Rachel and Mark // Phoenix One

Whitsunday Wedding Suppliers

Ceremony Venue: Whitehaven Beach
Reception Venue: Phoenix One
Celebrant: Jan Harvey
Photographer: Brooke Miles Photography
Hair: Whitsundays Wedding Hair Lounge
Makeup: Joanne Dromgold Makeup
Cake: Sweet Ideas
Flowers: Flower Hut
Dress: La Sposa, Barcelona
Boy’s Attire: Banana Republic
Transport: Phoenix One Luxury Motor Yachts
Jeweller: Kingsmill Jewellers


Rachel and Mark celebrated their wedding with an intimate gathering of close friends and family that spanned 3 continents.

The only thing that guests were aware of was that we were getting married…we sent invitations that read “join us at Airlie Beach at 2pm”…the rest was a surprise. Both of us love boats and being out on the water, and we knew that was at the heart of what we wanted from our day. Also to give our friends and family a once in a lifetime experience of being on board a luxury yacht in one of the most pristine places on Earth!

When we conceptualized our wedding (which we were planning from the US) our only idea was that we wanted a boat ride or something by, or on the water. Phoenix One Luxury Yacht Charters were willing to work with us to tailor our day exactly the way we wanted it. Being such a small party of 20 (including 6 kids!!) their chef crafted a menu that catered for all – from a buffet for the kids to a seafood spread on deck under the stars for the adults!

Our number one tip to couples planning a wedding is to hire a wedding planner. No matter what anyone says, the additional stress and the contacts and their resources go further than you ever can. Both Mark and I run and sell hotels for a living (including weddings!!) and to have an onsite expert was priceless. Allowing someone else to take control of your vision is empowering – you’ll be surprised at what the extra collaboration can bring.

Make the investment for a quality photographer. With destination weddings, you are already miles ahead and have the most beautiful backdrops that nature provides. Getting the right person to capture this is key. When we scanned through portfolios of photographers, we came across Brooke Miles Photography. Her work not only showed the beauty of the couple, but reflected the most stunning natural surroundings and blended the two seamlessly.

A destination such as the Whitsundays provides you with pristine beaches, wildlife, spectacular sunsets (and sunrises) and the colour palletes of nature that become a canvas for your day and theme. To have that natural beauty captured for us was just as special and important for our memories and sharing with our loved ones overseas. Ultimately, The Whitsundays is Brooke’s backyard and what she knew about the light, the colours and the contrasts of the ever-changing landscape was incredible. With her guidance, we learned so much more about our surroundings because of what she shared with us.

Both of us love to travel and share amazing experiences and we knew we wanted our wedding to be nothing different. We started at Airlie Beach, chartered to Whitehaven Beach and saw whales, turtles and incredible bays, set up the ceremony on a beach that had only us on it, followed by a sunset cruise with dinner and dancing under the stars on the deck of a luxury yacht was beyond what we could ever imagine. It was our own floating little piece of paradise and luxury.

If you decide to go the boat option for your Whitsunday wedding invest in quality dinghies. We had to maneuver 20 people of varying ages off the luxury yacht to Whitehaven Beach and then return. Whitehaven is so remote that there is no marina or jetty so our wedding coordinators chartered a dinghy company that brought across a quality 16 person tender that could get everyone right up onto Whitehaven.

Shoes were optional and everyone was barefoot!

Our wedding was the culmination of our honeymoon! We live in Williamsburg, VA, with our two children, so for us we started our journey in Melbourne to visit friends and family. We then travelled to Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park, followed by four days exploring Sydney, then finished with a week’s vacation in the Whitsundays. We hired a large house and invited our close family and friends to join us. Little did they know what to expect!!

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