Keeping things simple and reflective of themselves was the aim of the day for Kirsty-Lee and Alex when planning their Sunshine Coast wedding. As soon as they found Yabbaloumba Retreat, they knew they had found The One.
Bride, Kirsty-Lee shares her memories from the day.
The venue
“We wanted (our wedding day) to reflect who we were. So we wanted it to be relaxed. The venue is just stunning, this was such an easy decision for us. We also didn’t want our guests to have to spend money to be there, so we picked a venue where they could camp on site for free. The venue is just beautiful. Just a simple cattle farm, but the love and attention and Barb and Lloyd put into maintaining the property has ended up with something pretty special. The shed also provides and amazing wet weather option, in case of rain.”
Photo booth splurge
“Our biggest splurge was the last minute addition of the All Star Photo Booth. It wasn’t originally on the list (or included in the budget). Although we decided last minute to book it in, and didn’t regret it! Our guests had so much fun in the booth, and got to take home prints of their pictures as a fun reminder. This was also our signing book; a copy of their pics were glued into a book and signed by the guests. Such a fun keepsake.”
Stand-out vendor
“Our photographer, Graeme Passmore, made us feel so comfortable, especially for people who do not enjoy being behind a camera. And the photos are just spectacular! He was wonderful to work with leading up to the day.”
On that note, take a looksee through the images from Kirsty-Lee and Alex’s special day, taken by Graeme Passmore Photography.
The proposal
“We had just bought a property, and were renovating the place ourselves, so our lives were pretty crazy. But one Tuesday night, Alex surprised me with a night out. I assumed this was because we had been so busy, he wanted to just relax for the night. But he took me to a beautiful seafood restaurant and had a delish seafood platter (I still hadn’t cottoned on!) When we got home, he popped the question! He said he tried several times to get down on one knee, but our beautiful fur baby continued to jump all over him, so it took him a few goes!”
Unexpected challenge
“As we had the wedding at Kenilworth, the accommodation is limited, and public transport/taxis/ubers are non-existent. So we had included a bus in our budget to pick up and drop of guests at their accommodation in Kenilworth. Although this meant I not only had to follow up friends and family to see if they were attending, but also to confirm where they were staying. This was a challenge, but definitely worth it!”
DIY wine and cheese crafternoons
“We did as much as we could ourselves, including the invites, decorations, favors, and place cards. We made some amazing decorations, including pallet signs, twine balls, table numbers, cake stand.
“I think one of my favourite DIY’s were our favours. These were hand made coasters, made from fallen logs on our property. Once my hubby chopped up all 150 of these, the girls and I stamped them with different variations on ‘Thanks, Love KL and Alex.’
“I could not have done this without the help of some pretty spesh friends and family, who donated many of their precious weekends. But we had such a wonderful time doing it! It wasn’t just wine and cheese anymore, it was wine, cheese and craft!”
Wedding Secrets
Biggest splurge: Photo booth
Best money-saver: Buying the fairy lights for the shed on Gumtree, saving around $1000
Bride’s dress: Ferrari Bridal and Formal
Bride’s accessories: Earrings from Pandora, and a necklace gifted from Alex when they first began dating
Bride’s shoes: Betts Shoes
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Review
Bridesmaids’ accessories: Shiels
Bridesmaids’ shoes: “All different, this was up to them. I just asked that they be nude.”
Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire: Myer
DIY: Decorations, favours and signage.
Number of guests: 103
Honeymoon: “Indonesia. We spent one week in bali, and another on the beautiful Island Lombok.”
Alex rowed his bride to their wedding reception. How romantic!
Photography: Graeme Passmore Photography | Venue: Yabbaloumba Retreat via L&L Co. Events | Catering: L&L Co. Events | Cake: Scrumbtious Cakes & Cupcakes | Photo booth: All Star Photo Booths | Hair + makeup: Beesheek Hair & Makeup | Celebrant: Cassandra Nielson | Wedding night accommodation: AirBnb
Thank you for supporting our A-List Vendors, who were part of Kirsty-Lee and Alex’s Wedding Dream Team…
Learn more about… Graeme Passmore Photography + L&L Co. Events
