The couple said “I do” at Mandalay House and Garden, blending personal touches with bold and elegant styling. As creatives, they designed all the handcrafted elements themselves, such as the menus, place cards, staff aprons, bar signs and seating charts. “It was important that we made all of the stationery ourselves as it really felt like us and our style,” Stav says. “It was exactly how I envisioned it.”

Location Mandalay House and Garden
Celebrant Married by Deanna
Bridal gown Calèche Bridal House
Make up Nastassja Makeup and Make Up By Alisha
Hair Amanda Muss and Chantelle Garreffa
Flowers Evie Bud
Cake Heidelberg
Lighting and draping Venue Productions
Photographer Sebastian Paynter

How did you meet?
The classic way – Instagram!

Tell us about the engagement.
We went to stay at Sun Ranch in Byron Bay for our anniversary. We had dinner booked at Rae’s and John suggested we get there earlier to watch the sunset on the beach. Silly me wore high heels to dinner as it was quite a nice restaurant. Not realising the location was a steady incline, John wanted to sit on a park bench facing the water. We tested out a few different benches because he claimed he wanted to find the best view, but he was really checking out the surroundings and the first few benches had too many people around, people sitting in their cars behind us etc. So he made me walk back up a hill to the 4^th bench we sat on, and then he decided the first one at the bottom was the best. At this point I was thinking “pick a bench already my feet hurt” but I didn’t want to have a bad attitude on a nice night before dinner. We were just chatting on the bench and he just swivelled onto his knee for about three seconds before sitting right back next to me. I can’t even remember what he said but I was so surprised. I didn’t even look at the ring. I am certain he never actually asked “will you marry me”, he put the ring box on my lap and said “aren’t you going to put it on” and I said “you’re meant to do that”. We laughed because he was so nervous. Sometimes when he’s tying his shoes at home I joke that he never even spent that long on his knee when he proposed.

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What were some personal elements that were important for you at your wedding?
John and I are quite creative so it was important that we made all of the stationery ourselves, so it really felt like us and our style. We made the menus, place cards, bar signs, table numbers, aprons for the service staff, seating chart, welcome sign, candelabras, bar decals, wishing well, and even a vase with our names on it. A lot of late nights but it was worth it.

What did you love about your dress?
It was exactly how I envisioned it. Caleche did an incredible job bringing the vision to life. It was based off the first dress I tried on, with a few tweaks to make it feel more like me. My second dress was fun, simple and chic. I had three pairs of shoes for the day/night, which was a lot of fun!

What was your inspiration behind the styling?
The overall vision was a harmonious blend of classic, classy, and timeless elements, while still embracing seasonal trends. We wanted the day to look bold and unique, yet still simple and elegant, nothing overly traditional or expected. We were drawn to a visual experience that felt intentional and refined, with moments that surprise and delight.

What was one of your favourite parts of the day?
Our reception entry! DJ Sami created the best mix of our favourite songs, and everyone was up there with us. So much fun.

What would you recommend for anyone else planning their big day?
Get the wedding coordinator! There’s no way we could have done it without Charlotte. She made the vision come to life and provided so much guidance, reassurance and insight, while making everything seamless on the day.
And enjoy every minute, it goes too fast!

Please email all wedding submissions or queries to [email protected]

This article first appeared in the May 2026 issue of SALIFE magazine.