Gabrielle & John

­­How you met

In 1991 a little 2 year old girl, Gabrielle, sat bouncing on 12-year-old John’s knee. He picked her up and played games with her, along with her brothers.

Their families associated for many years until Gabrielle reached the age of eight. Gabrielle and her family moved to a different location and gradually they each lost touch.

Many years later when I was just 16, I was attending a luncheon when I saw a man I recognized talking to one of my friends, I asked a friend nearby who he was and she promptly replied, “ that’s John Tobin”, with excitement I exclaimed, “I knew it! I knew it!” The memories of the fun I had shared with him so many years ago still stood out in my mind, and from that day on our friendship began to blossom.

The proposal

Three years later in April 2009, John said we were going for a weekend holiday to Tasmania with his sister, her husband and children. John and I arrived in Launceston and were escorted to a helicopter pad where John told me that we were going for a ride! I was ecstatic! After an hour ride in the helicopter we landed in a small paddock full of hay bales and miles from anywhere. After a beautiful picnic next to a settlers hut, John proposed.

Planning the wedding

We chose a short engagement and married in October 2009 in Maleny Queensland. The colour palette was light pink, black and cream. My aim was to develop beautiful vintage style whilst showing off some of my own creative flair and attention to detail through handmade invitations, ceremony programs, petal cones, place cards, menu cards, table settings, bonbonniere, and just about everything that could be made. Planning the wedding can be a stressful time, just remember that you are getting married for a reason – because you love each other.

The wedding dress

My wedding dress was a Roz La Kelin gown. The design was a full strapless gown of French lace over tulle with a bodice of fine lace motifs and beading.

The bridesmaid’s attire

My bridesmaids wore dusty rose Alfred Angelo full length strapless dresses.

The groom’s attire

The groom wore Roger David black two button suits with a fine pin stripe, and handmade ties and an ivory pocket-handkerchief.

The groomsmen wore Roger David black two button suits with a fine pin stripe, and handmade ties and dusty pink pocket-handkerchiefs.

The wedding theme

The theme for the wedding was lovebirds and a mix of vintage style and elegance. Our reception venue was intimate yet captured us by its absolutely stunning outlook over The Glass House Mountains and its absolutely generous and scrumptious menu. Our venue really looked after us and we couldn’t be more grateful. Our guests arrived to the reception for pre-dinner drinks as they listened to gorgeous background music from one of our favourite local artists Harri Bandhu and smelt beautiful candlelit aromas from the birdcage table centrepieces along with beautiful fresh vases of Lissianthus, Freesias and Roses.

The wedding cake

Our fabulous cake maker Lorinda from Ideas in Icing designed an amazing three-tier raspberry and white chocolate wedding cake using the same paper design as on our wedding invitation. It was spectacular and everything I wanted.

The wedding flowers

I held a stunning bouquet of David Austin roses, bound in ivory and finished with pearl pins, while my bridesmaids and flower girl held white Peonies and Metallina Roses. They were created by Mondo Floral Designs Maleny QLD.

Honeymoon

We went to Thailand for three and a half weeks. We stayed in some of the most amazing places in Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Our trip consisted of so many adventurous activities including white water rafting, cycling, elephant riding, treetop cable flying, kayaking, snorkelling etc. It was an absolutely amazing holiday.

Also

• For the bonbonniere – we wanted something unique to give to our guests. Each guest was given a handmade box filled with the families secrets recipe shortbread (cut into bird shapes)which had been passed down from John’s great Grandfather, who baked the shortbread at the family croft in the Scottish Highlands.
• Special moment – When the church doors opened and I started walking down the aisle I couldn’t take my eyes off my husband who was fighting back the tears. This touched my heart.
  I struggled to hold it together when he started telling his own scripted vows to me. They were so heartfelt and truly amazing! That’s when the day became so real to me.

Advice

• Be thrifty with your money! Try and do as much yourself as you can, and be as organised as you can be with folders, notepads etc.–It really pays off.
• On your wedding day make sure you take a moment wioth your husband to stand back and take it all in! It goes so fast!

Wedding date: 25^th October ‘09

Location – Maleny, QLD

Photographer - Levi Gardner Photographer

Guests – 110

Wedding style – Lovebirds, Vintage elegance.