Christine and Tobys Intimate and Small Garden Wedding

Toby and I decided on our very small garden wedding for a few reasons. The most practical factor was cost! A few months before the wedding we bought a house that needed a lot of work. So we couldn’t justify spending a lot of money on one day, we would much rather put that money in to our house. So instead we opted to have just our close family with us on the day, there was a total of 14 guests plus ourselves. Even my extended family who had expected an invite to the wedding thought the idea was great and congratulated us for breaking the norm.

After hours of research, I stumbled upon The Wise Foundation. The event coordinator, Kendal, told me they would be opening a new venue called The Gardens Club which should be open in time for our wedding. I could not believe my luck! The heritage listed Curators Cottage in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens was entirely ours for the day, and 100% of the profits raised from our booking were redistributed back to the community. We loved having a relaxed and meaningful ceremony outside the venue with our Celebrant Jamie Eastgate surrounded by the amazing Botanic Gardens with the contrast of the City skyscrapers in the background. Toby and I love the city, and the view was just perfect!

At first I was incredibly stressed about the day going well, but once I realised that I had chosen an amazing group of talented suppliers it was so easy to relax and let them do what they do best! We loved that the venue allowed the toddlers to run amok safely, and their parents could relax and enjoy the incredible lunch put together by the chef, Alastair McLeod. The Gardens Club also lends itself to some pretty amazing photo opportunities which Kate captured so beautifully.

The best advice I can give to couples planning their wedding is to be yourself and stay true to yourself! Of course our parents and grandparents had expectations of how the day would go. My very religious grandparents had never been to a wedding that wasn’t in a church but on the day they were all thrilled and thought it was lovely and very ‘us’.

Photography by Quince and Mulberry Studios

Ms Gingham says: This wedding is proof that even the smallest affair can be full of the couple’s spark and personality. I absolutely adore this fun wedding cake with the adorable cake toppers!