Was it a hard decision?

Initially it did feel hard and a bit stressful! However once the decision was made (we moved our big celebration at Aquila Retreat till next October) I focused on creating a really magical day this year and was really relaxing and all about us. Funnily enough we now feel like we have the best of both worlds!

Tell us about what you did on the day.

The boys went out for breakfast while the girls got started on hair and makeup at our unit. I had my favourite music on, and did up some platters for us, and the whole morning was super chilled – we actually were running ahead of time!

We had our first look photos there, then headed to the ceremony together. It was the most stunning day with blue sky and wispy clouds, and when we were standing at the altar I couldn’t get over how stunning our spot was.

We did some sneaky photos together in a little forest path after the ceremony then met our guests at Ross’s parents’ place for the reception. Then it was drinks and canapés, and I took my shoes off straight away!

We had the most incredible 7-course degustation from 6:00, then carried on with drinks in the lounge setting by the pool. It felt so ‘us’ and we both couldn’t get over how perfect the entire day was!

Share a special moment from the day.

We loved getting first look photos at our unit overlooking the ocean! It was so nice to take time out together before the ceremony and get lost in the moment.

Seeing each other beforehand made it feel like the day was just for us and helped settle the nerves – we also loved getting chauffeured to the ceremony together in a gorgeous black Jag convertible.

Where did you spend your Honeymoon?

Thanks for supporting our A-list Vendors below, who helped make Sarah and Ross’ Point Cartwright Elopement so special…

The post Sarah loves Ross | Point Cartwright Elopement appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Away from the prying eyes of their 70 wedding guests, Katie and Anthony shared their own private moment on their wedding day with a “first look” prior to their wedding ceremony. It is non-traditional, but a growing trend in weddings that we are quite keen on, as a matter of fact. It’s really sweet to have that intimate moment between two people, who are about to become husband and wife.

This pair, who met on Australian dating site, eHarmony, are definitely not ones to be tied down by tradition. They put their own personal flair on their Caloundra wedding day by having a paper bridal bouquet, and even having their bridal party photo shoot take place in the Caloundra Air Museum. 

Photos of this unique wedding were taken by Glen and Fiona Photographers. 

////

“The first look was amazing and special. We got to spend that first moment without the nerves of 70 people watching us.”

“We used one of the lobby’s of the hotel we were staying in (Oaks Oasis Caloundra) for our ‘first look'”

Katie & Anthony’s Hand-picked Dream Team

Photographer: Glen and Fiona Photographers

Venue: Caloundra Powerboat Club

Cake: Judith Brosnan Cakes

Transport: Redback Car Rentals

Makeup Artist: TF Makeup

Hair Stylist: Charly Angelz

Decorators: Beedazzled Events

Dance instruction: Five Star Dance Academy

Gift registry: Myer

Celebrant: Vikki Speller

Wedding Night Accommodation: Oaks Oasis

“Ask your photographers to provide a copy of photos for both parents as a pledge before the wedding. Then your family (especially those in the front row) can relax and enjoy the moment without their cameras. Plus then your awesome professional photos aren’t ruined by family holding cameras in front of their faces or holding up iPads.” 

“If you ask Anthony what the best part of the day was, he would say it was going to the Caloundra Air Museum. For me it was dressing up and being the centre of attention! Marrying my sweetheart was all that mattered in the end.”

“As part of our ceremony Anthony and I exchanged love letters and put them in a time capsule to open in 5 years time along with a bottle of wine.”

“I  had 3 bridesmaids, my best friends Fiona, Michelle and Amanda. I was blessed to have a lot of family from NZ fly over too.”

“I roped in the bridesmaids to spend hours making flowers for the bouquets.”

Wedding Secrets Revealed

Best money saver: I made origami flower bouquets, which were much cheaper, but still looked awesome.

Bridal gown: Maggie Sottero

Accessories: Silver Shop

Shoes: Suna Shoes

Bridesmaid dresses: Alfred Angelo, shortened by Marilyn Crystelle

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Silver Shop

Groom and groomsmens’ suit and shoes: Spurling

Rings: Wallace Bishop

DIY: We made the flowers, invites, seating charts, menus and table numbers ourselves, and my mum, Annette, made the flower girls dresses. 

Music: Our DJ played a mix of modern party tunes and classic pub rock.

Number of guests: 70

Wedding budget: $18,000

The post Real Wedding: Katie & Anthony in Caloundra appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Teyha and Shaun’s day was all about them, but with the comfort and enjoyment of their guests as topmost priority. The first decision they made to accommodate their 65 guests was to choose Maleny Manor as their venue, knowing this would mean no travelling between ceremony and reception locations, as the Manor has a perfectly positioned pavillion with stunning hinterland views, especially for the wedding ceremony. You gotta love that. 

We quite love the special ways the happy couple made the day their own. One such personal touch was to have a “first look” or “reveal” photo shoot prior to the wedding ceremony, allowing them a cheeky moment to themselves before becoming husband and wife. Another was including their children in the ceremony; an absolute must for Teyha and Shaun, so the two boys walked their mum down the aisle. Awww!

Terri Hanlon Photography was there to capture each and every wonderful moment in her own uniquely sweet style.

“I was working in a bar while at uni and Shaun would come in for knock off drinks with his brother. I hadn’t met Shaun but he had noticed me. I got a phone call one day from my duty manager who said there was a cute guy who wanted to take me on a date. I got his number, called him a few weeks later and went on a one-way blind date. We never looked back.”

Bouquet  toting lessons from Terrianne of Mondo Floral Designs

The prettiness astounds in this baby’s breath bridal bouquet

“My advice to other brides is to have your last dress fitting days before the wedding to factor in any last minute changes in weight. And, don’t be afraid to wear flats!”

“We had a ‘reveal’ shoot before the ceremony to factor in winter’s early sundown. It was such a special moment when our photographer placed us side-by-side, eyes closed holding hands on top of a mountain. We then opened our eyes to see each other in the most breath taking moment. It was special to have that moment all to ourselves.”

“Shaun and I were conscious that the day was going to ‘fly by’ so we made a deliberate effort to savour every moment. The reveal photo shoot was a great opportunity to spend some one-on-one time together before the wedding, we had a few laughs and many sweet sentiments were shared.”

“It was raining, foggy and cold on the drive up to Maleny the morning of the wedding. Just after lunch, the sun came through and it turned into stunning winters day.”

“I did most of the planning in the few months leading up to the wedding. I wanted the wedding to have a vintage edge, with soft peaches and cream tones to compliment the beautiful winters day.”

“My sons walked me down the aisle, carried the rings and read some song lyrics during the ceremony.”

“We asked our Pastor to read a special family prayer to bring us together as a family. It was important for us to include our little men.”

Mis-matched bridesmaid dresses were complemented by the uniformity of the baby’s breath bouquets

“The boys were gifted spotty peach socks and hand-made ties. The ladies got jewellery, handmade from Etsy. The little flower girl (my niece) received a handkerchief with an embroidered poem designed for her to carry on her very own wedding day, also from Etsy.”

“We have worked each other out. He knows I’m super sensitive and I know he is the complete opposite, so we meet on a medium. It really works for us.”

“We wanted our guests to all be comfortable and not having to move from venue to reception. Luckily for us, the Manor is incredibly attentive and took care of many ‘to-do’ items.”

“The Manor has an amazing menu, we had canapés followed by a three course menu. We opted to have a buffet dessert so our guests could be free from their seats and able to mingle and dance.”

Wedding Secrets Revealed

Biggest splurge: The venue

Best bargain: The Bride’s dress

Bridal gown: Allure Bridal, Hills on Hollywood

Accessories: Etsy

Bridesmaid dresses: The girlseach purchased their own dresses online

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Etsy

Groom and groomsmens’ suits: Suit Strictly Formal Suit Hire 

Groom and groomsmens’ shoes: The Iconic

Rings: Diamonds International 

DIY: Table numbers, seating chart and place cards we designed ourselves and printed at home

Number of guests: 65

Wedding budget: $25,000

Who paid: The Groom

A-list Vendors

Photographer: Terri Hanlon Photography

Florist: Mondo Floral Designs

Venue: Maleny Manor / Cake: Eden Cupcakes, Maleny / Transport: Champers Rolls Royce Hire / Hair and Makeup Artist: Hot Brushes / Entertainment: Mark Divola / Stationery Supplier: Eirryn Porter / Celebrant: Pastor Jake / Wedding Night Accommodation: Maleny Manor

In what special ways do you plan to make your day unique to you and your hubby-to-be? Tell us all in the comments below.

The post Real Wedding: Teyha & Shaun in Maleny appeared first on The Bride's Tree.