You may have noticed Gwen Floral Co. is not named after its owner, Sarah Luthy. In fact, Sarah named her business in honour of her late grandmother, Gwen. (Cue tears!) Gwen always nurtured her granddaughter’s creative endeavours – little crafts, seashell collecting, piano-playing, and in her final days, flowers. 

I would venture to say Sarah is doing her grandmother proud with her beautiful creations and heartfelt approach to her craft and business. I asked Sarah to let us in on what makes her tick, how she got started in wedding floristry, and what’s trending in 2020-2021 wedding flowers! 

Sarah, tell me about how you came to work in the wedding industry. 

I’ve always loved weddings. I remember when I was 12 and I was invited to my older cousin’s wedding, I was SO excited. I paid so much attention to the details — I still remember the favours, the seating chart, the dress, the moment she walked down the aisle.

My love for weddings was reignited when I got married in 2016 – this was around the time I was creating flowers for my friends’ weddings. I loved planning my own wedding and communicating with my various suppliers, and not long after I got married, I decided I wanted to work in the wedding industry!

The business is three-years-old now, which feels so young, but at the same time I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve been blown away with the growth of the business over the last three years and am honoured that so many couples have chosen US to play a part in their day. As the business was quickly growing, I realised that I couldn’t possibly do it all on my own so I now have a small but mighty team of assistant designers that help me out when needed.

What lead you to become a wedding florist? 

I’ve always been a creative. Music and art were my ‘things’ in school. I’d picked up flowers as a bit of a hobby when I was freshly out of high school while I was studying my music degree. After creating flowers for a few friend’s weddings, I realised how much I loved it and that just maybe I could make a living out of it! I quickly decided to change my career plans and started Gwen Floral Co the following year.

What’s trending in wedding floristry right now? 

The sophisticated luxe and lush floral theme is definitely in! Dried flowers are also a hit. We are definitely seeing trends move away from rustic more of a chic look. Brides are opting for quite lush floral-heavy designs with quite minimal greenery and incorporating interesting dried textures. I’m here for it! Buuut I’m also a lover of all things romantic and whimsical, so I do love creating luxurious garden-inspired designs too.

What’s something you live for? 

I’ve watched the FRIENDS series at least seven times. It’s kind of embarrassing. My husband and I have it on repeat; it’s our go-to show when we want to watch something that doesn’t involve thinking! I’m also a dog mum to two labradoodles. If you like FRIENDS or dogs, then there’s a very good chance we will get along really well.

We recently moved to North Brisbane (I’m thankful that it’s NORTH Brisbane so driving to the Sunshine Coast is only an hour drive). I love the beach, but Montville and Maleny have always had my heart. You’ll probably find me wandering Montville with my husband or girl friends, indulging in a delicious fancy lunch.

On the day, we typically start off early in the morning by tying off the bouquets and getting everything safely packaged up and loading the vehicle for delivery. We usually deliver the bridal party flowers on the way to the venue/s before arriving at the venue and getting everything unloaded. Depending on various logistics we’ll typically design the arbour and ceremony space first before setting up the reception florals and any other decor we are providing.

 

Often we are required to stay close by during the ceremony so that we can transfer the ceremony florals to the reception space. After that, we get the last few things back in the vehicle, drive home, usually pour a sneaky glass of wine and rest after a BIG week!

What makes Gwen Floral Co. stand out from the crowd? 

What do your happy clients always say after having worked with you?

My favourite one it “you exceeded my expectations”! I also often get comments about how smooth and easy they found the planning process – that makes my heart smile!

Fallen in love with Gwen Floral Co.? 

You’d better act fast, because Sarah’s availability for 2020 weddings is limited! She’s so popular, 2021 dates are filling fast as well, so enquire today to find out if you’d lucky enough to land her and her incredible florals for your Sunshine Coast wedding. 

 

The post Sarah Luthy | A-List Vendor Profile appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Gold Coast couple, Jess and Jonathan’s elegant Noosa Beach wedding ceremony was held at the ever-popular idyllic Maison La Plage Grove, shaded prettily and with the sound of the waves just beyond the trees. Their wedding colour palette was both formal with a classic feel and fresh and contemporary. The navy bridesmaid dresses and the groom’s navy suit were stunning against the white bouquets with greenery peeking through. 

If anyone has ever told you white bouquets are boring, they haven’t seen a Willow Bud creation with all its perfectly placed blooms constructed with care and precision, and a whole lot of talent. This Noosa wedding florist has an eye for the distinctly beautiful, making their creations second to none.

The touching ceremony was followed by frolicking at Little Cove on Noosa’s Main Beach for bridal party photos with photographer, Karena Nuttall. Then they joined their guests at Bistro C for a celebration of their new marriage, great food and a dining room elegantly decorated by First Class Functions. 90 of their closest family and friends came along to dance the night away with the happy couple. 

“My advice to other brides is to have a timetable for the day with realistic times, it makes for a stress free morning getting ready, plus only have people around that you want there.” Noosa wedding florist Willow Bud made a distinctly gorgeous bouquet for bride, Jess.    “My grandparents read a poem at the ceremony and our brothers witnessed us signing the marriage certificate.”

    “Jonathon wrote me a beautiful letter and gave me a Tiffany and Co pearl bracelet. What made it even more special was my mother wore a pearl bracelet on her wedding day. I gave Jonathon a Melbourne Watch Company watch and wrote a very long letter. I gave my girls Mimco pouches and earrings. Jonathon gave Timothy a wooden box with socks, cuff links and bow tie.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: My Karen Willis Holmes gown.

Best money-saver: I won a full stationery package from Lovestruck Invitations at a wedding expo and a friend of ours donated his time as our celebrant.

Bridal gown: Karen Willis Holmes Lucinda Bespoke Gown with French Chantilly Lace sleeves, $3600

Accessories: Handmade robe made by my mum from lace and material from all the special ladies in my life, which I wore on the wedding morning. Antique Earrings from Isabelle’s Fine and Antique Jewellery in Hastings Street, $690, and a Pearl Tiffany and Co bracelet – a gift from Jonathon.

Shoes: Designed myself through Shoes of Prey $250

Bridesmaid dresses: Bariano Navy full length lace Lucinda dress $270 purchased through a wholesaler 

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Mimco earrings, their own nude heels

Groom’s suit and shoes: Country Road and MJ Bale $850

Groomsmens’ suits and shoes: Country Road and MJ Bale $850

Rings: Jonathon has a Palladium domed wedding band and I have a Platinum diamond band made by Peter Anderson from Andersons Treasure store.

DIY: We had our Parents and Grandparents Wedding Photos printed and framed to display at the reception.

Number of guests: 90

Honeymoon: We had a pre-honeymoon in Italy in May then stayed in Noosa for a week after our wedding.

Wedding budget: $42,000

 “For our bonbonnieres we made donations to two charities, being Red Kite in memory of my friend Kate and Beyond Blue in memory of Jonathon’s friend Luke. Following this we printed thank you cards and attached pins from each charity for our guests to wear on the night. It was amazing looking around the room seeing people wear them in honour of two friends.”  “One special moment was our first dance – we hadn’t practised at all but just lived in the moment and we had the best three and a half minutes together.”

“The very best part of the day – apart from saying our vows that we had personally written to each other – it would have to be walking home together at 1.30am going over our memories from the amazing day.”

Wedding Featurette – Jon & Jess from Goliath Productions on Vimeo.

Photography: Karena Nuttall  | Florist: Willow Bud | Venue + catering: Bistro C | Bombonieres: Donations to BeyondBlue and RedKite |Transport: Hinter-Coast Transport | Makeup Artist: Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist | Hair Stylist: Coastal Style Mobile Hairdressing | Rentals: First Class Functions | Decorators: First Class Functions | Stationery Supplier: Lovestruck Invitations | Wedding Night Accommodation: RW Noosa Holidays | Spray Tan: Noosa Beauty to You 

Thank you for supporting our A-List Vendors, who contributed to making Jess and Jonathan’s beautiful Noosa Restaurant wedding happen… 

Learn more about… Willow Bud + Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist + Coastal Style Mobile Hairdressing + First Class Functions

Meet Natalie Hunter and the woman behind Willow Bud at this year’s A Village Wedding Expo on Sunday, June 19. 

The post Jess + Jonathan’s Noosa Restaurant Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Ana didn’t have a specific theme in mind when planning her wedding, so she relied upon her stylist and florist to guide her in the right direction. The results are absolutely amazing, so it just goes to show that allowing seasoned professionals to do what they do best can really pay off! We absolutely adore the bright, happy, colourful wedding styling of the ceremony and reception with impressive baby’s breath centrepieces in tall vases. Blooms of Noosa are one of the most creative florists out there, and they really put together a breathtaking sight. 

Their reception was held at Rickys River Bar + Restaurant, a stunning, classy waterfront restaurant in Noosa, and the perfect location to celebrate through the night after a Noosa beach ceremony. The location itself is amazing, the food to-die-for, and the decor divine. 

Ana and Josh wanted to involve their beloved family and friends in their wedding ceremony as much as possible. Ana’s sister wrote a beautiful letter, their sister-in-law picked a beautiful poem to read at the ceremony and they included a Rings Warming Ceremony, whereby their rings were passed amongst the guests for good wishes. 

The absolutely incredible photos below are by one of the most talented photographers on the Sunshine Coast, Jennifer Oliphant Photography. We love her vibrant images, which have captured the emotions and special moments of the day so beautifully. 

Enjoy, and make sure you take a peek at the full list of amazing Sunshine Coast wedding professionals, who made this day happen for Ana and Josh.

“Josh got me the earrings that I wore, my friend who walked me down the aisle got me my bridal garter and my bridesmaids got me blue underwear! But the most special piece was the veil I wore, it was my husband’s mother’s, the one she wore on her wedding day 40 years ago!”

“Our little nephews were our page boys, we had our closest friends in our Bridal party and in my dad’s absence one of my best friends walks me down the aisle.”

“Our personalised vows which we kept secret from each other were a special moment of the day, it was incredibly emotional to share them and those words are going to be always in our minds. Before mine, I read Josh a Poem that I absolutely love! ‘I Carry Your Heart with Me’ – EE Cumings “

“We believe that to success in a relationship is more than finding the right person you need to be the right person, we listen to each other, we argue but we also resolve the problems we face, the differing cultures and backgrounds also makes everything interesting.“

Ana’s Advice for Future Brides

• Savour the moment; it goes so quick!!… When you are walking down the aisle take a deep breath and breath in the moment, the beauty of it, your family and friends warm faces when they see you, your husband to be… enjoy that moment, it’s a treasurable memory!
• People love having opinions and mostly they are doing it out of love but remember is your day, have it as you have always imagined it… people don’t have to love what you love.
• Your wedding is also important for your family; it’s worth it to accommodate some things for them, like a couple of extra invitations for example or seating plans.
• Make a list of shots that you would like to have, look at bridal blogs, magazines… any source of inspiration and have a list that you can give to your photographer.
• Be happy and grateful for the people that want to be part of your day; attending and even more being part of wedding party takes people’s time and it costs, people that accept your invitation really want to be there for you!
• Include make up to touch-up yours after the ceremony, it can get really emotional [I cried pretty much the 30mins that it lasted!] and you want to be photo ready right after it!

“We have very similar goals and expectations from each other.“

“We arrived to the reception at Rickys in a classic boat; we were sipping champagne on the most beautiful sunset cruising around Noosa River. It was absolutely stunning and it was some private time that we really enjoyed.”

Wedding Secrets Revealed

Biggest splurge: The reception venue, we wanted amazing food and water views.

Best bargain: Our cake, was absolutely delicious, the best one that we tried, (and we tried many!), our celebrant recommended us a local lady, we saved lots of money!

Bridal gown: Maggie Sottero gown from Brides of Brisbane

Bridesmaid dresses: They were made in Colombia, much cheaper!!

Groom and Groomsmen’s suits and shoes: Spurling Bridal & Formal Wear

Jewellery: Swarovski earrings, a gift from the groom

Number of guests: 72

The Hand-picked Team That Made It All Happen

Photographer: Jennifer Oliphant Photography

Florist: Blooms of Noosa

Venue + Catering: Rickys River Bar + Restaurant

Cake: Richie’s Bakery

Transport: Noosa Dream Boats   

Hair and Makeup Artist: Beauty on the Move

Accommodation: Viridian Noosa Residences

      Decorators: Love Bird Weddings

Celebrant: Natalie Banner, From This Moment Ceremonies

The post Dream Noosa Main Beach Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.