Soft Autumn Wedding at Gabbinbar Homestead

Every wedding has a story or two that only become funnier with time. And for Lucas and Ashleigh, one of those stories involves a groomsman with the wrong suit, an urgent dash to MJ Bale and a roll of hemming tape! Fortunately, it all worked out, and the rest of the day was considerably more relaxed. At Gabbinbar Homestead, the pair celebrated their nuptials with garden vows, pastel blooms in spring tones and the people closest to them, with Courteney Lee Photography capturing the day.

Tinder helped bring Lucas and Ash together, so while they didn’t have a storybook beginning, they’ve definitely been writing one as they share their life together.

Lucas proposed to Ash at the top of Roy’s Peak near New Zealand’s Lake Wanaka. “It took us a few hours to climb the mountain, and I almost gave up a few times, but he pushed me, and boy, was it worth it. The view was incredible. It was so icy cold. He knelt down to ‘grab me something out of the backpack’, and the next thing I knew, he was looking up at me lovingly, holding a ring out, asking if I’d marry him. It was really sweet,” Ash recalled.

“A lady happened to be up there at the same time and took a photo for us. My dad has since painted a beautiful landscape painting of the proposal spot, which we had sitting out on the lawn on an easel at the wedding.”

Dressed in a black MJ Bale suit, complete with a crisp white shirt, gold cufflinks, and a black bow tie.

His wedding party wore matching suits, with ties instead of bow ties. Thankfully, they all made it to the ceremony matching; it almost didn’t happen! “One of his groomsmen only found out he had the wrong suit an hour before the wedding and had to rush into Toowoomba’s MJ Bale to grab the correct suit, iron it, and hem it with hemming tape he grabbed from Big W. It was hilarious when I found out later that night.”

Ashleigh wore a beautiful White Lily Couture gown with subtle floral appliques, a square neckline and a stunning fitted skirt that flared as it touched the ground. She finished her look off with a trailing veil and pointed white heels.

Her wedding party wore black dresses in matching but not matching styles, perfect for their elegant wedding.

Gabbinbar Homestead in Toowoomba set the backdrop for Lucas and Ashleigh’s wedding. Queensland’s autumn provided the perfect weather for their garden celebration.

Ashleigh walked down the aisle as “When You Say Nothing At All” by Ronan Keating was performed live by Kyle Bryant. The music resonated through the lush gardens, with her dad by her side.

The garden ceremony was extremely loving and personal, full of laughter and happy tears, which was exactly what Ash and Lucas had envisioned for themselves. “Dylan Bond, the celebrant, was really impressive and made it very easy to do the formal side of things,” Ashleigh shared.

Bumble & Bloom brought a beautiful spring vibe to this autumnal wedding, with stunning soft pastel tones scattered throughout the day. “Zoe is an absolutely extraordinary person. We gave her lots of freedom, and she blew us away. Her service and personality are perfection leading up to the day and on the day. Her wonderful husband is added muscle when needed, and he is just as sweet. Nothing is ever too hard for them. They are genuine people who want the best for you!” Ash shared.

Thankfully, Ashleigh and Lucas had Courteney Lee Photography capturing their classic autumn wedding alongside the festivities, so we get to share these incredible moments! “Courteney is such a sweetheart and did a wonderful job. Lucas really isn’t a fan of photos, but Courteney gave him just the right amount of direction and made us both feel like models. We are so happy with the photos we’ve received and thank her for her support on the day.”

Of all their wonderful, heartfelt moments and details, these are Ash’s top five favourites:

“1. Marrying my best friend

2. Lucas making an incredible speech at the reception

3. Taking photos we know will make us smile for the rest of our lives

4. Having both of our grandparents there

5. Nailing our first dance.”

As guests entered the reception space, they were presented with Lucas and Ash’s art project. “We had a giant wooden board with a timeline from when Lucas and I were small to today, showing the point at which we met. There were plenty of missing spots, so we had guests attempt to place photos in the correct spot on the timeline. Guests were also asked to pop a small message to the bride and groom on the back of the photos they placed.”

If it wasn’t for their vendor dream team, Lucas and Ash wouldn’t have been able to kick back and enjoy their classic wedding as much as they did. “We really appreciate our vendors for their incredible service. We had the best experience thanks to them. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but I didn’t realise until the end when everyone told me how well it was covered up!”