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Category Archives: Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Bells for Sunshine Coast couple Kate Bradshaw & Ethan Lowe

I felt so sad for Kate Bradshaw and Ethan Lowe when she told me this was their 3rd time to plan and organise a wedding- thanks to Covid. So, I had to do my utmost to ensure they had a perfectly styled wedding. Kate came to us to help style their wedding at coastal Sunshine Coast wedding venue Pier33 in Mooloolaba.

I called Courtney from Fiesta Flora; a budding local Sunshine Coast florist based right here on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with me. Court felt the same as me, so we wanted to make sure their wedding was on point.

We met with Kate and Ethan at Pier33 where we may have indulged in some fine cuisine and a cocktail because that’s how we roll! Fiesta Flora and Maple Weddings are 2 of the cruisiest and easy-going suppliers you will meet! We chatted for ages talking colour palettes, revising ideas & styling concepts and of course a suitable layout.

Luxe elegance with a hint of coastal vibes using soft tones is what we were wanting to achieve for this beautiful couple. Fiesta Flora provided an abundance of beautiful florals featuring Rhoslyn Roses, Pink Mondial roses, Playa Blanca Roses, White Clustar Roses, White Phalaenopsis Orchids, White Singapore Orchids, White Dahlias, White Disbuds, Quicksand Roses,Cappuccino Roses, Banksia Integrifolia Foliage, Camellia foliage and White ruscus.

Complimenting the beautiful blooms, we utilized our blush-coloured French linen napkins, our latest table numbers using pearl acrylic and of course candles. Candles always offer romance and sophistication, perfect for the ultimate dining experience.

                       

The ceremony was equally as impressive with these blooms having been relocated to the reception space. Using our very own white triangle arbour which suited Kate and Ethan as Ethan is very tall! It was floral heaven thanks to Fiesta Flora with the coastal views of the jetty and boats as the perfect backdrop.

       

We were stoked when we saw all our of vision come to life and even happier watching on from the deck above as Kate and Ethan FINALLY said ‘I do’ at Pier33 Mooloolaba.

   

Its always nice to get some feedback and perspective from couples so having worked with Kate a lot I asked her some questions in which her responses are as follows-

You were living in NSW. What prompted you to get married in QLD?

We are both originally from Queensland, however moved to Sydney in 2019. That is why we originally had planned a Sydney wedding (Palm Beach), our original wedding date was 18th October 2020 but postponed due to covid.  Our second date was 24th January 2021 at Palm beach, however, we completely cancelled 4 weeks prior due to the big Northern Beachs outbreak. By this stage, we had moved back to Queensland to be closer to our family. We started looking at venues around Sunny Coast in February and we fell in love with Pier 33 so we booked it.  😊

How has Covid impacted your wedding plans?

It took us three attempts, unfortunately, each time we rescheduled we lost money and guest numbers and to be honest, it really took the fun out of planning it. Coivd made it feel like a hassle and pretty stressful, I don’t think I was excited about the 3rd date until the day before the wedding because I was worried we would have to cancel again.

 

What was the funnest part of planning your wedding?

Finding a wedding dress. Having the girls there, champagne and dressing up – it was the best

What was the standout from your day?

Our day was perfect, but just having our closest family and friends finally be able to celebrate together was amazing

 

How did you find and book your vendors?

Mainly Instagram and Google. Some vendors recommended other vendors (thank you Kristy for recommending Court)

What was the most important part to you both in terms of your wedding? Food? Photos? The ceremony? Flowers?

Although I (Kate) wanted everything to be perfect we both always said the three things that we have to have is – a venue that suited our personalities, great music so people will dance and amazing food – we def got all three.

 

In terms of the styling being beachside at Pier33 you opted for more coastal sheik elegance using soft hues and candles. Did you feel the brief was met and complimented your personalities as well as the venue?

100 % yes.

The styling, flowers and set-up was exactly what we wanted and more. We received so many compliments on how beautiful everything was.

                 

 

Did you find booking a stylist and florist that work closely together a much easier process to navigate? 

Made everything so much easier and reassuring that everything would flow together and be set up properly.

 

What is the one piece of advice you would offer any couple? 

Don’t try and please everyone, remember the day is about you and your partner and how much you love each other.

 

What was the approx. spend on your wedding?

About $50k – this includes the money we lost from our first 2 dates.

                

 

Vendor List

Venue- Pier33

Florals – Fiesta Flora

Styling- Maple Weddings and Events

Photography- Daniel Jay Photography

Cake- Choc2Chilli

Celebrant- Steph the Celebrant

Musician- John Veloso Music

Videographer- R Van Films

Wedding Transport- Black Bow Chauffer

Hair Stylist- Evalyn Parsons

Makeup Artist- Louise Henzell Makeup

Bridal Gown- Karen Willis Holms

Grooms Suit- MJ Bale

Stationery- Love and Paper

 

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Jordan and James | Sunshine Coast Hinterland Wedding

Real Weddings | 28th September 2019

 

 

‘The girls hired a big house in Cairns and had cooking classes, house parties and lazed by the pool all weekend.
The boys hit the Gold Coast in a few big houses and hit the casino, had a private yacht party and house party.’

 

 

Jordan and James live and work overseas. Living in a 3rd world nation brings a lot of social gatherings and parties therefore they are both very sociable people and have been for many years! They love to party and have a big social group that keeps them busy so what better way than to gather your guys and gals and spend time in Cairns and on the Gold Coast for your hens and bucks.

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

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Jorand and James | Real Weddings

 

 

Jordan contacted us approx. 12 months prior to their wedding day. Having contacted 1-2 suppliers herself she decided it was too overwhelming and decided to book a full service wedding planner. We asked Jordan in her own words why she did in fact book a full wedding service from start to finish and this is what she had to say…

 

‘We chose the full package for 3 reasons; First was that we live overseas and organising and co-ordinating all the planning from overseas would be challenging. Secondly, we didn’t feel we’d have the time to arrange everything while working full time and being overseas. Finally having someone help me with narrowing down choices and recommendations was an enormous help and something I knew I would need assistance with.’

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

I still remember my first phone call with Jordan and asking what the most important element to the day was for them. ‘Good food and great bar service’ were what she told me. So of course, the Penfolds Catering team were booked. Penfolds provided a beautiful grazing table for the 120 guests followed by an alternate drop entrée and main, followed by cutting and serving of the wedding cake for dessert. Penfolds Catering provided the bar service in which staff walked around during canapes and offered a full sit-down table service during mealtimes. In reflection now the wedding day is over I asked Jordan the same question and her response still didn’t waiver… ‘We wanted a modern, elegant, relaxed feel to the day. A big party with our dearest friends to celebrate and have a good time.’

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

I cannot take full credit as Jordan booked one supplier prior to engaging our services! I did not have to book the Chapel!! With James being Catholic they opted for a service at the quaint Little White Wedding Church in Maleny – we just managed to fit all 120 guests into the church!! This worked for them as the reception was close by and they could select their own celebrant. Bearing in mind they ideally wanted a Catholic component as part of the service, I knew just the man for the job. Bill Scurry. Bill was the perfect match for the couple as they loved his sense of humour, he can offer religious ceremonies and he is also a Sunshine Coast Hinterland local. To be honest I was surprised they chose to have 2 locations for their day given they were so time poor so I did ask Jordan how she handled the 2 locations- ‘Yes, it was very easy to manage the 2 locations and I’d recommend it for anyone who is exploring that option. Managing the 2 locations was very easy for me though as the wedding planner & team managed this for us.’

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Jordan and James both decided they wanted a DIY elegant marquee wedding. Given Jordan’s family have a beautiful private residence in Maleny on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland that overlooks the Glasshouse Mountains it seemed the perfect location to have the reception. Jordan recommends the DIY approach because ‘in the sense that you get a blank canvas and can really have creative control and how things look/feel/proceed. It did come out a little more expensive than we anticipated, due to hiring everything, but it was certainly worth it.’

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

As soon as they said marquee, I knew the team for them. Equip4Hire. Nathan and Caitlin and their team go above and beyond for their couples and is the number 1 reason we recommend them. It was a three day process to set up and get all their gear to Maleny. Laying the flooring first to then building the marquee which was adorned with belt fairy light lighting, silk lining and festoons.

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Being married on the Sunshine Coast was an obvious choice being as it was their family property and was also very central for guests to travel to as many of their guests were traveling from abroad. They not only liked the Sunshine Coast Hinterland for these reasons but also… ‘We love the scenery, the backdrop and the beautiful surrounds of the property.’

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

We worked with Jordan and James one element at a time so as not to be too overwhelming for them. I still laugh as I can hear Jordan in my head saying, ‘I am terrible at making decisions’. She was right!!! So as not to complicate things we gave them up to 4 suppliers to choose from (for each part of the wedding) to alleviate too many decisions! We work with so many talented Sunshine Coast wedding suppliers it was easy to offer just the few selected suppliers for each component of the wedding. Obviously, the choice was theirs in terms of which suppliers were selected. Jordan said they ended up selecting their suppliers ‘based on social media research and reviews and recommendations.’

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Fortunately for them they had their venue being private property and were also able to secure a family friend to make their delicious and gorgeous cake, their friend Jackson to DJ at the reception and Sean and his team who are professional photographers and videography. James isn’t a fan of the camera so when selecting their photographer, they chose to go with Sean as being a friend he made them feel super comfortable. Sean was able to get James to smile and even laugh at times!

 

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

Whilst team Maple Weddings were managing their suppliers, RSVP’s, guests transport and styling concepts, Jordan and James were managing their bridal party! With 16 in total and from all over the globe they were busy enough with just this. ‘We had 8 people each in our bridal party, so total of 16. We found it hard to cut this number down and figured if those special people were going to be there on the day they may as well be standing next to us. I didn’t find it hard to manage that many people.’ Personally, I love that they didn’t cull. If you have that many special friends and family in your life, then ask them. Who says there is a limit on your bridal party number?

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Having such a large bridal party meant that they needed local accommodation that could accommodate their big groups and somewhere that was easy for the ladies to get ready. To alleviate any extra stress Jordan requested that for the lady’s hair and makeup to be done by the one team. Martina and her girls from Backstage Beauty as always proved how amazing they are. Keeping all make up natural with soft tones and hair to suit everyone. Fortunately, Jordan was able to have her trial when she was back in Oz which also took the pressure off. Jordan was so happy with her trial and knew what to expect on the day. The girls booked McCarthy Lakehouse which was ideal for a large group especially when getting their hair and makeup done and for convenience is right next to the Little White Wedding Church. Having a hair and makeup trial is always advisable as saves time on the day and so the stylist and bride know what to expect on the day.

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

The budget is always going to be the first thing any couple looks at. We need to know what budget we are working with, as this sets the foundation on building your wedding. Many people overlook the full wedding service package as for some this really does eat into the budget though for Jordan and James ‘Allowing for a wedding planner in our budget was the best and most valuable investment we made for our wedding. The help was invaluable and most certainly got our money worth.’
Working with a wedding planner can in fact save you money! Yep that’s right. Wedding planners will often work with suppliers and pass on industry discounts making it more feasible for you. Maple Weddings work with some fabulous Sunshine Coast wedding suppliers and will always work with your budget and still create your dream wedding.

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Working with Jordan and James and piecing together their style and suppliers we at Maple Weddings were able to formulate a styling concept that suited them and incorporate Jordan’s own ideas. They wanted elegant yet relaxed being an outdoor wedding. We incorporated the gorgeous stationary from Bluebird Invitations into their day from the save the date cards, invitations, customised signage on acrylic to the menus on the tables. Using black as the base colour as the bridesmaid’s dresses were black, kept it sleek and elegant. Working with black we were able to tie in the floral colours of deep reds and burgundy which then also tied in with James’ jacket. Having 3 long tables in the marquee Jordan preferred to have a long garland down each table which The Posy Co. ran 13m of garland on each table with greenery and foliage and an array of florals. The candles set the tone for the evening keeping it moody and elegant and without being obtrusive.

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Jordan and James had Elvis songs at the ceremony and is one of Jordan’s favourite entertainers, so her father organised a surprise for her and had Elvis on the night to entertain the guests and have some fun. Its these surprises that make weddings so unique.

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Now that the wedding day has been and gone, we asked them if there was anything they would have changed – ‘There is nothing I would change about the day itself; it was as I imagined it to be. There are only 2 things that I wish I’d spent more time on and that’s confirming the flowers and taking more time for some photos that I missed out on getting.’

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Planning your wedding should be fun and exciting and is all part of the journey. Whether you book a full-service wedding planner, part wedding planner or just having someone on your day to coordinate your wedding day, it’s an adventure you can do together. Though Jordan and James utilized our full-service planning package they were involved in every step along the way. We just helped ease some of the burden whilst they were living overseas and working full time. The wedding is all about the couple so as we plan and work with you, we get to know you as a couple and ensure we execute your day the way you envisage. We loved getting to know Jordan and James over the 12 months prior to their day so on the day it was such a special day for us all to see everyone’s hard work paying off and seeing their dream of having an ‘elegant party with good food and drinks with family and good friends’.

We are now ALL waiting the impending birth of their first baby- a BOY! Due this month. As wedding planners, we are on this journey with you and love to follow what is next in life for our couples.

Jordan and James’ Elegant Maleny Marquee Wedding was approx. $70,000 in total.

 

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Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

Real Weddings

Jordan and James | Real Weddings

 

The amazing team of suppliers to bring their epic day together:

 

Ceremony VenueThe Little White Wedding Church

Reception Venue – Maleny, Private Residence

Marquee/FurnitureEquip4Hire and Fairytale Events

PhotographySean Condon Photography

Full service Planning & StylingMaple Weddings and Events

FloristThe Posy Co.

CelebrantBill Scurry

Hair & MakeupBackstage Beauty

Bride’s DressBrides of Brisbane

Groom’s SuitPolotix

StationaryBluebird Invitations

Catering/Bar ServicePenfolds Catering

ToiletsPortable Powder Rooms

Guests Transport – Maleny Coaches

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Caravan Bars

Roll in and Roll Out…

The Vintage Bondwood Bar

You have selected the wedding date, Sunshine Coast venue, dress, flowers and all the other exciting elements to planning your wedding. Then suddenly you realise you don’t have a bar. Let’s be honest people love a wedding WITH a bar!!

Head Over Wheels (Bart is also a Vinyl DJ so book your DJ and bar all in the one spot!)

One increasingly popular option especially for your Sunshine Coast DIY wedding is the caravan bar. They offer an aesthetic aspect to your Tipi, Marquee, Yurt or Tent style wedding along with flexibility.

Olive & Co

Of course, some mobile catering companies will offer a bar service with their package however for those that don’t or for anyone seeking that wedding festival feel you need to look at securing a caravan bar FAST!

Gathering Events

Tinker Traveling Events w Kim

Tinker Traveling Events w Kim

Essentially caravan bars will offer the following if not more –

  • BYO drinks – Yes that’s right you can purchase all your alcohol and stock your cold-room ready for service. Check with your supplier as majority of liquor stores will purchase the alcohol back that you don’t use. Bargain! Not left with alcohol and can get money back. That doesn’t happen often!
  • Freedom – You get to choose the drinks menu. Choose what you want for YOUR wedding. Personalise it and create a wedding around you and your partner not a venue!
  • No Per head costs – You have guests not drinking alcohol but must pay for them? Not fair!! Choosing a caravan bar allows you to pre-purchase your own drinks which means anyone having a non-alcoholic beverage you don’t have to pay and exuberant amount for.
  • Flat Rates – Caravan Bars will charge a flat fee. This will usually include set up and pack down along with their hours of service offering different hourly packages to suit your needs.
  • Insurance – Your van supplier will be insured and have all the relevant licenses such as RSA so you know you are in safe hands with professionals taking care of all the legalities.
  • Equipment – The Van will come fully equipped with glassware and any other utensils or tools that you may need. Thus, meaning you don’t have to worry about dry hiring and they will look after all the cleaning so no glass cleaning for you!
  • Bar tenders – The Van will come with staff, so you don’t need to worry about booking staff they come with the Van!
  • Guidance – The friendly staff will offer expert advice in the lead up to determine how much you will need and offer suggestions on what to serve. They are at events all the time and will know what works and doesn’t or what is popular or not. Having an expert professional on board can help keep your costs down.
  • Coffee – Some Vans, not all, so check with them first, have a coffee machine onboard. Meaning you don’t have to worry about dry hire for an urn, filling it, tea/coffee, cups and saucers. Its all there set up and ready in the van.
  • The Look – Caravan Bars offer a look to that will fit with your wedding. Each van has its own personality whether it be vintage, rustic, modern, boho.

The Vintage Bondwood Bar

When you get the feel, the look, staff, glassware, freedom, BYO which all equates to flexibility and less stress why wouldn’t you book one of these beautiful options?!

For the most part Caravan Bars will travel however we have some extortionary good looking Caravan Bars here on the Sunshine Coast who all come with highly professional, attentive and not to mention fun staff.

The Chevy Bar

We have had the pleasure of working with a few here on the Sunshine Coast and would highly recommend you get in touch if a caravan bar sounds like what you need.

  • The Vintage Bondwood Bar
  • Head Over Wheels
  • Tinker Traveling Events
  • Gathering Events
  • Lani and Lola
  • Olive & Co
  • The Chevy Bar (Not quite a caravan but similar concept and looks amazing!)

 

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