[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A marriage celebrant well might ask, “What does one do with a naughty wedding veil during a wedding ceremony?” Hmmmm….
Congratulations to Gayle and Keith who were married on top of the hill at Ruffles Lodge on the Gold Coast Hinterland.
But my story gets ahead of itself. Let’s back track a little….
With spectacular views down to the coast, the exclusive mountain retreat is simply gorgeous. Gayle and Keith chose this place so their family and friends could all join the retreat and have some time away from the hum of life in a relaxed and luxurious location.
So the groom and his blokes are waiting on the lawn, the guests are assembled.
Beautiful Gayle arrives on the arm of her Dad, her long bridal veil trailing behind.
The ceremony begins, and the breeze picks up a little. Not looking too naughty yet!
Slowly the naughty wedding veil starts to make an entrance.
The wedding veil wafts romantically around, then starts to assert itself more strongly until a moment is made
behind which a bride and groom could steal a kiss!
We laugh, and finally a Bridesmaid catches the cheeky veil and tames it a little for the rest of the ceremony.
the first wedding kiss
That’s what bridesmaids are for! Just one of the many jobs a bridesmaid takes in her stride on her friend’s wedding day!
Thanks girls.
Check out the amazing purple and lilac. What glorious colours!!!
And thank you to Justin from Bush Turkey Studio for the photos.
“Kari, Thank you for your help for our ceremony in October, it was everything we were looking for. You were fantastic!” Gayle & Keith[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”36076″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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The Bridesmaids’ story
Today’s story is about the Bridesmaids. Lift your glasses for a toast to the Bridesmaids, Steph, Sharna, Vanessa, Alyce and Kristen.
First of all Congratulations to Sam and Jai, married in Byron Bay…but more on them in a later story.
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Bestie to bridesmaid?
Sam, the bride, took great care on planning her wedding, and involving her favourite people. She began by asking them all in a delightful fashion. As Kristen said, “We went for Friday after work drinks and Sam gave me a little gift box. Inside the box was a handful of tiny brown paper scrolls. Each had a different memory of us growing up, and some of the crazy things we did!
The very last scroll read Krisso…. Will you be my bridesmaid? I’m pretty sure everyone in the bar had a heart attack, I squealed that loudly!”
Will you be my bridesmaid?
Sam had been besties with her Bridesmaids since childhood, so all five girls signed up immediately.
How did you find the bridesmaid dresses?
The six girls, maids and bride, spent a day together seeking the perfect dress for Sam’s relaxed and elegant garden wedding to be held at a quaint farmhouse on the hill looking out over Byron Bay.
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A colour palate not a colour
The Bride did not wish to dictate to her friends, so she pretty much gave them free reign on bridesmaids dress. She did show them a picture of the colour palate she’d prefer; earthy colours, pale dusky pinks, mauves, champagne. Said Sharna, “Sammy’s idea was for all the dresses to be unique and different but from a similar colour palette. We opted for full length as it was elegant and flattering.” They couldn’t find anything that first day. So off they went back to their own life schedules and continued seeking on their own. Kristen commented, “The first time we saw the dresses all together was the night before the wedding and they just worked perfectly together!!” PHEW! Check out the pix.
Bought One at a time
It is hard to believe that the dresses were bought one by one, separately by each bridesmaid.
What was the bridesmaids highlight?
What was the highlight of Sam and Jai’s wedding day for you?
Kristen said, “Getting ready back at the hotel and seeing how happy Sammy was. She’s usually a control freak and everything has to be perfect but she was just so relaxed and ready to marry the man of her dreams. Seeing her walk down the aisle was pretty amazing!”
Sharna said, “Hard to say as it was all stunningly beautiful. Probably milling around after the ceremony and getting our photos taken. Getting our hair and makeup done together was fun too.”
Will you wear your dress again?
“I hope so. I love it!” Here we are having a play in the archway after the service…In the distance is Byron Bay lighthouse and the best surf of the week! Not that we were interested![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1714442880624-c2cd1b8c-75fe-0″ include=”40178,40168,40169,40171,40172,40173,40174,40175,40176,40170,40177,40179″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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A Mc and a Mac
When McNamara married MacKinnon, there was bound to be somescotsman around somewhere!!! And what a lovely use of tartan. And what a choice of place! Congratulations Sandra and Jason, married at Gardeners Falls, Maleny. Unique, different, touching, romantic and down to earth, their DIY wedding was simply perfect.
A Scotsman and a Nymph
When Sandra and Jason first met in Canada they recall talking about travelling Australia and the food they both missed. Jason proceeded to load up the juke box while Sandra picked most of the songs and introduced him to her love for disco. Not less than two days later Jason had to leave Canada!! Mere hours before his flight took off they were enjoying their first “date”. The conversation flowed easily and touched on so many subjects that they would have forgot to order food, if the waitress hadn’t kept reappearing to ask if they were ready to order. Jason’s friends were worried he was cutting it close for time to catch his flight. There was really no time for eating!
It was not long before they were together again, in Australia.
Sandra describes Jason as her calm in the storm. Jason describes Sandra as his down to earth rock. No wonder it threatened to storm on their wedding day. But come the right time, they stood on a rock mid stream, with not a drop of rain.
They relish each other’s company, laugh at each other’s jokes and make fun happen every day. These are qualities that will sustain a relationship. They are also great qualities for planning an extraordinary wedding.
Dressed in wedding Tartan
They turned up to their wedding dressed as Scotsman in family tartan (complete with sporan I may add) and forest nymph. They wanted something quite unique and intimate for their ceremony, and yet grand in meaning. Choosing Gardeners Falls, a small out of the way place, with running creek and rainforest all around, they created a wonderland.
Wed Over Water
Sandra and Jason asked if they could be wed on the water. We took off our shoes and stepped onto a rock in the stream. Guests gathered on a larger rock close by. They chose a hand binding ceremony to seal their vows. In this way drawing on Celtic traditions from ancient times, bringing the ceremony into modern day with our own twist on the promises and bindings. Jason had prepared a strip of tartan for the bindings. For wedding rings they had special rings created, each a combination of an Australian saphire and two Canadian diamonds.
Tartan sash
At the conclusion of the service, Jason draped a MacKinnon tartan sash over his new Mrs MacKinnon, and had photos taken in the middle of the running creek. He carried her across the water. Later that weekend they continued the fun by taking their own wedding photos, with just tripod and themselves.
Here is a glimpse of their DIY wedding day:
What they said:
Kari was an amazing celebrant. She was just what we were looking for, she listened to our suggestions, went with our ideas adding her own input when we knew what we wanted but weren’t sure how to do it.
Kari got a good feel for how we were as a couple and what we liked. She even offered us choices to choose her dress colour for the ceremony and was even willing to go barefoot.
Kari helped a lot making our ceremony just what we wanted and we had an amazing day. Sandra and Jason MacKinnon
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Who shall be the ring bearer?
At your wedding, who do you choose to be the ring bearer? A charming little nephew? An eagle? The Best Man? The Best Woman? Mum? Or your pet? Congratulations Diane and Patrick, for choosing Ruby. They married in the charming pergola at Tiffany’s, looking out over the Glass House Mountains from the Maleny Ridge. They wanted a creative, fun and relaxed wedding. They chose Tiffany’s for the view, for the incredible feeling you get when gazing out over the vista of the Glass House Mountains. What an extraordinary place on the edge of the ridge, what a splendid sunny day. AND what a charming ring bearer! More of her later….
Planning a memorable wedding
Diane and Patrick wanted their wedding to be memorable, unforgettable in fact, and a bit of fun for their guests. All they wrote on the wedding invite was a date, a time and ‘surprise location’. The guests had no idea where they were going and what to expect. A bus collected them all, to take them to Tiffany’s. The bus was there again to continue the adventure to Clovelly Estate for a classy reception banquet. What fun! Everyone arrived at the ceremony full of intrigue and with smiles already on their faces.
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Diane arrived in retro style in the divine Red Kombi. Just bride and her parents. A gentle and relaxed bride, Diane just glowed on the way to meet her Patrick. She arrived on the arms of both her parents, one on each arm. It is a tradition that is very heartwarming, when a parent accompanies their daughter to her wedding day. In these modern days of equality we still have room to remember an ancient custom, that of a bride being accompanying to her wedding.
Diane chose to arrive with both her parents. In this way we know that father and mother are supportive of the bride and groom and their decision to embrace marriage. And indeed there is room too to thank the parents for the Groom for all they have done to bring their son to his wedding day too. Diane and her parents brought a charming tradition into the modern world. But what about Ruby? The other important family member.
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Ruby the ring bearer
Diane and Patrick wanted their special family, Ruby, a black Labrador, to be part of their special day and found a a way to include her in the ceremony. Their dear Ruby was a feature guest for the day. Sporting a ribbon on her neck, most of the guests just thought she was there for the ride. She was the perfect ring bearer.
Ever thought you’d be able to have your pets at your wedding?
At this wedding, it was the Ruby the ring bearer who stole the show. When the wedding bands were called for, Ruby bounded down the aisle towards her favourite people to deliver the rings. She happily sat while Patrick took the rings from her neck, to place on the finger of his bride. 
Ruby stuck around for photos and I’m sure would have enjoyed the canapés, but she had other treats in store.
Kylie from Lovable Pets arrived in chic sporting attire. Ruby was whisked away for a long walk on the beach and a sleep over at Kylie’s. Lucky Ruby. To top off a beautiful afternoon, Di and Patrick invited their guests to the divine and classy Spicers Clovelly Estate for a three course banquet around a continuous table. Beautiful plant arrangements by A Sculpted Leaf, the boughs of the Jacaranda tree hanging down beside the pavilion, and an array of sumptuous food from the Clovelly French styled chefs. You may think Ruby was wondering who got the best deal. She didn’t even know, as she frolicked on the beach with Kylie, or perhaps by now she was snoring on a large cushion. It was an important day for Ruby, delivering the rings to the ceremony on cue! She deserved her rest. Peek into other moments from their wedding day. Photos by Tania Stanley.
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Creative Wedding Decor
Decorating your wedding day can be such fun. There are ideas for special themes, colours or designs.
Sometimes it is helpful to have a specialist help you, sometimes you just want to DIY the entire day. At a recent wedding at Kenilworth Homestead, Jess co-opted her female family and friends, and they did it all themselves. From bunting to cocktails, through to vintage teapots full of cottage garden flowers, and hand picked crockery from op-shops. Read about Jess inspiration.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”40045″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
Something rather different
Here is a totally unique and environmentally friendly solution, not yet seen in any Bridal mag, from local cane, coconut frond and festival artist, Kris Martin.
His new wedding and event decoration business called Artisean was recently launched at a wedding on Stradbroke Island.
The business, based in Mapleton in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, uses natural materials such as bamboo, coconut palm leaf and vines top create fabulous wedding arches, aisles and arbours.
Coconut frond wedding decor
Kris Martin, artist and founder of this creative endeavour is excited to bring some of the magic of the festival and event work that he has been doing for over ten years, to the wedding industry.
Along with his partner Alex, and a team of artists, they have been recognised for their dedication to environmental arts through winning the Glossies award in 2012 (for ‘Ship of Fools’ Project, Floating Land, 2011) and 2011 (for ‘Kabi Canoes’ Project, Woodford, 2010).
Here’s a peek at some of the current designs being developed. But Kris will design something all new for you too, made to order. Check out Artisean.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”40047″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”40046″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
Something elegant in wedding decor
Carly Laczko runs a gorgeous decorating and wedding planning business, CL Weddings & Events, creating beautiful weddings using simple ingredients that together make that ‘wow’ feeling when guests walk into a room.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”40051″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
Wedding Styling
Wedding styling can be so variant, from sparkling prettiness to elegant dark shades or charcoals and rich red over to fun vibrant colours that pop with personality. The main aim of styling, Carly espouses, is to ensure it reflects the couple and your personalities together as a couple.
Styling themes
Cl Events’ style is so broad, there really isn’t a certain theme that they don’t like! And they specialise in creating a theme with the couples name on it, rather than a ‘modern vintage’ or ‘rustic’ tag. Sometimes the best styles are when they get to make a mix of themes to create unique look.
Carly says: “The décor on your day should be handled much like the way you dress, it should fit you.”
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DIY Wedding Decor
But if it’s DIY you’re into, then check out Jessica and Joel’s wedding decor.
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The girls, did it all. Mum, Aunties, Gran and the bridesmaids all chipped in making all the decor.
It came together over a fun evening the night before the wedding, when the bridal party went to town in a rustic old Barn.
Here is their story:
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