This is a story from a past wedding. Halfmoon Hideaway is no longer operating as a wedding venue.
Megan and Trent wanted to be married close to home. So, they sought a place with freedom, a place for kids and family. They dreamed of a place to hideaway for their wedding.
I suggested Halfmoon Hideaway. That is to say … a tasteful, modern cottage set in the grounds of an old homestead, high up in the hills of Maleny.
Most importantly, they loved it.
It is a place to stay, to play and to be free to design the wedding of choice. Basically on this family horse and animals property, they say,”Here’s the garden, go for it!”
The wedding ceremony was held on the raised wooden deck under the huge fig tree was perfect… And I knew they had found the best place when their little girl walked down the aisle towards me.
Gillian offered to chauffeur the bride down the hill in her divine, vintage Morris Minor, white with red upholstery! She is a gem.
The drinks caravan was there too, courtesy of Vintage Bond Wood bar.
AND the divine and delicious food was created by the lovely Matt of The Canape Project. Yummmmy!
This is what they said:
A massive thank you for being so patient, lovely and caring Kari! Answering all our questions and suppling info to make sure we knew what to expect on the day. Such a calm lady allowing us both to feel at ease for a relaxed wedding we really enjoyed. Thank you Kari for making our day special.
Mr & Mrs Martens
Maleny Wedding
Congratulations to Karla and Matt. Theirs was a winning Maleny wedding.
This wedding was nominated as one of only five weddings shortlisted for “Wedding of the Year” by Junebug Weddings.
A story
Most importantly, their day appeared as if out of a storybook. It was a fairytale come true at Maleny Retreat, which is one of Australia’s most breath taking wedding locations. Maleny Retreat offers you freedom. That is to say, you get to design your own wedding. You are free to create your own style on a blank canvas. For a wedding in Maleny area, it is delightful choice.
Maleny Retreat is a sumptuous canvas to which you can add your detailing and style.
Looking out over the Glass House Mountains, Karla and Matt’s wedding ceremony looked picture perfect. The vista takes in the serene Tibrogargan, and his family of mountain peeks. Guests arrived to drop their gear in luxury tent style accommodation. The party began before the wedding even started!
A sultry sky provided an awesome and dreamy backdrop for the photos taken by the awesome Bec of Ash and Stone Photography.
Take a peek at the storyboard of their ceremony:
with Sunshine Coast marriage celebrant – Kari
So much love, so much love, so much love. Wow what a wedding ceremony to remember!
Here on the Sunshine Coast, there are many perfect places for a wedding. But none seems quite more perfect for a family wedding than the property where one grew up, played by the creek, planted trees, and created memories. This wedding day created new loving memories for Renee and Brendan on the family farm.
The marriage ceremony was held down by the creek, in an idyllic grassy glade surrounded by forest and the sounds of whip birds and tusked frogs. A group of friends and family had created a magical haven. Let’s wander in and have a peek before the guests arrive…..
A stump by the entry was garlanded with festoons of newly blossomed jasmine and the welcome sign.
Daisies were tucked into the bark of trees, at the foot of saplings or behind ears.
A circle of hay surrounded by white roses and daisies tucked into the ground formed a magic fairy circle for a sacred ceremony.
Hay bales were arranged in arcs for seating. More hay was sprinkled underfoot for an aisle.
Local musician, Lee Hardisty played pied piper and led the guests to the ceremony, along by the creek. His pure sax sound drifted over the forest, gently encouraging a meander to the forest glade.
Enter the Bride and Groom. Groom softly greeted the guests. Kari – the celebrant sent hime for a wander with his mates while she briefed the guests on a surprise ending for the ceremony.
And, the bridal entourage arrived on the trailer of the tractor. Daughter, Peaches and her cousin walked down the aisle, to Daddy.
Renee walked down the aisle on her father’s arm to the exquisite sounds of thumb piano sweetly played by Lee.
Renee and Brendan could not have been more in love.
As a marriage celebrant on the Sunshine Coast hinterland, I witness many marriage vows; all heartfelt and meaningful. But on this wedding day, Renee’s vows to her beloved Sav nearly brought me to tears.
Amongst other things she promised to “love you beyond fear, judgement, expectations and anger….. I promise to love you so hard it changes the world…. I promise to hold you when your heart weeps, to plant trees with you and watch them grow, to help you know your own power.”
After the ceremony, guests followed the music back to the farm shed, replete with hanging floral garland, tables of colour, and taste.
And they partied on in the moonlight, starlight and radiance of their family, friends and love.
Thanks to Maggie Buckle for some of the professional images. Instagram #@maggijeann
The early ones are my own, irresistibly taken while waiting for the guests.
This is what they said about Kari’s celebrant service:
“Kari is a beautiful, warm, kind and connected woman with a sophisticated confidence that makes one feel safe in her presence. Although we had only met her in person once before our wedding day, we knew that she would understand our love and sincerely appreciate the magic that abides in such a ceremony. Her creative heart and generous demeanour left a mark on our hearts at such a special moment in our journey. Thank you Kari.” Renee & Brendan
Together at last
Congratulations Linda & Rob, married at last at House of Laurels in Maleny, after months working overseas. It was so exciting when we finally met in person just before the wedding. The entire ceremony had been organised over the internet. Via censored army email and registered post, and via a combined willingness to embrace the online medium and go with it. We found common evenings when we could chat via email. Zapping emails back and forth, we nutted out the ceremony and all the logistics. Voila!
Organised via email
Linda first contacted me via email … from ..wait for it… Afghanistan, where Rob and herself were deployed at the time. “Could we organise the wedding over the net?” she asked, as she and Rob would not get back to Australia until just before the wedding. Of course, it is all possible.
Linda and I shared many an email conversation. Despite the time differences we seemed to be on our computers at the same moment, and organised everything via the typed word. Worked a treat. They may have been deployed in the same country but it was rare they were in the same base, and due to army censorship and safety protocols, they did not even know where each other was at any moment. It was a risky time. They just crossed their fingers they would both make it back to Australia safely.
And they did!
A Joyous wedding
Their wedding was joyous yet meaningful. A true celebration of their loving union. No one knew we had never met until the days before the wedding. Most thought we had been pals for ages. Well we had indeed been wedding pen pals.
He loves her smile; she has taught him how to open up and share his thoughts. She loves his patience, his sense of humour. He knows how to make her laugh. Yet she says he has taught her how to love and how to be loved. They know how to laugh. And when asked what is their favourite colour, they both replied without hesitation – black! But Linda wore white for the day, and a huge smile!
They said
“From the very first email, Kari was helpful, warm and kind. We knew instantly from her response that she would be the one. We were struggling with writing our own vows but Kari gave us the tools to find our own words. She was with us every step of the way and went above and beyond in arranging our ceremony. We planned 90% of it from a computer in Afghanistan! How impressive is that!
The ceremony was better than we could have hoped for. Kari’s delivery was perfect. She helped create a relaxed and loving atmosphere. All my guests had commented that they had never been to such a loving ceremony and I know Kari had a lot to do with that.
We highly recommend Kari for anyone who is looking for a dedicated, professional, warm and kind celebrant who takes all stress away!!! She is a master at her craft,”
Linda & Rob
Wedding Photos
Thanks for photos by Calli B Photography
