Vendor Feature: The Wedding Writer

If there were ever a perfect match, it would be Lahnee and Pablo Pavlovich. Lahnee is a talented writer, and event stylist, who is the talent behind today’s vendor feature: The Wedding Writer. Pablo is a fantastic photographer, and the focus of tomorrow’s feature. Today’s featured images are taken from their own wedding day, styling courtesy of Lahnee, and photography of Pablo – of course.

The Wedding Writer: The scribe to your very own fairy-tale

Once upon a time a boy met a girl.

From a simple smile their hearts grew with love

A question, an answer and a walk down the aisle.

This is a tale of love; your love.

You dreamt of the big white dress, the fairy-tale with a happy ending. You read enchanting stories of how snow white met her prince charming. Your wedding is almost here so why not have your own love story captured on crisp white pages between Once upon a time… and Happily ever after….

I am The Wedding Writer; the scribe to your very own fairy-tale where you become the princess and your groom is prince charming. Think of me as a professional wedding guest, notebook in hand writing about your special day; adding a unique layer to your wedding memories.

When you read to your kids, grandchildren, nieces and nephews – why not read them your love story, not Cinderella’s.

The Wedding Writer is a couture service and your love story and can be written to express your wedding and your tale to the altar as in depth or as simply as you want.

Relive your love story with a hard cover book complete with enchanting images by Pablo Pavlovich Photography to compliment your literary legacy. Alternatively you can opt for an E-book that you can view online and print out yourself.

Vendor Feature: The Lovely Bird

The Lovely Bird is located at Cotton Tree, on the Sunshine Coast. It’s a quirky and unique gift shop, that proudly stocks an eclectic mix of gorgeous gifts – stationery, books, magazines, cards, twine, vintage vases & bottles, washi tape, bunting, jewellery, vintage finds, pencil cases, notebooks, pens, stamps, homewares and all sorts of unique finds. Throughout the shop you will also find a splash of items that Tanya has made herself…a few cards here and there, invitations, notebooks with my own artwork, writing sets,  bunting that I’ve sewn, earrings & necklaces that I’ve made. She has setup a small little studio space, so often you’ll find her sewing away on her old Janome!
Tanya is also the resident expert on all sorts of crafty things. Having trouble with your crochet? Pop down to the store and she’ll be more than happy to help you out. She also runs the occasional Crafty Night, an in-store workshop, they are well worth the visit.
From the moment we stepped into The Lovely Bird, we new we were a match made in heaven. This gorgeous little store is the epitome of all that is vintage, handmade and gorgeously unique!
Tanya has graciously agreed to take care of some of our Darling tickets, so head on down and grab a few…but pockets and purses beware, we are sure that’s not all you’ll come away with!

Vendor Feature: The Rustic Emporium

For Sharlene from The Rustic Emporium, it all began with a love of vintage pieces & passion for childrens parties. Her business idea was not a spark, so much as a natural evolution. Having thrown many a delightful party, complete with vintage props, for her own little ones; Sharlene began to gather a collection of treasured items, and decided it was time to see them reused and reloved at others’ special events.

The Rustic Emporium is a great place for parents to come and hire pieces to style their children’s parties. Unique pieces, that are hard to find, but without the need to spend a fortune for a one time use. For those of you who do not yet hear the pitter-patter of little feet, you will find that the emporium’s props for hire are well suited to anyone wanting to style an event or photoshoot.

If you want that little bit of extra help, Sharlene also goes that one step further to offer event styling services for birthdays, engagements, weddings, baby showers & photo shoots. Based in Burpengary on Brisbane’s north side, she services Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Kingaroy and Gympie.

*Printables by Style Me Gorgeous

And they lived Happily Ever After….Part Two.

As promised…Part Two of our double feature, a little about my special day and the events that lead up to it.

Emily and Blake – A Waterfall, a Tree, and a Song

It was 2003, I had greasy hair (new hair product gone wrong), a very large wooden beaded necklace and showed up to Wappa Falls with some other guy. Blake took one look at me and decided, then and there, that one day he would date me. I had other ideas. It took 3 years, but I finally realised what a catch he was; and as he announced his long held feelings for me, late at night under a street lamp, I knew it was a pivotal moment for the both of us.

About 10 months later Blake took me to our favourite park in Buderim, we climbed our favourite tree, where we’d shared our first kiss, and he proposed. Of course I said yes, and with only 3 months until the big day, planning kicked into gear.

Mum and I, working in the same office, started researching venues online and we found Poets Cafe in Montville. I loved it instantly. Such a quaint, intimate venue, overlooking the hinterland. The decor left little else to be done to create a lovely atmosphere. The food was to die for. Unlike the usual alternate drop situation, no swapping was necessary, no option was disappointing.

In the first week of planning I looked in a number of Bridal boutiques, but found nothing. So I found a dress in a magazine and headed off to a dress maker. I still love my dress, simple and just a few vintage inspired touches. Although nowadays the lace jacket look has been done a few times over, back then it was unique. Like Carrie, I am also a tom-boy (two brothers) and not a heels kind of girl, so custom-made allowed me to get away with wearing ballet flats (and sometimes no shoes at all).

Unlike Carrie – I had four bridesmaids. We had ZERO off-the-rack options. Hoorah for better retail options in dresses today. Besides, these days the maids don’t even have to be wearing the same style or colour. So dressing the bridesmaids wasn’t easy, but it was fun having a party of people to goof around with.

My flowers were tulips, simple and no fuss – or so I thought. Despite being winter flowers, probably the most stressful moment was the day prior to our wedding day, when the florist informed me that none of the tulips were opening due to the cold weather! (If you ask Blake what the most stressful moment was, he’ll probably say something about chocolate milk, but that’s a story for another time). Long story short, the tulips opened, crisis averted.

We sourced our favours from a candy store just down the street from Poet’s, we had strawberry flavoured blue and pink personalised rock candy, it was a hit with all of the guests. We killed two birds with one stone and had our favour boxes double as our place cards, which my Mum hand-scribed all of the guests names on using her calligraphy skills.

We had two songs that were “ours” to which we danced, “To be with you” by Mr Big, and “Such Great Heights” covered by Iron and Wine (originally Postal Service). But one of the highlights of our evening was the song written and performed for us personally by my younger brother Wade. I believe the final verse of the song included these lines

“and when the years have gone so fast, and yeah we know its gonna last. When the baby’s crying and Em is sighing, that’s when Blake comes home and Em no longer feels alone, and that’s the way its gonna be, yeah that’s the way its gonna be…the little Tredrea family.”

And that’s how it is! To continue quoting the song, 5 years later and we’re still “in love, sweet sweet love.”

Vendor Feature: Luke Going Photography

If you’re looking for a photographer with passion, you might be interested in what Luke Going has to say about his work. Usually I will add my own little touches to what a vendor has to say about their business, but as I read what Luke had to say about shooting a wedding I was captivated, and had to share it word for word.

“As a wedding photographer I place all faith in my sensitivity to the moment. This trance like rapture allows me to navigate through the day, with my radar tuned in to all the enchanting moments that are happening around me. When my radar sounds the alarm, my camera’s shutter go’s click, an instinctive movement towards the light. And before my eyes, lies a moment of truth that speaks of all the passion, intimacy and deep affection that each couple surrenders to on this momentous day.

What an amazing privilege it is to bare witness to this magic time after time and to have my faith in love renewed with each ceremonial betrothal. An honour that I take great pride in. From this pride comes the dedication to create a unique, sensual and cinematic reportage of the greatest and grandest day of any engaged couples lives.”

It seems Luke not only witnesses, but effectively captures that “magic time after time” in his stunning photographs.

And they lived Happily Ever After….Part One.

Here is Part One of a little heartwarming double feature for you. This time 5 years ago, Carrie had just returned home from her honeymoon, following her wedding on the 23rd of June; and I was just gearing up for my own wedding on July 14th. So we figured, why not give you a little glimpse into our own special days, and the events and planning that lead up to them? So here is Carrie’s story – and you’ll have to wait until my anniversary for Part Two.

Carrie and Alex – A Dress, a Mountain, and a Dance in the Street.

I met Alex in Perth, 6 months later we re-met in Sydney at an event held at Luna Park (we visit there every time we go back to Sydney). We dated long distance – between Sydney and the Sunshine Coast – every 2nd weekend we would fly back and forth.

Things were going great with Alex and I and I knew he was “THE ONE”; even so much that two weeks before he proposed Mum and I thought we should go look at wedding dresses (just in case). The first shop we went into I found one off the rack for $250 dollars! Mum and I drove away that day giggling with a wedding dress in my old hatch back Corolla. Some alterations were needed, but two dress fittings later, the total cost of the dress came to $500, BARGAIN!

The proposal: Alex took me up to the top of Mt Beerwah. A good lesson learnt that day was that “good things are worth working for” – I really got a work out. The climb was so exciting because I knew what was coming at the top (to this day we can’t hide suprises from each other). He proposed and I said yes before he could finish. The clouds went away and a glorious circle rainbow appeared and a lady bug flew on my shoulder. A proposal never to forget. Oh yes and a hot guy that wanted me to be his wife!

So we dated for 3 months for and then in another 3 months we were married. Yes that’s right, a 6 month relationship in total!

Our wedding venue was a newly opened hall in North Ryde. Probably the best moment of the wedding planning process was Mum and Dad finding the beautiful hall for our venue and presenting it to me, each with a look glee on their face. It had beautiful wooden floors, a blank canvas for my Mum and I to work with and make it my own. It looked just like an old wedding chapel.

I love food buffets (who doesn’t?), so of course we had one of those. I also love handmade details, we had handmade place cards, and Mum made table cloths – I still use them to this day. I even put together my own wedding bouquet the night before, after my husband and I headed to the markets together to hand pick the right flowers. I included Camillia leaves from a bush in my Grandma’s garden, that I used to spend hours playing in when I was a little girl.

Although I only had 3 months to plan and organise the day, Alex was impressed by all the details of the day; because I lived in Sydney and he on the Sunshine Coast, it was pretty much all left up to me. I had no bridesmaids. I am sort of like a tom-boy, which is not surprising having grown up with  4 brothers and being the only girl. Well, my younger brother drove us around for the day, so I guess he was my bridesmaid.  In hindsight I think it was so much easier just the two of us in the wedding party anyway.

Knowing that I am a tom-boy, it might not surprise you that the most difficult thing when planning my wedding was finding SHOES. I’m not a heel wearer and it was a week before the wedding…my bridesmaid brother was with me and I found a $20 white low heel peep toe shoe! I even wiggled the bow on top of the shoe in the store when the assistant wasn’t looking to see if i could remove it! Bingo!

Oh! Our favours were Clinkers in a chinese box….so much fun for people to eat and play guessing games. My Nephew liked the ribbon on top and made it to be a super hero mask. Classic.

Our wedding song was “Just the way you look tonight”, from the Father of the Bride…and funnily enough as we finished our 5 year anniversary date in Brisbane the other week it was playing in a fancy cocktail party and so we had a little dance in the street below.

And the rest is history.

P.S. I love Alex even more than I did 5 years ago!

Hot off the Press!

Hot off the Press!

This lovely little article was featured in The Nambour Weekly and The Range today…keep a look out for more coverage in the other local papers across the Sunshine Coast region closer to our fair. Thank you Lahnee!

Vendor Feature: Inspired Bouquets by Gabriel

Brooch Bouquets are a stunning and unique alternative to the traditional fresh flower bouquet. They are also fast becoming very popular!  Gabriel from Inspired Bouquets creates lovely arrangements that will last well beyond your special day.

Each Inspired Bouquet is made from a variety of different high quality materials including brooches, buttons, jewellery, lockets, crystals, fabric flowers and sparkle! For a more personal touch, and added sentimental value, Gabriel will include your own special pieces.

Every custom order is quoted according to your own personal requirements and budget. Having been a bride on a budget herself, Gabriel is more than happy to work with you to make sure that you can have one of these stunning pieces without breaking the bank.

Undoubtedly a gorgeous accessory for a bride – though why not order a one-of-a-kind brooch bouquet for a birthday, graduation, formal, or any special occasion?