Married just hours before their engagement party

Andrew and Gemmanda knew they wanted a short engagement. They decided to marry in an intimate, low-key wedding ceremony just hours before their official engagement party was due to start.

With friends and family arriving from near and far for a 2pm engagement party at Alexandra Hills Hotel, the couple scheduled their wedding ceremony for midday that day – with just immediate family present.

Gemmanda was in hair and makeup by 7am, with her dark hair piled up in curls fastened with pearl pins. She wore a fitted blush gown with a lace overly from Ravish Bridal at Slacks Creek.

With his Scottish heritage, Andrew decided to wear his family tartan, and although warm in the outfit, he looked very dapper.

The couple skipped all the trimmings – music, poems, flowery vows, and bridesmaids, and instead kept their ceremony simple and fuss free. They chose to include Andrew’s daughters in a family sand ceremony, with the girls choosing pink and purple sand to add to the engraved vase.

The couple then captured some portraits with photographer, Andy, before surprising guests at their engagement party – informing them that they were, in fact, attending a wedding reception!

What a fun and fuss-free way to celebrate!

#surprisewedding

#brisbanewedding

#marchwedding

Venue: The Alexandra Hills Hotel

Photographer: A Thousand Miles Photography

Dress: @Ravish Bridal Official

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry - Marriage Celebrant

March wedding at The Chef's Manor Anstead

Why not have both?

Ami and Johan work and live in Adelaide. But with Ami hailing from Brisbane, and Johan from South Africa, choosing a wedding location was a dilemma. The couple decided to have weddings in both Brisbane and South Africa.

Planning a wedding from interstate was a challenging prospect for Ami, however, she relied on reviews and recommendations when choosing suppliers. The couple chose the beautiful gardens at The Chef’s Manor, Anstead for their ceremony and celebrations. The venue has so many locations for pretty photo backdrops – manicured gardens, a white timber arbour, a stone wishing well, a gazebo, a red phone box, and a British red postal pillar.

Next, the couple found their celebrant, Cheryl Landsberry, via a recommendation. Being based in Adelaide, I was able to complete the Notice of Intended Marriage with the couple over Facetime – such a great option for interstate couples and I’m so very pleased that the Government decided to extend this option after the temporary provisions lapsed after the Covid contingencies.

We also shared ceremony ideas via email, allowing me to write a personal ceremony for the couple which suited their vibe. Their ceremony was created with a little tradition, a little humour. a little sugar, and a lot of sincerity.

Ami walked down the aisle with a stunning white lace dress with sheer panels. Her dark hair was curled, and she wore a veil and drop earrings. She carried a bouquet of white flowers. Lia, looking like a little princess, also wore a white dress. Johan was dapper in a classic black three piece suit with a bow tie. His mini-me, Ollie, wore a matching black suit and carefully carried the wedding rings in his pocket.

As the beaming couple walked back down the aisle hand-in-hand, they were showered with biodegradable confetti, which made for a joyous photo.

Guests enjoyed chilled drinks in the gazebo as the couple captured the moment with photographer, Judy, and videographer, Chris, from Iris Faith Photography.

Venue: @thechefsmanoranstead
Celebrant: @cheryl_landsberry_marriage_cel
Photos: @irisfaithphotoandfilm

#brisbanewedding
#gardenwedding

Wedding at Indigiscapes Native Garden, Capalaba

 Wedding at Indigiscapes Native Gardens, Capalaba

Siobhan and Kieran planned their wedding as they lead their lives, aiming to tread lightly , respecting and enjoying our natural environment.

They chose the Indigiscapes Gardens, the site of their engagement, for their wedding day.

Kieran and Siobhan first met through mutual friends, and found themselves drawn to each other. As they spent more time together, Kieran appreciated Siobhan’s spontaneity, her resourcefulness, her dependability, and her giving nature. Siobhan valued how thoughtful and kind Kieran was, how true to his values he always remained, and his calm and easy-going nature.

As with everything in their life, the couple decided together that they had found their forever person, and designed an engagement ring to celebrate the occasion. They started making plans for their wedding, with family, warmth, and simplicity their central themes.

On their wedding day, a beautiful summer afternoon, clouds danced across the sun, providing a reprieve from the glare. Guests gathered around the amphitheatre at Indigiscapes, and assisted Kieran with last minute preparations, setting up cool drinks under the shady umbrellas.

Kieran and his groomsmen wore Earthy brown coloured trousers with a crisp white linen shirt. Kieran also wore a matching bow tie, and tied his curly locks back from his face.

Siobhan walked down the path, with her parents on either side, wearing an understated white, whimsical gown, with a low back, which skimmed over her slender figure. She wore her Auburn hair out in a cute bob, which enhanced her sparkling blue eyes. Along with the pearl drop earrings, her beaming smile was the only adornment needed for the day.

Siobhan chose a beautiful City and Colour song, “The Girl” to walk down the aisle to. Her three bridesmaids all wore dresses of Earthy brown hues, all in different styles. And they all carried bouquets of native flowers, clipped from Siobhan’s own garden.

 

The wedding ceremony was authentic, charming, and unassuming, reflecting the couple’s outlook. Their vows to each other were carefully thought out, personal, and just lovely. They chose, “Married Life” from the Movie, “Up” as a whimsical interlude while signing the marriage certificates, and invited their mothers as witnesses for the signing of the certificates.

As the couple walked out to their happily ever after, guests tossed native dried flowers in the air, making for a gorgeous photo. They were congratulated by family and friends, then photographer, Judy, captured some beautiful photos amongst the towering Eucalypts. Afterwards, the couple rejoined their guests for excited chatter and refreshments under the shady trees.

Venue: Indigiscapes Native Gardens at Capalaba

Photographer: Judy from Iris Faith Photography at Wellington Point

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry from Birkdale

Dress: Grace Loves Lace at Burleigh

Micro wedding at Raby Bay Foreshore Park, Cleveland

Nikki and Dean relocated from the UK to Brisbane, created a life together, adopted their fur baby, Bruce, welcomed their daughter, bought a house, welcomed their son, and started a business. Planning a wedding took a back seat.

When their parents announced plans to visit Brisbane for Christmas, the couple decided this would be the perfect time to be married. They didn’t want anything soppy or mushy, and didn’t have time for intricate planning.

Dean and Nikki contacted the team at Elope Brisbane and chose the Twenty is Plenty package, which includes celebrant, photographer, arbour, 20 chairs, and 20 cupcakes. They chose the bamboo arbour with the macrame hanging for a boho look. And added a round cake for cutting, bouquets, and boutonnieres.

Being a summer wedding, Dean chose to wear chino shorts and a white linen shirt, as did Nikki’s dad. Nikki wore a beautiful trumpet style white lace gown with a train.

I played the ceremony songs through my PA system, with the couple choosing, “Sweet Disposition” by the Temper Trap for the processional, and “Let’s Get Married” from Trolls for the signing.

Their ceremony was short and sweet, and the kids ran around in the park while a few photos were taken.

As I was packing up my gear, I overheard Dean telling guests that everything had just turned out perfectly. Grooms just love that a wedding doesn’t have to mean stress, expense, and drama.

Afterwards, guests joined the couple at their home to celebrate.

Coordination and Styling: Elope Brisbane

Photographer: Romana Saeheng Photography and Graphic Design

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry - Marriage Celebrant

Cakes: Cakes by Simone

Florist: @Capalaba Carnations

#microwedding

#rabybaywedding

#stressfreewedding

Casual beach wedding at Cylinder Beach, North Stradbroke Island

All year, Chloe and Nick look forward to their annual beach camping trip with family and friends. This year, the group decided to camp on beautiful Main Beach on North Stradbroke Island, and Chloe and Nick opted to time their wedding to coincide.

Chloe and Nick are both hard workers, spending long hours at work, so decided to leave all their wedding planning to the team at Elope Stradbroke – experts in Straddie logistics.

Firstly, the tides needed to be navigated, as the Main Beach camp site is accessible by 4WD only. The ceremony was scheduled for 10am, giving the group enough time to access the camp exit route before high tide. The next consideration was where to prep for the wedding. Chloe’s a very laid back gal, but changing into a wedding dress in a tent seemed a little too challenging. Elope Stradbroke organised the hire of the Point Lookout Community Hall, which provided chairs and tables and power for hair styling. With a breezy day predicted, Chloe asked hair and makeup artist, Ashley, to create a classic bun, with natural makeup.

On their wedding day, the team from Elope Stradbroke travelled to the island on the 6am barge, and opened up the Community Hall ready to greet Chloe and her mum. This provided a great opportunity to confirm everything was sorted for the day, and to obtain Chloe’s verabl consent prior to the marriage, a new Government requirement in 2024.

After grabbing a chocolate croissant from the bakery, the team made their way to Cylinder Beach, and set up the 4 post bamboo arbour with florals in sky blue and aqua. White Americana chairs, a signing table, and a jute mat were also set out, and with a quick rake of the sand, the beach was transformed into a romantic and relaxed island wedding paradise.

Nick and his soon to be father-in-law (also Nick) checked in on the setup, and were amazed at the transformation. This was a great opportunity for Nick to sign the declarations and confirm his consent to be married. The pair dashed back for a quick change as guests started to make their way down the path to the beach.

Guests made their way down to the beach, wearing an array of colourful beach dresses. The turquoise waters had some wondering if they had time to change into togs for a quick dip before the ceremony. Nick wore tailored navy shorts with a white shirt, topped with a grey jacket. He was keen to retain his trucker’s cap and sunnies, but alas, these didn’t get past the keen eye of photographer, Romana.

Chloe and Nick decided to forego wedding attendants, but Chloe’s three sisters had other ideas, surprising her by wearing matching blue and white beach dresses, with braids in their hair. They stepped down onto the sand and took their seats as all heads turned towards Chloe on the arm of her dad, who had changed into fresh navy boardshorts and added a cotton button up shirt for the big event. He too, was hoping to get away with wearing his fishing hat, but was met with a hard no on that one. Being country music fans, Chloe and Nick chose the song, “Take my

Chloe looked just lovely, wearing an ivory lace dress with a sweetheart neckline, lace straps, and an ivory underlay. Her long dark hair was braided, and she carried a bouquet of sky blue, aqua, and white. A long, ivory veil was fitted under her plaited bun. On the fourth finger of her left hand, the nail was painted in pale blue.

With the white sand between their toes, Nick and Chloe made their promises to each other, then sealed the deal with a kiss. Less than half an hour after stepping onto the beach, the couple were legally married and enjoying laughs and hugs with family and friends.

After some photos with family against the backdrop of the ocean, the guests headed up to the pub for some refreshing beverages while the couple shared their newlywed photo shoot with frolicking dolphins.

Thank you to Chloe and Nick for trusting us with their wedding event, and congratulations to you both.

Your Stradbroke Island Wedding dream team:

Coordination and Styling: Elope Stradbroke

Photographer: Romana Saeheng Photography and Graphic Design

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry

Hair and Makeup: @sparks Makeup Artistry

Ceremony location: Cylinder Beach, North Stradbroke Island

Reception location: Stradbroke Island beach Hotel

#Straddiewedding

#northstradbrokeislandwedding

#beachwedding

#casualwedding