Congratulations Adele and Paul, married at Yandina Station between Yandina and Coolum.
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Vintage Theme wedding
Using a vintage wedding theme, Adele decorated the homestead with a table of old cameras, old books tied with string, bottles of old fashioned sweets and a vintage typewriter for writing messages.
Historic Yandina Station
Yandina Station was perfect for their theme. The old homestead still has the original hardwood weather boards, delightfully aged to silver. The gardens reflect a time gone by, yet retain a relaxed and homely feel, with herbs and flowers. Old worldy games on the grass were very welcoming, and the sunny day was perfect.
Kids at a wedding
Their son Mac was a star, carrying the rings on a string around his neck.
Their wedding ceremony
Adele and Paul’s wedding ceremony began: “Unions have been made in this area for millennia. Today Adele and Paul join the natural scheme of things and wed in this sacred place between Mount Ninderry and Mount Coolum close to Maroochy River. For 10’s of thousands of years these mountains have been revered and blessed, and honoured for their significance and power. It is a healing place, a happy place. In the shadow of these mountains people feel safe and warm and blessed. To be able to see both Ninderry and Coolum from here makes this place very special. No wonder Adele and Paul chose this historic property for their special day. Yandina Station homestead, well over 100 yrs old, and now lovingly restored is the oldest continuously lived in and working farm in the region. Many pages of history reside here. And today we add to those pages with a love story.”
Congratulations to Sarah and Flynn, and little Aiofe, and their private garden wedding on the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Born and raised here, Flynn decided to come home for his garden wedding. Flynn and Sarah were married by the creek on the property next door to his childhood home. There were gasps of delight as the Groom and his groomsman appeared from through the bamboo grove and waltzed into the grassy ceremony glade. Swinging baskets with cheeky grins, they handed flowers around to all the guests, whilst the the strains of Mumford and Sons, singing Winter Winds wafted on the breeze. The fun had clearly begun!
The Bamboo Grove
Through the green poles of bamboo we could glimpse a white dress, like an ethereal promise appearing between the dense bamboo. The bride appeared slowly from the bamboo, with her Dad holding little Aiofe in his arms. They were a trio of smiles. The musical mood changed with her tune, La Valse de Amelie. And the wedding ceremony had begun. We were already in a great mood, relaxed in amongst nature, and quite secluded from the world at large.
And a baby naming too
Sarah and Flynn chose to have fun at their relaxed garden wedding, not too serious, yet with sincere promises. The entire extended family was there, and their little girl So they decided to go one step further, and name their little girl with a naming ceremony.
As the wedding ceremony wrapped up, a baby naming ceremony ensued. Firstly, Aiofe was blessed by her great grandmother, secondly by her grandparents and lastly her parents. We used water to trickle over her hands and arms, and a little on her face. We knew water was a favourite. And she just loved playing with the water! Squeals of childish delight were a great way to complete a wedding ceremony.
Wedding reception
The reception was held under a stunning nomadic marquee, strung with fairy lights. Guests partied to the live band and danced out on the grass. It was a garden wedding with freedom and choice. A garden of delight. All the privacy of a private property and all the style of a marquee wedding. But best of all it was a down to earth, family affair full of laughs, charm and lots of dancing into the night.
So the ceremony is complete, you are feeling radiant, on a cloud of joy. How did it go so quickly? Now the photographer wants to whisk you and the bridal party away for a photo shoot.
Meanwhile your guests are wandering, mingling and perhaps looking for a little something to do. As a celebrant I often get to see the post ceremony fun organised by a thoughtful couple, and have had the chance to take a few snaps in order to inspire you today.
So, you’ve made your guests comfortable with hats, shade, and other little delights to amuse.
Consider wedding garden games to get the party laughing.
Garden games are such fun during the post wedding ceremony time. Not competitive, fun, yet can be played with a glass in one hand, and a ready giggle when someone misses the mark. A game of two while sipping a cocktail is very relaxing, and makes for some great candid photographs. Wedding games using the giant game sets are perfect for a garden wedding.
With vintage themes still a great way to DIY your wedding decor, then vintage games are de rigueur. Try some of these for the wedding guests on your wedding day:
Quoits
A stick and a hand full of rope rings is all you need. Beer in one hand ring in the other, the game gets more fun as the beer lowers. Some people think that the game originated from tossing horse shoes.
Croquet
The red queen may have used upended flamingos as her croquet mallet, but wooden ones are more the go these days! Originating in France and brought to England as Paille Maille (the latin words for ball & mallet), and possibly played as early as the 1600’s, croquet is not just the dominion of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. A vintage set of mallets hoops and balls is available at several wedding venues these days, especially the French inspired Clovelly Estate, and the vintage farm Kenilworth Homestead.
Giant Jenga
Now here’s one the crafty family member can whip up. Simply cut equal lengths of pine framing boards. Stack them up on the grass. Then each player has to extract one block and place it on top without upsetting the whole stack. After a while the entire stack is teetering and one person has to be responsible for tumbling the lot over….to many cheers from onlookers.
Badminton
An oldie but goodie, badminton can look lovely in your garden wedding. Take two tent poles and peg them out. String a set of bunting flags between the poles for your “net”. Cute!
Skittles/ Kubb /Finska
Another ball and tumbling game. Who can bowl the skittles over on grass?
And for games hire… contact the lovely Nathan at Sunshine Coast Games Hire for a no fuss delivery option.
Photobooth
And finally, you could make your own Photobooth. Provide a basket of silly costume pieces, hats, glasses and a picture frame. Set up a camera on a tripod. Guests take turns in photographing each other. They won’t want to leave for the reception!!! And you will have a camera full of great memories of your guests, and an insight into what they got up to in your absence!!!
Hope there’s something there to inspire your post ceremony wedding fun and games.
See you at a wedding soon. xx Kari – the celebrant.
This is the story of a fun wedding at Flaxton Gardens, dedicated wedding and events venue on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
Gosh I loved the spirit of this couple. We laughed. They danced. We high fived. Bec and Mitch had the most fun they could at their wedding. So, congratulations to Bec and Mitch on their stunning Flaxton Gardens Wedding. It was a picture perfect day with celebrant – Kari.
How did their wedding begin?
Of course it began a long time ago. These two were set up by a friend who, after spending weeks trying to convince Bec to meet him, decided the only way it was going to happen was by tricking her into it. Mitch on the other hand took no convincing, as he knew she was blond and that was all he needed to know!
After spending just one evening together, where they both brought out their competitive sides; playing pool and discussing the merits of the “bunny suicides”, they were both smitten.
I loved working with these two.They simply have fun together… all of the time. Best friends and companions in many, many ways.Mitch says, “Iggy has been my whole world for over 7 years.”Bec adores that they have the same sense of humour, and make each other laugh so much.
A large wedding in the garden
Flaxton Gardens is a stunning venue for a large gathering in beautiful gardens with the most amazing view of the Sunshine Coastline. And now that restrictions have lifted, large weddings are on again. Hoorah!
Fun ceremony
When planning their ceremony we decided that it was about fun. A bit of jiving down the aisle, a few high Fives, lots of laughs and not too serious. But loads of love and friendship. And who says only the bride gets to walk down the aisle?
Modern day couples are all about equality in their relationships, so why not reflect that in a marriage ceremony too. We discussed how we could even things up and make the ceremony all about two people, and fun of course. Mitch chose a theme song for the boys, so Mitch and his three groomsmen, Gab, Liam and Dylan had their moment in the limelight before the girls arrived. We admired the view while Bec arrived in the car, and readied herself for the big arrival.
Arrival of the Bride
Before we glimpsed Bec coming out from the magnificent winery building doors, the girls had their moments before Kasia and Tiana walked down the aisle. Then she arrived on the arms of Dad. It was hard to stop the tears of joy.
Wedding Ceremony
And so the ceremony began…. all tears and smiles mixed in together. So natural, so authentic, so much fun.
And then they were wed
Thanks to Luke for capturing the wedding fun with his awesome photographs.
Maroochy Botanic Gardens for an elegant picnic wedding …
Congratulations Gabby and Damon, and little Dominic.
Gabby is like a niece to me. So when she asked me to assist with her Sunshine Coast wedding I was over the moon.
Not sure what you want for a garden wedding?
Gabby wasn’t quite sure what they wanted for a wedding, so we jumped in the car and went for a drive.
She wished for an outdoor wedding, a beautiful place with stunning gardens, a parkland for a wedding picnic, and a simply gorgeous place for a marriage ceremony. So I suggested a Maroochy Botanic Gardens wedding, a perfect place in which to marry.
A Love Story
Gabby and Damon first met at a blind date set up by friends. As soon as they saw each other, there was an instant attraction. Something clicked. She took his hand, to lead him to the buffet. It was a gesture he will always remember; a gesture of kindness and caring, a sign of her friendliness.
A child
Little Dominic, their sweet young son, just loved the gardens. He ran and jumped and played. Seemed like he had chosen this place. The Maroochy Botanic Gardens certainly suited a child’s imagination and he felt free to play. This wedding was to include several children, so the botanic gardens were perfect; a kids’ paradise and a bush haven with manicured garden beds as well.
A beautiful bride
With her stunning Chilean looks and long dark locks, Gabby made a stunning bride. She was so proud to walk on her Dad’s arm to the ceremony along the gardens path.
A Wedding
They were married under the arch in the sculpture gardens, decorated with white tulle and ribbon for the day, against a backdrop of the infinity sculpture carved from marble. We designed an elegant wedding picnic, with picnic baskets full of nibbles and drinks, and blankets on the grass.
