Andrea & Ash

A vision of romance and elegance

Drawn to the enchanting and sprawling gardens of Gabbinbar Homestead Ash and Andrea's romantic spring wedding capitalised on all the beauty and charm of the historic estate, delivering a day brimming with elevated elegance and style.

Initially intended for Autumn, but postponed until the following spring (much appreciated - thanks COVID!) the couple were clear in their vision to have a romantic and elegant wedding focussed around quality time with family and friends:

'Most importantly, we wanted to have a memorable wedding where everyone could have a good time, catch up and enjoy themselves.'

Carefully curated colors and details accented the sophisticated feel

Opting for timeless choices, their stunning wedding featured 'out-of-this-world' romantic and rambling styling and florals. The statement piece of the ceremony and reception was a decadent floral arbour garnished with an abundance of white and dusty pink roses with accompanying florals in pastel hues.

The afternoon was spent socialising and celebrating with family and friends with Andrea and Ash opting for a selection of mouthwatering canapés and champagne to be served in the garden for the garden party festivities.

Although she found it hard to pick a single moment because 'the whole thing was amazing' the post ceremony garden party was definitely one of the highlights of Andrea's day:

'We loved getting to see all of our family and friends straight after the ceremony for their congratulations as a newly married couple, especially as it was the first time, in a long time, that we had seen many of our guests due to COVID.'

Timeless styling harmonized beautifully with an exceptional garden venue

Attention to detail was the theme of this wedding with dress, styling and colour choices showcasing the couples personal style.Andrea wore a Oksana Mukha gown embellished with intricate beading and floral appliqué.

Just as important was the couples decision around where to host their wedding, which became an easy choice once they both stepped onto the estate:

'Gabbinbar Homestead is such a standout wedding venue with exceptional attention to detail and service, not only on the wedding day, but from the first time we set foot on the grounds for our first viewing right through the whole planning process. We were always made to feel welcome, and nothing was too much trouble for the planners, it made the whole experience so enjoyable and stress-free. It really allowed us to focus on enjoying the day rather than worrying about what was happening.'

Celebrating their reception by warm candlelight, followed by fireworks behind the conservatory, there was no mistaking the charm and mesmerising beauty of this Spring wedding.

Design, dress and styling details to fall in love with:

Beginning her day with a leisurely morning spent in the Bride's Retreat sipping champagne and relaxing, Andrea enjoyed a grazing breakfast and picnic lunch with her bridesmaids and welcomed Macy, the couples beloved Cocker Spaniel, to join the pampering and preparations.

Andrea sought out the talents of European designer Oksana Mukha to find her diaphanous dress which was then further customised by her seamstress. Opting for a gentle floral lace bodice with a deep v neck and sheer panelling, her gown was delicately cinched at the waist with an embellished sequined binding for added detail.

With a full length, flowing skirt bringing a subtle but playful feel to the day's brief, it was the perfect fusion of elegance and old-world romance.

Andrea paired Valentino rockstud pumps in a soft blush hue perfectly with ornamental drop earrings and a full-length detachable veil which gave the finishing touch to her stunning ensemble.

Striking emerald tones paired with delicate pastels

With a wedding originally intended for Autumn, Andrea's bridesmaids were dressed in dark emerald green gowns from BHLDN with the silky charmeuse adding a subtle shine to the perfectly draped silhouettes. While initially considering working with deeper jewelled tones, to achieve the spring 'feel' she now needed, Andrea paired the dresses flawlessly with a lighter pastel floral palette.

Intentional hair and makeup choices added to the softness of the entire look with Saburi Hair Studio creating luxurious soft flowing bridal waves for Andrea, making the most of her gorgeous, long brunette locks. Loosely fixed low set ponytails with a natural part were chosen for her bridal party.

Looking dashing in a custom made black tailored suit featuring a contrasting satin lapel from Mitchell Ogilvie, Ash combined a double-breasted waistcoat and traditional bow-tie to make for a striking point of difference from his groomsmen who sported black suits from M.J Bale with slim black ties.

Stunning wedding ceremony settings

With a ceremony starting at 3 pm and hosted in the pavilion, friends and family were greeted by Ash waiting in front of an impressive 9-foot floral arbour festooned with rambling roses, orchids, abundant greenery and seasonal blooms. With floral-forward designs and a focus on pastels, the talented team from Poppies for Willow added to the already elegant vibe of the day using a colour palette featuring blush pinks, whites, soft blues and peach.

Partnered with white Americano chairs set in traditional formation, rustic wine barrels adorned with complementing floral arrangements and the warm light of the pavilion chandelier overhead, we can safely say they nailed their brief of rambling, romantic and timeless.

Breathtaking moments

Before the reception and with the french doors flung wide open Andrea took the opportunity to steal a moment by herself to wander around the conservatory:

'One of my favourite moments of the day that I loved, was walking into the conservatory for a sneak peek of the reception after the candles had all been lit, it was so magical!!

To achieve the magic, Andrea's reception was styled with a beautifully curated fusion of florals, warm candlelight and luxe accents. The timelessly elegant conservatory created the perfect backdrop for the round tables dressed in crisp white linen,paired with cross back chairs, and four decadent floral pillar installations which framed the seating area. Cleverly repurposed, the hero of the evening was again, the beautiful floral arbour from the ceremony which was centred behind the bridal table.

The styling team paired tapered blush candles and pillar candles in gilded candlestick holders and cylindrical glass hurricanes to bring height and depth. The centrepieces were low-set floral arrangements which heavily featured pink, blush and white roses, beautifully uplit by flickering tea lights in crystal votives. To add a touch of whimsy and softness the napkins were loosely knotted and placed off centre.

The simplicity of the table stationery showed masterful restraint, with gold calligraphy and black lettering used to display the couple's alternate drop menu for the evening. Andrea and Ash chose an entree of either crackle pork belly, celery remoulade, pickled beetroot and black currant or confit of duck leg with fennel puree, wild mushrooms and warm salad of lentils and grains. With a mains selection of eye fillet mignon, potato gratin, seasonal greens, vine ripe cherry tomatoes, wtih shiraz jus and sauce béarnaise or chicken breast, wild mushroom ragout, confit garlic mash, seasonal greens and blistered cherry tomatoes. It was definitely a stand-out menu that guests savoured.

An evening to remember

Heartfelt speeches throughout the evening led to the cutting of the cake beneath a shower of fireworks, a captivating addition viewed by guests through the conservatory french doors and glass ceiling.

With restrictions in place preventing dancing at receptions, Ash and Andrea creatively chose to incorporate a dancing alternative for their evening's entertainment:

'The addition of the roving magician was such a great choice as it provided entertainment for our guests later in the night as we couldn't have a dance floor. Everyone raved about the magician and it's safe to say he blew everyone's minds with some incredible magic. He was great at engaging with our guests and it created a great talking point during the reception (and for weeks after!)'.

The evening was enchantingly concluding with a sparkler exit along the driveway, and thousand’s of fairy lights from the Gabbinbar night garden.

Final details we loved about this divine day:

The abundance of captivating feature lighting ranging from light-up letters to sparklers and fireworks.

As most of the couple's grandparents were not able to be there on the day they were remembered by having their wedding photos placed on display in the front rooms of the homestead.

Smoke featured in the ballroom for the first dance as husband and wife (with 'I'm with you' by Vance Joy playing the background).

Choosing the right videographer and photographer was also incredibly important to Andrea and Ash for when they wanted to look back on their day in the years to come. Luke Bickley captured all the day's highlights perfectly and we loved seeing the couple whisked away to a secluded Toowoomba escarpment view location by Leah Cruikshank to add the 'something extra' to the couples already stunning photo album.