Introducing our CELEBRANTS!

A Darling Affair 23/06/2014 1 Comment

JOSHUA WITHERS

What is it about weddings that you love so much?

Who the heck falls in love? It’s crazy! If two people can fall in love, then find the guts to commit to that, and then decide to celebrate it with their friends and family, how lucky am I to be invited to come along and lead the proceedings. I’m the luckiest guy at a wedding. Well, maybe the second or third luckiest. But I’m up there!

What is the most unique thing you’ve seen at a wedding?

Every single day, I see unique at weddings. That’s my thing. From the few moments I listened in science class in grade nine I learnt that a person is scientifically and mathematically unique and different, one in six billion. If two of these unique people got together and planned a party, it really should be a unique wedding. If two of my weddings are the same I’ll probably quit the game.

What do you do in your free time?

My spare time is usually spent with my best friend, and wife, Britt. Our favourite things to do together is travel, either to the next suburb or across the equator to the other side of the world, or we get addicted to TV shows.

Celebrate good times come on!

A Darling Affair 03/04/2014 0 Comments

Yep this is the biggest celebration of your life. You found the one and they found you! What’s the chances of that?! It’s actually pretty awesome when you stop to think about it.

Time to make it official! So your going to need one of these: A Celebrant!

So here’s A Darling Affair’s check list for celebrants:

– listens to your wishes and doesn’t go off on a tangent.

– is just as invested in the moment as you both and often sheds a tear

– is about you as a couple and not a performance about themselves.

– is down to earth and genuine and just plain awesome.

Get a celebrant that you like – you may just need a celebrant for a future date….wink wink.. they often do baby namings too 🙂

These guys stole our hearts at The Wedding Festival and we hope they steal yours too!

Candice Wilson – Marriage Celebrant

Candice just feels like “home” to us. Pull up a chair and you will feel her warmth. She’s one of those ladies that you you feel like you’ve known her forever. Her set up at The Wedding Festival spoke volumes about her. Sweet, personable and endearing.

Benjamin Carlyle Celebrant

If you want your husband to be feel comfortable then Benjamin Carlyle is your man. We have worked with Ben at a couple of fairs now. He is a family man with a tribe of kids and knows what it means to be committed.

Ben is a guy who’s passionate about life and who also loves a good surf. Chuck in a guitar and he can serenade the bride down the isle. He’s not cheesy, he’s actually ticks that down to earth box and has an awesome sense of humour.

Marriage Celebrant Ali

Ali is just plain cool. The end! Cool hair, cool vibe, cool beau – who she adores – who has an awesome beard. She has energy and spark and just loves weddings and being a celebrant is her dream job. You’ve gotta love someone who loves their job.

So if you think your a cool, artistic and adventurous fun loving couple you have loads in common with Ali.

Ali’s tag line is: Throw your heart in front of you and dance ahead to catch it. Oooo we do like a lovely dance or two!

Do yourselves a favour and”Follow your heart” you darling lovers out there and visit the websites of these wonderful vendors with a click through here:

https://adarlingaffair.com/gold-coast-directory/

Sending love your way xxx

Images by: When Elephant Met Zebra

And that’s a wrap!

A Darling Affair 24/02/2014 5 Comments

Did you come to A Darling Affair – Gold Coast on Friday 21 February at Rabbit + Cocoon? If you did, then this news will be no surprise to you… but if you didn’t make it, then let me be the first to tell you how FREAKIN AWESOME it was! Seriously, we had the best and most amazing venue, vendors, models, and what a turnout!

Right from the beginning of the day when our vendors were putting in their hard yards setting up their incredible sites, the atmosphere was electric. We all knew something really special was about to go down. We had trucks, minivans, cars and caravans rocking up from 10am that morning and there were ladders, power tools, trolley’s and trailers filling up the amazing venue that is Rabbit & Cocoon.

Come 5 o’clock and we already had a line-up of people waiting for the gates to open. Our vendors had put the finishing touches on their incredible stalls and we opened the gates to get the party started! With a glass of bubbles or a beer in one hand and a totes-amazing A Darling Affair tote in the other (thanks Peachy Flamingo!), the crowds started visiting the stalls of more than 40 of the freshest and most creative wedding vendors on the scene at the moment. The crowds continued to flow through the gates all night.

Our awesome DJ, Aaron from Cut-A-Rug, provided the playlist for the evening and along with our live music acts including Sarah Head, the tone was set for a night of fun and frivolity!

Major highlights of the night included our four interactive fashion parades, made all the more enjoyable by our incredible models who were more than happy to join in the fun with the rest of our guests getting their pics snapped at our photo booths. Thanks again to The Brides Market, Begitta, Bohemian Brides, Urbanna, The Beauty Case, Elina Valttila and our super amazing models!

The piñata smash was another highlight of the night! Guests lined up to take a hit at the incredible piñata supplied by Party Pony.

And finally – the annual Dance Off was a huge success, with guests getting their dance on IN THE RAIN to win $300 off a DJ package with Cut-A-Rug.

By 10pm when we closed the gates, none of us could wipe the smile from our faces. The evening was a huge success and we had received so much amazing feedback from Brides and Vendors, without whom, this event wouldn’t have happened.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, we have the BEST vendors, venues, models and Brides any Darling could ask for… thank you for being so amazing!

To see a little video wrap up, check out this sweet little video from When Elephant Met Zebra: www.whenelephantmetzebra.com/ada

Thank you to the super talented When Elephant Met Zebra for all of our official event photos.

Introducing our Celebrants!

A Darling Affair 17/12/2013 0 Comments

We have got 3 amazing Celebrants lined up for you all to meet at our 2014 Gold Coast Wedding Festival. To help you get to know them ahead of time, we asked them to fill out a little questionnaire… see their answers below:

Benjamin Carlyle

In a nutshell, who are you and what do you do?
A young male Civil Marriage Celebrant who provides custom wedding ceremonies. Helping couples resonate with their unique vibes to create a fresh, funky and creative wedding ceremony. My skills as a performing artist add flair and confidence to the most important ceremony of your life.

What is the most unique thing you’ve seen at a wedding?
The 1 year old Paige Boy getting down an outdoor aisle in an electric car to the tune “Driving around in my auto-mobile”. Classic.

If you were a colour, which colour would you be, and why?
I would be blue. Blue is confident, refreshing, cool, ocean/ sky, life giving, blue suede shoes, blue eyes.

Candice Wilson

What is it about weddings that you love so much?
I feel very privileged to be apart of such an important day for the bride and groom and their families. It’s great to meet such an elective mix of couples and hear their story while helping them plan their day.

What do you do in your free time?
When I’m not working I paint, read and hang out with my family.

If you were a colour, which colour would you be, and why?
Orange, because I drink too much carrot juice!

Ali Hall (Marriage Celebrant Ali)

What is it about weddings that you love so much?
I have always cried at weddings. I get an overwhelming emotion that builds up. All the happiness, love and positivity that flows on a couple’s wedding day. If we could bottle and sell the energy that a wedding creates the world would be a much more loving, positive and happy place.

What do you do in your free time?
I have 2 little girls, Poppy and Winnie who seem to keep me busy in my spare time these days. We enjoy going on adventures to the forests, parks and beaches, experiencing new things together. When the girls are sleeping or busy themselves I enjoy sewing, painting furniture, craft, gardening, op shopping, yoga and snuggling with my Beau. And if I ever have time I love to roller skate!

If you were a colour, which colour would you be, and why?
Oooo… This is a tricky one. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a pretty colourful gal. If I can’t be a rainbow I would choose green as it is the colour that represents your heart chakra. Where harmony, equanimity, compassion, trust, loving relationships come from!

The Brides Market… a very cool concept!

A Darling Affair 03/12/2013 0 Comments

Last night, two thirds of the A Darling Affair team had the pleasure of seeing Brisbane’s newest bridal concept come to life in front of our eyes. The Brides Market is the vision of Jennifer Gifford (yep, the same talented lady who brings us those divine bridal gowns!) and is a bit of a one stop shop for brides. Our feedback from the evening? It’s AMAZING! This place is a must see for brides and vendors alike, there are separate sections of the store set aside to showcase different vendors, along with a gorgeous fitting room to try on some spectacular gowns and a really cool space for meetings.

This is a wonderful new way for brides to plan their special day and for vendors to showcase their work in a beautiful, creative retail space. Part bridal boutique, part wedding emporium and part industry hub in a seamlessly integrated space. It’s located on Logan Road in Woolloongabba which is a really cute precinct with lots of cool cafes and restaurants nearby.

It’s open every day, so you can pop in and look at all things pretty at a time that suits you, and if that wasn’t enough, they’re also hosting Sunday markets once a month and Thursday evening flower and food markets! We are in love. Do yourselves a favour darlings and check this one out.

xxx

Our Darling Venue – The Chapel Woombye

A Darling Affair 21/08/2013 1 Comment

When Emily & I went on the search for our next venue to host the Sunshine Coast Wedding Fair for A Darling Affair for 2013. We had 3 venues in mind.

The Chapel Woombye was the third one we looked at and was the best by far. We fell in love with this chapel and it’s charm.

The Chapel was built on the site of Cobb’s Camp stables and officially opened on 12 December 1912. It became the Woombye Uniting Church on 22 June 1977. Recently renovated by Coast Church and is ready for weddings!

The manger John is just fantastic. We found him to be so easy going and helpful. He made our day a breeze and he does the same for couples that book The Chapel for their walk down the aisle.

John is also a pastor! He is the whole package and can wed you as well.

After you say “i do” you can spend the time on the lawn area chatting with your loved ones and have a few refreshments. The Chapel is really what you make of it.

Our stylists can make The Chapel blossom into something incredible with their props and furniture: Simply Style Co, Style Le Aisle, Decorating Divas.

What we love about The Chapel is it’s location. Woombye has some beautiful surroundings for photos. Just driving around the area really inspires me with it’s old town charm.It is only 15 mins from beautiful beaches and close to other venues that you can have your reception at.

One venue we know of that’s close and is opening soon is The Lakehouse. Get married at The Chapel Woombye and head over to The Lakehouse to complete your beautiful day in style.

Here’s a few sneak peeks of the wonderful interior finishes at The Lakehouse:

For booking The Chapel contact John on: (07) 5442 3959 or 0402 809 409. info@thechapelwooombye.com.au.

Booking The Lakehouse reception venue contact Kellie: 0400 642 339

kellie@thelakehousesunshinecoast.com.au

Images: KissStudio, Dear & Tine Photography, Beau Papier Photography

Celebrating With a Celebrant

A Darling Affair 18/06/2013 0 Comments

Our guest blogger today is Benjamin Carlyle – Civil Marriage Celebrant.

He is an awesome celebrant and we know you will love his little article. It had us chuckling away. Please enjoy:

“A Celebrant is definitely a multi-tasking creature indeed! They are there, guiding you along the path of pre-wedding amble, giving directions at the crossroads and ultimately directing the flow of your wedding day ceremony.

A good Celebrant was a Ninja in a past life with the ability to foresee issues before they rear their ugly heads. With swift and deft strokes all manner of trouble can be aborted before Aunt Mary even bats an eyelid. We will console the emotional Groomsmen, sail over the seas of awkward moments with banter and charm, defend the Bridal party from falling props and even move the clouds and rain out west just long enough to bathe in sunshine.

A Celebrant will provoke ideas that suit your style and with a splash of colour here and a unique ritual there, a beautiful ceremony will then be formed. Each moment in your ceremony should resonate with your vision for your journey deeper into the land of love. If you decide to incorporate rituals, they should represent your qualities and strengths, with your own unique blend of words and style. Wine Box and Water rituals are quite popular at present.

Great celebrations always come with a soundtrack that sets the mood. Personally, I attribute the wedding ceremony to that of a song, so if you like Country then dang it, lets get our boots a stomping, Hillbilly style. Let your imagination run free!

The paperwork trail of getting married is not as complicated as it seems but the correct documents are key to making this a success. It’s a beautiful moment in your ceremony when you sit down to sign your marriage certificate, all the pressure is now lifted and a giddy sense of excitement and frivolity fill the air.

The right Celebrant for you will have the resources and abilities that will suit your style and personalities. Ask the hard hitting questions to discover if you connect to your Celebrant, before you commit to just ‘anyone’ marrying you on your special day. Always chose a Celebrant that is confident, has experience in public speaking and has the ability to trouble shoot when the dog runs the wrong way with the wedding rings tied to its collar.

Congratulations on your path of Marriage and may you enjoy the Celebration!

Kind Regards,

Benjamin Carlyle – Civil Marriage Celebrant

Come and meet Benjamin at The Gold Coast Wedding Fair THIS SATURDAY!

He is a wonderful person with an abundance of warmth and charm. He REALLY does have a passion for being a celebrant.

Photo Credits: Adam Ward Photography, Photographic Art and Tarnie Carlyle

Love is a Celebration with Vickie – Celebration Fair Vendor Feature

A Darling Affair 07/03/2013 0 Comments

Vickie Larkin is a young, vibrant Celebrant who is thrilled to work with you and create the wedding day you have always dreamed of. Here is a little about Vickie and how she will help you put the celebration into your Wedding Ceremony…

It is a great choice to have the beautiful Sunshine Coast for your Perfect Wedding day. Choosing your Celebrant is such a personal experience. I will reflect the atmosphere, image and mood would you like to create for this special day and these are the memories you will cherish for years to come.

I specialise in writing personal, warm and unique ceremonies designed especially for you. It may be a relaxed initimate wedding occasion on the beach, or a glamorous affair incorporating your unique ideals. I can create that perfect day for you and have many fabulous ideas so you can remain relaxed on your special day leaving the ceremony to me.

I have a strong background in professional performance you can rest assured that your Ceremony will be delivered with ease, confidence, warmth and feeling.

I would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your ceremony, our initial meeting is complementary and gives us both the opportunity to meet and share our ideas so please call me to make a time that suits.

Vendor Feature: Kathy Young, The Sunshine Coast Wedding Celebrant

A Darling Affair 14/08/2012 0 Comments

Telling your love story sounds simple in concept, but often the reality of putting “those vows”, “those words” to paper can be more challenging that you realise. The truth is that loving each other in a way that is hard to describe in words, is sometimes just that, hard to describe in words!

Finding a celebrant who can turn your words into a wedding ceremony as individually beautiful as your story, is as important as finding the dress that just fits in that beautiful, seamless, meant to be kind of way.

Kathy Young, the Sunshine Coast Celebrant is known for being more than “just a wedding celebrant”, she is a teller of love stories. Here is a little of the story behind the teller, and also some great gems of advice for new brides-to-be.

Kathy Young: A unique celebrant for a unique ceremony

A few years ago, one of my daughters was planning for her wedding. When she met with a celebrant she was presented with a choice between three generic wedding ceremonies. I was amazed by the idea that there were only three ways to describe the kind of love they were feeling. Becoming a celebrant was something I had always wanted to do and, right at that moment, I thought why not do it now, and why not do it in my own way?

Fast forwarding to the current day, the way that I do things is very different to what was presented to my daughter 5 years ago. I see my role, not only as the celebrant on the day, but to uncover the story behind the couple to build a ceremony that is uniquely them.

There is something so very beautiful about putting together the words that will forever bind the couple as husband and wife. For me it’s really important that the building of a ceremony is a natural and organic process born of conversation and connection; not of preconceived ideas of what a wedding ceremony should be. The ceremony needs to be as individual as the couple that it represents.

I adore working with couples that are open to ideas, creative and have a genuine desire not just for a big event but more to just simply be married to their best friends. I am constantly amazed that this is “my job”. Meeting loved up couples, having amazing conversation and witnessing the most beautiful days.

When planning your big day, my advice is:

Find a celebrant who you genuinely connect with. The more comfortable you are with them, the more of yourself you will feel comfortable sharing to build your story into your vows.
Be true to yourselves. Don’t be constrained by what you think a wedding ceremony ‘should’ look like, make sure it authentically represents who you are.
Simplicity is beautiful. We often make the mistake of forgetting that sometimes the simplest things are the most beautiful. One of my favourite ceremonies to date was when I married my nephew and his bride in beautiful Victoria. My nephew promised his new bride that he would buy her a puppy and pretend not to notice how many shoes she brought; she promised to always let him watch the AFL when his team was playing.
Feel free to add some humour. Who doesn’t want a giggle on the happiest day of their lives?
It’s about a love and a promise. Above all, if you end up married to the one you love at the end of the day, then everything went exactly to plan