Six years ago, singing teacher, Michelle set off on a Contiki tour through the Greek Islands. Little did she know her life would be forever changed when she met her future husband, Avionics Engineer, Gary. 

Gary grew up on the Sunshine Coast on his family farm, which was the perfect location for the couple to hold both their wedding ceremony and reception. Their intimate wedding with 40 of their nearest and dearest was a stunning showing of simple modern elements with chic details. 

Michelle has shared her family farm wedding planning journey and all her best tips for having a dream private property wedding from DIY elements to her fave vendors… 

Smooth Planning

We really didn’t hit any speed bumps, the planning process was fairly easy for the both of us. I think having a smaller wedding probably helped in this area too.

Planning Resources

We found a lot of suppliers through The Brides Tree website and forum, as well as lots of Googling. As we’re not local to the Sunshine Coast, it was a lot like starting from scratch as a far as planning went.

Stand-out Vendors

All of our vendors were incredible! If I had to narrow it down I would say – Bec Smith (photography and videography) she’s just a beautiful energy to have around and the final product is stunning. Fiona Duce (celebrant) made the ceremony really fun, relaxed and personal. Something For Catering – nothing was too big an ask and the staff were fantastic, not to mention the amazing food!

Images by BXCSMXTH 

Relaxed Morning of the Wedding

Our whole bridal party and my parents had a house together in Alexandra Headlands, so we all had breakfast together before the boys headed off to the farm. The morning was really relaxed and it felt really natural to all be together.

The Location 

We got married at Gary’s family farm and it was so special to be married somewhere so personal to us. Gary grew up there and it just feels like home. We couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else and I think it helped make our day feel more relaxed too.

Highlights of the Day

Definitely the ceremony. It was so beautiful to have everyone we loved so dearly there and to share that moment with them. We were both so excited to see each other as I walked down the aisle, you could just feel all the happy energy, it was really special. The formalities of the day become a bit of a blur the longer we get away from the wedding, but we will always remember the feeling of being incredibly happy and so loved. It was perfect.

Why I Married This Guy

We made this commitment to each other long before our wedding day, we can’t imagine life without each other! I think we bring out the best in one another and have a really strong foundation in our relationship.

 Wedding Secrets

Biggest splurge: Our biggest splurge would be photography & videography, we knew these would be the memories to look back on so they were definitely worth the investment. Bec Smith (BXCSMXTH) was absolutely amazing!

Best money-saver: We made a lot of items ourselves and put money towards our priorities for the day. One big decision we made was to have our bouquets and buttonholes done professionally, then we did the table arrangements and any other florals ourselves. This is probably where we saved the most money, as well as just doing lots of research and going for the best product for price.

Bride’s dress: Grace Loves Lace

Hair vine: La Boheme Darling

Bride’s shoes: Wanted Shoes (a very much loved pair from over the years.)

Groom’s jacket: Politix

Groom’s pants: Bruno’s Suits

Groom’s accessories: Tie, pocket square and cufflinks – The Iconic. Belt – David Jones. Socks – Happy Socks. 

Groom’s shoes: Julius Marlow

Bridesmaids’ dresses: The Iconic 

Bridesmaids’ shoes: Betts Shoes

Bridesmaids’ accessories: Their own 

DIY: All our signage, wishing well and guest book was handmade by Gary and one of my beautiful bridesmaids, Sasha. We did the table arrangements ourselves and only hired in the big items e.g tables and chairs. We also did a lot of the set up ourselves the day before.

Number of guests: 40

Honeymoon: Six Senses Laamu – The Maldives

Number of guests: 40 

Wedding budget: $30,000

Actual cost of wedding: $30,000

The Music

Aisle – Northern Wind by City & Colour

Signing – How Sweet It Is & Stand By Me

Recessional – Fire and the Flood by Vance Joy

Cake Cutting – September by Earth Wind and Fire

First Dance – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Franki Valley

Check out this playlist made up of Aisle Recession song suggestions from real couples, and a few from me… 

Advice for Future Brides

Plan in advance and make the most of help anywhere you can! Take a moment with your partner to just bask in the moment, because it’s over so quickly. We stood on top of the stairs watching everyone at our reception and just took it all in. Also, if you can, get videography and an on-the-day co-ordinator! It’s definitely worth it.

Our Next Big Adventure

Well, not long after the wedding we fell pregnant, so our next big adventure will be parents to a beautiful baby girl! We’re absolutely over the moon.

Michelle & Gary from bxcsmxth on Vimeo.

Photographer + videographer: BXCSMXTH | Wedding coordinator: Something For Catering | Florist: Ginger Lily & Rose | Catering: Something For Catering | Cake: Milk & Honey Cake Creative | Transport: Boomerang Bus Hire | Hair + makeup: The Beauty Case | Decor hire: Equip4Hire + Simply Style Co. | Entertainment: The White Tree | Place cards: Wooden Letters Australia | Celebrant: Coastal Weddings – Fiona Duce | Wedding night accommodation: Airbnb 

Thank you for supporting our A-list Vendors, who were part of Michelle + Gary’s dream team for their family farm wedding…

The post Michelle loves Gary | Family Farm Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

For our latest free online magazine, we partnered with White Lily Couture to bring you The Style Sessions – three unique bridal styles.

The aim was to help you find your style and break down each element from decor and styling to fashion, beauty and flowers. The location was the very versatile The Warehouse, where we were able to create a sleek modern, a dreamy romantic and a relaxed boho look. 

This film by Emilly Kaate Videography highlights all the stunning details from this shoot with three stunning bridal styles. Which one is for you? Let us know in our private group just for brides here. 

Creative Crew

The post The Style Sessions Film appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

In the latest edition of The Bride’s Tree online magazine, we have shared three unique wedding styles – romantic, relaxed boho, and this here chic modern. Today I wanted to share with you some tips on how to style a modern wedding.

Tip 1. Keep it simple, sister. Choose a colour palette heavy on base colours – white, black, grey.

Tip 2. Add one statement colour that’s will pop. Try infusing this colour throughout your styling in small ways, or use one centrepiece decor item, like this stunning vintage-inspired teal couch, to break up the monochromatic styling.

Tip 3. Choose a classic flower, like a rose, and allow it to shine. Using only one type of bloom that is classically beautiful is a modern dream.

Tip 4. Choose a dress with clean lines and modern details, like pockets and pleats.

Above our model, Meghan, wears ‘Granada’ by Australian label, Stella York, formal yet lightweight, Granada features a flattering plunging neckline, flowing into an understated ballgown skirt, with the added bonus of pockets!

Below Meghan wears ‘Pegasus’ by Pronovias, which has amazing structure! The team at White Lily Couture teamed the gown with the ‘Duchess’ veil, a fingertip two-tier to flow nicely into the full ballgown skirt.

Tip 5. Group pillar candles to create an interesting design amidst the monochromatic styling.

Tip 6. Infuse contemporary touches of vintage. Yes, this is a thing! Modern decor with a vintage feel are bringing that classic feel to modern weddings.

Tip 7. Wear a sleek hair style, like a low chignon, and team it with effortlessly classic makeup. A slightly winged eyeliner with peach hues is always a winner.

Tip 8. Your fella should also dress the part. Our model wears a midnight blue dinner suit by Wil Valor, a tone that suits more complexions than black.

SEE MORE FROM THE STYLE SESSIONS IN THE LATEST EDITION OF OUR FREE ONLINE BRIDAL MAGAZINE.

Creative Crew

The post How to Style a Chic Modern Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Today I wanted to share with you some tips on how to style a romantic wedding. 

In the latest edition of The Bride’s Tree online magazine, we have shared three unique wedding styles – sleek modern, relaxed boho, and this here quintessentially romantic. Let’s go with tips on how to style a romantic wedding… 

TIP 1: Create a colour palette that speaks the language of love loud and clear. Our team went for soft pastel tones with touches of gold.

TIP 2: Use lush flowing fabrics that make you want to reach out and feel them slip through your fingers. Layer them up for a sensory experience.

TIP 3: Go for luxury – long stem candles, crystal ware, gold cutlery and Hamptons-style chairs all scream luxe. 

TIP 4: Use lots of flowers where each bloom has been carefully chosen and lovingly crafted into the perfect design for romantic wedding feels.

TIP 5: Choose a dress that makes you feel like a fairytale princess. If you can’t imagine singing while bluebirds and squirrels flock to you, then it’s not romantic enough. Sorry.

Our model wears ‘Femke‘ by Nicole Spose from White Lily Couture, an enchanting ivory princess line dress with stunning off-the-shoulder illusion neckline for a true fairytale style.

TIP 6: Your handsome prince should also look the part! Muted tones to blend with the overall colour palette will have him seamlessly slotting in to the romantic wedding vibes.

Our model wears a mid-grey wool two-button single breasted suit with paisley tie from Wil Valor. 

See more from The Style Sessions in the latest edition of our free online bridal magazine.

Creative Crew

The post How to Style a Quintessentially Romantic Wedding appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

These pros have tons of wedding hair inspiration on their Instagram profiles, so I apologise for the deep dive that will ensue once you get going with this collation. There’s the boho braids, the intricate upstyles, the relaxed chignons, the princess curls and every other possible style you could hope for in your wedding hair.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, our wedding hair wizards…

The Stylist Collective

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Sass & Niki’s Wedding Hair

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Evalyn Parsons

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Evoque Makeup Artistry + Hair

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The Beauty Case

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Rolling Scissors

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Sunshine Brides

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Backstage Beauty

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Emily Glasson Hair and Makeup Styling

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The post Sunshine Coast’s Top Wedding Hair Stylists appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

We were out on a super busy day yesterday with a gah-gah gorgeous styled shoot for our upcoming magazine edition, due out at the end of this month. I started to get nostalgic about one of my favourite shoots we featured this time last year. Let us flashback… 

One of the prettiest styled shoots we have ever featured can be found on the pages of our free online magazine as our cover story for October 2013. It’s full of sparkles and glitter and all things gorgeous. A bunch of our A-list Vendors are responsible for creating this magical wedding inspiration, which makes us all warm and fuzzy inside! 

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A-Listers

Concept & Styling: Rustique Wedding Designs

Décor & Furniture: Moments in Vintage

Makeup and Hair: The Beauty Case

Flowers: Willow Bud

Photography: Ale & Kim / Cake: Cakes by Lou / Stationery: Gemma Lauren Invitations / Suit, Dress & Headpiece: When Freddie met Lilly / Venue: Metro Arts / Models: Laura Robinson & Reuben Chant / Film Processing: Raw Digital and Film Lab

The post Styled Shoot: Sparkles and Light appeared first on The Bride's Tree.

Take a look at these fun girls. How much do you seriously want them around to brighten up your wedding day morning? Elisse and Khesanh from The Beauty Case specialise in vintage and retro-style hair and makeup, as it’s a passion of theirs to provide fellow period-style enthusiasts with a specialised service. From victory rolls to pin curls, from red lips and rosy cheeks to winged liner and luscious lashes, these girls have it all covered. Love their style!

Have a read of what Khesanh had to say about all things vintage in the beauty world.

What do you love about vintage and retro styling?

We love that vintage and retro styling showcases femininity! It is glamourous, elegant, romantic  and fun. We are so happy it is being embraced by so many of our  brides! We do everything from authentic vintage styling to vintage with a modern twist. 

Does the 50’s glam hair and makeup look suit everybody?

Every woman experiences such joy when they have been given a style they wouldn’t usually choose for themselves! We pride ourselves on working with our clients to help choose a vintage style that will really showcase their features. 

Do you have to have a certain length of hair to pull off this look?

Depending on what style is chosen will determine whether you have the right hair length. 
Typically women in the 40’s and 50’s had their hair cut into a ‘middy’, which was perfect for a traditional pin curl set. These days this style of cut is not as common, which is why we help our clients choose the best look suited to their current style.

Who is your fave icon of time gone by to look to for style?

Most people refer to Marilyn Monroe as a significant figure of the 1950’s, which she certainly was! But for me, my style icons of the 30’s – 50’s are Grace Kelly, Jean Harlow, Susan Hayward, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Doris Day. 

Where do you draw your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration comes from the photos of our grandparents and women and men of that generation. The styles we re-create were invented by women with next to nothing, yet they always put their best foot forward! To go back in time where women dressed up for the cinema would be a dream! 

What’s your fave variation of vintage styles for hair and makeup? 

You can’t go wrong with a fresh, brushed out pin curl set, dewy skin, winged eyeliner and luscious lips! This is my most favourite combination that just screams glamour! 

We love this cute photo shoot they put together with the help of prop styling from Moments in Vintage and photography by Paper Heart Photography. 

The post Q&A with Retro Hair and Makeup Specialists appeared first on The Bride's Tree.