Real Wedding – Maddi & Callum, Toowoomba QLD

For contemporary chic done to perfection, look no further than Cal and Maddi’s exquisite Queensland celebration. Choosing their timeless theme to complement the natural beauty of the surroundings, and the modern homestead feel of their venue, Gabbinbar Homestead, meant that the day unfolded with synchronicity and style.

A monochrome palette of crisp white and black, including Cal in his slick white dinner jacket, looked stunning against the lush tropical surrounds of the ceremony. Low set florals in lush ivory roses complemented the towering fig tree as a backdrop to the newlyweds as they said their vows, eyes filled with happy tears.

Maddi fulfilled her dream of wearing a modern ballgown, classic yet contemporary. She looked every inch a queen in her Kyha creation, complete with sleekly simple bodice, flowing skirt and show-stopping split, perfect for revealing her sweetly stylish Harlo heels.

The moment that made our hearts skip a beat was when the newlyweds took a moment for themselves as the day turned to night, lit only by strings of festoon in a truly romance filled moment. Photographer extraordinaire Leah Cruikshank was there to capture it all. So, read on for a day filled with romance, style and epic memory-making.

The meeting.

We met in September 2015 via Tinder – how else do you meet someone these days!

The ‘one’.

When we first started dating, Cal would whisper in my ear and say, ‘Can I tell you a secret?’. He would then continue to whisper sweet nothings in my ear. It soon became a special ‘quirk’ in our relationship. A few months in, we were walking home after a date night, and he whispered in my ear, ‘Can I tell you a secret? I love you’. It was that exact moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Cal.

The proposal.

We were on holiday in Queenstown, New Zealand, and Cal organised a private helicopter flight up to one of the mountains that overlooked Queenstown. We landed on top of ‘Cecils Peak’, which was covered in a thick layer of snow. We were posing for a photo when he got down on one knee – the pilot knew the whole time! He’s such a romantic man; I didn’t suspect a thing!

Planning process.

I really enjoyed the whole process of planning the wedding. At first, we didn’t have a specific style in mind, however as soon as we saw Gabbinbar, we knew it was the perfect venue for us. Once we secured our date, everything else seemed to fall into place. On the big day, I felt calm and was able to relax with my girlfriends as I knew Gabbinbar had everything under control – not to mention their eye for detail is incredible!

Style inspiration. 

We wanted to really capture the natural beauty of Gabbinbar Homestead, so we opted for effortless elegance with a touch of modern romance.

Real weddings were definitely my go-to for inspiration! It gave me a good idea of what would work for us and what wouldn’t. It’s also refreshing to see the real-life aspect of weddings – all the love, laughter and tears!

The ceremony.

The ceremony was set outside underneath a spectacular 150-year old Moreton Bay fig tree surrounded by luscious greenery. The weather was perfect, and the ceremony was seamless. We both wrote our own vows, and without knowing, we both spoke about a certain memory of our relationship that has always been special to us – it was a tear-jerker moment!

The outfit. 

Admittedly, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to find my perfect dress. I ended up ‘settling’ for a dress when I thought I was running out of time. One month before the wedding I saw a dress online and knew it was perfect! The lovely ladies at KYHA sent out the dress, and I was lucky to get last-minute alterations at Paddington Weddings.

The dress was exactly what I had been looking for the entire time. The full skirt featured a distinctive front split which gave it a perfect modern twist to a traditional ball gown. I opted for a veil that I could wear over my face to enhance the traditional look. With the front split in my dress perfectly showcasing my Harlo heels, and the sheer cathedral length veil exposing my pearl earrings, it was truly the classic yet contemporary look I was always wanting.

Favourite moments.

Oh gosh, how do you pick one?! Having my dad walk me down the aisle and seeing Cal’s face will be something I will never forget. I also loved walking into the reception as husband and wife, knowing we were going to have the best night with all of our loved ones!

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage to us is a lifelong commitment. It’s knowing we will always have each other through life’s ups and downs. It’s a lifetime of love, laughter and adventures.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley (performed live by Ben Stocks)

Recessional: Higher Love by Kygo

Reception entry: Wedding party – The Real Thing by Client Liaison. Husband and wife – You Make My Dreams by Daryl Hall & John Oats

First dance: Part of Me by By The Coast

Father/daughter dance: Isn’t She Lovely (Acoustic) by Callum J Wright

Funny stories or near disasters.

Unfortunately, Cal’s best man, Levi, fell ill the week of the wedding and was unable to make it. Luckily, two of his groomsmen, Jared and Marcus, were able to pull together a perfect speech the night before. Levi is still recovering, but we plan to celebrate (again) in our wedding attire when he’s better.

Four weeks before the wedding, Brisbane went into a snap three-day lockdown which made us a little nervous as we weren’t sure if the lockdown would end in time or what restrictions would be put in place. Thankfully lockdown ended, and restrictions were eased, and we were good to go!

Planning surprises.

I don’t think there was anything that took me by surprise, however leading up to the day, I was a lot more stressed than I thought I would be. Cal was certainly the calm one out of the two of us – he was able to keep me positive in times of uncertainty.

Words of wisdom.

Weddings are hard to plan; however, it certainly throws a spanner in the works when trying to plan a wedding in the middle of a global pandemic. At the end of the day, there’s going to be things that are out of our control, but as long as you have one another, you’ll be able to get through any curveball life throws your way. And as cliché as it sounds, enjoy the process! The day is to celebrate you, so make it exactly that!

As Maddi says, planning a wedding during a global pandemic is far from smooth. And now the vaccination restrictions add an extra layer of complication. Lucky we’ve got your back – check out our guide to vaccination wedding wording etiquette, here.

MADDI & CAL’S VENDORS

Once we booked Gabbinbar as our wedding venue, the vendors seamlessly fell into place. Due to a lot of weddings being cancelled in 2020, we decided to book our preferred vendors sooner rather than later to avoid missing out. Luckily everyone we wanted was available, which made the process a lot easier than I had initially thought. We relied mainly on social media accounts (Instagram and Facebook) as we figured it was the best way to view their style and talent.

All of our vendors were so amazing, and we truly could not have done it without them. From our florist to our cake maker, everyone played such an important part in our day, and we are so thankful for each and every one of them!

Ceremony & reception venue: Gabbinbar Homestead, Toowoomba QLD. As soon as we drove into Gabbinbar Homestead, we knew it was the perfect venue for us – I even shed a tear driving in! The team make you feel welcome from the first point of contact, and their passion is evident by the incredible service they offer.

Celebrant: Married by Jake (Jake Smith). From our first interaction with Jake, we knew he was the perfect celebrant for us. He made us feel at ease and brought the perfect balance of humour and romance to our ceremony. You know you’re onto something good when they have a 5-star google review from over 200 reviews!

Photography: Leah Cruikshank. As soon as we stumbled across Leah Cruikshank, we knew we had to have her capture our day! Her photos are absolutely stunning and perfectly capture the love and romance. She seamlessly captured every special moment of the day – most times, we didn’t even know she was there!

Videography: Michael Kelly Films. Michael Kelly Films was a no brainer – look at his work! His videos are the best I have ever seen, and he has given us a wedding video that we will treasure forever.

Florist: Daisy & Co.  (Amy Wilson)

Hair: Sarah Neill Hair. As soon as I found Sarah Neill on Instagram, I knew I wanted her to do my wedding hair. Her talent is second to none, and her warm and caring nature is just a bonus.

Make-up: Makeup by Andri (Andri Malouf). For makeup, I wanted to look like the bridal version of myself, and Andri Malouf did exactly that.

The dress & veil: KYHA Studios

Shoes: Harlo Australia – Purchased from The White Collection

Rings: Diamonds International

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Three spaghetti dresses purchased from Bec + Bridge. Two short sleeve dresses purchased from WedNova

Suits: Groom – Institchu. Groomsmen – Politix.

Bow ties: Groom – Politix. Groomsmen – YD

Catering & bar: Gabbinbar Homestead

Cake: Jillicious Cakes (Jill Facer)

Stationery / Signage: Menus & table numbers – Paradise Invitations. Welcome sign & seating chart – designed ourselves and printed through ePrint.

Entertainment: Singer –  Ben Stocks Music

Honeymoon: Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas