beach wedding ceremony Archives | The Bride's Tree

Simone loves Corey | Cotton Tree Wedding

Sally Townsend — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 19:00:06 +0000

Simone and Corey spent a couple of years planning their Cotton Tree wedding, the key thing they attribute to its success. Having given so much time and thoughtful planning to the day, even an unexpected change of venue didn’t rattle them.

Their organisation allowed for a relaxed day and made way for some seriously sweet details, like the surfboard they had made which became both their ceremony signing table and guest book.

The local Mountain Creek couple were married in a beach ceremony at Cotton Tree, and followed it up with a reception at Maroochy Surf Club overlooking the ocean.

Simone has shared all her wedding planning experiences and best tips for those wanting a day as perfectly calm and enjoyable as hers…

The Proposal

“On NYE 2016 Corey took me for a picnic on Alexandra Headland hill. We then went down for a walk on the beach where he asked me to turn around and close my eyes and got down on one knee. His friend hid in trees and captures the moment, which is so nice to look back on.”

Wedding Planning Priorities

“After looking at many wedding venues we decided a beach wedding was important to us because we spend so much of our time together there. Good entertainment was also important as we love a good party.”

Stand-out Suppliers

“Mallory Sparkles (photography) is incredible, Natalie Hunter did a beautiful job with our makeup, and Ceri fromEvalyn Parsons (hair) was amazing. Emilia from Bloodwood Botanica is so talented, her flower creations took my breath away. Aaron from Cut a Rug (DJ) was so much fun and really knows how to work a crowd. Maroochy Surf Club was great too, they made everything to do with the planning so easy.”

Images by Mallory Sparkles Photography

Unforgettable Moments

“There are so many special moments. Walking down the aisle and seeing Corey’s face, our first dance which was different to a traditional wedding dance – it was a Brazilian style of dance called Zouk. And dancing on the beach under the fireworks.”

The One Thing We Wouldn’t Change for the World

“Having our dogs at our ceremony. They are our babies.”

Simone and Corey’s Next Adventures…

“Our next goal is to buy our family home and to go to Europe for a holiday.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Fireworks

Best bargain: We bought our cake from The Cheesecake Shop and decorated it ourselves

Bridal gown: Made with Love Bridal from The Sphere Collective

Bride’s accessories: Etsy

Bride’s shoes: Betts

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Lulus

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Colette by Colette Hayman

Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire: Myer

DIY: Bombinerres, cake decorating and we got a surfboard made (by Beckham’s Surfboards) and used it as our signing table then got everyone to sign it as our guest book.

Honeymoon: Maldives

Number of guests: 85

Wedding budget: $20,000

Actual cost of wedding: $25,000

Wedding Songs

Walking down the aisle – Latch by Sam Smith

Reception entrance – You’ve Got the Love by Florence and the Machine

First dance – Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran

Check out this Spotify Playlist comprised of real couples’ picks for their songs to walk down the aisle to, and a few suggestions of my own…

The post Simone loves Corey | Cotton Tree Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Intimate Destination Wedding – Little Cove, Noosa

admin — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Natasha and Adam, along with their two children, Betty and Teddy, travelled a long journey to their wedding in Little Cove, Noosa. The journey started in 1997 when the UK couple met in their home town. After 15 years, two children and a very long flight, they made their vows in a very intimate ceremony, followed by a carefree reception at Bistro C, Noosa.

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While they know it would have been easy to have a huge wedding with all the trappings back in the UK, a holiday to Australia and a Sunshine Coast wedding with only seven guests was exactly what they would call the perfect wedding day. Natasha says her best choice, aside from choosing to have a destination wedding on the Sunshine Coast, was to hire Kim from Weddings of Noosa to coordinate their special day.

Location was key, and the intimacy of Little Cove in Noosa was just perfect for its privacy and a simply beautiful setting. Locals made the day even more special. Well wishers on the beach included a pair of sweet little girls, who made out a heart in stones with the word ‘love’ inside just for them!

Natasha’s idea for styling for her wedding was simply to look not so styled, but to embrace the simplicity of a beach look with a touch of vintage and a splash of bohemian style. The relaxed, intimate, personal, simple and stress-free wedding Natasha and Adam dreamt of was beautifully captured by Lindy Photography.

“I couldn’t believe how having a look around could save us so much money. I will never believe that you have to spend a fortune on a wedding for it to look great. By having a mindset of what you want your wedding to look like makes you buy the right things and not be wasteful and extravagant.”

“We had picked our own wedding playlist for the ceremony. As Adam waited for me ” The Scientist” by Coldplay played a firm favourite of his. “At Last” by Etta James was my entrance song, a very personnel and appropriate words that at last we finally did it!”

“I got Adam cufflinks personally engraved with the exact Latitude and Longitude of the exact point of where we got married on Little Cove beach”

The Hand-picked Team That Made It All Happen

Photographer: Lindy Photography

Celebrant: Jacqui Gray

Florist: Blooms of Noosa / Bombonieres: Handmade heart place settings by Bizara / Hair and Makeup Artist: Debbie of Beauty on the Move / Wedding Planner & Decorator: Weddings of Noosa

“We like to think we were very lucky to have the most wonderful sunshine as we took our vows and the storm which arrived minutes after of us signing was all part of the fun! I will never forget getting the heel of my Jimmy Choo’s stuck in the boardwalk at Little Cove and a very kind surfer walking past with his board rescuing my shoe. Very surreal, but very funny! Then walking along barefoot in the rain. Only being in Noosa and the beautiful surroundings made this fun at home in England this would been a lot more stressful and not so much fun.“

“We have that special something that you just can’t explain when you find your special person in life!“

Natasha and Adam’s Wedding Secrets Revealed

Biggest Splurge: Natasha’s Jimmy Choo shoes

Best Bargain: Natasha’s £300 Monsoon Bridal gown

Accessories: Brow band handmade by my friend Emma Dignam who specialises in wedding jewellery –emmajaneuk@hotmail.com. Vintage style clutch bag by Newlook £25.

Betty’s Dress: Monsoon Kids – £50

Betty’s shoes: Sandals by Quiz bargain in the summer sale £7.99

Adam’s suit and shoes: Ted Baker shirt £80 approx. and Linen trousers from House of Fraser £60. Brown leather flip flops previously owned.

Teddy’s attire: Linen shorts and linen shirt by Monsoon Kids £40 and brown Birkenstock sandals £25

The post Intimate Destination Wedding – Little Cove, Noosa appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Church vs Nature

admin — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:00:00 +0000

When you want to have a religious ceremony, deciding upon where to commit your matrimonial vows is a tricky one. Depending on your religion, you may have no choice – a church ceremony is perhaps a must. If you belong to a religion not so strict on the location of the ceremony, you may have the opportunity to keep your religious aspect, and your dream natural setting, too.

CHURCH

The surroundings

Many old and new churches have beautiful interiors. The wooden pews, the stain glass, and wood or stone flooring are features that make a church ceremony feel extra special. The pews are easy to dress up with aisle runners and floral arrangements.

Forget the weather

Church weddings can be truly beautiful, and completely necessary with some religions. The great thing about a church wedding is that you are safe from the elements. As we all know, Queensland weather can be very unpredictable. A beautiful summer’s day can start out with blue skies and end with thunderstorms. So taking the question of whether or not you will be the victim of a washed out ceremony or is one less stress, that’s for sure. If it happens to be a gloomy or windy day, it won’t matter a wink to you!

The Little White Wedding Chapel, Maleny

Please be seated

Everyone gets a seat at a church wedding. This can be particularly important if you have either very young, or elderly guests. Some beach or garden weddings are standing only, which could be very difficult for poor Great Aunty Bessie with her bad back and hip replacement.

Seen and heard

At an indoor church ceremony, there is no wind to contend with, and there is usually a PA at your disposal, making it it very easy for all of your guests to hear you clearly. Also, as your guests will be seated, and you and the officiant and possibly the bridal party will be raised, you will all be seen perfectly, too.

Privacy

The great thing about an indoor church ceremony is that it is completely private. The church will usually be booked out for you, and there are no passers by, or gawkers loitering about.

The best of both worlds at Maleny Manor's purpose-built Pavillion

Photographic aspects

Unfortunately with a church ceremony, you are less likely to capture that beautiful light you get with outdoor ceremonies. However, that’s not to say you won’t necessarily end up with some lovely images. Be sure to ask your photographer if he/she has had much experience photographing church ceremonies and how the lighting issue can be dealt with. If your photographer is unfamiliar with the church you have chosen, an excursion to familiarise him/herself is on the cards. Same goes for your videographer.

As for getting your photos taken afterwards, be sure to get some nice shots outside the church if it’s one with a beautiful big steeple, as these are just gorgeous in your wedding album.

NATURE

The surroundings

What could be more beautiful than a beach ceremony, overlooking one of our stunning Sunshine Coast beaches? Or a gorgeous garden ceremony, surrounded by green and colourful flowers under a pretty tree? If you’re going to go for a natural setting, the Sunshine Coast is definitely the place to do it.

Back up plan

The first thing you need to do once you have decided upon your outdoor ceremony location is to lock in a back up plan. The unpredictable Queensland weather could have you rained or blown out, so whether it is your reception location or somebody’s house with some room, as long as it’s indoors where you can be safe from the elements, you’re covered should the weather decide not to cooperate.

Maroochy Bushland Botanical Gardens

Spicers Clovelly, Montville

Versatility

Your beach, garden, farm, winery or similar setting for your wedding ceremony can be very versatile. If you’re only having a small wedding, that is only short, you may choose to forego the chairs and have your family and friends standing close around you, feeling the love. However, be considerate of elderly, very young, disabled or pregnant guests, who may prefer to sit and have some chairs available.

Floral decorations, aisle carpet and arches are all popular for decorating and theming. Some couples are also providing guests with refreshments while they wait during summer months.

You can take along a PA, which is definitely advisable for a beach ceremony, where wind and passers by can make it difficult for your guests to hear your vows.

Sunshine Beach

Cotton Tree, overlooking the river

Noosa Waterfront Restaurant & Bar – as the name suggests, it's a lovely waterfront location

Photographic aspects

Natural lighting will produce the best result photographically speaking, so your natural setting should be perfect for getting some beautiful ceremony photos. However, bear in mind that full sunlight can cast shadows down the face and cause you to squint, so a bit of shade is preferable. Then again, speckled light, such as that which occurs through the leaves of trees, can also cast strange shadows. It is best to pick a spot, where there is plenty of light, but your faces are shaded. A gazebo or tree well-endowed with leaves is your best bet.

All of the beautiful wedding images above are by the amazingly lovely Karen Buckle Photography. This and many other helpful articles on planning your wedding can be found in our Resource Guide.

So, are you dreaming of saying "I do" out in the elements or staying inside? Tell us, where are you tying the knot?

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