The couple, whose whole hearts are exquisitely exposed in their wedding day album, met at a festival, and so their wedding was a festival style – right across the road from where they first met! Their family and friends all came to the party in their fanciest fantasy wear, making for the best dressed group of wedding-goers I’ve ever seen.

The bride donned a dress she found on Facebook Marketplace and had her sister-in-law revamp it, while the groom made and hand painted his entire outfit, including his crown.

This wedding day is pure magic. Just see for yourself, and have a read of the bride’s story in her own words.

Vendors

Photography: Brie Law Photography

Venue: Crystal Waters Eco Park

Florist: For the Loveee of Flowers

Catering: Pizza Fusion + Sunshine Thai

Hair: Go Girl Hair Artistry

Celebrant: Jade Webster

Wedding night accommodation: The Bower, Maleny

Why I Married Him

We are each other’s best friends and love of each other’s life! We never get sick of one another and always have so much fun and grow together.

Biggest Wedding-planning Challenge

Trying to get family and friends up to Queensland from Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Canada during Covid.

The Best Parts of Our Wedding Day

Waking up together, getting ready together, getting married, enjoying the day together, and going home together!

Advice for Future Brides

Don’t worry too much about all the tiny details, you won’t pay any attention to it on the day!

How We Met

I saw the back of Milan across a field at a small festival and instantly knew that I was going to marry him. Shortly after meeting, it was love at first sight. We didn’t really even date, it was just perfect fit from day dot!

The Proposal

We woke up early one morning and Milan just rolled over and asked, “Will you marry me?” It was an instant already yes!

The post Amanda loves Milan | Fancy Fantasy Festival Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Upon first meeting, Maddie knew Bryce was The One. Mutual friends introduced them, and even though Bryce took a little more convincing, they were obviously onto something!

The couple became engaged on a mountaintop while on holiday in Queenstown, New Zealand and married here on the Sunshine Coast. They worked to such a strict budget that they managed to come in under budget by $5k!

The Crew

Photography: Adriana Watson Photography

Venue: Obi Obi Hall

Florist: Willow Bud

Catering: That Pizza Guy

Makeup: Evoque Makeup Artistry (+ Hair)

Celebrant: Jarrad Bayliss

Planning Challenges

Budget and compromise. I had to remind myself that it’s his big day too. The biggest thing was other people’s opinions. We were the first children in both our families to get married, so there was a lot of expectations.

Advice for Future Brides

Stress less. At the end of the day, the people that are there are there for you and your husband to be. It doesn’t need to be 100% perfect.

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Photographer and celebrant.

Best money-saving choice: The catering. We had That Pizza Guy – biggest shout out to Simon and the team! They did the most awesome job with the wood fire pizzas and grazing table. If you’re on a budget or looking for a more relaxed atmosphere, That Pizza Guy should be your number one!

Bride’s dress: Andrea’s Brides and Grooms

Groom’s suit: Connor

DIY: We wanted a more of a relaxed, country wedding so we painted pallets white and had our own table settings.

Number of guests: 60

Wedding budget: $20,000

Actual cost of wedding: Just under $15,000

Thanks for supporting our A-list Vendors below, who helped make Maddie and Bryce’s day!

The post Maddie loves Bryce | Obi Obi Hall Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Sierra and Harrison met in the water, got engaged in the ocean, and were married in the rock pools at Point Cartwright. This surfer couple’s wedding was all about being wild and free, and natural simplicity. 

Bride, Sierra, has shared her dream wedding day with us, which the unpretentious couple pulled off for just $6000… 

Unforgettable Moment

I should probably say something like our vows but in all honesty it is probably the cheeky bum squeeze I gave Harrison right after we signed our marriage certificate during the ceremony. We were behind a table and I managed to pull it off without anyone seeing.

The Wedding Morning 

I actually surfed with Harrison the morning of. We love surfing and it’s how we met. Forget the tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding! We got sunrise pictures in the water the morning of and some fun little waves.

Images by Mallory Sparkles Photography

Why a Sunshine Coast Wedding?

We live here! And I had connections for my reception venue so I got it very affordable, it only cost $80 for a permit to get married on the rocks at Point Cartwright. It’s absolutely breathtaking there. We met in the ocean, got engaged in the ocean, and had to get married in the tide pools there to finish it off!

Standout Vendors 

Sally Townsend came to my location to do my make up. She was quick, efficient, and listened to what I wanted. Mallory (Mallory Sparkles Photography) went above and beyond even helping direct people around that morning so I wouldn’t have to because I didn’t have a point person to take charge.

The Proposal

We were squeezing in yet another ocean adventure between my night class training and my daytime teaching schedule so it was very spontaneous. We were paddling to Old Woman island (a special place for us) off of Mudjimba beach. We were about halfway when there was a fish/bird/ splashing full blown feeding frenzy so there’s a good chance there’s also sharks feeding on the fish. We stopped and Harrison wasn’t sure we should continue but I was all for it. I said this is the kind of adrenaline I needed in my life so Harrison did it right there in the water on our surfboards. We then went to the island and had a surf and adventure around the island.

Why I Married This Man

Harrison is my best friend. We love having fun adventures together and hanging out. We are opposites that balance each other out and are able to get along with our very different personalities. Harrison is very patient and kind. He’s a peacemaker and his humility before God and dedication to do what is right is what first attracted me to him.

One Thing I’d Change

Get a point person to boss everyone around for me and make everything happen. I wrote an itinerary with instructions for everyone but no one really followed it and some transitions were not so smooth. But I didn’t mind, I was dead set on having fun.

The Music

I walked down to “Best Friend” by Queen because it was fresh and funky just like our whole relationship. Also just so accurate. Harrison had to surprise me with our first dance. He chose “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest since we spent a lot of time running around beaches at night and it was one we loved.

Check out our Walk Down the Aisle Playlist with suggestions from real couples, and some of my own suggestions… 

Wedding Secrets

Biggest Splurge: My amazing photographer Mallory (Mallory Sparkles Photographer). Harrison and I are very bare essentials and DIY sort of people. So having a photographer that was not one of Harrison’s friends was a slight debate. However, we decided in the end that it was worth it to get a professional in the mix. Mallory captured our day in it’s raw and beautiful form so we can continue to relive it! While we were looking through our wedding photos Harrison said, “You we’re right, Mallory was totally worth it. She made it really fun and easy to have genuine photos.”

Best bargain: I custom-ordered my dress online only 1.5 months before our wedding. It was only $250. Luckily I got it early enough to have the underlay of the dress altered because it wasn’t quite right. I got referred by a friend to an amazing seamstress who did it for $80.

Bride’s dress: Ali Express, the supplier was named Nancy Li. I was afraid I’d end up with one of those online orders that comes nothing like the picture but I messaged her extensively before ordering asking about the fabric and everything. She was very responsive and I had buyer protection so I could send it back for a full refund.

Groom’s attire: Country Road on sale for $300

Shoes: No shoes. Wild and free just like us!

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Baby Lemonade

Groomsmens’ attire: Whatever white shirts they had and Country Road pants

DIY: Table centrepieces, cakes, wedding favours (shells we found on the beach during our engagement), bride’s hair, and bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. 

Honeymoon: Road trip down the East Coast of Australia. It was amazing we scored some pumping surf at Lennox Heads, Angourie, Cabarita Beach, Coffs Harbour. 

Number of guests: 80

Wedding budget: As little as possible!

Actual cost of wedding: $6,000

The One Thing I Wouldn’t Change

Enjoying every minute, even the messy moments. Being spontaneous and going off script with dancing and my vows.

Our Next Adventure

Probably just change the world for Jesus, following the passions he’s given us and watching how he unfolds his plan to use us.

The Crew

Photographer: Mallory Sparkles Photography | Reception Venue: School of Biblical Studies Campus | Florist: iBlossom | Makeup: Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry | Catering: Kunara Organic Catering | Stationery: Amazon.com.au | Celebrant: Daniel Gettis from Goodlife Church 

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It was Kelly and Justin’s main wedding day mission to have a fun day with family and friends without breaking the bank. Considering they managed to come in under budget, I would say – mission accomplished!

Bride, Kelly, has shared the details of her big day… 

The Proposal 

“We were in Wanaka – New Zealand. Justin thought it would be a great idea to walk up a mountain for our 9 year anniversary at -1 degrees. I wasn’t impressed and let him know about it all the way up. When we finally reached the top Justin proposed.”

True Love

“We met in highschool and have been together for 11 years. Justin always makes me laugh. We couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.” 

Images by Angela Cannavo Photography

The Music

Walking down the aisle – Horrorshow, Walk You Home

Aisle Recession – Troye Sivan, My My My

Reception entrance – J.Cole – Foldin’ Clothes

First dance – Ed Sheeran, Perfect

Father daughter dance – Powder Finger, My Happiness

Check out this Spotify Playlist I created using suggestions from real brides, and a few suggestions of my own… 

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Our rings

Best money-saver: We had doughnuts instead of a wedding cake

Bride’s gown: Grace Loves Lace 

Bride’s accessories: Veil from Etsy. Earrings from Grace Loves Lace

Bride’s shoes: Pre-owned

Groom’s suit + belt: Tarocash

Groom’s socks: Divvy Up – customised socks with our dog on them

Groom’s shoes: R.M. Williams

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Esther & Co. 

Bridesmaids’ accesssories: Lovisa

Groom’s attire: Tarocash + Connor

DIY: My mum and dad made our doughnut wall

Number of guests: 60

Honeymoon: We spent a few weeks on the coast visiting family and friends. But we wanted to wait and have more time to plan out our honeymoon, so hopefully the end of next year

Wedding budget: $20,000

Actual cost of wedding: $17,000 

Photographer: Angela Cannavo Photography | Venue + catering: The Rocks | Florist: The Posy Co. | Cake: Krispy Kreme doughnuts and gluten free doughnuts from Soul Kitchen Bakery | Favours: Succers For Love | Makeup: Kate Ellen Makeup Artistry | Hair: Coastal Style Mobile Hairdressing | Styling + decor: The Rocks | Celebrant: Sommer Saunder Celebrant | Stationery: Etsy | Entertainment: Spotify | Gifts: Wishing Well | Wedding night accommodation: Coolum Caprice 

The post Kelly + Justin | Budget Wedding at The Rocks appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Tegan was expecting an exciting weekend trip from Brisbane to Sydney to see her favourite singer, Sia, with her favourite man, Lawrence. Little did she know, Lawrence planned to make the weekend away even more memorable. After enjoying a lunch of champagne and seafood on the beach, he popped The Big Question! 

The couple then got to planning their stunning Noosa North Shore wedding on an impressively modest budget, and still managing to cater for their 110 guests. How did Tegan and Lawrence manage to hold their big wedding in Queensland’s most popular wedding destination on a $20,000 budget? Tegan shares her wedding secrets below… 

Most Unforgettable Moments 

“Reading our vows to each other; such touching words from my husband. And the speeches from all the people we care and love so much.”

The Venue

“We just fell in love with the secluded and tranquil feeling of Beach Stone House. It really represented us as people to be outdoors in nature and having our dogs included too was really important to us.”

Images by Tara Lee Photography

Standout Suppliers

“Tara as she is an amazing photographer. She really knows how to make you feel relaxed and capture those special moments. Dios Mio food truck; I couldn’t believe how quickly they prepared the food and everyone loved it!”

Why Marry Lawrence? 

“He is my best friend and just gets me. We met in London travelling and will always share that passion for new and exciting experiences.”

Advice for Future Brides

“Something will go wrong but it won’t wreck the day, no-one will remember that. Everyone is there for you both, so remember you are surrounded by all the people in the world who care and love you and that is truly beautiful and special.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: My wedding dress!

Best money-saver: Having a food truck, so many good options for guest and they provide everything. We saved on not having to hire and clean crockery and cutlery. 

Bride’s gown: Brides of Brisbane

Earrings: Ryan Storer

Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits: Norfords 

Bridesmaids’ dresses: JJ’s House

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Mimco 

DIY: Chairs, table decorations, trestle tables, signs and arbour. My mother made our cake, we had a playlist for music, and borrowed our brother-in-law’s vintage car. 

Honeymoon: Borneo on the beach and a jungle tour to see Orangutans. 

Number of guests: 110

Wedding budget: $20,000

Actual cost of wedding: $20,000

Photography: Tara Lee Photography | Venue + accommodation: Beach Stone House, Noosa North Shore | Flowers: Willow Bud | Catering: Dios Mio | Beverage catering: The Vintage Bondwood Bar | Hair + makeup: Allure Bridal Stylists | Marquee: Noosa Party Hire | Celebrant: Janice Woolrych 

The post Tegan loves Lawrence | Noosa North Shore Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

When planning their beautiful Buderim wedding, bride Kirstie and her betrothed, Jared, really made the most of the experience and savoured the time being engaged to one another. Kirstie has some wise advice for future brides. 

“Make planning the wedding fun, talk about it over getting a coffee or on a picnic, make it a special time to look forward to. This means it’s not a constant topic of conversation but focused quality time to enjoy as an engaged couple.”

Kirstie and Jared also took the advice of others, who had come before them and looked ahead to what is most important in the long run, putting the wedding day into perspective. 

“Your wedding day is the craziest, most emotional, special days of your life as a married couple. Yet we were told that it’s one of the least important because it’s the shortest day you’ll be married. We believe that the most important thing is not that we have a perfect wedding day but that we start a marriage with a willingness to forgive each other our mistakes, and love each other through growth both as individuals and as a couple. ” 

The couple were married at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Buderim, followed by a reception with their 150 guests at Buderim Tavern. Swirltography was there to capture the day. 

 “We gifted our bridesmaids perfume to wear on the day as well as their accessories and we gave the boys a scotch glass with their names engraved on them, and each an individual pair of socks.”   “We met as teenagers through our local church and youth group, where we became friends and enjoyed stargazing together. Eventually we started dating.”
“  “As Christians our main priority was to have a Christ-centered wedding. For us this included the Church, Tom our mentor and friend who married us with the help of our Pastor Matt Thiele, and being surrounded by our closest family and friends.”  “We have the same set of values, which keeps us always supporting one another.”

 “We signed our marriage certificate in a separate room during the ceremony with only our bridal party and officiants, it was such an intimate moment with the closest people in our lives and gave us a chance to relax and absorb the joy of the moment together.” 
“

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: My wedding gown, which the amazing Tammy from Elizabeth De Varga brought to life from my specific ideas after many hours of discussions and fittings.

Best money-saver: Our guest’s favours’ miniature succulents, which we grew in our very own garden, with help from our bridal planted into individual pots.

Bridal gown: Elizabeth De Varga

Accessories: Bride’s own

Shoes: Forever New

Bridesmaids’ dresses: twobirds Bridesmaid

Bridesmaids’ accessories: JURI Garden City

Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits and shoes: Connor + Roger David

Rings: Tiffany & Co.

DIY: I arranged all the flowers for the ceremony, and we made our own place tags together with the favours.

Honeymoon: Central America: Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala

Gift Registry: Thankful Registry

Number of guests: 110

Wedding budget: $25,000

Who paid: We did with generous contributions from our parents

 “My advice to future brides is to make clear timelines for when you want to achieve planning goals. Delegate tasks to friends and family on the day, including phone numbers for vendors in case something was to go wrong.” 

Photographer: Swirltography | Videographer: Silvertail Studios | Florist: Ginger Lily & Rose Floral Studio | Venue + Catering: Buderim Tavern | Cake: TOME | Hair + makeup: Lawdy Miss Claudy | Stationery Supplier: Katie Miller | Officiant: Pastor Matt Thiele, Immanuel Luthern Church | Wedding Night Accommodation: Kondalilla Eco Resort

Thank you for supporting our A-list Vendors, who helped make Kirstie + Jared’s Buderim Wedding happen.

Learn more about… Ginger Lily & Rose Floral Studio + Swirltography 

The post Kirstie loves Jared | Buderim Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

I simply adore this wedding in its humble simplicity, yet sheer beauty. Armed with the idea that they wanted a small, intimate Alexandra Headlands wedding that spoke to them as a couple, Marty and Emma turned tradition on its ear in almost every way. 

“What was most important to Marty and I was having a relaxed day with family and friends. Hence we steered away from many of the ceremony and reception traditions and just did what suited us.”

First scaling back was in the guest list – only 20 people were invited along. Next they completely threw out the idea of having an expensive reception,  instead ordering their favourite Thai takeaway to share with their guests back at the Airbnb guest house they hired for the week.

Not before they asked all their guests to stick around at the park for an afternoon tea of their DIY wedding cake and other delicious eats. No going hungry waiting for hours to eat at this laid-back affair! 

“A relaxed dinner with family and friends suited us more than a formal reception!”

As well as stripping back wedding expectations, they added one super sweet tradition of their own. Together with their gorgeous toddler they built a sandcastle on the shore during their ceremony to represent their family home and the life they are building together. A life that is about to grow as their family has been blessed with the addition of another little one. Emma and Marty did well to keep the good news secret till the surprise announcement at their ceremony! 

Alan Hughes Photography  did an impeccable job of capturing the heart of this happy occasion and all the sweet little details. 

 “As part of our ceremony we built a sandcastle with our two year old son symbolising the family home. My brother and sister-in-law read a beautiful poem entitled Home and Love while we were doing this.” “We kept the fact that I was pregnant with our second child secret for 20 weeks so that we could announce it at the wedding. My dress only just fitted!” “Our personalities are so opposite that they compliment each other.”  “To find my suppliers, I used The Brides Tree and recommendations from other suppliers.”  “One of my bridesmaids gave me the best advice during the planning phases. She told me to pick one thing that I love and something that is important to Marty and I. You get to spend what ever you want on the thing you love – there’s no budget so go absolutely wild. The ceremony and reception should evolve around the one thing that’s important to you. I love fresh flowers so my budget for the ceremony flowers was unlimited.” “Our ceremony location was so beautiful there really wasn’t any need to go anywhere else for photos.”  “We cut the cake and celebrated with everyone in Alex Bluff park immediately following the ceremony. Guests joined us that evening at our accommodation for some Thai take away.”  “I love planning and catering for celebrations, so most of our wedding was DIY. We made our own invitations, bombonnieres, cake and decorations. The bridesmaids and I did all of the set up for the ceremony and dinner on the day. It was a lot of work, but I loved it as everything was so personal.”  “Nothing went wildly wrong thankfully. Although the bridesmaids made a “quick trip” back to our accommodation to pick up some food we had forgotten and ended up getting stuck there with the road closures for the Mooloolaba Triathlon.”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Flowers and photography. 

Best money-saver: Not having a reception. A relaxed dinner with family and friends suited us more than a formal reception, and ended up being a great money saver too!

Bridal gown: Anthea Crawford gown. Purchased off the rack from Myer, $800.

Accessories: Lovisa $15

Shoes: Novo $40

Bridesmaid dresses: Ebay! The girls all bought their own.

Groom’s suit and shoes: Industrie. Purchased from David Jones, $100

Rings: Michael Hill for mine and The Gentleman’s Smith for Marty’s

DIY: Favours, cake, decorations, stationery.

Honeymoon: Waiheke Island in New Zealand

Number of guests: 20

Wedding budget: $12,000

Who paid: We did. 

 “We met at the movies. Marty accidentally bumped into me and made me spill some of my popcorn. He’s actually lucky we ever got together as I love popcorn!”  “The hours before the ceremony can be hectic, so make sure you allocate some time in your schedule between getting ready and the ceremony to relax with your bridesmaids and absorb the moment.”

Photographer: Alan Hughes Photography | Makeup Artist: Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry | Hair Stylist: Evalyn Parsons Hair | Entertainment: Mankunion | Florist: Mondo Floral Design | Celebrant: Cassandra Neilson, Coastline Celebrant | Wedding Night Accommodation: Private house hired through Airbnb

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

Learn more about… Alan Hughes Photography +  Sally Townsend Makeup Artistry + Evalyn Parsons Hair

The post Emma loves Marty | Alexandra Headlands Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

In a quaint country setting a team of Sunshine Coast wedding professionals gathered their talents to put on this styled shoot in the style of a country backyard picnic wedding.

Simple and pretty with loads of colour in floral arrangements very reminiscent of a country property wedding. Complete with a tent marquee, a sweet and modest backyard wedding was born. 

Images by Life and Love Photography

Thank you for supporting our A-List Vendors who helped make this shoot happen. 

 

The post Country Colours | Outdoor Picnic 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.

We asked one saavy budget-conscious bride how she managed to (mostly) stick to her budget for her Noosa River wedding. Here is Sarah's story in her own words. 

My Wedding Day

Our wedding Ceremony was on Catalina Cruises in the middle of the Noosa River on their boat. They have a great wedding package, where I arrived by Gondola to the large boat with all the guests waiting. The reception was at Australis Noosa Lakes, Tewantin, which is just accross from the Noosa Marina where the boat left and returned too.

Number of Guests: 90

Budget Set: $10,000.00

Final figure: $11,200.

Starting point

From the word go, you need to have an idea in mind of what colours you want for the bridesmaids dresses and the invitations, then decorations and everything will fall into place and you won't waste time or money getting things that didn't match and then wanting to change

Everybody has a budget blow-out sometime…

We went over budget by $1,200. I had ordered a fairly cheap dress overseas and when it came it just wasn't as nice as a wedding dress needed to be. I was totally against spending a lot of money on a wedding dress for one days sake, but definitely changed my mind and realised how important it is to really feel special on your day. Saying that, $1,200 on a dress was a bargain as I bought it off the rack and they threw in head pieces etc. to move their stock.

Surprising savings

I was rather suprised by the reasonable cost of the wedding catering at Australis Noosa Lakes. A two-course meal, consisting of a buffet main, and buffett dessert was only $45 per head. We really saved on those costs, the food was terrific and there was plenty. 

DIY was key to staying on budget

We did all the decorations ourselves. I bought them all off ebay and local $2 dollar shops (sounds tacky but came together quite classy.) My aunty owns white lycra chair covers so they were free, I bought chair sashes, table runners and round mirrors for centreprieces off ebay, metal birdcages as centrepieces from Crazy Clarks, acrylic table scatters from ebay, candles and tea light candles from Big W, greenery for inside the birdcage from $2 discount shop to go along with the candle in the birdcage. All my weddng favours where bought from ebay, which were white wedding dress and tuxedo boxes, which I filled with mini pink musks and printed off stickers which said 'thank you', and stuck them on the bonbonierre boxes. A good friend took over doing all he decorating the day before so I could relax.

Get organised

Use an excel spreadsheet and write down everything you are getting and keep a tally, continually factor in everything else that is standard like food, flowers, entertainment etc. and a basic price of what you expect it to be as rsvp's keep coming in.

Banking to stay on budget

Open a seperate bank account and only use money from it so you can see at any time how much you've got left and what you still need to pay for.

K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple, sister. Don't over indluge and be so self-entitled to everything you think you want, because usually noone else will notice anywhere near as much as you will.

Choose wisely

Of course the biggest budget helper is the suppliers you choose. Shop around, do a lot of research, compare everything! Dont be afraid to ask questions. Websites are not always up to date, so it's always best to make a phone call as they might have something that isn't on their website that you want.

Emma Nayler Photographer was a stand out supplier. I was on a budget a really trying to keep to it. She was most accommodating and it really helped. 

My Hand-picked Team That Made It All Happen

Ceremony venue: Catalina Cruises, Noosa River

Reception venue: Australis Noosa Lakes

Photographer: Emma Nayler Photographer

Decorations: DIY

Dress: Hills In Hollwood Sunshine Coast, Allure Bridal.

Makeup: Sister

Hair: Sister's friend

Accessories: Birdcage net hair piece came with purchase of dress from Hills in Hollywood, Earrings from Diva

Shoes: Novo

Favours: DIY White Wedding Dress and Tuxedo Boxes filled with pink musks.

Cake: Family friend is a cake maker and decorator! 

Transport: Arranged by Catalina Cruises to get to ceremony. Transport to location photos was organised by my husband and were all friends vehicles, White VE GTS, VL Turbo, & a Torana. (he's a Holden fan.)

Entertainment: Family friend is a DJ as well a member of a four piece Band! The Dukes of Rhythm. A+ for their entertainment.

Gift Registry: Made our own. Wrote a list of wants/needs and gave the list to Mum for people to ask about. Notations were made in our invitation to call her.

Officiant: I'm a member of a church so my Bishop was willing to provide the services for free. We invited him and his wife along for the whole day.

Florist: Jo Shadbolt (friend)

Our Honeymoon (over and beyond the wedding budget)

We honeymooned in Phuket, Thailand. $3,750 included return flights, 10 nights accommodation in honeymoon suite and buffet breakfast daily, along with an Elephant Trek. Including spending money on dinners and shopping, the whole thing cost $5000.

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