. It’s very special to us, a place we visit frequently for day trips and holidays, and is one of the two locations where we got engaged.
How did you manage your wedding budget?
We created a budget we were comfortable with and tracked our expenses as we went. We thought carefully about what mattered to us and what didn’t. We didn’t feel beholden to any traditions. We prioritised the things that were important to us: location, our guests, and a photographer and celebrant we really loved – and didn’t bother with things like flowers because we were in such a beautiful location.
You chose Carlita Sari as your photographer. How did that happen?
We put a call out for wedding photographers online and were contacted by the fabulous Carly. We were looking for someone who celebrates and captures love in all its beauty, fun, and intimacy, and who would be relaxed and playful to be around. As soon as we saw some of Carly’s photos, including a very fun shoot at Minjerribah, we knew she was perfect for us.
Tell us how you brought your wedding (and your outfits) to life.
We focused on the beautiful natural environment of Minjerribah and having a celebration full of colour and life.
Given we planned and organised everything, the whole wedding was DIY!
We knew we wanted to wear colour, feel fabulous, and be ready to party. We didn’t shop at traditional wedding stores; instead, we shopped where we liked. This made the experience stress-free, as no one knew we were shopping for wedding outfits, finishing our looks with shoes from Rollie Nation and Midas Shoes, and styling our wedding party in pieces from Zara and Kookai.
What was your wedding day like?
We made the day just right for us, creating our own traditions and ways to celebrate. We got ready together in our holiday bungalow, had one of our brothers drive us to the venue in our car, and had our parents walk together down the aisle before we followed them hand in hand. We were married at Point Lookout Community Hall, on a deck overlooking the beautiful beach scrub, had champagne and cake following the ceremony (with cake by Baked by M&G), took photos around the beautiful Minjerribah with Carlita Sari Photo, ate pizza from Alfresco Woodfired Pizza, and drank, danced, and celebrated with our favourite people all night, with drinks by Cater 2 You and live music from Erin Jane Ross.
Our favourite moment was our ceremony. Looking into each other’s eyes as we said our vows and knowing that it was probably the one time in our lives that all of our favourite people would be in one place was so incredibly special.
Any standout wedding vendors?
We loved our photographer Carlita Sari Photo, who so beautifully captured our day, the gorgeous landscape, and all of the feelings that we and our guests felt.
We also loved the unique approach of our celebrant, Mel from Wed With A Twist, who created a perfectly bespoke ceremony for us, complete with surprise input from our friends.
Captured by Carlita Sari Photo
Bar Cater 2 You
Cake Baked by M&G
Caterer Alfresco Woodfired Pizza
Celebrant Wed With A Twist
Ceremony Venue Point Lookout Community Hall
Live Music Erin Jane Ross
Outfits Kookai & Zara
Rings Wallace Bishop Jewellers
Shoes Midas Shoes & Rollie Nation
