Laura & Matt
For Laura and Matt, being surrounded by family and friends while enjoying good food and music in an incredible location was extremely important to them on their wedding day. The couple created their perfect day and celebrating their love at the stunning Gabbinbar Homestead in Toowoomba. They chose the talented Luke Middlemiss to capture the celebrations, as well as all the elegant details (including the bride’s perfect gown, gorgeous shades of red, and a lush reception setup. Below, Laura shares her and Matt’s story, and all the special moments from their intimate wedding day.
Five years ago, we both swiped right for each other on Tinder, and happened to find the love of a lifetime. We began talking from 3pm until midnight everyday for a week, and then arranged our first date.
Our first date was a movie and Mexican dinner. It ended with our first kiss at Kangaroo Point, which has an amazing view of Brisbane city at night. Since this time we have shared so many memories and experiences together; traveling, moving in together, getting our diving licenses, getting our degrees, achieving in our careers, growing into adults, and gaining each other as a best friend.
Matt’s proposal was a complete surprise, in fact, probably the biggest surprise of my life. It was a Friday afternoon at work, when I received an email from Matt asking if we could do date night that evening. I agreed and didn’t think too much of it. After work, we picked up sushi from our favourite place, packed some drinks in an Esky, and had a picnic in front of the city view at Kangaroo Point cliffs. The same spot where we had our first kiss four years earlier. Matt all of a sudden got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box. I said, “Oh my god” for about five minutes (as I said, biggest shock of my life), before saying yes.
My wedding dress search was a fairly long process. I spent about a year looking. Early in the process, I tried on the Alyssa Dress by Anna Campbell, with the accessories and veil, and absolutely loved it. I felt like I should look around more though as this was only the second shop I had been to. A year later, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the Alyssa dress. So my parents, and Matt, went on a Melbourne trip where my mum and I went to the Anna Campbell boutique and bought my dress. I absolutely loved wearing my dress, and didn’t want to take it off. The level of detail on the dress, the elegancy, the shape, and the matching accessories was everything I wanted in a wedding dress.
The bridesmaids had the same colour dress but in different styles to suit their own personal style sense. We used a velvet burgundy ribbon around the waist of each dress, which tied them both together beautifully. The burgundy colour also looked amazing in the photographs and matched the vintage feel of the venue. My bridesmaids were my two cousins. I liked the idea of having the girls as they’re family, and keeping it very family-oriented.
The groomsmen all went with a three-piece suit. Matt wore a silver tie to match my bone coloured dress, and the groomsmen wore a burgundy tie to match the bridesmaids. Matt’s groomsmen were his brother and his closet friend since high school.
Our ceremony and reception were both held at Gabbinbar Homestead, a historic estate in Toowoomba. The venue has multiple ceremony locations. We chose The Pavilion.
The bridesmaids and I walked down the aisle to ‘The One’ by Kodaline. It’s such a beautiful song, and perfect for a wedding.
Our ceremony was very personal to us as a couple. It told our story, with humour. It had a laid back approach, which was perfect for us. We both wrote our own vows where we shared our promises and also what we love most about each other.
At Gabbinbar, the homestead has multiple rooms including living rooms with fireplaces, a large dining room, ballroom, bride’s retreat and groom’s retreat. It was perfect for us. We made the venue extra personal by displaying our family photos around the homestead.
Our wedding remained completely true to us as a couple. We made sure that we prioritised all of the elements that were important to us such as: great location, great food, great music, great drinks and amazing photography. We also kept it small so that it was intimate and allowed for quality time with our closest friends and family. We had such as special day, and wouldn’t change a thing.
During the reception, we did a fully choreographed dance to ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley, which involved a few lifts, and got us some pretty good photos.
The rest of the night was spent mingling, dancing, drinking, and using the Kombi van (which was a photo booth). We ended the night with a mock sparkler exit surrounded by all of our guests.
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