We are baaaaack with the second installment of this ‘where the F do we start?!’ wedding planning series. Welcome! Today we are gonna start looking further afield to the beeeeeautiful Sunshine Coast and Country Queensland at wedding venues where you can easily get married, have your portraits, and your reception all in one place. Bonus points if you can get ready and/or stay on site!
So, to recap from our last wedding planning post, the very first step to planning your wedding is (drumroll plz)
Book your wedding venue.
Choosing to get married on the Sunshine Coast or in Country Queensland is awesome if you want your guests to be able to kick back and enjoy a few days of hanging out together. The vibe is really awesome at these sorts of weddings because everyone is on holidays together. Maybe you’ve already all gathered for pre-wedding drinks the night before and everyone has already met. But, having to think about accommodation and transport for everyone can potentially add extra headaches to your wedding planning. So, here’s a few options that make chucking a destination wedding a total dream!
What makes a venue a logistical dream?
Look maaaan, you’re already planning a wedding away from home – a ‘destination wedding’ if you will. So, to have the whole shebang take place in one location means less travelling between locations – less set up/pack down car loads between two spots and easier to make sure your guests are all where they need to be.
Spicers Clovelly Estate – Montville (Sunshine Coast Hinterland)
Driving down the tree lined drive always feels like we’re somewhere in Europe but nah, this is the Sunny Coast! Being a Spicers you know it’s going to be this crazy luxurious experience from start to finish, with multiple accommodation options right there on site. Fun fact: The legends here don’t do back-to-back weddings so you guys have the day after the wedding to enjoy a recovery day and not feel like you’re being kicked out. Even fun-ner fact: The red autumn leaves here are NEXT LEVEL if you’re open to the idea of a cozy autumn wedding.
Where to get ready:
On site! There’s heaps of accommodation on offer and also lots of beautiful holiday rentals and hotels in Montville and Maleny if your guests need to stay off site.
Where to have photos:
On site! We can venture off to other photo locations but for time, to make best use of the light, and to get you back to the party, we are totally spoiled for choice with locations at Clovelly.
Check out: Bella and Ian’s Clovelly Estate Wedding
Consider Clovelly Estate if you’re going for:
Provincial French vibes, a sunny coast getaway, crisp hinterland air, country elegance, a place to land your helicopter
Clovelly Estate pairs well with:
Willowbud Wedding Flowers / Foreva Events / Dolci & Co Gelato / Cut a Rug DJ / Tome Cakes / Event Letters
Gabbinbar Homestead – Toowoomba
Looking for a weekend away with all your faves in the country? The Gabbinbar Homestead crew run the most beautiful, seamless events from their sprawling country property. The grounds are so flexible – everyone can enjoy a leisurely afternoon of drinks, canapes and lawn games after the ceremony, and then move into the beautiful light filled reception room inside the homestead or a clear marquee on the lawn – every little detail is thoughtfully taken care of. Pro tip: duck out of the homestead just on dusk as the grounds come alive with fairy lights. It’s magical!
Where to get ready?
There is a suite in the homestead perfectly set up for preparations and/or plenty of accommodation in the beautiful big country town of Toowoomba.
Where to get photos?
Depending on the vibe you are going for, there’s plenty of photo locations on offer at Gabbinbar which means no time spent driving around on your wedding day. Yassss!
Consider Gabbinbar Homestead if you’re going for:
Old world, Queensland heritage charm, timelessness, garden party vibes, a fairylit wonderland
Check out: Bianca and Alex’s Gabbinbar Homestead Wedding
Gabbinbar Pairs well with:
Kate Dawes Floral Design / Married by Jake / White Lily Couture / Jilicious Cakes / Espresso Martinis on the dance floor
Beach Road Holiday Homes, Noosa Northshore
If you’re wanting something in the country, we’re talking, portraits in tall grass amongst the gum trees, kangaroos grazing around your guests during cocktails but ALSO freakin’ love the beach and need to kick your shoes off and walk in the sand on your wedding day, you can do it all on Noosa Northshore. We love weddings at Beach Road Holiday Homes because the holiday houses are a dream to shoot in, and there’s heaps of them, and everyone can stay in one place. There’s a lawn for a marquee/tipi and everyone can relax knowing that their respective beach house for the weekend is just a stumble away.
Where to get ready?
In one of the beautiful holiday homes on site.
Where to get photos?
We can head to the bush, to the paperbark forest, to the beach, up the dunes, or just stick close to the marquee lawn – there’s lots of options.
Consider Beach Road Holiday Homes if you’re going for:
A bit of surf and a bit of turf, unfussy organic styling cues, laidback sunny coast vibes, a long weekend with your family and mates
Beach Road Holiday Homes Pairs well with:
Lovebird Weddings / Celebrant Sam / Rachel Gilbert / MJ Bale / Vanteen Catering / a love of the great outdoors
Providence Farm Hall, Beechmont
Tucked in behind the Gold Coast is this magical field, on top of a hill, looking over the valley and the coast. There is ample room to spread out and have different areas for ceremony, drinks, lawn games, chats, and then move into the very cute but generously sized old hall once the stars blanket the sky. When the night is all over, your guests have the opportunity to camp or glamp on site, and you can all reconvene the next day for a recovery brunch and leftover wedding cake in the hall. Added bonus: the goats! The super cute, super friendly goats!
Where to get ready?
There are a few AirBnB options along the ridgeline or further into Beechmont, or Binna Burra is a short drive away and has a heap of accommodation on offer and buses to get everyone to/from the wedding.
Where to get photos?
There are hilly fields with beautiful views on both sides of the road at our disposal – so we suggest packing the esky with a few drinks and just going for a quick wander around for portraits.
Consider Providence Hall Farm if you’re going for:
Rolling hills and vistas, vintage/rustic/retro/bohemian styling, the ability to bring in your own catering and drinks providers
Pairs well with:
Xavier Nicolle flowers / My Vintage Lane Caravan Bar / Baker Boys Band / Picnic blankets in the paddock, rattling the floorboards on the dance floor
Gold Coast Farm House, Numinbah Valley (Gold Coast Hinterland)
A drive from the coast through the Numinbah Valley lands you at this beautiful rural property, and the feeling of total privacy with no neighbours in sight and generous space gives you total permission to chuck one helluva wedding festival. Perched up the hill overlooking the wedding spaces is a beautiful old Queenslander, and there is a campground available for family/friends who want to stay on site too.
Where to get ready?
In the Farm House itself!
Where to get photos?
The light drops very quickly here in the valley, so we don’t need to venture far for photos! There are so many beautiful spots on site, but due to the hilly nature of the property we recommend a pair of flat shoes to walk between spots.
Consider Gold Coast Farm House if you’re going for:
A total blank canvas country wedding, festival vibes, space and privacy, the ability to bring in absolutely everything to create your dream wedding
Pairs well with:
Event Stylist & Co / Bar on Location / Ceremonies by Leisa / Gold Coast Tipis / Bonfire roasted marshmallows by the dam
You made it to the end!
We have a bunch more venues we wanted to include in this round up, but alas, COVID19 has put a pause on the other weddings we wanted to feature here… but they are still in the works and we can’t waiiiiit to get out there and shoot them. Keep an eye on the blog towards the end of the year!