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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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Something very French
How about something very French for your wedding ceremony.
You may be French.
You may want a little something French for the sheer chic of it.
You may simply wish to toast your love with champagne.
Whatever the reason there are many French marriage traditions that are delightful. And of course others that you don’t want your friends to find out too!
As a Sunshine Coast Hinterland wedding celebrant I am always seeking new ways to create ritual within ceremony; finding ways to show something, rather than say something. And there are so many multicultural rituals to draw from, and rework to fit two people getting married, like Lucy and Neil did.
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Lucy and Neil had spent a long and memorable holiday in France. They remembered it as a very special time in their relationship; in their burgeoning love.
So when they decided to marry they wished to include something a little French in their marriage ceremony. In fact they had brought some special Champagne back from France, from the real Champagne region where they make the only true Champagne. (Everywhere else produces sparkling wine did you know?)
Champagne and roses
Now in the region of France where champagne is created, the traditional vineyards often cultivate roses at the ends of each row of grape vines. They look wonderful, yes, and smell fabulous when in flower, but it is not for the romance that the grape growers plant the roses.
Why the roses in French vineyards?
The rose plays a special and important role in the production of the grapes. Being extremely sensitive to changes in the soil, reacting quickly to disease or invasion, they are the canary in the vineyard. The same diseases attack the grape vines, but the rose gives an early warning that something is amiss. The grower gets a head start in making the necessary changes. If the blooms are beautiful and abundant, then everything is fine. Should the rose wither or wilt, grow mould or develop leaf curl then the growers know something is amiss and they take action before their grapes are affected. The rose works for its keep!
A partnership between rose and grape
We have therefore a partnership between the rose and the grape. What does this have to do with wedding ritual? We’re getting there….. and read on.
The Rose de Reims biscuits
In the district of Champagne France, there is another culinary tradition. In a typical French style where food is closely linked to every aspect of life, the rose petals are used to flavour special biscuits, les biscuits rose de reims – a crisp sweet treat that melts in the mouth. It is not your usual Sunday afternoon tea cookie. The Biscuits Rose de Reims are twice baked and become crisp and not crumbly, delightfully crunchy without falling apart.
A tradition used to celebrate special occasions is the partnering of the les Biscuits Rose de Reims and real Champagne.
Imagine the crossroads of bubbles and roses.
On a special occasion the biscuits are dipped into glasses of champagne and eaten with the celebratory drink.
Individually they are unique and very special, Rose de Reims and Champagne.
But put them together and WOW! What a pair.
What a pair
Is this the kind of symbol you could have to celebrate your union in marriage?
So having decided on something a little French, where else to be wed than the Spotted Chook Ferme Auberge, a French provincial styled country Inn in Montville on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Range.
Congratulations to Lucy and Neil, married in Montville, with Champagne and Les Biscuits Rose de Reims.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kari is a special person with a beautiful spirit and a unique gift of putting people at ease. She was so adaptable and knew when to step in to help us and offer some creative and fabulous ideas; however, she also knew when to listen to what we wanted. We were a little nervous about the whole process but Kari made us feel comfortable and excited about our ceremony. On the day, Kari created a loving and relaxed atmosphere amongst all of our friends and family and our ceremony was a dream. Both my husband Neil and I agree that the ceremony was the most special part of our day. We are so happy that we worked with Kari as we now have beautiful memories that last a lifetime. Thanks, Kari. Lucy and Neil
Photos by AWPP of Montville
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Vintage wedding at the homestead
Thank you Jessica and Joel for your inspiration, and congratulations on your marriage. Where does one start with such a delightful vintage style wedding?
Kenilworth Homestead
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Kenilworth Homestead provides a classic farmyard or vintage wedding, with rolling paddocks of horses and animals, a classic barn, a huge tree for the ceremony, a relaxed river for guests camping ground, cabins to stay in, and plenty of vintage farm relics for photo opportunities galore.
Kenilworth Homestead
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DIY vintage wedding elements
Or does one begin with the vintage wedding DIY components; hours of shopping, sourcing, and making with aunties and mums and friends?
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Handfasting wedding ritual
Or does one concentrate on a unique handfasting ritual which was part of their wedding ceremony?
It is simply not possible to cover everything in one story. So today I’ll lead you into the tale with a look at where we found ourselves the day after the storm the night before, on a glorious sunny day out in the country.
Setting the stage for a wedding retreat weekend, we begin at Kenilworth Homestead, by the Mary River, on the Sunshine Coast hinterland, a gorgeous farm setting for a wedding.
Jessica had spent hours with Mum and aunties and friends, sourcing country style fabrics and making bunting. Bunting was strung up around the old barn and garden verandas. Then there were blackboards with handwritten menus, directions for the guests, an enticing cocktail list, and lawn games.
Then a wander inside the rustic barn itself brought oohs and aahs. Hours had been spent sourcing vintage crockery for the table settings, and old enamel teapots for the flower arrangements on the tables. Each table was named for the colour of its teapot! Outside were lawn games; croquet, badminton…and an old enamel bath! And of course the horses. The yard was a playground full of delights, and the stage complete for the entry of a bride.
Photos by Kari with a couple from Elleni Toumpas
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Arrive with panache to your wedding
…just like Jo and Len did to their wedding ceremony along the riverfront at Noosaville.
Congratulations to newly weds, Jo and Len, your wedding was such fun.
Here is how their wedding began….
Before the wedding began, guests were a little surprised when the Groom unbuttoned his shirt. Dressed in just singlet and rolled up pants, he wandered away from the wedding canopy (by Splash Events) set up by the banks of the Noosa River. His purple shirt hung on the canopy and he disappeared!
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How the groom arrived to the wedding
To our surprise he returned 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. Was purple going to be a colour theme today?[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”39810″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]
How the bride arrived to the wedding
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, and with her bridesmaids. Several girls stepped onto the zebra crossing and held up all traffic for the bridal party to cross over.
Abbey Road
Reminiscences of Abbey Road, more cheers ….. and tears, and laughter. And the ceremony had not begun yet![/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”39802″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Back to the wedding
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.
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~ 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.
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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
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