Having had their big wedding plans in the UK derailed due to Covid (ugh, not that guy again… so annoying!), Sarah and Brian threw out all their preconceived ideas of what their wedding should be and decided their union was what mattered most.

After successfully having a Perth wedding, complete with streamed ceremony for those who couldn’t attend, they decided a year later to renew their vows to be sure to mark the occasion properly with their parents now able to be there.

The new priority was simply to enjoy the day with family – lots of laughter, photos and quality time together. So they hired an Airbnb for a simple private backyard wedding ceremony, and followed it up with a catered dinner and beautifully styled beach picnic on Noosa’s Main Beach.

Sarah has shared her wedding story and advice below.

Vendors

Photographer | MOMENTS BY MICHELLEE

Picnic styling + catering | LUXE SOIRÉES

Evening catering | GATHAR

Ceremony + dinner catering | SIMPLY STYLE CO.

Florist | THE NOOSA FLOWER BOX

Private house hire | Airbnb – details via SIMPLY STYLE CO.

Ceremony bridal gown | WINONA AUSTRALIA

Beach picnic bride’s dress | AJE

Groom’s attire | RALPH LAUREN

Flowergirl’s romper dress | PIPIROO

Unforgettable Moment

“My parents created a newspaper with stories and memories about Brian and I over the years, which they posted through the front door in the morning. It was so thoughtful! But my biggest memory of the day is probably just all of us laughing together throughout the day.” 

Advice for Future Brides

“It’s so rare you get to have all the people you and your partner care about in one place, so drink lots of champagne, laugh like never before and have fun! Don’t stress about the minor details because no one else will notice.”  

Our Love Story – Dubai to Noosa Backyard Wedding

“We met in Dubai, where we were both living at the time. He moved in with someone I knew from my hometown, so we saw a lot of each other very early on and we clicked.

“Brian proposed in Margaret River, WA, at sunset by the sea. It was perfect. My parents were visiting from the UK at the time, which made it even more special. We spent the following day touring the gorgeous wineries.

“He’s my best friend and knows me better than anyone. He’s always thinking of our future and our happiness, he makes me laugh almost every day and I feel safe with him. He’s my home.”

Dream Picnic Setting

“Luxe Soirees was a standout wedding vendor. The picnic set up on the beach was pure perfection, down to the minor details. Not only was the food really tasty and set out beautifully, some of it was displayed in shells, some on marble, there were dried florals, even the chairs were beautiful and really comfortable! “

The post Sarah loves Brian | Intimate Backyard Wedding Vows Renewal in Noosa appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Bride Rochell says her most emotional moment of her wedding day came two minutes before walking down the aisle. Then she saw how incredible everything looked, and all her family and friends waiting to celebrate, and it all melted away. 

Rochell’s husband, Jonathan, was the one who worked alongside Splash Events to create a stunning contemporary poolside wedding with style up the wazoo. 

The one moment Rochell says she will never forget is looking into her husband’s eyes and saying, “I do.” 

The pair were married on a private property in Doonan, and Rochell was kind enough to share her wedding planning journey and stories from the day with us… 

The Location

My home town. The Sunshine Coast is an amazing place so many beautiful places – why wouldn’t you (get married here)? We hired a house in Doonan with a beautiful arbor and grass area at the back of the house. We also hired the house next door to the venue house in Doonan; we didn’t want to be told at 10pm to end the party!

 

Images by Julian Beattie.

Highest Priority For Our Wedding

Music! I’ve known Mia Wray for sometime; I’ve always loved her voice, and so did Jonathan. We flew Mia up from Melbourne for the our special day she worth every penny spent.

Biggest Wedding-planning Challenge

The weather. Getting married in October was a very risky move; it is the most wet season in Queensland! We were very lucky enough to have the one weekend it didn’t rain, so we could enjoy the sun and the stars throughout the day and night.

The Proposal

We were on holiday on bail, on our way to our anniversary dinner when Jonathan drop to one knee and asked me to marry him. We were both crying.. I said yes We had an amazing dinner and spent the rest of night celebrating.

Our Next Big Adventure

Jonathan and I just bought our forever home and we have a baby on the way due in July, so I would definitely say that is our next adventure.

Flowers by Eyes Like Wild Flowers

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: We were very lucky to work very closely with Something for Catering, the food and drink service on our wedding day was amazing… we could not have asked for a better team.

Best money-saver: Jonathan and I have both worked in and out of hospital for 10year… we were very luck to support our friends business. We are so lucky to have amazing talented friends

Bride’s dress: Clara White Bridal

Bride’s veil: Borrowed from a friend

Bride’s shoes: Billini Shoes

Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire: MJ Bale

Groom’s shoes: Julius Marlow

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Clara White Bridal

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Sportsgirl

Bridesmaids’ shoes: Billini Shoes

Honeymoon: Byron bay, we just wanted to chill out eat good food and bring a dog Charlie with us.

Number of guests: 82

Wedding budget: $40,000

Actual cost of wedding: $40,000

Photographer: Julian Beattie | Wedding planner: Splash Events | Florist: Eyes Like Wild Flowers | Caterer: Something for Catering | Makeup artist: Cole Michelle Artistry | Hair styling: Roca Verde | Styling + decor: Splash Events | Entertainment: Mia Wray | Celebrant: Drew Candle

The post Rochell loves Jonathan | Contemporary Poolside Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

They believe they were born to be together, and I can’t dispute that. Seeing Kealey and Mitch all loved-up in their wedding photos by Mallory Sparkles has my going all ga-ga for them and their hinterland chapel wedding. 

 The Proposal

“Mitch proposed on Valentine’s Day after 11 years together. He is a fly in fly out worker and arrived home that day. He had cleverly hidden the ring in the small container inside of a Kinder Surprise egg. It was the perfect proposal and very unexpected.”

The Location

“You can’t really beat the Sunshine Coast hinterland when it comes to a beautiful atmosphere. The Little White Wedding Church is just stunning and we fell in love with it straight away. It’s intimate and has a romance about it.”

Wet Weather Back Up Plan

“We had the rain throw us a few curve balls in the weeks leading up to our wedding day. Having an outdoor reception we had a vision in mind and the final product wasn’t exactly what we had originally planned but it turned out wonderful regardless. It took compromise and adapting to the weather but we made it work.

“Of course we would love to have had the sun shining instead of rain but other than that we were pretty happy with how it all turned out. When it comes down to it you choose your wedding date and the weather can go either way and you just have to roll with it.”

“We were so happy with all our vendors, we couldn’t have chosen better!”  

Wedding Planning Resources

I found social media really useful. And a lot of google searches and reading reviews. I used magazines gained from the Sunshine Coast Bridal Showcase and also purchased The Bride’s Tree Ebook.

Advice for Future Brides

“Make sure you stick true to what you and your future hubby want. You only get married once so be certain of your decisions so you don’t end up with regrets. Surround yourself with positive, supportive and helpful people throughout the planning and the day of the wedding.”

Future Plans 

“The goal is to have a long, happy and healthy marriage with plenty of love and plenty of adventure.”

“Mitch is simply my other half, we balance each other out perfectly. We always say that we were made for each other and we both believe that.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Hiring First Class Pet Wedding Assistants to bring our fur baby along to our ceremony. It was something we were happy to spend that little bit extra on to have our boy there with us. It was well worth the money spent and they were fantastic!

Best money-saver: We were lucky enough to have a family friend cater for us. It was a huge cost cut and everyone seemed to really like the food so it worked out perfectly.

Bride’s dress + veil: LUV Bridal, Maroochydore

Bride’s shoes: Cotton On

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Boohoo.com 

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Collette Hayman

Bridesmaids’ shoes: Cotton On

Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire: Tarocash with tie from Connor 

DIY: Our entire reception was DIY. Mitch’s parents allowed us to have the reception in their backyard as we had dreamed of having it intimate and personalized. Everything was all hands on deck in the lead up to the big day. A lot of love went into the planning and execution.

Honeymoon: North Island, New Zealand 

Number of guests: 70

Wedding budget: $20,000

Photography: Mallory Sparkles | Videography: Forever Features | Chapel: Little White Wedding Church | Flowers: The Posy Co. | Cake: El’s Cakes with Love | Transport: Noosa VIP Limousines | Makeup and hair: Sunshine Brides – Valentina Pintus Makeup and Hair Artist | Celebrant: Jarrad Bayliss | Rentals: Barrels of Fun, Fairytale Events and Equip4Hire | Stationery: Vistaprint | Pet minding + grooming: First Class Pet Wedding Assistants 

Thank you for supporting our incredible A-list Vendors, who were part of Mitch + Kealey’s Dream Team… 

The post Kealey loves Mitch | Hinterland Chapel Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

It’s a classic tale of two highschool sweethearts wed in a marquee backyard wedding. Johanna and Chris have been best friends since they were 16 years old, so this classic romantic story definitely needed to be told here on Valentine’s Day. 

The pair share a mutual love of dogs, and Johanna says since Chris has seen her at her worst and still loves her, it’s without a doubt truly, madly, deeply. Their wedding was planned for their sixth anniversary in a backyard wedding stamped with the couple’s own personal touches.

A clear marquee was set up for their backyard wedding so everyone could stay on and celebrate under the stars. 

As a chef, Johanna made sure everyone attending her wedding would be well fed with nothing short of amazing catered food, and the prettiest cake and donuts to finish. 

Images by Roy Byrne.

“My dad, who is also a chef, helped prepare food for the reception, my sisters helped with the set up and finer details I may have overlooked, and my mother-in-law and sister helped create some very potent punch for the guests upon arrival.”

“We went through so many themes, I was addicted to Pinterest so I kept changing my mind. In the end we went with slate, marble, gold and natural greens. Our centrepieces were from the surrounding gardens so we had kafir lime leave branches, peaches and jasmine sprawled across tables setting off a fabulous aroma.”

“The best thing about our wedding was being surrounded by so much love. I’ve never felt that loved before, it was the most beautiful feeling.”

“I forgot my underwear and had to wear a spare pair of my mother in laws spanx… Yep.”

“Remember that the day is about you and your husband, don’t let anyone or anything take that away. Also remember to pack underwear, maybe pack two just in case.”

Wedding Secrets for a Backyard Wedding

Biggest splurge: Our honeymoon. 

Best money-saver: Focusing more on the food, alcohol and music. It’s all your guests will care about in the end. 

Bridal gown: Grace Loves Lace

Accessories: Mimco, borrowed Armani

Shoes: Nine West

Bridesmaid dresses: Vintage

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Forever New, Mimco

Groom’s suit and shoes: Clay Rondo Menswear, Aquila

Groomsmens’ suits and shoes: Roger David, Politix 

Rings: Michael Hill Jeweller

DIY: We did the whole wedding ourselves. From the set up to the anti pasto platters for reception. It’s alot of work but so rewarding.

Honeymoon: We went to NYC and then on a 12-night cruise of the Caribbean, coming back from that was hard. 

Wedding budget: $43,000

Who paid: We paid, with some help from our parents.

Photographer: Roy Byrne | Caterer: The Canape Project | Cake: Tome | Transport: Champers Rolls Royce Hire | Makeup Artist: Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry | Hair Stylist: Joel Reilly | Rentals: Noosa Party Hire, Hamptons Hire | Entertainment: Jackson Clayton | Gift registry: Envelope Registry | Celebrant: Kath Tilly Marriage Celebrant | Wedding Night Accommodation: Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort

Thank you for supporting our A-List Vendors, who helped make this wedding so darn special… 

Learn more about… Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry + Kath Tilly Marriage Celebrant + Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort + Politix

The post Johanna loves Chris | Marquee Backyard Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Wild Heart. from bxcsmxth on Vimeo.

In our latest free online bridal magazine, we published an impeccably elegant country wedding styled shoot with some of the Sunshine Coast wedding industry’s finest putting their talents to the test. Long lace sleeves, red lips and next-level florals in a private property setting with the sweetest stone cottage and views of rolling hills… just a little of what you stand to gain in terms of beauty by way of the eyeballs in this here 2-minute behind-the-scenes film. Plus some unreal music. 

Creative Crew

Coordination + venue/property management: Wild Heart Weddings

Photography: Lindy Yewen Photography

Videography: BXCSMXTH

Catering: Noosa Catering

Flowers: Willow Bud

Styling + stationery: Splash Events

Cake: SweetP Cakes and Cookies

Favours: Chef Favours

Hair: Evalyn Parsons Hair

Makeup: Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist

Dress: Judy Copley Bridal

Suit: Suits Direct

Models: Sam Dean + Marlene Paine

The post Behind the Scenes Film | Country Cottage Bridal Magazine Shoot appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Emily and Zach met at a friend’s gig. One year later they were engaged, and after seven short months of careful planning, they kicked off forever in a ceremony at Buderim’s Wirreanda Park. Their idea was to have their wedding feel like an enchanted garden setting, which this particular park in the southern end of the Sunshine Coast lends itself to just perfectly. 

After their heartfelt vows, the couple took their large bridal party of ten for a sweet photo shoot on a friend’s private property with views of rolling hills and ultimate seclusion. Their 60 guests then joined them for a catered reception with homey satisfying meal of roast lamb and baked veges to add to the family backyard wedding atmosphere of the large white farm house. 

Take a gander at these magical images, taken by lovefromluff of Emily and Zach’s truly lovely Sunshine Coast Backyard Wedding. 

  The bridesmaids and the bride enjoyed the makeup stylings of the team from Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry    Emily and her bridesmaids put their wedding hair styling in the expert hands of Sunshine Coast weddding hair specialist, bySARAHJANE “Our flower girl and ring-bearer were Zach’s younger brother and sister. We have a close relationship with them and wanted them involved in our special day.”  “Our bridal party were so attentive, thoughtful, and considerate on our wedding day. They were focused on making our day special. They were the first point of call if someone had a question or if there was a complication so we did not hear about any of the problems until the day afterwards!”  “Our desire for the theme of our wedding was to create an atmosphere that felt like an enchanted forest. We achieved this by incorporating lots of greenery, timber, natural lighting and pops of gold.”“Our favourite part of the day was being able to declare not just our love for each other but our intentions for our marriage through our own vows that were written in honesty and vulnerability.”“We allowed the natural environment to do most of the work for us and added simple touches of colour and timber.” “At the end of the day, this day is about a celebration between you and your husband. The planning and styling of your wedding can become your main priority when preparing for your day (especially if you’re a perfectionist like me), but truthfully, all you are going to remember on that day is the joy you felt when you became one with the person you were created to be with.”“We had a mentor of ours, Shane, speak at our wedding. He has been a significant influence over our lives in the last few years and has taken the time to contribute to our growth both as individuals and as a couple.”“We wanted a wedding that reflected us both as individuals and as a couple; intimate and simple. The venue was an important part of this, we chose places based on the feeling of being encompassed by nature.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: We didn’t splurge too much, probably either the photography or the wedding dress but even those weren’t too much!

Best money-saver: The venues; having our ceremony at a park meant that we just had to pay a small council fee and the family that owned the private property were generous enough to allow us to have our reception there for no cost.

Bridal gown: Made With Love Bridal, Mia dress, $1480

Accessories: Forever New

Shoes: Novo

Bridesmaid dresses: Popcherry

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Forever New

Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits and shoes: YD and David Jones

Rings: Prouds the Jewellers

DIY: Our wedding was mostly DIY. The reason for this was not just to save money but so that our wedding felt more personal. Both Zachary and I are creative and therefore enjoyed creating the intimate details that made up our wedding. We did the graphic design, ceremony benches and arbour, candle holders for reception table, bouquets and jukebox.

Honeymoon: New Zealand

Number of guests: 60

Wedding budget: $13,000

Who paid: Mostly us, with a major contribution of the bride’s family.“Through our faith we are able to be honest and vulnerable with each other. Our faith keeps us stable in the waves of uncertainty that is life, assured that through it all we will remain by each other’s side.”“Our reception was a private property that is owned by close friends of ours. This made our day special as it was a place that we already had a personal connection to; a place where we felt comfortable.” “Our wedding favours were small jars of honey; friends of ours have their own beehives and harvest their own honey. It is delicious and we wanted to share it with our closest friends and family!”Photographer: lovefromluff | Florist: Vintage Flower Box | Caterer: Home and Away Catering | Cake: Katelyn Park | Makeup Artist: Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry | Hair Stylist: bySARAHJANE | Rentals: Confetti Events | Stationery Supplier: Zazzle | Gift registry: Myer Bridal and Gift Registry | Officiant: Bob Rogers | Wedding Night Accommodation: AirBNB

Thank you for supporting our A-list Vendors, who helped make this wedding happen…

Learn more about… Confetti Events + bySARAHJANE + Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry

The post Emily loves Zach | Sunshine Coast Backyard Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Although they were engaged for over four years, they planned their wedding in just nine short weeks on a super tight budget.

Bride Deborah had high expectations for her intimate wedding. Keeping the gathering small allowed them to splash out on an incredible luxury house rental in the Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Montville. Its secluded location and outstanding views get you from the start, then the house itself pretty much just makes you never want to leave. The architecturally-designed 4-bedroom home is set on 32 acres of lush rainforest in absolute seclusion, ideal for an intimate wedding. 

Images by Marion Jonkers Photography

   “I was on a very tight budget, but also wanted a spacious, peaceful, beautiful setting, great food and wine, a gorgeous gown, fabulous photographer and wonderful celebrant… So everything had to line up with that.”  “I gave my daughters a pearl bracelet and a note as well.”    “I got married on the weekend that cyclone Marcia hit the coast and my husband was very ill the day before and during. There was road closures, flooding and made setting up very difficult. Most of my helpers couldn’t make it to help set up and finish finer details. But in the end, it didn’t really matter and we made the most of it.”       “I used to be a medical receptionist and Richard has a shoulder injury, so I would see him at work often. I was having a house warming party and ran into him up town and invited him to come. We knew we had something special almost instantly.”

    “I put together a survival pack for my husband, it contained, some lollies, biscuits, toilet paper (don’t ask!), cuff links and a little love note.”   “My sisters-in-law and nieces helped me making bouquets’ and button holes, setting up, dressing everyone, hair and makeup, they were wonderful.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: The house – Magical Malindi

Best money-saver: The cake. It was made by The Cheesecake Shop in my home town and was absolutely beautiful and delicious for $80.

Bridal gown: Casar Bridal, $1000

Accessories: The Silver Shop, $350

Bridesmaid dresses: Forever New, $120

Groom’s suit and shoes: Tarocash $200 & Shoes from Mathers

Rings: Michael Hill Jewellers and Hogan’s Jewellers

DIY: Flowers and bouquets, Invitations, Lolly Buffet, Crockery and Linen, Table settings and signs, favours and other decorations.

Number of guests: 25 

Wedding budget: $7,500

Deborah’s Advice to Future Brides…

“Always have a backup plan for the weather. If I didn’t it would have been disastrous. My junior bridesmaids and Mum, Mother-in-Law, didn’t want their hair and makeup done. I would definitely recommend that anyone who will be very involved on the day, get this done with you and if you have to pay extra for them to come to you, it would be very worth it. Get several quotes on everything and ask your celebrants for their recommendations, because they are in the know.

“The most important thing for me in my relationship is to try find balance every day. I try to spend time with the kids, my husband, time for myself, exercise and eat healthy and be as organised as possible in a clean environment. If the balance is too much one way, it seems to affect all the others. Sometimes my husband and I don’t agree on everything, which I think is totally normal, so we just agree to disagree and most importantly, move on, don’t hold onto things.”

Photography: Marion Jonkers Photography | Location: Magical Malindi | Catering: The Canape Project | Cake: The Cheesecake Shop | Hair styling: Dot & Birdie | Rentals: Beautiful Wedding Hire | Celebrant: Bill Scurry Marriage Celebrant

Thank you for supporting our A-list Vendor, who helped make this Montville wedding happen… 

Learn more about… Bill Scurry Marriage Celebrant

The post Deborah loves Richard | Montville Luxury House Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Stewie must have had some sense knocked into him when he bumped his head on a chandelier at a dinner party some three years ago, because the girl giggling at him ended up his wife. Piano teacher, Kelsey, was taken by this tall – albeit clumsy – drink of water, and now calls him her best friend and husband. 

Their DIY backyard wedding ceremony took place in Kelsey’s grandmother’s garden in Flaxton in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, followed by a reception at Obi Obi Hall. 

Images by Renee Towers Photography. 

“I gave Stewie a double swag for all our camping adventures, he gave me an Akubra hat. We have the groomsmen and fathers monogrammed Zippo lighters and the bridesmaids got the wedding day accessories including a clutch, jewellery and a handmade wrap.“

“Our photographer, Renee Towers, pre-planned all of our locations. The first was in my grandmother’s garden, then at a bridge creek crossing on Obi Obi Road and finally an old dairy farm up the road from the reception hall.”

“One really special part was that my piano teacher, Marion Kilchester, played for the procession. She even wrote a special piece of music just for us that was played when we made our way back up the aisle.”

“My Grandmother passed down her wedding dress and veil so that I could use them if I wanted. I went and tried on gowns in stores but nothing had quite the charm of that dress. My mother painstakingly and carefully altered it whilst maintaining as much of the original charm as possible. To have a similar dress made that just suited me so perfectly would definitely have made a dent in the budget. She did an amazing job especially as one of my criteria was ‘can play badminton in it’!”

Wedding Secrets

iggest Splurge: Investing in the lawn games so that we will always have them to bring out at parties. 

Bridal gown: Passed down from my grandmother, lovingly restored by my mother

Accessories: I made my jewellery.

Shoes: My boots were from EasySteps – SO comfortable!

Bridesmaids’ accessories: I made the bridesmaids jewellery and my mum made them and me caplets. I got their clutch bags at Colette Hayman.

Groom’s suit and shoes: Kingsize Big and Tall

Groomsmens’ suits and shoes: Suits from Ed Hardy + their own shoes. 

DIY: The bar made from recycled pallets, paper garland decoration, and confetti. 

Honeymoon: Severn River at Ballandean

Number of guests: 82

Wedding budget: $15,000

“(My favourite moment) was definitely the complete, exhausted happiness when my husband drove us off in my dad’s restored EH Holden Ute at the end of such an amazing day. Stewie’s favourite bit was the moment the rings went on. He says everything was smooth sailing after that!“

Photographer Renee Towers Photography | Videographer ShowBiz Video Productions | Transport Danny’s Tours | Makeup Artist Libby Hendrie | Hair Stylist Inside Hair | Entertainment Iain Jackson and Marion Kilchester | Celebrant Mary Baker | Wedding Night Accommodation Blue Summit Cottages http://www.bluesummitcottages.com.au/ Honeymoon Accom Severndipity | Pre Wedding Accommodation French Cottage and Loft Hall Obi Obi Hall

The post Kelsey + Stewie’s Flaxton Backyard Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Shawnee & Chris :: Kingston House Restaurant :: Sunshine Coast Wedding Film from Jasper & Ruby Visions on Vimeo.

We super dooper LOVE this wedding film of Shawnee & Chris’ backyard wedding, shot by the amazing crew at Jasper & Ruby Visions, which is exactly why it’s feature in our April 2014 free online magazine, alongside their stunning wedding images. This is wedding cinematography at its coolest. 

Have yourself a little watch, and then head on over to the magazine to find Shawnee & Chris’ dream team who helped make their wedding so drop dead gorgeous. 

The post Wedding Film: Shawnee & Chris appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

It was a lovely afternoon for a garden tea party the day Duncan made Leanne his wife in a ceremony and reception on their country property. They each asked their sibling to be their respective attendants, and invited 50 guests to be part of their backyard wedding on their 10th anniversary. Special!

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Leanne’s father passed away two and a half years ago, and it was really important to Leanne to include him in her day in some special way. So she wrote for him a poem to incorporate into the ceremony. Beautifully, Leanne has shared her poem with us, which we find completely touching. 

“When the light shines through the clouds,

A rainbow cascading through tears,

I feel your arms around me,

Sheltering all of life’s fears.

We all stand here today,

In the presence of undying love,

Feeling your smile beam down,

From the highest heavens above.”

Matt Rowe Photography took some stunning images of Leanne and Duncan’s wedding day.

“My dad passed away two and a half years ago and incorporating him into the wedding was incredibly important. I wore a locket on my wrist which contained a lock of his hair and I wrote a poem that was incorporated into the wedding ceremony:”

“We really wanted our animals as part of the day, even if it was just for photos. They form such a big part of our life and incorporating them in the wedding day was really important to us. I asked if I could get photos with my bird, Jackson, as he couldn’t be part of the festivities.”

“We’re the best of friends and just generally love being with each other. We both have our own interests and hobbies which ensure we keep our own individuality and remain the people we originally fell in love with.We’re the best of friends and just generally love being with each other. We both have our own interests and hobbies which ensure we keep our own individuality and remain the people we originally fell in love with.”

“The idea for a garden tea party at home came after many many hours of searching for venues around South-East Queensland and none of them being ‘us’ and then one afternoon when I was with the horses the thought popped into my head. We also set up badminton, bocce and horse shoe throwing games for everyone to play while we had our photos taken.”

“My younger sister was getting married and I told Duncan that I wasn’t going to stand up there as her older sister, not even engaged, so he organised a whole surprise ‘birthday weekend’ away and proposed. The proposal was itself was at Kondalilla Falls in Maleny. “

“I don’t think there’s one main thing that makes us work together, it’s a mixture of everything… Love, trust, honesty, life goals, morals and being able to make fun  and laugh at each other.”

A-Listers

Photographer: Matt Rowe Photography

Caterer: Sandy’s Incredible Edibles / Cake: Marche Du Macaron / Bombonnieres: Marche Du Macaron / Hair and Makeup Artist: Harpier / Celebrant: Victoria White – White Weddings / Wedding Night Accommodation: Incholm Hotel

“(The wedding date) had to be July 13 as this is our anniversary and 2013 meant it would fall on a Saturday and be our 10 year anniversary… perfect!”

Wedding Secrets Revealed

Biggest splurge: The photography – and very glad we did!

Biggest bargain: My dress, which was purchased on sale for $800. It was two sizes too big, but my friend altered it for me. 

Bridal gown: Pronovias

Accessories: Prive Bridal Accessories

Shoes: Peeptoe

Groom and groomsman’s suits and shoes: The Black Jacket Suits, Geoffrey Beene shirts, The Tie Bar ties & pocket squares & Happy Socks socks

Jewellery: Leanne: Engagement ring – Diamonds International, Wedding Ring – Glen Worth Jewellery. Duncan: Wedding ring – Family signet ring.

DIY: Bouquets, table decorations and runners, welcome sign, wishing well. 

Number of guests: 50

Wedding budget: $10,000

“We paid for the wedding and as we already have mortgages etcetera, we had to stick to quite a strict budget and know what we could save for and afford. Neither of us wanted to take a loan out.”

“We both wanted a fun, laid back wedding, but still classy where everyone could dress up and make an event of it.”

“I made the bouquets, table flowers, table runners, table decorations (birds and glitter jars), Dolly’s garland and the welcome sign (painting). We both made the food tiers by buying a range of white plates from lifeline stores and the centre pieces from EBay. And Duncan and his brother made the bird house wishing well, which is now our letterbox.”

“As it was an ‘afternoon tea’ wedding we had a selection of finger food on food tiers. They included 2 types of tea sandwiches, mini potato cakes with smoked salmon and crème fraiche, mini sausage rolls, mini quiches and mini spinach & fetta triangles. We also had a macaron tower with lemon meringue, strawberry & Turkish Delight flavoured macarons which everyone could pluck off.”

The post Real Wedding: Leanne and Duncan at their Country Home appeared first on The Bride's Tree.