Thursday 16 November 2023

Wedding at Cherbon Waters

 Wedding at Cherbon Waters, Burbank

In my role as marriage celebrant, I meet a lot of lovely people, see some beautiful locations, and share in some really memorable and special moments. When people ask what my all-time favourite wedding was, it’s been hard to choose. Until now.
My beautiful daughter, Jasmin, married her handsome farmer fiancé Tom, in a celebration that brought family together from near and far. And I was able to enjoy being both Mother of the Bride and Marriage Celebrant on the day.
Jasmin and Tom first met in high school, and had been together for ten years before planning their wedding. Since he was a young boy, Tom dreamt of a life on the land, and so he and Jasmin bought a rural property and stocked it with breeding cattle. This isn’t an easy lifestyle, and most of their waking hours are spent tending to their stock. In fact, there was little time for formal wedding planning, but all that didn’t seem to matter too much, as whatever fell into place suited them just fine. And whatever they didn’t have time to organise probably didn’t matter too much any way.
After eloping myself back in the 90’s, I wouldn’t have been disappointed if Jasmin and Tom eloped too. But they wanted to have their dream wedding, with their grandparents all present and a sit-down meal, dancing and cake.
In keeping with their rural lifestyle, Jasmin and Tom decided on a country style wedding. They looked at venues from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, and had short listed a couple, when they saw Cherbon Waters at Burbank pop up on my Instagram story.
Cherbon Waters is an equestrian centre and function venue on the banks of the Leslie Harrison dam. The gardens are well maintained and always green, and there are some beautiful old gum trees on the property. A purpose built gazebo gives protection from the elements for the wedding ceremony. A nearby permanent silk marquee with a sandstone floor caters for wedding receptions.
Jasmin prepped for the wedding day at our home, with Hair and Makeup Artists from Blushed Brides arriving to glam us up. Photographer, Romana, and videographer, Dan, dropped by to capture some pre-wedding photos – first to Tom’s place and then to our home. I know a lot of couples choose not to bother with these “getting ready” style photos, but I’m so glad that we had a little time to capture some family photos before the day became too hectic. These moments are priceless.

I headed off to the venue to ensure everything was all set up and ready to go, and greeted family and friends as they arrived at the venue. Jasmin was escorted to the wedding by her dad, Brett. My heart swelled and my voice quavered a little as I watched my stunning daughter, on the arm of my proud husband, walk down the aisle together. Jasmin beamed as her eyes met Tom’s, and they enjoyed the significance of the moment.

I had hoped to write the most flowery and enchanting marriage ceremony imaginable, however, Jasmin and Tom just wanted to keep the ceremony short and sweet, and curtailed my efforts to wax lyrical on their behalf.
After their concise, but tender ceremony, the couple were congratulated on the sunlit lawns. Drinks and canapes were served and the couple had a chance to capture some photos around the gardens.


With family and friends flying in from interstate and overseas, the reception was a time for reuniting with conversation over the meal and a refreshing beverage or two. After some emotive and amusing speeches and the cutting of the cake, the dance floor opened.
The newlyweds danced together to “True Love” by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, the wedding song of Tom’s grandparents. The sentimental significance did bring a little tear to many eyes, as Tom’s adored grandfather had passed away just a couple of weeks before the wedding day.
Next, Jasmin was twirled by her dad to “A Little Ray of Sunshine” by Axiom, which was the song played for her Baby Naming Ceremony all those years ago. Cue more tears.
The DJ set the dance floor alight with tunes to get the boogie shoes on, and the next hour flew by with cousins, grandmothers, and school chums all wiggling more or less in time to the music.
The wedding was a huge success, and a day which will be long remembered. From over 500 photos, I’ve collated my favourites into a photo book. Look out for your invitation to the Slide Night.
Thanks to the wider family who all contributed to the wonderful day, and congratulations to the newlyweds.
Videographer: Dan Hodgson Freelance
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Location: 121 Cherbon St, Burbank QLD 4156, Australia