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.

Four years after they first met through a mutual friend, Judith and Kevin married in a stunning ceremony overlooking the Sunshine Coast hinterland at the iconic award-winning Maleny Manor.

Creative Judith tapped into her childhood and youth, and chose a theme that resonated with her, having marked so many moments in her life. Alice in Wonderland was the source of childhood joy via the Disney movie and teenage fascination as Judith read and re-read the book over and over, being inspired to create artworks based on the well-known characters and the world in which they lived.

And so their reception was a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party! So as you take a peek at the beautiful images by Renee Brazel Photography and amazing styling by Moments in Vintage – Furniture & Decor Hire, I will leave you with my personal favourite quote of all time.

“Of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I’ve ever been to in all my life!” – Alice, Alice in Wonderland, Disney animation. 

“My brother sang ‘Without You’ (by Eddie Vedder) as I walked down the aisle.”

“It’s all a blur to me now but I spent a lot of money on my dress – priority number one! Then hair, makeup and a good photographer; I wanted us to look good.”

“Take off your heels for the reception and wear flat shoes. Best decision ever.”

“the fact that it was a small wedding meant that I felt more relaxed around my friends. I still struggled to talk to everyone. I was especially glad to spend time with my siblings (particularly my brother who lives in Japan).”

“I love old-fashioned things. I ended up tying that up with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Which suits me because in high school I read the book over and over again, watched the Disney movie when I was a kid and did many drawings and paintings that had connections to Alice in Wonderland. Mostly I just wanted everyone to enjoy the day so we had giant Jenga and croquet and a photobooth with props.

“We had a lot of help. We got our friends to drive us on the day and some other friends to do the ‘order of service’. My work friend did this amazing floral display for me and my closest friend made the wedding cakes”

Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Reception & Styling

Best bargains: Cake & Floral Display (personal connection) 

Bridal gown: Helena Karkovic (Helena Couture Designs)

Accessories: Johanna Johnson headpiece

Bridesmaid dresses: Anna Campbell (Indianna dress)

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Lovisa

Groom’s and Groomsmens’ suits: David Robertson

Rings: Judith’s: Christian Dior. Kevin’s: His Dad’s.

DIY: Tags, guest book, cake, red couches. 

Honeymoon: Bali

Number of Guests: 64

Wedding Budget: $20,000 

A-List Vendors

Decorators: Moments in Vintage – Furniture & Decor Hire

Makeup Artist: Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist

Florist: Toni Fielder (for the big floral display), Mondo Floral Designs (for bouquets etc.)

Photographer: Renee Brazel Photography

Venue & Catering: Maleny Manor

Rentals: Adorn Events & Fancy Tea

Photo booth: Photobooth2U 

View Judith & Kevin’s full wedding album and see all the gorgeous details. 

The post Real Wedding: Judith & Kevin at Maleny Manor appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Today we have a guest blog from Sunshine Coast florist, Terrianne Foale, who is the director of Mondo Floral Designs. In her 20 plus years of experience, Terrianne has seen many a trend in florals bloom in the wedding industry, wilt away, and like a daisy in spring, bloom again. Today she tells us about one of the more (okay, maybe only) debonnaire areas in floristry, the button hole, or boutonniere, for the on-trend groom. 

We have recently seen a return in the popularity of the traditional ‘boutonniere’ it is the perfect opportunity for the groom to introduce a little bit of his own style into the day and to accessorise his suit. We often add additional elements such as twine, feature ribbon finishes, and the colour palette to reflect the styling of the overall wedding concept and continue the flow of design finishes. Many brides are also having ‘Bridesmen’ as attendants and we often suggest to really jazz up their buttonholes, it’s such a great way to get a bit creative and provide some alternate floral bloom options rather than just traditional roses as the only option for lapel designs.

Here are some favourite boutonnieres created by the Mondo Floral Designs team. The one above features super cute Billy Buttons. Image by Calli B Photography. 

Daisy and Berry button hole. Image Karen Buckle Photography

Succulent and Singapore Orchids. Image by Calli B Photography

Blue Hydrangea. Image by Calli B Photography

Lavender blooms. Image by Calli B Photography

Ranunculi bloom. Image by Calli B Photography

Peony and Hypericum Berry. Image by Jodi McDonald

White Peony bloom. Image by Calli B Photography

What kind of flower will your husband-to-be have pinned over his heart when you meet him at the altar? We highly recommend you check out more beautiful bloom inspiration and innovative floral design from Mondo Floral Designs.

The post Boutonnieres Bloom appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

The Sunshine Coast wedding industry revolves around an event in peoples’ lives that is a longtime dream, then a beautiful crescendo of a reality for but a single day, then a memory that lasts a lifetime. As business owners in this industry, we feel incredibly fortunate to be inspired by what we do every single day, working alongside professionals that never cease to amaze us. We are faced with the most inspiring people we call our colleagues, who are making dreams into reality daily, and I have to say, they are a darn impressive bunch! 

None more so than Terrianne Foale, who runs one of the Sunshine Coast’s most successful wedding businesses, Mondo Floral Designs. Working each day with such delicacy, it’s no surprise to us that Terrianne has also navigated the delicate balance of busniess with finesse to create a name for herself that commands respect, and has done so for more than 20 years. 

We were so blown away when we learned of Terrianne’s journey to success, we asked this formidable woman all about it, so we could share her story with you today. 

Above image by First Class Wedding Photography

Terrianne, how did you get started in floristry?

After completing year 12, I started studying and needed to get a part-time job, I applied for a job as a junior florist at 17 years of age and was lucky enough to get the position in a busy Brisbane city florist. Six months after starting my job, ( much to my parents concern and may I say disgust!), I fell in love, not with a handsome potential partner, but with floristry, and I decided to stop studying and put my focus and passion into learning floral design.

Eighteen months later, at the tender age of eighteen,  I was given the opportunity to buy the business, which I committed to, and, as they say, the rest is history! It was the beginning of my career as not only a floral designer, but as a business owner, and I continued with a drive and crazy enthusiasm that seemed to just inspire me to grow and I know has now given me the skills and experience in not only floral design but business.

By the age of 25, I had three shops, two inner city florists and one suburban floral studio. While all of my friends were venturing overseas on exciting holidays, having romantic relationships and exploring the world, I was living and breathing flowers and learning how to manage a successful business.

What did you learn from your first year of being a business owner?

Like all 18 year olds who start something new, I found this new journey quite the learning curve, not only was I learning a trade, but I was learning business management the hard way… through the university of life, (as I like to call it), and my goodness it was a consuming world I decided to delve into, but I absolutely loved it.

I think my naivety certainly assisted me, as I didn’t get overwhelmed with the pressure – quite the opposite actually, I thrived on it! I loved meeting with corporate managers and business CEOs, I didn’t overthink it too much, and being surrounded by the corporate world I had the wonderful opportunity to approach these entities for their floral business. It gave me the confidence to grow as a person and as a business owner, and of course it was all about the balance, to make sure that being a creative designer was supported by a confident business plan and that this all combined in a wonderful way to ensure the longevity of my goal, which was supporting myself in business by doing something I truly loved.

Why did you choose Maleny to be your home base for your business?

After 14 years in business in the Brisbane city, I decided that I had really tired of retail and corporate floristry. And while I was always doing weddings during this time, it could never be my sole focus, due to the continual requirements for the multiple facets of a retail florist. Weddings were just part of what we did, as we did so much, which of course is wonderful way to build experience, however I wanted weddings to be my everything.

I really yearned to get away from Brisbane and I had spent some time in Maleny on rare days off and decided it was a wonderful place to live, but I was also acutely aware of the appeal of weddings not only in the hinterland, but all over the coast. I decided to sell my businesses in Brisbane, and started planning my next venture – Mondo Floral Designs, where I was able to concentrate solely on what I truly loved, creating wedding floral designs in an area that was just so inspiring.

I wanted to bring my experience and background to an area that I felt was about to flourish and as a designer I knew that the amazing locations here on the Sunshine Coast would only attract more and more brides wanting to celebrate their wedding day in this beautiful region. So while it was a personal choice to make a life change, my major life decisions are often based around business, (that’s what happens I guess when you start out at 18!), and I could see a new exciting journey with a new business, and one I hoped would be successful.

What do you love most about working in the wedding industry on the Sunshine Coast?

When I first moved here, I dived straight into Mondo Floral Designs, and began setting forth in hope of developing new relationships with other wedding suppliers. Personally, the most amazing experience for me was meeting these incredibly talented creative suppliers who were working here. It was so refreshing to build not only business relationships but personal friendships, and I am proud and often humbled to have these amazing people as friends.

The Sunshine Coast just seems to attract savvy wonderful and inspiring wedding suppliers and in combination we all make this amazing area shine. From a business perspective, I have had the wonderful opportunity to create wedding floral designs for over 20 years, and I have never been so inspired creatively than I have since working here on the Sunshine Coast.

The beautiful diversity of this amazing region provides wonderful opportunities to create uber amazing wedding concepts, and it just brings out the best in me as a wedding floral designer, how could it not really… with the wonderful venues and the amazing locations, it’s heaven really.

What sets your style of floral design apart from others?

I find many photographers always comment that they know a Mondo Floral Designs when they see it, and the main reason is they say each bloom is ‘perfect’, which is a wonderful compliment, and certainly we are VERY particular with our work. I guess like any designer, we all have our own personal style. I think my style is a combination of vintage opulence with a modern twist, if that makes any sense, but really like any good floral designer I can create anything that the client is looking for, so I like to diversify and be open to design concepts that fits well with the clients vision.

So whether it be an eclectic unstructured design, or a formal vintage concept, I just get inspired by everything. I think that is part of why I love my job so much, every wedding is different and each of clients have their own specific wedding style that we encapsulate and build into the designs for their unique floral concept.

Above images by Calli B Photography

What excites you most about the work that you do?

Certainly the opportunity to be a part of the bride’s day. Having the opportunity to work so closely with each client is wonderful, I have always been a real “people person” and love the fact that we get to go on this journey with each of them, but probably the creative aspect of my job is just to me so amazing.

Sometimes I am on a beach doing a floral ceremony set-up near the sea, other times I am on a rural property under a fairy lit magical marquee placing table designs and hanging floral structures. What’s not to love!

As much as it can be very consuming and often challenging especially when you are answerable to mother nature not only for floral bloom availability, but the weather gods as well, it is incredible and I still jump out of bed each day and can’t wait to get to work!

What is the most rewarding part of running your own business?

Having my own business is actually all I know, apart from working part-time while I was at school, I have always been in business with flowers, and certainly working with these beautiful blooms can really pick you up when you have tough times or you are feeling a little low. I feel very lucky to be able to be in my position, to support myself as a business woman and as a floral designer, and to be completely in control of my own destiny. I think I have the best of both worlds.

I also love the fact that I get to have this amazing team of staff that walk with me in this world of weddings we live in. I am very blessed to have amazing staff that not only love their job, but seem to love me also. That’s really humbling and very rewarding and I never forget for one day their loyalty and passion to my business, and how special that is.

Above images by Karen Buckle Photography

Tell us a little bit more about Terrianne… what’s something we may not know about you as a person?

I love reading and writing, I think reading is an opportunity to get taken away to another land and forget about things for a while, and writing it is just an extension of my creativity, and just another side of that.

What is one thing in your personal life that brings you joy?

I am a big food and wine lover and love nothing better than cooking for friends at home. I love plating up the food, (I think this is also a bit of my creative juices pouring out), and just adore entertaining at my home. I also love the opportunity to eat out at restaurants and explore different cuisine, and when I do get the opportunity, my partner and I love trying out new restaurants.

Do you have an all-time absolute favourite kind of flower, or would that be like choosing a favourite child?

Oh dear that’s a very tricky one! I would have to give you my top three… Phalaenopsis orchids, Gardenia blooms and Hydrangea.

Mondo Floral Designs is undeniably super successful. Would you say you have fulfilled your ultimate dream as a successful florist?

I don’t think you can ever say that you are ultimately fulfilled, regardless of current success. Being creative, I am always wanting more. My dream would be to spend some time with an international floral designer, such as Preston Bailey or Karen Tran; they inspire me. But ultimately, I just love seeing the growth of my business and each day I wake up with new ideas and concepts for the business, so I guess it’s a train that hasn’t stopped and I don’t see it pulling into a station anytime soon!

Above image by First Class Wedding Photography

See more beautiful work from Mondo Floral Designs

The post The Life of a Fabulous Florist appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Shelly and Elmsly are a gorgeous young couple, who were recently married at one of the Sunshine Coast hinterland’s premium wedding venues, Flaxton Gardens. They kicked off their wedding planning simply by ensuring their dream wedding photographer, Emma Nayler Photographer, was available, and say everything fell into place from there.

Easy-going and carefree, this cute couple’s only theme concept was simple and elegant. They absolutely acheived this by cleverly choosing some of the hands-down best in the business wedding industry professionals to put together a perfect Sunshine Coast hinterland wedding. Shelly called on the ultimate professionals in floral design, Mondo Floral Designs, so they just couldn’t go wrong on their Flaxton wedding day! 

Crazy beautiful bridal bouquet by Sunshine Coast hinterland florist, Mondo Floral Designs

“We didn’t have a theme in mind we just wanted our day to be simple and elegant.”

“My sister who was also my maid of honour was amazing she helped me out every step of the way, words can’t describe how great she was, it wouldn’t have been the day it turned out to be without her I can’t thank her enough she was an angel.“

“Apart from Elms having a shaving mishap where he forgot to put the longer length blade on his clippers and shaved his beard off by accident we were pretty lucky nothing went wrong.”

“Our wedding was far from traditional so, as our ceremony wasn’t until 4:45pm, due to another wedding at the same venue earlier, we decided to have our photos before the ceremony. We still got ready separately, however we were able to have our first look at each other at the house where we were staying. Elms was outside in the garden waiting for me, so being able to share our first look with just the two of us was really special; a moment I will never forget.”

Shelly and Elmsly’s Hand-picked Team That Made It All Happen

Photographer: Emma Nayler Photographer

Florist: Mondo Floral Designs

Venue and Caterer: Flaxton Gardens

Cake: Sweet Creations / Bombonnieres: Pink Frosting / Transport: 1969 Black Ford Mustang / Makeup Artist: Powder Me Makeup / Hair Stylist: Dot and Birdie Hair Beauty Bridal / Celebrant: Barbara Burt Civil Marriage Celebrant

“Elms and I were so relaxed throughout the whole planning we had little preferences when it came to the wedding the one thing I wanted that I wasn’t compromising on was Emma Nayler Photographer I had seen her work and the incredible and unique photos she had taken with other weddings and always said before we even got engaged that no matter what, I wanted Emma so she was the first person I got in contact with, I found out what dates she was available and planned our wedding date from there.”

“We went to various locations between Flaxton and Maleny, Emma took us to the most amazing spots with incredible views our photos were brilliant and the location was perfect.”

“I was so blessed my cousin who I am really close to was originally unable to make it to the wedding as he had just moved out to Mount Isa for work commitments, however he ended up surprising me last minute and flew home especially for the day, and walked me down the aisle, which meant the world to me.”

“The most special part of the day was our wedding vows, we wrote our own personal vows to each other, we didn’t share them with anyone or each other until the day. The vows Elms wrote to me were nothing short of amazing I couldn’t help but cry they were perfect. Words can’t describe how special that moment was it was just Elms and I for that very instant I forgot anyone else was there.”

“Deciding to go through Flaxton Gardens was the best decision we made, owner manager, Georgina, was amazing and made our day and the time leading up to our wedding absolutely stress free, she went out of her way to make sure our day was perfect and did and thought of everything, We’ve never seen service like what we experienced at Flaxton Gardens we can’t thank them enough.“

Wedding Secrets Revealed

The post Simple Elegance in the Hinterland appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Take for example a few of our newest family members featured below, who have joined our ranks… if you have never seen the oh-my-goodness-that's-incredible floral arrangements from Mondo Floral Designs, frankly you just haven't lived. Not to mention the physical beauty put together by some of our newest wedding hair and makeup artists and two wedding photographers I for one am really super excited about!

So enjoy being introduced to these new lovelies, marvel in the beauty to behold and look out for more on these amazing wedding professionals on our daily bridal blog in the near future. 

As an extra treat, we are also sharing another brilliant bridal beauty tip from one of our experts at the end of this here post. Enjoy! 

New to The Bride's Tree

Mondo Floral Designs 

Award-winning wedding floral designers, leaders in wedding floral design, with an unrivalled passion for breathtaking blooms and enthusiasm for creating unique floral concepts.

Image by Calli B Photography

Boudoir Blush

Specialising in wedding makeup the Boudoir Blush team believe in creating timeless & elegant makeup looks for your big day. We are a fully mobile service.

Sass & Niki's Wedding Hair & Makeup

Mobile bridal hair stylist, specialising in flawless & elegant wedding hair. Complementary bride trial upon booking. We are here to make your day picture perfect.

Chloe Celestina Photography

Romantic, timeless & elegant wedding photography.

Aimee Catt Photography

Aimee loves capturing moments, and weddings are full of them. Each passing moment is beautiful and Aimee will make them timeless, telling your story in a special and artistic way

Brilliant Bridal Beauty Tip

From Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist

I really recommend that the bride purchases her own lip colour,be it gloss or lipstick, this was she can top up all day and night and keep that pout powerful!

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The post Weekly Round Up appeared first on The Bride's Tree.