These two have a seriously cute story to tell, friends. “We both grew up together, going to the same Primary School and High School,” explains Megan. “We started dating in late High School and have been together ever since – almost 11 years!” One for the kids, eh?! The bride wore a sequinned delight from Karen Willis Holmes and the lens lady responsible for taking the pics was one of Hello May’s faves, Janneke Storm. Scroll down for all…
THE VENUE “I fell in love with Gabbinbar Homestead through Instagram but never thought it would be the one because we weren’t local to the area. A week after we got engaged, we went to visit Todd’s sister out in Toowoomba. I suggested to Todd to view the venue just for fun, but as soon as we drove down that driveway we were awestruck! The grounds, the lights in the trees, amazing staff, delicious menu choices and the beautiful conservatory – it was all to die for! It gave us all the feels!”
THE INSPO “I really struggled choosing a theme for our wedding because I loved so many! I kept changing my mind. Special thanks to the lovely Sarah from Gwen Floral Co, she helped create my vision and in the end, I gravitated towards an unstructured, romantic, luxe setting with the colour palette being fresh whites and dusty blush with nude and toffee accents for the flowers.”
FAVE DETAILS “It was an overcast day and it ended up raining quite hard just after midday, so we made the decision to move our ceremony location from under the epic fig tree to the beautiful white pavilion. This meant Sarah (of Gwen Floral Co) and the Gabbinbar Homestead staff had to shift the ground floral installation and set up the pavilion at the last minute – but you would never know! It looked absolutely stunning and the sun even broke through the clouds as we said our I do’s – full Lion King moment! I love rainy days, so to me, it made the day even more perfect, creating such a moody, romantic setting.”
DIY “I sourced a number of items myself, including candles, cheesecloth table runners, decal stickers for the dress hangers, wishing well and acrylic place cards. A few days before the wedding I even had all the candles burning to create more of an unstructured, melted look and so they were all at different heights! It came together really well and I felt a sense of pride in seeing my ideas and DIY projects turn out so well.”
THE DRESS “I fell in love with the Karen Willis Holmes Luxe Collection and tried several of these dresses on. The dress I chose was actually the last one Emily (Manager from KWH in Brisbane) had picked out for me – I loved the elegant boat neckline, dramatic back and long sleeves!”
REFERENCES “I may have had a secret wedding Pinterest board well before getting engaged and that definitely came in handy for when the time came around. But my main sources were Instagram, Hello May and recommendations from Gabbinbar Homestead.”
CUTE CUSTOM “We aren’t religious, but are both very family orientated. Our celebrant, Jarrad Bayliss, knew that this was important to us – he suggested that during the ceremony my mum hold my bouquet instead of the maid of honour, and have both our mums be our witnesses when it came to signing the marriage certificate. He did such an incredible job, he was so passionate in creating a ceremony that truly reflects us as a couple and involving our family and friends.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “I wish I believed other married couples when they said to not sweat the small details. You really don’t need to because you are both literally on cloud nine the entire time and small things don’t matter. Also, if you are game, I thoroughly recommend writing your own vows.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Invested in a good photographer (Janneke Storm) – the amazing photos tell the story of the day, and the memories we will have for the rest of our lives. We loved having live music as it really creates a fun atmosphere – we could listen to Chris Hutchison play for ages! The only thing we do regret is not having our speeches filmed because everyone did such an amazing job taking us on an emotional rollercoaster! Also (much to my husband’s dismay) I am glad I went a smidge over budget on the flowers!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Janneke Storm was incredible – she is such a talent and beautiful soul. I knew I wanted her to photograph our wedding even before getting engaged, so we based everything else around her availability. Sarah from Gwen Floral Co. did such an amazing job bringing my floral vision to life, the floral arrangements for the reception and ground installation for the ceremony were to die for! I loved that we could re-purpose this installation to the reception area as well.”
Megan and Todd’s special day was originally published in Issue 30 of Hello May magazine. If you are keen to snag a copy, head on over to our online store here. And if you want to check out more from this couple’s fab photographer, head to Janneke’s Directory listing with us here and scroll down to the linked weddings below. You won’t regret it. Also, if you’re still in the market for a glorious gown like Megan’s Karen Willis Holmes number, don’t miss tonnes of real brides from their Directory listing here. Inspiration on tap, people.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Janneke Storm Florist & Black Stick Candles Gwen Floral Co. Ceremony & Reception Gabbinbar Homestead Stationery State of Elliott (Invites) MyCustomCut via Etsy (Acrylic Place Cards) Candles, Holders & Wishing Well Kmart Personalised Wishing Well Decal Sticker AdellaMode via Etsy Cheesecloth Table Runners MyrtleBeech via Etsy Personalised Bridal Coat Hanger Vinyl Decal Stickers SimplyTang via Etsy Cake Jill-i-cious Cakes Signage Renee Wraith Design Entertainment Chris Hutchison Celebrant Jarrad Bayliss Rings Wallace Bishop (Wedding Bands) Underwoods Jewellers (Engagement Ring) THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Karen Willis Holmes Second Dress Forever New Robes Peter Alexander Shoes Novo Accessories FinerRings (Earrings) Hair Aleesha Darke Makeup Melanie Jane (Bride & Bridesmaids) & Chloe Neill (Mother of Bride and Flower Girl) Bridesmaid Dresses Petal & Pup, Forever New, City Chic Bridesmaid Shoes Spendless Shoes & Novo Bridesmaid Gifts Peter Alexander THE GROOM Suit & Bow Tie Politix Shirt Calvin Klein via Myer Shoes Florsheim via Myer Groomsmen Suits Politix Groomsmen Gifts Royal Doulton (Decanters)