Seth & Chloe

While some couples spend months or maybe even years deciding and deliberating on the finer details for their special day, Chloe and Seth's spectacular winter wedding showed that, in this case, less was more!

Five months after saying the all-important 'Yes' Chloe walked down the aisle to say 'I do' in a breathtaking Prea James gown with a sculptural fluted skirt, exaggerated puff sleeves and beautiful burnout organza fabric.

In love with the mood and feel of a romantic winter wedding, the couple needed a brisbane venue that captured their vision and was able to coordinate closely with them to bring the concept of their day to life:

'We always had Gabbinbar at the top of our list for the wedding venue. We looked at a few venues, but we knew Gabbinbar was the dream. The cherry on the cake was how beautiful the people were when we visited. We didn't once have an unpleasant experience with any of the staff. Instead, we were consistently impressed by their efforts to make our day incredibly special.'

Chloe and Seth loved the clarity having a compressed planning timeline brought. With a busy term of studying law preceding their wedding day, they had actioned all of their significant decisions within one month:

'We got engaged in January for a June wedding, and we knew Chloe would have a jam-packed semester being a law student. Because of this, we knocked out the bulk of the planning in about a month. All of the important decisions had been made within a few weeks, so we just had a few loose ends to tie up afterwards. Looking back, we wouldn't change a thing.'

For Seth and Chloe enjoying the process was equally as crucial as being decisive. Looking back, having fun with their planning journey and approaching it as a team was one of the unexpected highlights of their experience:

'I know it sounds so cheesy, but we were given the advice by everyone to just have fun with the process- it can get so intense for some couples. But, we never let decisions stress us out, and we are so glad we had that philosophy going into the planning process.'

One thing that both were primarily focused on was ensuring that their vision for their florals was executed. They knew they wanted to embrace colour to contrast the monochrome theme worn by the bridesmaid and groomsmen but were adamant the feel remained simple and elegant without appearing overdone.

'From day one, we absolutely had to get the flowers right- Chloe's mum had a disastrous experience with the flowers on her wedding day so we knew it was something that could make or break the aesthetic of a wedding. Fortunately, we managed to choose the most lovely person in Tamara from Toowoomba White Weddings. So many props to Tamara. She was the most delightful person and delivered an incredible aesthetic for our day.'

Chloe's bouquet (as featured in Hello May's '27 Lush bridal bouquets') was a verdant display of rambling dusty pink orchids, blush-toned roses and striking burnt orange and red ranunculus. To frame the towering Himalayan Cedar tree, the focal point of their 'Old Gates’ ceremony, they set floral pillars adorned with complimenting blooms. These works of art were then repurposed in their reception space on either side of the bridal table and partnered with fairy lights festooned from the conservatories' chandelier. On the tables below, elegant tapered candles and floral centrepieces were set on exposed timber tables.

Choosing a gown sooner rather than later was also at the top of Chloe's list. Drawn to the effortless silhouettes of Prea James designer gowns, Chloe chose the fashion-forward 'Amelie'.

*'Prea James was always on my radar from wedding magazines and blogs, and I discovered their 'In the Midst 2021' collection. I was in love when I saw the Amelie dress with puff sleeves. As soon as I tried it on, I knew that this was the one, and it suited Gabbinbar perfectly, which was a definite plus!

'I know that a lot of brides will turn down beautiful dresses or accessories as they are looking for something that is 'perfect'. I advise that if you find something you like, you should go with it. I always went with my gut, and I never regretted any decision. I just kept falling more and more in love with everything I had chosen, which made it perfect for me.'Chloe accessorised her gown flawlessly with pink pointed-toe flats from Zimmerman, delicate pearl and gold earrings from Mimco and a veil from Bloom Australia.' *

Chloe's bridesmaid Ami shared in the morning celebrations in the bride's retreat. She wore a white cut-out, billowing one-shoulder 'concept dress' from Aje.

Getting ready in the library beside the warmth of the fireplace and capturing their portraits in the stables Seth and his best man Harry wore black suits from Black Jacket Suiting in Bulimba.

Following their ceremony, to add warmth to their wintery afternoon, Chloe and Seth chose mouthwatering canapes to be served in the gardens alongside mulled wine.

'Without a doubt, the highlight food-wise of the wedding were the canapes during the garden party. We had made some unpopular choices in the eyes of a few family members who retrospectively ate their words as fast as they ate the canapes! It was such a special touch that the servers knew our names during the garden party as they offered us the canapes. It was a small detail, but it made us feel important on the day.'

Continuing the exceptional food experience into the formalities was a sculptural white cake with billowing accents and voluminous layers:

'Jill from Jill-i-cious Cakes absolutely nailed our dream cake as well. It was equally as beautiful as it was delicious. We thought we were giving her an impossible task with the cake design, but she doubtlessly delivered.'

Capturing the wonder of their winter day and creating timeless memories was the talented George Bowden. Taking full advantage of the magical July golden hour,' George walked throughout the estate with Seth and Chloe capitalising on the garden's seasonal blooms.

'We knew from the beginning that we would love a winter wedding. It was so special that shortly after our ceremony, while we were taking photos, a beautiful sunset led to some truly breathtaking lighting in our photos.'

Following heartfelt speeches and an evening of dining with family and friends, Seth and Chloe retreated to the ballroom for their all-important first dance, and Seth's most memorable moment of the entire day:

'We are both huge fans of Sufjan Stevens, and we wanted our first dance to be to one of his songs, although it's pretty hard to find a song that wasn't so melancholy! So in the end, we went with a song of his called the Greatest Gift, and it was really special to be able to have a song that meant a lot to both of us.'

Reflecting back on their day Chloe and Seth are most thankful for being able to 'celebrate our love with all of our friends and family' and are now looking forward to 'living our best lives with each other, forever.' Having hosted their dream wedding, they have the following advice for couples which kept them in good stead during their planning process:

' My last piece of advice is to always remember what the day is truly about. Seth and I never got stressed about our decisions because we knew that all we needed was each other.'