Okay, I’m going to get serious just for a second. If you’re looking for an affordable wedding gown you MUST go and visit Yvonne from Exquisite Gowns by Yvonne – the huge array of gowns (going up to a size 42 I think) will blow you away – and the quality is amazing AND my favourite part – many of them have spectacular trains – so romantic. Bring back the train I say. The gowns are all new with tags and well known brands. Yvonne is lovely to work with, she’s an absolute delight and is kind and caring.
And … the best part, you won’t pay thousands. Ridiculously priced and fabulous service (oh and she stocks shoes and jewellery too)
Do it! you will love love love. Tell Yvonne I sent you.
On Thursday, I rocked up to the pier next to the Caloundra Powerboat Club. Charlie from Blue Fleet Cruises greeted me and helped me board his boat. Soon enough Jennifer, my beautiful bride arrived with some family and boarded. The five minute boat trip was refreshing and delightful and Jen was excited about seeing her groom who was already at the very tip of Bribie Island. Yes, Bribie National Park! What a find. We beached and made our way to the ocean side of the National Park (a 30 second walk through sand) and OMG. Pristine white sands, roaring blue waves and NO people. The boys had set up a wedding arbour and Adam waited nervously.
We had the sound of the waves crashing along with the walk down the aisle music, and a few bird songs thrown in. The ceremony was lighthearted and fun (and very emotional) . Lots of laughs – lots of love – just the way I like it. After the signing I waved goodbye and was back on the boat for a lovely trip back. The guests stayed and enjoyed some celebratory bevvies and the beautiful scenery. Charlie picked them up a bit later and took them back to civilisation again.
Apparently, not many weddings happen here (well I’ve been doing this for ages and I didn’t know it was possible). Charlie can take 8-10 adults at time and because the trip only take 5 minutes, he can do several round trips to pick up extra guests (and the cost is great too).
So, if you’re wanting a small, intimate wedding on the Sunshine Coast and want something that’s a bit different I’d urge you to consider this option. From Golden Beach the Bribie National Park looks a bit average – its the other side, the ocean side that’s beautiful. Well worth looking into!
Ring Charlie on 0434 331 104 (he also does private charters and tours)
The Sunshine Coast has SO many beautiful Council owned locations to marry, it can be hard to pick a spot – there’s just so many to choose from. Stunning hinterland venues like the Maleny Botanical Gardens, Mary Cairncross Park, Gardners Falls and the list goes on. Then the squillion choices for beaches … my faves are Mudjimba beach (and the adjoining beaches), Pt Arkwright, Point Perry … really, what’s not to love.
Here’s a list from Council to help guide you. If you want some hints on where would best suit your wedding, shoot me an email or phone call and I’ll give you some pointers (eg what beaches have stairs, what parking is like, etc).
Kris and Jack married at Somerset
When you’ve found your perfect spot
When you’ve found an awesome spot – you’ll need to book with Council fill in the form and shoot it back to them – it’ll take about 10 days for them to approve it – oh there’s a non-refundable fee to be paid. But, there’s other stuff to consider – the Council cannot guarantee that there won’t be other people on your spot – its public land. What they can guarantee is that no other wedding party has BOOKED that spot. So, its something to think about. Oh and always think about a plan B wet weather backup to ensure a perfect day.
Sunshine Coast has some of the best beaches in Australia
Some things to think about
Also, have a think about parking for guests – some places like Noosa Beach or Point Cartwright, Mooloolaba are horrible for parking and traffic has been known to get to a standstill.
Where will your reception be and how will the guests travel to and from? What if it rains? Do you have a contingency? or, just as bad, what if its really windy? Trust me getting sandblasted on a beach is no fun for anyone. Is there power at the location? Are there steps down to the beach and will Granny be able to make it down there? … or back up again … what are the tide times? (and learn how to read them .. I had one couple who read the times wrong – haha trust me there’s not a lot of room on Little Cove beach at high tide with 100 guests (it was a lot of fun though) …
That crispness in the air is a fabulous sign – Winter is coming and it’s one of my favourite times for weddings.
Summer weddings should be avoided because our weather can get super hot and humid, there’s cyclones and storms, and it can all be quite overwhelming for the guests waiting around for the bride in the hot sun. I’ve had weddings where people have fainted in the heat, and one particularly hot February, the bride’s spray tan melted in drips down her neck and arms. Everyone was uncomfortable and couldn’t wait to get into air conditioning for a cold beer.
The shoulder months of Spring and Autumn are when the wedding season on the Sunshine Coast really kicks in – not too hot, and not too cold. But because it’s super busy with weddings, getting the suppliers you want may be difficult unless you’re flexible with the times/dates – and some vendors put their prices up because, well, because they can.
Marrying in winter means you get to wear cool jackets for the perfect vibe
So, for many reasons don’t discount having a winter wedding – they’re my favourite. A June wedding is just so stunning and it’s my favourite month for weddings. July can be a tad colder at nights: but just imagine a reception up in the hinterland with a toasty, romantic fire … mmmm! magic. One of my fave weddings was a few years ago and the bride wore a beautiful gown which had a detachable ‘faux’ fur shawl – she looked stunning and oh, so classy. The days are delicious: no sweaty guests (or celebrants lol), the boys can wear gorgeous woollen suits, brides and their gals don’t need to worry about limp hair and sweating their makeup off. And no-one smells bad.
One thing to remember though, is that because sunset is earlier in Winter, the standard 3pm ceremony start will usually need to be earlier – say 2pm, so you have lots of lovely light for your photos. Let me know if you need some advice as to when’s the best time for your ceremony – irrespective of when you’re getting married.
But, winter is still not an overly popular time and most of the wedding industry takes a bit of a breather before we hit the ground running again in August – November. You may even find that some wedding suppliers discount their rates over winter … just sayin!
Lizz & Jarrod married in September – the most popular month to be married
Like the song goes … it figures it’d rain on your wedding day … trust my luck and all that. Well, we’ve had lots of rainy weddings on the Sunshine Coast lately, but because most of my couples are pretty relaxed, it’s been no biggie to move their ceremonies indoors. This is why I love working with laid back people – we can’t control the weather, so we’ll just work to make everything as fabulous as possible – but indoors with no tears.
Don’t have a meltdown if it rains on your wedding day – you can still have the wedding of your dreamsSoft grey clouds make awesome photosHayden and Hayley – had a Bribie Island weddingHaydn and Hayley loved their rainy day elopement on Bribie Island
And remember, if your photographer is worth their salt they’ll make the dark clouds panoramic and your wedding shots will be ah.mazing. It never ceases to astound me how talented some of my fave photographers are.
Anyway, back to the rain …. did you know that it’s supposed to be good luck if it rains on your wedding day? Yeah, I agree, I reckon that’s BS …. and so did brides from hundreds of years ago … if it looked like rain they’d gather rocks and boil them to hold off the clouds.
So off you go, make sure you have a wet weather option that you’re just as excited about as your dry weather option – and go grab some rocks just in case ….
To contact Lynette if you have any queries, feel free to call, email or text
