Queensland wedding at Gabbinbar

Bride and groom at Gabbinbar wedding venue

Say a sweet hello to Anna and Jacky, two psychologists who celebrated their Queensland wedding at the stunning Gabbinbar with 80 of their favourite people. With a world-class dream team of wedding suppliers, a mid-first-dance saxophone surprise, quiet fairy-lit moments, and cheeky Chinese shots (as per tradition), their day was bursting with personality and fun!

A&J’s soiree was beautifully captured by Taylor Kezia and videographer Sunnyside Films, (who both received a glowing testimonial from the couple below). If you can manage to drag yourself away from these stunning snaps, don’t miss the talented vendors who made it all happen – our buds Bec + Bridge, InStitchu and TMC Fine Jewellers stole the show in the style files.

Gabbinbar | Toowoomba wedding venue

“We had attended our friends’ wedding at Gabbinbar several years earlier and loved the venue so it was a contender from the start. We also visited several other venues around Northern NSW, however in the end we chose Gabbinbar as the team there came so highly recommended and we both loved all the different beautiful spaces across the site that could be enjoyed across the day.”

Inspiration | Incorporating Chinese cultural traditions

“We wanted to incorporate nods to Jacky’s Chinese heritage and to combine that with styling features that felt both modern and timeless. We hung traditional lanterns in the trees and incorporated red across our colour palette as this is considered an auspicious colour in Chinese culture. We also wanted to include as many handmade and sentimental touches as we could. My mum hand-drew illustrations on every menu card, and we wrote notes (in either English or Mandarin) for each guest inside their wedding favour box, which also included some of our favourite sweets (another tradition from China). ”

Memorable moments | Saxophone Surprises & Baijiu Shots

“We surprised our guests with a saxophone player who came out halfway through our first dance during the reception, which was a really fun moment of the night. We also handed out our guests a shot of Baijiu liquor (basically high strength Chinese vodka) after our wedding speeches without warning them of how strong it is. Some of guests were misinformed by waitstaff that it was a rice wine and so had the shock of their life when they swallowed what feels like rocket fuel down your throat! We don’t regret this as it was a funny memory that we all laughed about the next day and an important cultural tradition.”

Suiting up in Institchu

“I got fitted for my suit at InStitchu in Brisbane city. The process involved bringing along my wife and getting her input. I wanted to go for something classic, timeless, and could be worn again to other events.”

Dream team of Queensland wedding suppliers

“All of our vendors went above and beyond! The team at Gabbinbar are truly world class and look after everything you could imagine on your wedding day. Our photographer, Taylor Kezia, and videographer, Paul from Sunnyside Films, left us with images that we will re-visit for a lifetime and made capturing the day so much fun. We are so grateful to them for their emotional support on the day and for their craft.”

Advice for others planning their wedding

“Everyone said this to us before the wedding, and it is so true, and that is to take time away for yourselves throughout the day. Jacky and I were too full of adrenaline to eat much during dinner, so we slipped away and sat together in the bridal suite to take a moment for ourselves, slow down, and talk to one another in private, which we both needed at the time! We also had an unplanned private first dance in the early evening outside under the trees and fairy lights with just our photographer and videographer. This ended up being another highlight of our day and just shows that the quiet, private moments are the ones you remember and treasure the most from your wedding day.”

More good stuff

Anna and Jacky are just one of MANY Hello May couples who can vouch for the awesomeness of getting married at Gabbinbar. Looking for your own wedding dream team? We can’t recommend Sunnyside Films enough. If you’re searching for a modern bridal gown/engagement party dress/bridesmaid ‘fit/getting ready look or all of the above, see more from Bec + Bridge on the Hello May directory, or for suiting, suss out InStitchu. Finally, if wedding bling is next on your list, check out the sparkly stuff TMC Fine Jewellers have on offer.