Matthew and Nicole - 20th February 2010

 

The whole wedding process was a fairytale from start to finish. Matt and I met at school and had many weekends away, so when he asked if I wanted to go to the Gold Coast for the weekend I thought nothing of it. Matt flies a Cessna which he owns with his father and brothers, so we flew up in that for the weekend. We went out for an unforgettable dinner and afterwards to the Q1 Observation deck to overlook the spectacular views over Surfers Paradise. It was there he proposed.

It was May that he proposed and we married in February so we had our hands full with wedding preparations, working full time and building a house. I think the time frame was perfect though. We didn’t have any trouble finding venues, everything fell into place and it wasn’t a drawn out experience. We both wanted a big traditional wedding so we were married in St Paul’s Anglican Church which offered us the intimate atmosphere we wanted with the capacity to share it with 135 friends and family. Our photographs were done by Cory Rossiter. I’ve seen the proofs and extremely excited about getting the album. They look fantastic. We had chosen three locations - Ashwood Gardens, the old Train Station and Matt’s only firm request – the Aerodrome to get photos with the family plane. Cory did a wonderful job at getting us organised and incorporating the special aspects we wanted from each shoot.

With sore smiles we headed to Giardino's for the reception. I can’t speak highly enough of the staff there. Especially Kristy, who was very hands on ensuring everything went smoothly. Our reception décor was from Elegant Weddings by Florence in Toowoomba which I picked up on the Thursday, delivered to Giardino's and they put it all together for the day. I didn’t have to worry about a thing. The theme was black, white and silver which Marie Harrison incorporated beautifully into a three tier cake with black ribbon and diamantes. Our bombonieres were personalised rock candy in organza bags which read Matthew & Nicole.

The day must have set a precedent for the night, as it to unfolded perfectly, with the customary dinner, speeches and bridal waltz followed by a night on the dance floor with some great music being played by local DJ Johnnie Tomkins. Matt and I retreated just before midnight to Honey Suckle Cottages to spend our first night together as husband and wife in a charming federation style cottage. The spa and log fire provided us with all the cosiness and romance that a wedding night should encompass and waking up amongst the unique Granite Belt bushland was a beautiful start to married life.

We honeymooned on Daydream Island at the Resort and Spa which for us offered it all. Sparkling ocean views, action, adventure, romance and relaxation. It was a perfect ending to our fairytale wedding.

In Brief:

Bridal Gown: The Bridal Centre - Brisbane
Grooms Suit: Glen Turners Mensland
Hair: Cuts n Curls
Make up: Sara Burton
Transport: Family and friends provided some luxury transport with a black Mercedes and 2 white XR6s’

Jamie and Lisa - 14th February 2009

 

Jamie and I grew up together. He was originally my brother’s friend but it wasn’t until he started working for my Dad that we started seeing each other. We’d been friends for so many years the progression to becoming a couple felt so natural. We went away to Toowoomba for the weekend and he took me out to dinner to the SSS Bar which has sentimental value to me. It was afterwards in the spa at the hotel that he very gallantly got down on one knee and proposed.

I’ve never been one for big weddings and would have been happy to elope. We did however, want our friends and family to celebrate with us so we decided to keep it local and invited only 56 guests to keep it intimate. To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in planning a wedding. I had no idea where to start or what I wanted and it was the busiest time of the year on the farm so we were both working long hours. It was by chance that I met Lacey Perret. I went in to speak to her about hiring some decorations and she mentioned she was also a wedding planner. Since I am a very disorganised person, I really liked the concept of having someone else do that side of things and hiring her was the best decision I made. She did an incredible job at arranging a day that perfectly reflected our personalities and came up with ideas we never would have thought of.

Originally, Wahroonga Gardens, was to be the setting for our ceremony but due to wet weather we decided the day before to change location to the Piano Lounge and Wine Bar at the Commercial Hotel who considering the short notice, were very accommodating. Similarly, Cory Rossiter was quick to come up with some alternate locations for our photographs so it all just fell into place. Jester Hill Winery and the Glen Aplin Railway Track provided an ideal backdrop to provide us with photos that we absolutely love and cherish.

The reception was held at Giardino's Café which provided the warm and friendly atmosphere we wanted. The staff were flexible with our requests and did an incredible job on the day. Together with Lacey, they arranged the table settings and decorated the room with exceptional attention to detail. Even our love of animals was tastefully incorporated by replacing the tradition of bombonieres with a donation to the local RSPCA in the name of each guest. It was a beautiful and unique space for our wedding reception that certainly exceeded our expectations and impressed our guests.

David Hume - a local, exceptionally talented musician - provided the night’s entertainment to suit the varying ages and tastes of our guests so that everyone could enjoy the atmosphere. Regardless of the weather, the day unfolded incredibly smoothly, stress free and was still very special and perfect. We can’t speak highly enough of those involved and would recommend them to anyone wanting a wedding day memorable for all the right reasons… it really was the perfect day.

In Brief:

Hair: Bec Mattiazzi
Make up: Marial Thourard
Cake: Maree Harrison
Honeymoon: Ballina

Nathan and Kristy - 24th January 2009

 

To say the least, 2009 was a memorable year. I married my child hood sweetheart, built a house and had a beautiful baby girl. Nathan proposed on holiday in the Whitsundays and we married 14 months later on the 24th of January at
Saint Joseph 's Catholic Church with 90 of our closet friends and family. Fran Moore, a local dressmaker, did a beautiful job on my dress which was white with a one shoulder rope like design and train that ruffled at the end, my bouquet was blood orange Cala Lillies which provided a bright contrast against my dress and Nathan’s black attire. In addition to the customary bridesmaids and groomsmen (of which we had 4 of each) we also had a junior bridesmaid and my brother as a junior groomsman. It was lovely having a large bridal party of such close friends and family.

My bridesmaids and I had our make up applied by Mariel Thouard and hair styled by Rebecca Mattazzi. I had an up do banana curl style and the girls had a low side ponytail curling over their shoulders. Now I imagine organising and styling 6 women’s hair and make up to be an arduous task but they both did an impressive job, on time and we all looked gorgeous.

Cory Rossiter captured the day perfectly. We had our photographs taken at our family vineyard and two local landmarks - the Quart Pot Creek and the train station. These locations offered us beautiful landscaped backdrops and rustic charm which captured the appeal of wedding locally.

The reception was held at The Queensland College of Wine Tourism which offered us a state of the art facility at a reasonable cost. The function room looked exceptional. The ceiling was draped with white fabric set off by orange candles and flower petals on the guest tables. For something a little different – we had goldfish on the bridal table and a slideshow of photos played on a drop down screen throughout the night. The College also made our cake which was a square mud cake topped with white and milk chocolate curls and looked great as a focal point in the room.

Now to disclose what every bride dreads - things that don’t go according to plan. We were supposed to have a 3 course a la carte menu but the power went out for a prolonged period of time and as a result we only received entrée and dessert. Luckily we had candles and surprisingly it made the wedding much less formal and more like a party, which is the atmosphere we initially wanted. So although it isn’t something you’d ever want to happen, the staff were extremely professional and did the best they could under the circumstances. The black out certainly didn’t make the day any less perfect and if anything, made it more fun. When we did have power, a local DJ from Top Beat Entertainment provided some great hits to see the night out.

Nathan and I spent the rest of the night at Honey Suckle Cottages which were suitably beautiful and cosy for a wedding night. We then ventured off to Vanuatu for a wonderful honeymoon where we happened to have another blackout – making me a little concerned the marriage was doomed but honestly, I can’t imagine my wedding any other way and it all really was perfect.

In Brief:

Transport: Friends sky blue Chev Belair and 2 HK Monaro cars
Her rings: 18ct yellow gold princess cut set
His ring: yellow and white gold with a centred diamond