Arrive with panache, at your wedding

…just like Jo and Len did to their wedding ceremony along the riverfront at  Noosaville.

 ~ with Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant Kari ~

Congratulations to newly weds, Jo and Len, your wedding was such fun.

But here is how it began….

Before the wedding began, guests were a little surprised when the Groom unbuttoned his shirt. Dressed in singlet and rolled up pants, he wandered away from the wedding canopy set up by the banks of the Noosa River (by Splash Events).  His purple shirt hung on the canopy and he disappeared!  Was purple going to be a colour theme today?

Ah, only to return a little while later from the water, paddling a canoe with energetic young Best Man, Ben.  Cheers greeted them as they beached the canoe and redressed in their handsome finery.

But where was the bride?

Guests were invited to step this way and wander over to the roadside; bemused looks, puzzled questions ensued.

It all became clear when the bride arrived on the arm of her dashing son, Max, with her bridesmaids.  Several girls stepped onto the zebra crossing and held up all traffic for the bridal party to cross over.  Reminiscences of Abbey Road, more cheers ….. and tears, and laughter.  And the ceremony had not begun yet!

Returning to the bridal canopy, the guests were in for another surprise, as indeed was the bride.  Len took up a microphone and sung to his bride as she walked down the aisle.  We forgave her tears.  We all cried.  It was too beautiful.

That was simply the beginning to a delightful wedding ceremony by the river, …..

and finishing as the sun was sinking over the still water, on the top deck of the Boathouse floating restaurant.

Ah …. it doesn’t get better than this!

Photos by Andrea Thompson

A Hinterland Wedding in French and English

~ with Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant Kari ~

Congratulations to Fanny & Tommi married in both French and English at Flaxton Gardens in brilliant sunshine.

Fanny contacted me to request a marriage ceremony on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Range, that both her family and Tommi’s family could understand.  In fact they wanted the entire ceremony in both languages!  Now there’s a challenge I love.

I always offer to create bespoke ceremonies to suit each couple, so that part was not difficult.  For Fanny and Tommi, I simply had to translate the custom ceremony into French as well.  Now whilst I converse in passable French, I will admit to seeking guidance from my dear French friends, to ensure the grammar was all correct.

The outcome was a delightful ceremony ….read twice, as French & English took turn about during the ceremony!  On top of the usual wedding day nerves, both bride and groom made their promises to each other, first in their love’s language, then in their own.  It is not an easy task when one of those languages is not your mother tongue.  The guests were particularly encouraging, and warmly congratulated them for their efforts.  It made for amusing times as half the guests would laugh then moments later the other half got the joke!  As long as everyone understood, in the long run.

Fanny surprised us all arriving in a retro red Kombi with her two beautiful sisters and her charming father, all of whom had travelled from France to be here for Fanny’s day.  She walked down the aisle on the arm of her Dad, under brilliant blue skies to her waiting groom, Tommi.  Their ceremony was not complicated; simple and chic, elegant yet relaxed, with some laughs and I noticed some tears of emotion too.

Tommi and Fanny I wish you well in your future lives together and congratulate on including both your mother tongues in your wedding ceremony.  Thank you for the opportunity to use your poetic and musical sounding language.

One of the specialities I can offer couples, is a ceremony with other languages.  Some of the requests I have fulfilled are a French poem,  a prayer in Afrikaans, and a blessing in Sanskrit, to name a few.  My background as a musician means I have a trained ear for catching sounds.  So even when I do not speak the language, I will learn something in your tongue for you.  I’ll try anything, and with a bit of practice I have delivered so far.

However two languages are my specialty.  I speak fluent Indonesian, having lived there for years in my youth, and Fanny says my French was perfect. Well at least her family who flew out from France for the wedding day could understand the whole ceremony, and not feel at all left out.

It simply helps to know that a wedding in Australia can encompass whatever tradition or culture you wish to include.  Languages are no barrier, and I welcome customs from other traditions.

Photos by Alan Hughes

“Thanks Kari for everything you have done.  We had a great day and the ceremony was amazing; your french was perfect;-)Thanks again” Fanny

A surf styled wedding by the beach

~ with Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant Kari ~

Ever dreamed of being married at your favourite surf break?  Congratulations to Rob and Beck who chose just that.

Rob wanted to be able to see his two favourite girls on his wedding day; Beck in the foreground, and his favourite Caloundra surfbreak in the background.  Beck is easy going and loves the outdoors.  When looking for a celebrant they sought “relaxed and laid back”, to suit their style, and their desire for a casual and simple wedding, just a fun day for them and their guests to enjoy.

Many a wedding day on the Sunshine Coast is celebrated by the beach.  We are a beach culture after all.  And on this special day of your life it is natural to wish to join the natural scheme of life with a wedding on the beach. In this case, in view of Rob’s favourite surf spot at Dicky Beach; a place which also reflected their favourite colours; green for Rob, and blue for Beck.

The park was a casual place which suited their love for outdoors, a place perfect for their union. I would not have been surprised if we had all been requested to kick off our shoes in honour of the informal nature of this wedding.  And what a day.  It had rained solidly all night, but cleared up totally in time for the wedding ceremony, with blue skies and warm air.

What surprised us all was when the groom and his best man turned up to the blaring sound track of Eagle Rock, carrying a surfboard!  Hmm …  had we got the date wrong?

Rob proceeded to create a signing table from the board and board stands.  A perfect wedding altar!  Suitably sacred, yet a place to rest the wedding certificates, and high enough for all to witness the signing and need no chairs.

So a surf themed wedding is possible.  I’m even happy to wed you on your boards if that is your perfect wedding!  But I think Rob and Beck found the perfect balance; finishing on a high five, and photos with the board…then off home for a BBQ with the wedding party.

Photos by their friends.

wedding vintage …. wedding retro style …it’s all the rage

~ with Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant Kari ~

Don’t we love vintage for weddings?  It’s cosy, it’s close, it’s timeless, individual; like marriage.

Harking back to the nostalgia of a time when families were the centre of social life, vintage style lends itself to weddings.  And what is there not to love in a classic frock, a vintage table setting or a retro car?

As Deb from the upcoming  Vintage Wedding Fair says “Slowly we are seeing more and more brides and grooms incorporating more individual and unique aspects to their wedding day, as they throw tradition out the window and decide to make their wedding day more ‘them’.”

More and more small businesses are cropping up to fulfill your individual wishes.  And of course supporting a local small business gives so much more pleasure than watching our dollars fly away overseas or into larger-than-necessary pockets.

I have been honoured to be the wedding celebrant at several vintage weddings on the Sunshine Coast, Qld.  I’m lucky to have a couple of original 50′s frocks from my mother’s wardrobe; a time when she had a dressmaker sew an original piece for special occasions.  For one wedding I wore my hair in that classic Audrey Hepburn up-style.  I’ll go the extra mile to make sure your vintage style wedding photos fit the theme, all the way from ceremony to shoot.

If you haven’t had enough of vintage yet, then perhaps this coming weekend, March 24-25 is just the time to browse at A Very Vintage Wedding Fair  in Brisbane.  Creative, quirky, unique offerings to tempt your vintage soul and fulfill every retro dream from small local suppliers.

I think I’ll go have breakfast at Tiffany’s now…..

Arrive in style, vintage & retro wedding cars to love

~ with Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant Kari ~

Many a bride wishes to arrive at her wedding in a glamorous car.  However when I was a bride, I arrived with my husband-to-be in a retro wooden canoe …… but that’s another story.

Cars have been the traditional wedding arrival vehicle for as long as the car has graced our lives.  And many modern weddings hark back to that early era of cars with classic vintage wedding cars and lovingly restored retro beauties for their wedding day.

I have had the privilege of working with some absolute classic wedding cars.  Today I’d like to share some Sunshine Coast classic cars with you, one totally vintage and two definitely retro.

First cab off the rank, actually is a cab!!!  It’s a genuine London cab, residing in Australia, at Maleny.  Classical with poise.

BLACK LONDON CAB

Steeped in history and full of stories this shiny black Taxi Cab was originally used by the London Metropolitan Police as an ‘undercover’ vehicle.  Then he was used as a cab in London.  If you’ve ever been to London, you’ll understand how iconic these cars are….  and how roomy they are in the back.  I nearly sat on the floor when I jumped into one the first time!  So there’s heaps of room for a large bride dress, train and bridesmaids.

But back to the tale of the car….the cab was next brought out to Australia by Lumley’s Insurance to be used as a chauffeur cab for their directors. They restored the cab, together with a new engine. It was next purchased at Shannon’s Auctions and driven to the hills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

“After many years of working in London, I now live in Maleny. My name is Dickens. Boris is my uniformed chauffeur. He provides a professional service to our clients. Let us roll out the red carpet for you!email me for Dickens’ contact.

If you have chosen a classic hinterland wedding location, this car will enhance your wedding photos with absolute class and vintage English style.  Your love story will add to Boris’ already colourful tale.  See Dickens in the background here:

 

Next is for the Elvis within you.  A topless car treat.

RED MUSTANG

As I promised in another story, here is the Red Mustang.  Absolutely immaculate, shiny as new, upholstered in creamy white leather, this car is a classic wedding car with attitude.  Matt, the young handsome chauffeur brings his pride and joy to put the rock’n'roll into your wedding day.  The fellas will adore a ride in this car, and the girls can’t wait for their turn.  Shiny and red, with the top wound down, this classic car is a hoot.  Please can I have a turn?

 

And for the laid back and casual beach wedding for the surfing spirit within you.

A CLASSIC KOMBI

If you’re into red car or classic car how can one go past the newly restored 60′s Kombi from Kombi Deluxe.  Rescued from a car graveyard and restored over four years by a local family business with a passion for Volkswagons, this van has most of its original features and is maintained impeccably.  You can hear it coming with its classic VW sound, and watch the guests smile.  This classic and genuine Kombi car is beautifully finished in lotus white over salmon red.  Hm-Hmmmmmm.

As a Sunshine Coast wedding celebrant I’m in love with retro weddings or vintage wedding style.  My own car is a retro Pt Cruiser, so it is no wonder that I adore this Kombi.  Many of us dream of a surf themed wedding, so here is the car to match.  Hey I’ll even wed you on your surfboards if you wish, at your beach wedding!

On the other hand, up in the hills overlooking the coastal view, I have seen this car draw up at classic Hinterland wedding locations and cause the awaiting wedding party to go,”Awwwhhhhh” with delight.  What a way to get the guests in a happy mood before the ceremony starts.

I can’t wait for a ride.

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