Family comes first at Rachel and Riki’s elegant waterview wedding

Who said you can’t find love in the club? That’s exactly where Rachel and Riki met over eight years ago and they haven’t looked back since.

“It was a Friday night at the Calamvale Hotel, we exchanged numbers and the rest is history,” says Rachel, 27.

Six years in Riki, 28, popped the question and the couple began planning their elegant waterview wedding for December 1, 2018 at waterfront venue Salt at Kingscliff in NSW’s far north coast.

“Our priority for our wedding was family. Riki sadly lost his mum to cancer when he was three years old, and the woman who raised him is also terminally ill with cancer and couldn’t travel from New Zealand for the wedding,” Rachel says.

“We wanted to try and have as many nearest and dearest with us on our special day as possible. I made Riki and his brothers cufflinks which had their mum who has passed away and the woman who raised them on each side so they were with us every step of our day.”

When it came to styling, the couple stuck with a mantra that less is more, with personal touches scattered throughout.

“Our wedding was everything we could have asked for and more, from the special moments like the haka to the simple details of the table centrepieces. I would love to do it all again and change not one thing.”

Photos courtesy of Bliss Photography by Leah.

 Rachel found her gorgeous strapless gown at Luv Bridal & Formal – Designer Direct. Her make-up and hair was done by Bella Brides.

Riki and his groomsmen looked sharp in their classic suits.

The couple were wed by Kim-Maree Summers from A Summers’ Celebration.

“He took me up to Mount Coot-tha Lookout, which overlooks Brisbane, and got down on one knee in front of loads of people who then clapped so loudly when I said yes. It was such an amazing moment. I had no idea about any of it, everything was a complete surprise,” Rachel says of Riki’s proposal.

“I love elegant and whimsical styling and incorporated this into our wedding with the thought ‘less is more’ in mind always,” Rachel says.

Video by NSI Productions.