Our Elopement Announcement to our Families – the morning after

Yesterday by the shores of Lake Baroon, we gathered at three in the afternoon

In the secret garden where people were few, we exchanged the enduring words ‘I do’

With just little Flynn and a handful of mates, standing beside us to celebrate

Sealed with a kiss, to elope we did choose, we’re ready now to announce our big news

We’re thrilled to exclaim that we share the same name, our little trio now sealed with a ‘Cheyne’

And although you were missing we just want to say, you were deep in our thoughts throughout the whole day

Amanda believes it’s important to realise not everyone can get their whole families together stress-free, so breaking the mould is an option worth exploring. Her and her now husband, Steve, chose to have their elopement at Secrets on the Lake in Montville, as the added element of “secret” appealed to the sentiment of the day! Amanda shares her Sunshine Coast elopement experience with us here. 

Deciding to Elope

We “eloped” with just close friends who kept our secret- no family, just close mates. We did things a bit differently, out of necessity. It was a bit difficult when we first set out to do this. There was a bit of hesitation when we told traditional vendors we were doing it this way, and felt like we were breaking the mould of a traditional day. It made us think we should just elope – the two of us and our son. But that made us feel too isolated and we felt we needed some key people from our lives to celebrate with!

When we pushed past that, we realised that there’s no exact formula to a wedding. It can be as customised as you like, and when we pushed all of that aside, we truly felt like our format was incredibly fitting for us and we hand-crafted our dream little tropical event.

Smooth Planning

It was such a wonderful day with thanks to the Sunshine Coast wedding vendors we worked with- and I think it’s worth mentioning how we got on to them all through The Bride’s Tree‘s wonderful content and information. It was such a well-oiled machine (the Sunshine Coast wedding scene), and it was lovely to see everyone working together so beautifully and promoting one another’s services. It was such a positive experience to see each business tagging each other and helping to promote one another. I don’t know many experiences I’ve had in my time where it feels so collaborative of one another in any one industry.

Keeping with Tradition

My beautiful diamond and  earrings (something borrowed, something blue) were loaned from Artisans Bespoke Jewellers, where we had my engagement ring made. They have an awesome offer – if you have your ring made there, they loan you a piece of jewellery for your wedding day. They were aquamarine drops with white gold diamond flower tops.

Special Moments

On behalf of my late Grandad, my friend Bob walked me down the aisle, reading out the last card my Grandad wrote to me before he passed. I carried a photo medallion in my bouquet to represent my Grandad and put the flowers from the bouquet in the ocean on our honeymoon on Fraser Island as a symbolic gesture to him.

To open the ceremony, our friends read out our very first love letter we wrote to each other which made us all giggle. Our friends also read portions of our ceremony instead of our celebrant reading it all – including the asking vows, which felt really personalised.

Unique Touches

We landed on a tropical themed wedding- it was so colourful– ALL of our guests wore Hawaiian shirts and our flower arrangements were so colourful. Steve is known for his Hawaiian shirts!

Our two-year-old son, Flynn, was included in putting his special ‘seal’ on our marriage by helping us lock a personalised padlock onto the fence at the location of the ceremony and throwing the keys into the fishpond.

We had ‘love ladders’ displayed at the ceremony, which we made ourselves, with photos from our lives together and alternating quotes from our letters and cards to each other over the years.

Photographer: Christy Maree Photography | Venue: Secrets on the Lake | Celebrant: Kath Tilly Marriage Celebrant | Florist: Willow Bud | Dress: Made with Love – preloved from the Still White website |Earrings: Artisans Bespoke Jewellers | Hair stylist: Evalyn Parsons | Makeup Artist: The Ballerina Bride | Musician: Ollie Murk (on didgeridoo)

Thanks for supporting our A-list Vendors below, who helped make Amanda and Steve’s Sunshine Coast elopement so special…

The post Our Different Day: Sunshine Coast Elopement Story appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

If there’s one thing we’re passionate about here at The Bride’s Tree, it’s being eco-savvy and mindful of the environment and implementing sustainable practices. That’s why our magazine is completely online – no paper!  That way, only those who wish to have a paper copy need download and print it. Otherwise you just enjoy its pretty splendour online. 

Get ready to be inspired by these great eco-friendly wedding ideas for your Sunshine Coast wedding! Details below the images. 

1.  Custom made, fabric flower wedding bouquet with rhinestone and pearl brooches from Cultivar.

2. Eco Friendly Wedding Invitations made from recycled paper from Beacon Lane.

3. Argyle Cognac diamond from Ethical Jewellery Australia.  This company only uses diamonds and stones sourced from traders that are against child labour, where all workers experience fair working conditions, where they have the right to not be exposed to toxic chemicals and that guarentee communities directly benefit from the sale of their natural resources.

4. Picnic baskets from Love My Food. These picnic baskets are a unique alternative to traditional table decorations and your guests will LOVE them!  Each picnic basket is filled with gourmet delights such as lebna cheese marinated in olive oil, smokehouse paprika salamis and Moroccan cheese logs with peas and dukkah.  All their food is made from scratch and brimming with local seasonal ingredients and contain no preservatives, additives or genetically modified foods. Photography by Kate Green Photography.

5. Ditch the plastic packaged bombonieres and give your guests a potted herb plant.  Not only will it be a cute table decoration and make your reception venue smell a treat, but your guests will also love taking these home to plant in their own garden. This lavender plant bomboniere is from Flourish Bombonieres. 

6. Instead of asking your guests to choose a gift from a registry, ask them to make a donation on your behalf to a local charity like Australia Zoo Wilidfe Warriors.  Every year their Wildlife Hospital treats over 8,000 native animals and they rely soley on donations to keep this wonderful facility operating.

7. Head down to your local second hand shop and pick up an old window or doorframe which you can recycle into a unique table seating plan.  Alternatively CL Wedding & Events have sourced a fantastic range which are available for hire. Photography by Julian Beattie Photography.

8. Nominated four times as the “Best Destination Spa” in Australia, Ikatan Day Spa in Doonan is an environmentally friendly day spa that uses natural and organic products.  Kick back and relax on the ergonomic spa treatment beds amongst the lush Balinese inspired tropical gardens.  Ikatan Day Spa support and give back to local Sunshine Coast and Balinese community groups such as the Noosa Hospital Club Chemo, Sunshine Coast Oncology Clinic, Cambodian School Project and the Balinese Street kids Community and Orphanage.

9. Secrets On The Lake, Montville is perfect for your wedding ceremony, wedding night accommodation or for your entire honeymoon.  It is nestled beneath mountainous rainforests and next to a tranquil lake and the grounds feature beautiful carvings, rock pools, love seat swings, lush lawns and an antique style boat house.  They also have a bunch of creatively themed treehouse cabins which provide a range of accommodation styles, each exquisitely decorated and carefully constructed to preserve the pristine rainforest environment. 

10. Limited edition, handmade vintage garter by The Forever Dress. This clever Sunshine Coast Designer creates individually designed garters by incorporating pieces of beautiful vintage laces and fabrics. The garter pictured is an Ivory silk and tulle garter with an antique limoge porcelain centre.

The post Eco Friendly Wedding Inspiration appeared first on The Bride's Tree.