Real Weddings

Article by

Athina Greenhalgh

Posted on

11/06/2024

Posted in

Real Weddings

Ines and Jaxon’s dreamy day was packed with intricate details honouring their beloved fam. Sure, there was the odd funny fiasco, like last-minute flower foraging and Grandma crashing the first dance. But this bride and groom weren’t phased. After all, from each unanticipated moment bloomed yet another meaningful memory to giggle about at the next family gathering.

Hosted inland from the Sunny Coast, the day was romantic rural garden party meets subtle Euro-inspired elements. Yabbaloumba Retreat was the perfect blank canvas location and glamping on-site ensured celebrations continued long into the night. The couple’s pics are a true treat for the eyeballs. Snapped by Janneke Storm, we wouldn’t expect anything less. Check out all the love (and the LOLs) below!

THE VENUE “It was important to us to have as much freedom as possible so we could personalise each moment. We hoped for a venue with lots of beautiful outside areas that was close enough for our grandparents to easily attend, yet far enough for an all-night celebration. Driving [into Yabbaloumba Retreat], we were in awe of the scenery, especially the little island in the middle of their dam, which we joked would be a magical ceremony location if only we could row guests to it! During our tour, we playfully mentioned [this], and to our surprise, Sara from Yabbaloumba revealed plans for a bridge to the island. This sealed the deal for us..”

LITTLE LOL “We had a bit of a last-minute change of plans with the flowers. We received a call from Fiesta Flora, the Thursday before the wedding, with news that our flowers had died in dry, windy conditions. Courtney, our florist, was amazing at calming our nerves and found some stunning alternative flowers in the same colours and style. The only missing element was the cherry blossoms. So with gloves and secateurs the morning before the wedding, we went foraging for flowers. We spotted a gorgeous pink bougainvillaea near our house and just had to convince the owner to part with it. Luck was on our side, and thankfully we were told to take as much as we needed – so we filled the back of my car! The flowers worked out even better than we could have imagined, and despite the huge change, Fiesta Flora absolutely nailed the brief! Being animal lovers, we couldn’t resist getting up close and personal with the cows – which was great for photos until the cow mistook my bouquet for a snack.

FAVE DETAILS “The Croquembouche was a must-have for us, as both our parents had one at their weddings, and we wanted to carry on this tradition.”

REFERENCES “On Instagram, it was helpful to look at weddings we loved and then at all the vendors tagged. Blogs like Hello May helped with ideas and inspiration, seeing what other people had created and what vendors they had used. And recommendations through friends or using friends as vendors. We really loved the idea of working with people we already knew.”

MEMORABLE MOMENT “My favourite moment would have to be our photos together. It was our first real chance as husband and wife to finally hold each other and catch up on the day! We found so many great moments during the photos where it felt like the day slowed down, and we got to enjoy those precious moments. We couldn’t have felt more comfortable with our photographer Janneke and videographer Jaden; they were the best hype team and we could really be ourselves around them.”

TALK TRADITION “My 96-year-old grandad, Jim, stole the show as our ‘Flower Grandad’ and my cousin, Bella, our ring bearer, helped him down the aisle. We dedicated a special table in loving memory of our grandfathers, who we both lost in 2023. It was incredibly important for us to honour them. Our wedding bands are really meaningful, crafted from Jaxon’s grandparents’ wedding rings. We designed the bands ourselves and Maleny Jewellers did an incredible job of bringing them to life. I also designed my earrings for the day, using my grandma’s pearl necklace.”

WE’RE GLAD WE… “Jaxon was initially hesitant about the first dance, but I was determined to take dance lessons. To our surprise, we fell in love with the dance lessons! Our teachers were incredible, making us feel at ease, and practising was a great way to slow down and connect during a hectic time! The choreographed dance was a hit. So much so that Jaxon’s Grandma joined us on the dancefloor at the start of the dance, and we had to usher her off the d-floor mid-routine!”

That Janneke Storm has done it again! Shoot her an enquiry here to guarantee yourself a fab future wedding album. Still putting together your dream venue shortlist? You’ll want to browse these stunning country locations.