Wade and I worked at the same Resort for around 3 years before we met. At around the same time, our starting times changed to 7am and we kept bumping into each other in the lunch room every morning and before long, we realised we were meant for each other. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

The Proposal:

One Wednesday at work, my boss asked me to help her grab some boxes from the lobby, and when we got down there, Wade was waiting. Under the guise of a lunch date, we headed off to Broadbeach. Half way through lunch Wade told me that I wasn’t going back to work that day…that instead, we were heading out to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat for the night. When we got there, Wade dropped me off at the Lost World Spa and told me I was booked in for a 1.5 hour treatment. The Spa is in the middle of the rainforest and had a balcony with the most amazing view over a pristine valley. After my treatment, I wandered back to the change room to find my favourite cocktail dress & matching shoes waiting for me and the therapist told me Wade had a little surprise for me before dinner. I got dressed and headed back out to the balcony, and there was Wade, dressed in a suit with the sun setting across the valley behind him. He dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. Through the tears, I said “Yes!!” and we enjoyed a bottle of sparkling wine and a cheese platter and watched the sun set completely over the ridge. We made our way to a restaurant for dinner and my mum and brothers were waiting for us to celebrate together. It was absolutely magical!!

The Photography:

Wade and I both agreed that one of the biggest decisions we would make for our wedding would be the photography. We wanted natural, artistic photos to remember our day and as such we were very fussy. We skimmed through so many sites and I had shortlisted a few photographers for us to choose from. Once we saw Josh & Naomi’s website, we stopped looking. We never even attempted to contact anyone else. From the very beginning, Josh and Naomi were a pleasure to deal with. On the day, we had so much fun with Josh. We had never had professional photos before, so at first it was a little daunting – but Josh made us both feel so relaxed and it was really natural. I was so excited to see our photos – when we got them I couldn’t believe how perfect they were. We just adore them. I still look through them almost every single day and friends and family tell me all the time that they have never seen such fantastic photography. It really made our day extra special to share it with someone as fun and relaxed as Josh.

The Dress:

I had no idea what kind of dress I wanted. I tried on everything I liked, but I just couldn’t find “the one”. Finally, I found my gown, Magnolia – by Brisbane Designer Elizabeth De Varga. As soon as I had it on, I knew it was the one. I wanted to wear my Mum’s cathedral veil and I knew the dress would be perfect for it.

The Cake:

My mum’s friend made our cake. To be honest – I was a little worried. I’d previously seen cakes that “a friend of the family” had made and they usually didn’t quite work out. When we first saw the cake, we were absolutely thrilled. The details were amazing and it was so yummy!! We saved the top tier to have on our first anniversary and we can’t wait!

The Venue:

We had our Ceremony and Reception at the Colonial Golf Course in Robina. We wanted a venue that would let us add our own personality to the day and Judy the coordinator was amazing. We clicked with her straight away. She made everything easy and nothing was too much trouble. She never even blinked when we mentioned we wanted a Horse & Carriage and Helicopters!! On the day everything was so easy and relaxed. We honestly had a ball.  The Reception was so much fun, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!

Here is our current wedding portfolio, which will give you an overview of our shooting style. As you will see from the above gallery, we have a modern, creative style that captures the beauty, glamour and story of the weddings we shoot. If you would like to see more of our work, then please scroll through the pages of our website.

The Proposal: The proposal was the inspiration of a 7 month trip around the world. My (now husband), planned to take me around the world on the best holiday of my life and then propose to me mid-way through it. As he is of Greek heritage, he found it to be the perfect place to pop the question by going down on one knee at the ruins of an ancient Venetian castle, in the village of Oia, on the island of Santorini. We were overlooking the whole island and the massive water born volcano that consumed the horizon. The proposal was preceded by an amazing sunset dinner with a bottle of wine.

The Dress: We had a 2 year engagement, so as you can imagine I had plenty of time to search for my perfect dress. I started looking as soon as we had returned from our backpacking trip in January 2009. I had tried on a few dresses before I came across my fairytale dress, but I knew it was the one when I tried it on.

The Photographer: I commenced researching photographers as soon as we got engaged, however it was definitely no hard task to decide on a photographer as soon as we had viewed White Pearl Photography‘s website. The photos were creative, artistic and flawlessly perfect. White Pearl Photography stood out from the rest by far, and we knew we couldn’t possibly have anyone else capture our wedding day. Josh and Naomi have exceeded all expectations we could have possibly had, and our photos are better than anything we could have ever asked for. Josh captured the events and emotions from the day perfectly and most importantly, he made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. I absolutely love our photos and we can’t thank them enough.

The Honeymoon: The honeymoon was to be a true Mediterranean experience, spanning the European south coast from Spain, France and Italy. We landed in Madrid and hired a C-class Mercedes to take us on our journey through Europe. We made our way to the coastline, going through the beautiful Spanish Costa Brava before crossing into France where the glamor of the French Riviera was our scenery traveling through San Tropez, Cannes & Nice. We also stopped at Monaco before our entry into Italy. Once we reached the port City of Genoa, we left the coast and went inland to explore northern Italy stopping in the cities of Milan, Florence, Venice and Verona. It was inevitable that we would make our way back to the sea, we traveled then traveled south to drive stunning roads at the Amalfi Coast, not before spending a week end in Rome.

Next, Jeff & Corrie’s Mat Hatter cake looked amazing and I heard it tasted great too!! This cake was made by Butlers of Southport. They did a fantastic job.

Here’s a close-up of the Cake Topper. I’m not sure what Corrie was trying to say about her husband…?

And lastly, the most unique wedding cake you will ever find!! Stephen & Amanda’s ‘Peas in a Pod’ cake looked absolutely amazing!! They were loads of fun to shoot, and this cake sums them up perfectly. Check this out…

The Proposal: It was a gorgeous Sunday morning and Tim decided we should take Buzz (our 2 year old Jack Russell) to the dog park. It was a strange day as the sky went from bright blue to the darkest grey and I thought we should turn back but Tim said it would be fine (little did I know the surprise that awaited me). As we walked through this little secluded area Tim told me to walk ahead as Buzz was sniffing about. The next thing Buzz came running up to me with a big purple ribbon around his neck with a sparkly surprise for me, I burst into tears and for that moment my world stood still as the man I love asked me to marry him!

Photography: Where do I even start here..I fell in love with Josh and Noami’s work when I saw what they did for my sister’s wedding and I remember saying to Tim, “Tim when we get married we HAVE to have them!!” (Of course he just nodded in agreement, as grooms do). So when the time came to choose our photographer to capture one of the most memorable days of our lives the choice was easy! Josh captured our magical day just as I knew he would. You see everyone that knows me knows that photos are everything, I carry my camera with me everywhere I go, so this was one of the most important aspects of our wedding and I knew we could trust Josh and Naomi to provide the snapshots that take me right back to those moments I treasure so much….and WOW, did he deliver!!Everyone we have shown are just blown away by the quality and unique creativity of our photos, but more importantly by how you can actually re-live the day over and over again just by looking at the them They truly do tell the story of our day.

Cake: Our delicious cake was created by the beautiful Kay Forsyth at ‘Sugar and Lace’ in Toowoomba. Kay created for us a masterpiece: two tiers featuring a bottom layer of white chocolate and raspberry swirl mud cake and a top layer of caramel mud cake, which we have kept to eat on our one year anniversary. Having Kay create our cake was very special for me as not only did she create our wedding cake, she also made my parents’ wedding cake 25 years ago and my sisters wedding cake. It was nice to continue the family tradition and share that same history with them.

Honeymoon: Tim and I jetted off to Koh Samui in Thailand for an unforgettable 11 days of pure bliss!!! With the help of our great travel agent Hyat Ghassah from Harvey World Travel Miranda, we got spoilt rotten every step of the way! We explored every inch of this little hideaway island and it was an experience of a life time!

I should hopefully be doing a blog post on Ben & Skye’s wedding soon…stay tuned.

The proposal: Six months later we were holidaying in South Australia so that Matt could meet my grandparents. Travelling through the Clare Valley to our dinner reservation in Adelaide, he waited for the right combination of timing, place and nerves…and he found it at the Chianti Classico restaurant where he asked me to be his wife. I said, “Oh, yes!” vehemently, and he produced the most perfect ring, which he had purchased without any inkling on my part! The restauranteur was suitably excited and produced two glasses of Pol Roget to celebrate the occasion.

Photography: White Pearl Photography captured my sister’s wedding in July, and we were so impressed with their professionalism and the quality of the photos they we chose them without a second thought. We are so glad we did! As you can see, the photos are stunning. Josh has a great manner and really knows what he is doing – both of which made us more photogenic!

Ceremony: Our ceremony was held at C3 Church in Robina, my church home shared by my family and friends. It was natural to exchange our vows in such a special place, and the setting with views of the Coast and outdoor café area was ideal!

Reception Venue: We wanted something different for our reception, so we chose the Barrel Hall at Sirromet, Mount Cotton. Our coordinator Sharyn Stein did a wonderful job. It was a fantastic reception venue, with amazing food, great ambience, excellent staff and lots of great photo locations in the private dining room, in the hall, and in the vineyard with the storms rolling in.

Decorations: We made crystal chandeliers for our table centrepieces out of white-washed branches set in tall glass vases, dripping with chains of Swarovski crystals and glass tealight holders. It was fun to see guests’ reactions as they entered the ethereal, candlelit hall. The day before as we were setting up we even had a tour snapping photos of the tables!

Flowers: My florist friend Sumana Ortons did a lovely job of our flowers: lots of roses in soft hues to match the bridesmaids.

Cake: We had two wedding cakes lovingly constructed by my sister and mother – one for the afternoon tea following the ceremony, and one for the reception. We had the cake served as bonbonniere with cake boxes that contained a note asking guests to take some as a sign of partaking in our hospitality.

Dress: I loved loved loved my dress! A custom design by auburnlight of palest-peachy-cream duchesse silk satin with French lace, Swarovski buttons, Swarovski pearls and star diamantes, ruching like you’ve never seen before and a BIG hoop skirt. I am just a little bit biased – auburnlight is my own label!

Honeymoon: We splurged on two wonderful nights at Ruffles Retreat behind Upper Coomera, where the food, views, staff, spa and rooms were divine. We then managed to avoid the January floods as we drove to The Narrows Escape at Montville. We had a cute little cottage with a breakfast hamper, spa bath, fireplace and each other. What more could we want?!

Ceremony: We chose Clarah Luxford to be our celebrant because we felt very comfortable with her from the first meeting. Clarah personalised our vows and delivered our ceremony in a unique and beautiful way. Our ceremony was at the Hyatt Sanctuary Cove chapel, the most perfect setting for our special day, the building is just ‘heavenly’.

Decorations: We hired Nikki Bartlett from Style on Q to do our decorations and flowers. Words cant express the phenomenal job she did. From the candles that lit the room to the lillies on the tables. This part of my wedding could be my favourite. It was all just simply stunning.

Photography: Josh’s professionalism and relaxed attitude on the day really helped to get what we wanted. He was fantastic at directing us and our bridal party, but did so in a way that made us all feel like he was hardly there. We chose White Pearl Photography purely because of the style we were after, natural and artistic. Could not fault anything, and our photos speak for themselves!!

Videography: Geoff from Motion Art did an incredible job from the pre to post production. He and Josh worked in sync throughout the day without any fuss. We were unsure about having a videographer but it turned out to be one of the most valuable memories of our wedding. Geoff truly captured that everlasting moment.

Final thoughts: I turned up 30 minutes late. Had I been any longer I think my husband would have tried to marry the gorgeous celebrant!

Ceremony Venue: Our ceremony was held at Amore Gardens. The setting beside the creek under clear blue skies reflected the romance of the occasion. Mike Potter of Eternally Yours was our celebrant. He provided us with many different formats, readings, and vow examples for us to mix and match as we liked, and personalize our ceremony. His advice, planning and rehearsals during the weeks prior to the day made the real event perfect.

Flowers: Tugun village florist (Karen) did an amazing job of my bouquet, featuring gumnuts, white ranunculus & lilies.

Cake: The cake was made by the team at Madisons in Broadbeach. We found a photo of a cake we liked on the internet, and asked them to recreate it. Instead of the original flowers on top, we asked for red ranunculus to match the bouquets, which was no problem. We decided on three different flavours, one for each tier – chocolate mud, carrot and white chocolate mud with raspberry jam. We were blown away by their finished creation, and was clearly a hit with our guests as there was barely a crumb left after the reception.

Photography: We chose White Pearl Photography after viewing some fantastic albums of their past work. Leading up to the wedding, and on the day itself, Josh could not have acted more professionally. His organization, ideas and personality make White Pearl an excellent choice – not to mention the incredible photos he shot on the day. He was able to keep our photos natural by keeping us relaxed at all times, and at no time did we feel under pressure. Naomi of White Pearl followed up with organizing and designing our album and prints, which we will forever cherish.

Advice from Gemma: Try to make sure you stop at times and enjoy the moment, including the preparation. Take the time to look at yourself in the mirror when dressed, it’s easy to not get a chance with all the mayhem.

How we met: Justin and I met on the first day of my new school in the locker room when we were both 13 years of age, after he thought it would be a good idea to say hello to the new girl. We became good friends soon after and remained friends throughout high school sharing many classes together. It wasn’t until shortly after graduation we realised our feelings for each other and we have been together ever since.

Reception Venue: The reception was held at The Glades in the Ballroom which was a perfect setting with an alfresco area outside which looks over the lake that is beautifully lit at night. Tamara, our wedding coordinator at The Glades was truly amazing and made sure that I had nothing to worry about on the day, she took care of everything.

Flowers: Kyla from Divine Wedding Flowers did an amazing job of all the flowers. My bouquet consisted of David Austin Roses in a mix of vintage colours including ivory, beige and soft pink with grey dusty miller scattered throughout.

Cake: Our cake was designed and made by Taya from Deliciously Decadent Cakes. It was such a beautiful cake consisting of four tiers and three amazing flavours – Choc Mint, Caramel Mud and Marble. It was truly a work of art!

Photography: Josh & Naomi from White Pearl Photography captured all of our memories on the day. They were such lovely people to work with and we had so much fun getting some amazing photos. One of my favourite parts of the day was the location shoot with the bridal party because Josh and Naomi had such great ideas for the photos and made it enjoyable.