Wedding date: Saturday 6 April 2019 // Number of guests: 120
When Zoe and Liam first spotted Weddings at Tiffany’s with its enviable location and just the right amount of ‘countryside’ cuteness, they knew instantly that this was the perfect place for their special day. And, right they were!
QB: All good love stories start somewhere; tell us how and when you met …
Liam and I met when we were in high school as we attended neighbouring schools. However, we did not start dating until five years later when we ran into each other on a night out in Brisbane. I had graduated as a teacher and was teaching in a small country town in which Liam lived. That was the starting point of our conversation – and here we are eight years later.
QB: Tell us about your lives together …
Our lives together are very special to us both. We own a vegetable/Lucerne farm which Liam operates, and I am a school teacher. We are both very social people and cherish our friendships just as much as we value our own relationship.
QB: What does marriage mean to you?
After being together for eight years and owning our business together, our lives were already entwined. However, it was incredibly important for us to get married as it created more than a relationship or partnership. It meant that regardless of the other things we had in our lives, we were choosing to spend the rest of our lives together, choosing each other every single moment and living a life that would be far better than either of us could have created alone.
QB: Make us laugh, make us cry: who proposed to who, and how?
I had organised a surprise snowboarding trip to Japan for Liam’s 30th. I told him a few weeks before we left so we could prepare our snowboarding gear etc. Little did I know, Liam was planning his own surprise and picked up my engagement ring the night before we flew out. On the night before New Year’s Eve, we were in Hakuba enjoying a delicious dinner in an igloo when Liam got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was completely shocked and could not believe what was happening!
QB: How and why did you choose your venues?
We both spoke about each of our ‘must-haves’ for our wedding. Both of us agreed on wanting to get married in a chapel – and having already seen a beautiful chapel in Maleny, we decided to check it out further on their open day (which just happened to be on the weekend before Liam was due to fly out to the USA – talk about perfect timing!). We fell in love with the venue as soon as we arrived and were so impressed with how the staff wanted to treat the guests the same as the bride and groom, which was important to us.
We also decided on the date as soon as we realised that April 6 was a Saturday (as this was the date of Liam’s grandfather’s birthday). Liam’s pop had started the family farm and taught Liam all he knows about farming. Liam and his Pop were very close, so it was the perfect date for us to get married on.
QB; What was the inspiration behind your wedding style?
We wanted something elegant and timeless. The wedding venue was very white and crisp which we really liked, and it has gorgeous chandeliers and the perfect surroundings with a ‘countryside’ feel to it, which connected us back to home. The bridesmaids wore white and the groomsmen and Liam wore a traditional Navy suit.
QB: Did you incorporate any traditions or perhaps do something a little different?
Liam and I did a ‘first look’ and took the bulk of our ‘official’ photos (including bridal party photos) before the ceremony. We decided to do this so we could have a special moment together before everything started and it also allowed us to mingle and stay with our guests during the canape and cocktail hour when traditionally the bride and groom would leave for photos. We loved doing it this way and would definitely recommend it to other couples.
We opted for quite a traditional ceremony as this was important to us to highlight this time as the formal, official part of the day – with the party to follow!
QB: Were there any standout suppliers?
We were absolutely blown away with the service and support of the venue (Weddings at Tiffany’s) and our photographer (Soda Photography) and videographer (MyFilm) were also outstanding on the day and the end products were beyond incredible. Our celebrant, Rachel Green, really took the time to understand us and made our ceremony run exactly how we would have dreamt it to be. Nick Koschel and his band really had the guests enjoying themselves at the reception. Also, my makeup artist JDolls and hairdresser Rachel Stephan did an amazing job.
QB: Do you have any words of wisdom to offer other couples?
Enjoy the planning as much as you will enjoy the day as I think it’s an incredible time in your life. Listen to each other and prioritise the important parts that both of you really want. And as everyone says, the day/night goes very quickly so be sure to set time aside to look at your partner, look at your guests, look at your parents; take those moments in, they are going to be one of the most special moments you’ll experience. You have not experienced the feeling of ‘love’ until it is your wedding day!
Also, use a wedding website; this will help you cut costs on invites and collect information in one area quickly. Our guests got to pick all of their meals for the three-course dinner and the venue also provided transport to and from our wedding for all of our guests, therefore, we had a lot of information to collect. Our website was really easy to use and ensured we collected information efficiently and in return could provide details quickly to our guests.
QB: Did you (or will you) enjoy a honeymoon? If so, how and why did you choose your destination?
Liam planned our honeymoon. We spent seven nights in the Maldives then three nights in Singapore. It was the most relaxing, enjoyable time.
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Photography: Soda Photography // Ceremony & Reception Venue: Weddings at Tiffany’s, Maleny // Dress: Enzoani // Suits : MJ Bale // Bridesmaid: Samantha Rose; White Runway // Wedding Planner & Coordinator:Weddings at Tiffany’s, Maleny // Wedding Stylist & Florals: Tiffany’s Flowers, Maleny & Weddings at Tiffany’s, Maleny // Rings: Tiffany & Co // Cake: Meg Linde // Stationery: Paper Love Invites // Videographer: Paul Donnelly; MyFilm // Celebrant: Rachel Green; Two Small Words // Makeup: Janice Chan; JDolls // Hair: Rachel Stephan; Rustic Blonde // Music: Nick Koschel // Wedding Website: Joy.com // Accommodation: Montville Lake Terrace & Magical Malindi & Spicers Tamarind
