A little bit of magic attended the wedding of Madelyn to her longtime love, Jesse. The pair originally met through mutual friends sat high school, and seven years later they were engaged. They planned their spectacular Montville wedding day over 18 months, but even the best planning couldn’t conjure up the perfect rainbow that blessed their day with its prettiness. That part was pure luck, but if I were them, I’d be taking it as a sign that life was working out just right. 

The couple were wed at St. Joseph’s Parish in Nambour, which they followed up with an intimate wedding reception in Montville’s Spicers Clovelly Estate with their 35 guests. However not before they took their bridal party on an expedition to One Tree Hill in Maleny so their photographer, Jennifer Oliphant, could capture some stunning images, and, of course, that rainbow. 

The bride’s carefree style with free-flowing locks and natural makeup complimented her elegant, yet intricate bridal gown by Sunshine Coast-based bridal couture designer, Judy Copley. The entire look was fresh and elegant with her bridesmaids also wearing white, and all three carrying graceful unstructured bouquets of superb white roses and delicate green foliage, created by Sunshine Coast wedding florist, Willow Bud. Meanwhile the gents are positively dapper in their suits by Politix.

In all, this is a wedding that oozes style and class with minimal fuss. And frankly we at The Bride’s Tree dig it in a big way. 

 “Jesse and I went to bridal expos to find suppliers and found inspiration on our suppliers social media pages and bridal magazines – The Brides Tree, Hello May, and White magazine.”  “Jesse and I share the same goals and ideas for our future but have very different personalities so we balance each other with our strengths and weaknesses.”   “Jesse and I went to the same high school and met through mutual friends.” 

  “It started lightly raining while we were in Maleny for our location photography and there was a beautiful rainbow. Luckily Jennifer was able to get plenty of photos before the downpour.”   “My Maid of Honour was my best friend, and my sisters we my bridesmaids. Jesse’s best friends were his best man and groomsman, and my brother was the ring bearer.”   

Wedding Secrets 

Biggest splurge: My Jimmy Choo shoes

Best money-saver: Our friends drove us to our ceremony in their cars so we didn’t have to hire any on the day.

Bridal gown: Judy Copley Bridal

Accessories: Samantha Wills

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Bridesmaid dresses: White Runway

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Samantha Wills

Groom’s suit and shoes: Politix and Trent Nathan Shoes

Groomsmens’ suits and shoes: Politix

Rings: NY2K

DIY: None

Number of guests: 35

Wedding budget: $30,000

Who paid: We paid for our wedding with a little help from our parents.

  “We had a live acoustic band playing at our reception. They created an amazing atmosphere and it was one of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding.”  “Jesse and I wanted a small intimate wedding with our closest family and friends.”“Our guests were served canapés while we were in Maleny for photographs then we had a five course degustation.”

Photographer: Jennifer Oliphant Photographer | Florist: Willow Bud | Cake: Madam Macaron | Makeup Artist: Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist | Hair Stylist: Evalyn Parsons Hair | Rentals: Simply Style Co. | Entertainment: Love Note Music | Stationery Supplier: Little Peach Co. | Gift registry: Myer Bridal & Gift Registry | Officiant: Father Graham Gatehouse | Venue + Wedding Night Accommodation: Spicers Clovelly Estate

Thank you for supporting our A-List Vendors, who helped make this wedding so amazing… 

Learn more about… Evalyn Parsons Hair  + Willow Bud + Simply Style Co.  + Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist + Politix + Judy Copley Bridal + Jennifer Oliphant Photographer

The post Madelyn loves Jesse | A Spicers Clovelly Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Luke Going Photography is one of our absolute favourites, as he has this amazing eye, capturing his subjects in the most unpredictable fashion. Just take a look through Anita and Simon’s wedding at Spicers Clovelly Estate in Montville and you will see what we mean. 

Anita and Simon wanted to make the most of their special day, so they got started early with an 11am ceremony at the super cute Good Shepherd Witta Lutheran Church. Then, the newlyweds and their 120 guests enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Spicers Clovelly Estate, an exclusive luxury estate, which boasts some of the best food around.

Perfect sunshine for their marquee wedding ensured they had the perfect, relaxed day they had been dreaming of and planning to the last detail. They followed up their wedding day with a month-long honeymoon dream holiday travelling to New York, Buenos Aires and Tahiti. Lucky ducks!

“We wanted a relaxed and elegant wedding with a classic colour palette”  

“We had an 11am wedding so we could enjoy a long lunch with lovely food and wine, followed by dancing into the evening.”

“Our love of champagne and the ocean binds us together as a couple.” 

Anita and Simon’s Hand-picked Team That Made It All Happen

Photographer: Luke Going Photography
Florist: Twig and Grace
Caterer: Spicers Clovelly Estate restaurant
Cake: Le Bon Delice French Patisserie, Peregian Beach
Favours: Grey and timber umbrellas by Concept Partners
Guest Transport – Mystic Mountain Tours
Makeup and Hair Artistry: Latonas
Rentals: Marquee, tables and chairs from Perrys Sunshine Coast Event Hire, tea cups from FancyTea
Decorators: Twig and Grace and Spicers Clovelly Estate
Entertainment: Strings – Musica Bonetti; DJ –  DJ Mr Sparkle

Wedding Secrets Revealed 

Biggest splurge: The marquee hire

Best money saver: The wedding cars! We used our own cars

Bridal gown: Darb Bridal Couture
Accessories: Diamond and pearl earrings from Stones Diamonds
Bridesmaid dresses: Lisa Ho
Bridesmaids’ accessories: Pearl earrings, Signature on Hastings
Groom’s suit and tie: Hugo Boss and Canali
Groomsmens’ suits and tie: Mitchell Ogilvie and Canali

Number of guests: 120

“The best thing about our wedding day was the two of us seeing the plan come to a reality and our family and guests having such a great time.”

”We had oysters, canapes and champagne to start, followed by two courses with dessert cake and cheese to follow.”

The post Luxury Estate Marquee Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

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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