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.

 

 

 

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.’

 

 

 

 

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.’

 

 

 

 

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.’

 

 

 

 

 

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.’

 

 

 

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.

 

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.’

 

 

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.’

 

 

 

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!

 

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?

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.’

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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

 

Ceremony Venue – The Little White Wedding Church

Reception Venue – Maleny, Private Residence

Marquee/Furniture – Equip4Hire and Fairytale Events

Photography – Sean Condon Photography

Full service Planning & Styling – Maple Weddings and Events

Florist – The Posy Co.

Celebrant – Bill Scurry

Hair & Makeup – Backstage Beauty

Bride’s Dress – Brides of Brisbane

Groom’s Suit – Polotix

Stationary – Bluebird Invitations

Catering/Bar Service – Penfolds Catering

Toilets – Portable Powder Rooms

Guests Transport – Maleny Coaches