Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
I’m Alex, 34. I’m a registered nurse in a busy emergency department. I love my job, being able to help people in their time of need, and constantly learning something new. My husband Fynn, is 30, and an amazing high school science teacher.
I could never do what he does! And he get an upset stomach just at the mention of some of the things I see/do at work, so I think we’ve both found our proper place in the world! Something I love about us is that we both work in jobs that serve others, and have a heart to see those people (patients and students) thrive through our work. It’s a privilege that we are so thankful to have. I suppose something that’s unique about us is that we’re an internet dating success story haha… so whenever anyone complains to me about not being able to find someone, I have a few tips to guide them on their way.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details:
We chose Gabbinbar Homestead as our venue, which encompassed both the ceremony and reception. We loved that there was no need for travel inbetween, and the grounds were perfect for capturing out photos & video. Gabbinbar was actually the only venue we saw in person (although I had considered and quoted around 15 other options), but as soon as we drove down the dreamy stone driveway, I knew I didn’t want to get married anywhere else!
White, gold and blush were the primary colours of our day, with an overall theme that was elegant and uncomplicated, with elements of ‘boho luxe’. In terms of our venue, Gabbinbar is so stunning that it really doesn’t require a great deal of decoration, so I was happy to keep it simple and let the heritage building and it’s beautiful gardens shine. We adorned the long reception tables with cheesecloth runners, dried floral arrangements, and a mixture of pillar candles and gold candle stick holders. I love that dried & preserved florals were utilised throughout our wedding, from the table florals, to arbour design and our bridal bouquets and boutonniers – although initially that decision was made out of necessity due to the timing of our wedding and difficulty in sourcing fresh supplies, I quickly fell in love with the boho feel that it added to our minimalist aesthetic. The only fresh flowers we had were petals for the ceremony ‘confetti’ to align with our venue’s requirements.
Aesthetics aside, I suppose our primary desire was that the day be memorable more for the words that we spoke and the feelings shared, rather than how everything looked. But of course the little girl in me who has been planning this wedding in my mind for many years still wanted it to be beautiful!
Tell us about your main outfits:
My dress is a one of a kind masterpiece from Brisbane based designer Pina Fiorenza. She was absolutely amazing in bringing my vision to life. The original design of my dress was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, but I had an idea to transform it into something unique by combining my obsession for balloon sleeves with a dreamy, effortless off-the-shoulder look. During a dress fitting, I spotted a pearl veil hanging nearby in Pina’s studio, and asked if we could experiment a little and see what it would look like to make the sleeves from this gorgeous fabric, instead of the chiffon that the rest of the dress was made with. I got butterflies as I saw how luxurious it looked on my skin and what it added to the overall look of the dress. From there, Pina just made it happen, and I couldn’t have been happier with the result. That dress made me feel like an absolute princess, which is surely most girls’ dream on their wedding day!
My groom and his groomsmen looked dashing in matching black & white tuxedos. I knew that Fynn’s outfit would have the be on the same level as my outrageously elegant dress, and in my mind you can’t beat a classic luxe. The boys also had the most beautifully created boutonnières from Etsy – the groomsmen wore blush to match the bridesmaids, and Fynn’s was white to match my bouquet of fluffy preserved hydrangeas.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day:
Oh my goodness it’s so hard to say because honestly our whole day was so perfect.
• Gabbinbar’s incredible service. It really is second to none. Staff followed us around during our photos to make sure we never missed a canape or drink!
• We wanted to ensure that God was truly at the centre of our ceremony, so including a worship song was such a special moment for us! Our wonderful friends sung “The Blessing” which was such a powerful declaration over our marriage and future family.
• Our labradoodle Maple being our ring bearer – she totally stole the show! She was so happy to see us at the end of the aisle, she jumped and danced and couldn’t stop wriggling with excitement!
• Working with Sophie & Nath from Salt Media. They made us feel so at ease having our photos taken. It was actually such a fun experience! I thought I’d feel uncomfortable in front of the camera, but they both helped us forget it was even there, and captured the most beautiful photos & video that we’ll treasure forever. They really went above & beyond in creating a special ceremony video for us to share with our overseas & interstate family who couldn’t attend due to travel restrictions.
• The ‘love letter’ that Fynn & I read to each other before our vows. This had me in tears! We have these in handwritten cards with our vows, which we’re planning to frame and hang in our home so we’ll have them forever.
Photography and Videography: @saltmedia.au | Ceremony and Reception: @gabbinbarhomestead | Celebrant: @marriedbyjake | Bride’s gown: @pinafiorenzabridal | Groom’s attire: @blackjacketsuiting | Groom’s ring: @argylejewellersbrisbane | Bride’s rings: @ferkosfinejewelry and @heidigibsondesigns | Bride’s shoes: @billinishoes | Bride’s earrings: @ael.este | Hair & Makeup: @backstage.beauty | Bride and Groom’s fragrance: @dolcegabbana | Bridesmaid’s attire: @chancerythelabel | Entertainment: @stevejcarlyle | Planner: @gabbinbarhomestead | Hire: @lolaswildflowers | Bride’s florals: @everbloome | Cake: @maydennison