Alex & Andrew’s Relaxed Gold Coast Hinterland Wedding

Alex & Andrew

The stunning Gold Coast hinterland sets the scene for today’s mountain top wedding of Alex and Andrew captured by Adam Ward Photography. Those views are enough to make anyone run for the hills!

Alex starts off with the story of how she and Andrew met, even though they were living as almost neighbours! “Unfortunately it isn’t a romantic one. We were both at separate parties on the Gold Coast and after quite a few drinks, stumbled across each other at a bar. I approached Andrew after noticing his (not so) killer dance moves and later discovered that we lived only a suburb apart and both frequented the same gym. It is likely our paths crossed many times prior to us actually meeting.”

Alex had her gown made by a friend, she notes, “I couldn’t quite find what I was after in stores but had a clear vision in mind, so I opted to go with a private dress maker (a family friend). Even when I was younger I always imagined a simple, ivory lace gown – nothing puffy or extravagant as that has never been my style. My gown was french ivory lace, halter neck with a low back and small train. As the back was really the feature, I chose a birdcage veil which I sourced online.”

“We really wanted our guests to be relaxed and able to enjoy the surroundings. They were greeted with champagne (or beer), offered blankets and given a little time to take in the music and admire the view.”

The Paper Flowers played the bride down the aisle, she remembers, “We chose an instrumental version of Romeo & Juliette by Dire Straits. Our duet played it live.”

Alex and Andrew chose mountain top venue O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat, explaining, “The ceremony was held at Moonlight Crag – an intimate, three tiered deck which extended off the side of a cliff and offered uninterrupted views of the valley and mountain ranges. The trek to get there was a little hairy and our guests were transported via 4WD buses, but all insisted that the view was worth the bumpy ride. Lots of greenery, fresh air and blue skies made for the perfect ceremony.   When Andrew and I walked out onto the deck at Moonlight Crag, we were speechless. We looked at each other and just knew that this was the spot.”

Pastor Jake Smith officiated the ceremony, the bride remembering, “Having attended A LOT of weddings over the past couple of years, we knew we didn’t want a long ceremony but it definitely had to be personalised. A close friend gave a reading by Albert Einstein. Our dogs name is Einstein so not only did the script resonate with us, but it was our own quirky way of including him in the Ceremony. We wrote our own vows (which included a couple of jokes), laughed, cried and genuinely enjoyed every moment of it.”

“The best part though, was when Jake pronounced us husband and wife, and used my MAIDEN name. He quickly corrected himself but as you’ll see by the photos, everyone erupted in laughter!”

“As the photo locations were all over the place, Andrew and I went in a private Car while our bridal party followed in a van. Unfortunately the windy roads didn’t agree with my Matron of Honour who had to stop several times. She still thinks the photos were worth it though.”

Of their photographer, Alex notes, “Adam Ward was amazing – neither Andrew or I wanted super “Posey” photos. Having worked with Adam for our engagement shoot, we knew his style and knew that he would capture the moments, which is exactly what he did. To be honest, we don’t remember him even being at the ceremony or reception – he just did his thing. Our photos tell a story and we can’t thank him enough for that.”

The couple chose Ivy & Bleu for their styling, the bride tells, “The reception was held at the Lost World Day Spa which faced west and offered the most magical sunset. The venue provided inside and outside space – a large deck with gas heaters and bar tables leading to a grassy area with fire pits and all surrounded but fairy lights. Inside was cozy and had a separate section for our photobooth, family table and punch bar. We didn’t want people to feel confined to their seats so we made sure there were multiple spaces to mingle.”

The bride’s love of popcorn was bought to life at the reception, she explains, “As a long time lover of popcorn, I decided to include a popcorn buffet which included caramel, coconut butter, strawberries and cream, Mexican and plain flavoured popcorn. It was a hit with guests!”

“The staff at O’Reillys went above and beyond with regards to every aspect of the day. The correspondence, the menu tasting, accommodation, support on the day and general running of the event – nothing was ever a hassle and they all seemed genuinely excited to help. I would recommend the event team at O’Reillys to anyone!”

Of their first dance, Alex remembers, “We chose a slow acoustic version of “How Sweet it is to be Loved by You” originally by Julia Stone. Once again, this was played live by our duet, The Paper Flowers. Most of our song selections were older songs as we both seem to connect with them more. The dance floor was adorned with helium balloons and whilst the strings did get in the way a little bit we think it made for some awesome pictures.”

“At the end of the night, every guest was given a floating lantern to release – they were a beautiful end to the evening (even though some didn’t quite take off).”

Thank you for sharing your story with us Alex and Andrew! Congratulations! Thank you also to Adam Ward Photography for sharing today’s wedding!