The Royles' Wedding
A proper Royles wedding occurred on the 12th of November earlier this year. When I say proper, I mean that the bride and groom wore country boots and they greeted each other with a handshake at the altar. It was so formal that they even shook up the entire “wedding schedule” and made the day their own! True Nat and David style if I’m being honest.
I’ve been so closely involved with Nat and David’s beautiful love story, which is why it was such an honour to attend their wedding both as their photographer and their friend. As I’m looking back on all of our conversations and catch-ups, I’m slowly realising just how big of a year 2022 has been for this pair of lovers. Selling an old house, building a new house, dealing with health struggles and finally becoming husband and wife! It truly is magnificent to see them where they are now. I am mesmerised by the way they have both handled it. Both of them have such a can-do, down-to-earth nature that it’s no wonder they found each other!
Their new surname might beg to differ, but the wedding itself was exactly that, completely down-to-earth. Their special day was held in the Gold Coast Hinterland at the award winning private wedding venue, Austinvilla Estate. Surrounded by their closest family and friends, they chose to have a first look moment and then take their wedding parties down to the creek opposite the estate. All of us hung out, attempted the nutbush, got a little sandy and one of us may have had an encounter with a horsefly (looking at you Cass).
After a momentous afternoon down by the creek, the guests had started arriving back at Austinvilla Estate. The set-up was glorious — an open air building with a backdrop of the green acreage that the estate sits on. Peace and quiet for miles, interrupted only by the amazing live singer that Nat and David had on deck! The wedding was a perfect, easy-going ceremony with one main surprise. That surprise came in the form of the ring bearer, Ben (nephew of Nat and David). Ben dropped down on one knee, bowing his head and offering the rings up to the soon-to-be-wed couple like he was making an offer to the King and Queen themselves! This moment was greeted with a roar of laughter, not only from the bride and groom but the entire audience!
Once Nat and David became The Royles, the guests strolled on over to the back deck on the estate and awaited the couple’s first dance. WHAT A FIRST DANCE IT WAS! The Royles’ welcomed their marriage into the space, in absolute style. If anyone out there thinks that a first dance is not worth investing in, I will happily interject and say that it most definitely is. Nat and David rocked that stage.
Their first dance was quickly followed by some informal speeches and soon after the guests were seated in the dining area. Drinks flowed all night, while dancing really took off when Nutbush City Limits played throughout the venue. We even had a moment where Nat and David played The Shoe Game. Things got really interesting there…
All in all, Nat and David’s wedding was a delight to capture and to be a part of. The two of them really do make love look like an effortless, playful dream.