Weddings with Brisbane City Celebrants Archives - Page 12 of 13

The most beautiful Byron Bay Wedding with a very special surprise

on March 23, 2014 · 7 Comments

With Celebrant Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

Morgan and Craig are an incredibly super sweet couple and whenever you are around them you can truly see the beautiful connection that they share. Their Byron Bay wedding was so special for so many reasons and while Jamie was the Celebrant for this couples amazing day, I had the pleasure of tagging along and playing Celebrants Assistant and what I witnessed was an incredible connection, a big surprise for the groom and a whole lot of love.

Craig the groom shedding a tear when he saw his beautiful bride for the very first time. Image: Boots Photography

During the planning process Morgan let Jamie in on a little secret. Morgan has a very close relationship with Craigs mum which she is very thankful for and she was thrilled when Craigs mum unexpectedly and very kindly offered Morgan her wedding dress that she wore herself many moons ago the day she married Craigs father.

Morgan loved the dress and after incorporating a little creativity, some alterations and of course adding her own gorgeous style, the unique dress was looking stunning for Morgan and commenced it’s journey as a family heirloom.

In keeping with the tradition of the groom not seeing the brides dress before the special day, the bringing back to life of her mother in laws wedding dress was all kept very hush hush so Craig had no idea. Morgan decided that the perfect time to share this with her groom was during their ceremony so we included the following words:

‘Craigs family have welcomed Morgan with open arms and in the sweetest gesture and to Craig’s surprise, up until this very moment, the beautiful wedding dress that Morgan is wearing today, is the very same dress that Craigs mother wore herself many years ago when she married Craigs Father.’

After Jamie read these words Craig had a look of surprise on his face as he mouthed ‘really?’ to Morgan to which she nodded as her beautiful smile lit up her face, then (another) tear rolled down Craigs cheek.

A truly beautiful moment in this gorgeous wedding.

Byron Bay Wedding perfromed by Jamie Eastgate, captured by Boots Photography

Seriously gorgeous Byron Bay Wedding performed by Jamie Eastgate, captured by Boots Photography

This beautiful wedding took place at the Byron Bay Surf Club, conveniently located overlooking Byron Bays Main Beach. I was in awe of the styling with the beautifully styled bridesmaids in white dresses, the bouquets of babies breath and the super cute little flower girls.

The bridal party all went barefoot and along with the guests Jamie was asked to wear thongs which was a first for him in his capacity as a Celebrant. (P.S. Just to clarify, that’s flip flops to our UK readers and jandals to our kiwi friends).

Morgan and Craig picked the perfect photographer to capture their style, the Deb from Boots Photography. If you love what you have seen from her images here, head over and see Deb’s blog post for this wedding which started bright and early with the groom and groomsmen having an early morning surf in the Byron Bay waves looking pretty cool in bow ties and braces here.

Some lovely comments from the bride:

Testimonials from Byron Bay bride and groom Morgan and Craig

Byron Bay Celebrant Testimonial

When brides to be contact us to ask if we travel to Byron Bay to perform weddings, the answer is not just ‘yes’…… it’s HECK YES! We love Byron Bay and it’s at the top of our list of favourite destinations for weekends away so adding a wedding to the equation only makes our visits to this amazing little town even more special and memorable.

Brisbane City Celebrants are authorised to perform weddings anywhere in Australia, if you live in Brisbane and are getting married in Byron Bay, either of us would love to be your Celebrant for your Byron Bay wedding, contact us now to find out more.

Cara and Jamie – Brisbane City Celebrants

If you enjoyed hearing about this sweet Byron Bay wedding ceremony and are looking for a Brisbane based Celebrant for your Byron Bay wedding, Jamie would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

Brisbane Powerhouse Celebrant Jamie Eastgate

on March 22, 2014 · 6 Comments

Brisbane Powerhouse Celebrant Jamie Eastgate

With Celebrant Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

Having performed many weddings at Brisbane Powerhouse we always get that extra bit excited as this venue is so ‘us’. Perhaps the reason this venue resonates so well with us is because as young, fresh modern Celebrants we can really relate to this venue.

This venue with is ultra modern, with a funky edgy feel, embraces it’s unique characteristics like it’s graffiti styled walls and it’s towering white washed exterior brick walls. This venue doesn’t try to conform to what it believes the typical wedding venue should be, instead it stands proud in it’s own unique way. It also boasts 2 roof top ceremony sites, both capturing panoramic views as the Brisbane river snuggles around this iconic building. While this wedding venue isn’t a traditional wedding venue by any means, personally we love it!

Here is just one of the weddings I have been fortunate enough to perform here. Jamie Eastgate – Brisbane City Celebrants.

Here is the wedding of Corinne and Jim, we were fortunate enough to both be invited to the reception after I performed this wedding which is always such an honour. The couple enjoyed a buffet reception sit down meal at the Hamilton Hotel before partying the night away.

Brisbane Powerhouse wedding on Riverbend Terrace with Jamie Eastgate

Brisbane Powerhouse Celebrant Jamie Eastgate performing a wedding at Riverbend Terrace. Image Boots Photography

Brisbane Powerhouse Photographers and bride testimonial. Oh and us having fun in the photo booth with Boots Photography

Photographers testimonial and us having loads of fun in the photo booth with Boots Photography

Another Photographers testimonial. Thank you Boots Photography

If you enjoyed hearing about this Brisbane Powerhouse wedding ceremony and are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding, Jamie would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

Brisbane Powerhouse Weddings with Celebrant Cara Hodge

on March 22, 2014 · 6 Comments

With Celebrant Cara Hodge of Brisbane City Celebrants

Even though we’ve performed many weddings at The Brisbane Powerhouse, when we get booked for weddings at Brisbane Powerhouse we always get that extra bit excited as this venue is so ‘us’. In fact I often envisage having my own vow renewal ceremony here one day! The reason this venue resonates so well with us is perhaps because as savvy, fresh modern Celebrants we have so much in common.

We have always had great experiences with the onsite Wedding Coordinator which also adds to the great experience of this venue.

Here are just some of the gorgeous weddings I have had the pleasure of performing at this venue.

Corinne and Steve's Powerhouse wedding, I love this shot of them being showered in rose petals

Corinne and Steve’s Powerhouse wedding, love this shot of them being showered in rose petals

Brisbane Powerhouse wedding with Celebrant Ciara Hodge

Brisbane Powerhouse weddings with Celebrant Cara Hodge
Image: Boots Photography

If you are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane Powerhouse wedding Brisbane City Celebrants would love to hear from you. Contact us

A Magical Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens Wedding

on March 21, 2014 · 12 Comments

A Magical Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens wedding

It was amazing to witness these 2 newlyweds lock eyes and say their vows to each other as they became husband and wife in an intimate wedding ceremony brimming with love (and a few happy tears too) at Botanical Cafe Functions Events.
Their wedding took place on the deck which opens to the lush botanical gardens and the venue looked amazing with the gardens in full bloom creating the most incredible vibrant back drop. The celebrations continued with a cocktail style reception on the deck with the wonderful hospitality of the Botanical Cafe Functions team.

Wishing the happy couple all the very best for their future together as husband and wife.

Jamie Eastgate – Brisbane City Celebrants

Botanical Mt Coot-tha wedding with Brisbane Celebrant Jamie Eastgate

Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens wedding with Brisbane Celebrant Jamie Eastgate

If you enjoyed hearing about this magical Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens wedding ceremony and are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding, Jamie would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

A Sofitel Brisbane Wedding with a cool Parisian vibe

on March 15, 2014 · 6 Comments

A Sofitel Brisbane Wedding with a cool Parisian vibe

With Celebrant Cara Hodge of Brisbane City Celebrants

Congratulations to Jo & Ben, the first couple ever to marry at Prive 249, in Sofitel Brisbane. The recently refurbished lush decor and furnishings and regal purple space was the perfect venue for their subtle Parisian themed wedding, the Eiffel tower cake stand looked great and the venue was just perfect for their small intimate wedding ceremony and reception.

Wishing this gorgeous couple all the very best for your future together and wishing you an amazing 2 month honeymoon in Europe, starting where else but Paris!
J’adore your style!

Cara Hodge – Brisbane City Celebrants

P.S. We are perfectionists here at Brisbane City Celebrants and always provide our couples with laser printed marriage certificates, no scruffy writing in sight here!

Sofitel Brisbane Wedding with Ciara Hodge - Brisbane City Celebrants

Sofitel Brisbane Wedding with Cara Hodge – Brisbane City Celebrants

A beautiful unplugged wedding at Roma Street Parklands

on December 21, 2013 · 7 Comments

A beautiful unplugged wedding at Roma Street Parklands

With Celebrant Cara Hodge of Brisbane City Celebrants

I first met with Aimi and Greg over the Christmas holidays, they wisely decided to use the Christmas break to plan their wedding and lock in all their chosen suppliers for their special day. I could see from the moment I met them what a sweet couple they were and I had no doubt what an adorable bride and groom they would make.

Before the day arrived, I contacted Aimi to confirm the details of the ceremony and we also discussed what announcements they would like me to make prior to the ceremony commencing. In addition to advising the guests about the details of the reception, Aimi also advised that they would like me to request that guests don’t take any photos during the ceremony, this is also referred to as an ‘unplugged wedding ceremony’.

Aimi and Greg loved having an unplugged wedding at Roma Street Parklands. Image kindly supplied by Naomi V Photography

Aimi explained that she didn’t want photos of the guests at the ceremony with their faces and expressions hidden behind cameras, plus she had organised a professional photographer, Naomi from Naomi V Photography with a 2nd shooter to come along and capture the day so they were confident that between the 2 photographers they would capture everything and more!

As requested I added an announcement to be read prior to the ceremony asking guests to kindly put down their cameras and phones and encouraging them to relax and enjoy the ceremony without the distraction of technology. Aimi confirmed that she loved the wording I had added as it really captured the purpose of the message.

When I arrived at the Palm Tree Court wedding ceremony site at Roma Street Parklands, the wedding ceremony decorators were just finishing setting up and they did a wonderful job with an all white ceremony arch with draping and matching chairs.

Right on cue the clouds parted revealing the most perfect clear blue sky, I have no doubt at that very moment the bride and groom would have had smiles beaming across their faces as they finished getting ready in their respective hotel rooms.

The combination of the gorgeous August day, the breath taking ceremony site at the parklands and the beautiful ceremony decor added to the excitement of each guest as they arrived.

Once the guests were seated and the groomsmen were in their places, I made the pre-wedding announcements including the request for guests to kindly place their cameras and phones down, I joked that the penalty for guests taking photos during the ceremony was that they would have to pick up the bar tab later! Obligingly there was not a face hidden behind a camera in site, well, except for the 2nd shooter who the cheeky groom Greg jokingly tried to make accountable for the bar tab hehe!

The beautiful bride arrived with her super cute 6 year old little sister and her glamorous mother dressed in purple as her bridal party, what an absolutely gorgeous bond the 3 of them must have to be chosen to be in her bridal party.

The couple were full of happiness throughout their meaningful and sweet ceremony and plenty of happy tears didn’t go a miss with most of the bridal party needing tissues too!

Roma Street Parklands Wedding. Image kindly provided by Naomi V Photography

I believe they made a great decision having an unplugged wedding ceremony as it’s too easy for guests to unintentionally disengage from the ceremony, the emotions and the words that have been carefully chosen by the couple if they are preoccupied with snapping away, composing their images, zooming in and out and weaving their cameras between the iPhones held in the air to get another shot.

The tissues that were being passed around the guests seating to capture the happy tears from this wedding tell me that the guests really were truly present and able to connect with the happiness of the bride and groom during this ceremony.

I believe that going forward we will see more and more couples choosing to have an unplugged wedding ceremony to allow guests to really focus on enjoying the ceremony and to feel how special it really is.

Congratulations Aimi and Greg on a truly beautiful wedding!

Cara Hodge, Authorised Celebrant, Brisbane City Celebrants x

If you enjoyed hearing about this unplugged wedding at Roma Street Parklands and are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding, Cara would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

The winning Four Weddings Australia wedding performed by Jamie Eastgate

on December 18, 2013 · 9 Comments

With Celebrant Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

In 2010 the producers of the UK reality hit TV show ‘Four Weddings’ came to Australia to shoot the very first Australian version of this show ‘Four Weddings Australia’.

In case you haven’t seen the show, the concept is that the producers select 4 brides all planning very different types of weddings, with different budgets, taste and opinions and they all attend each others weddings then rate each other on various aspects of the wedding; dress, ceremony, food and overall experience. The winners score an incredible luxury honeymoon!

Chani and Lindsays Newstead Rotunda Wedding Ceremony as featured on ‘Four Weddings Australia’ Image: Boots Photography

Chani and Lindsay had already booked Jamie as their Celebrant for their Newstead Rotunda wedding in Brisbane when Chani contacted Jamie with the exciting news that they had been interviewed and selected to have their wedding filmed for the show.

Chani and Lindsay were the most happy and easy going bride and groom from the get go right through to their big day. They planned an intimate ceremony, with no bridal party and it was important to them to write their own light hearted fun vows. Instead of a ‘giving away of the bride’ they arrived together and walked down the long winding path at Newstead Park that creates a very dramatic entrance – the longest wedding aisle in Brisbane!

With huge smiles and much laughter, as they got close to the rotunda their guests applauded and cheered them, all while the film crew laden with cameras and microphones attempted to keep up with their eager speed down the Newstead Park aisle!

They then took their place in the middle of the rotunda where their guests created a circle around them and the ceremony commenced, it was a short fun ceremony and the love and connection between them was so very clear for all to see.

When Jamie pronounced them husband and wife for the very first time, they shared a kiss and once again the simultaneous cheering and applause from the guests filled the rotunda. There was so much happiness and their ceremony was enjoyed by all, even the other Four Wedding brides who let’s face it, were there to try and find some flaw but they only had lovely things to say about the ceremony.

When the show aired we watched with baited breath, naturally hoping that our Brisbane bride and groom would win, and we weren’t disappointed. We flew out of our seats jumping around our living room and high fiving when we realised they won! It was great to see the super high score all the fellow contestants gave Chani and Lindsay for their ceremony and as they mention in their Real Wedding below, instead of following the rules they did it their way, making it thoroughly enjoyable for everyone present and winning themselves an amazing honeymoon staying at an over water bungalow at the Maldives, what a way to celebrate!

The Four Wedding Score Board for Brisbane bride and groom Chani and Lindsay who received great points and feedback for their fun ceremony.

To see a short video of Chani and Lindsays winning ‘Four Weddings Australia’ ceremony, click here

REAL WEDDING

Bride and Groom: Chani and Lindsay

Wedding Date: 19th June 2010

Wedding Ceremony Location: Newstead Rotunda, Newstead Park, Brisbane

Tell us about your ceremony: We wanted a ceremony that would reflect our personalities, very casual and welcoming. Short, funny and loving was our brief. We had 50 guests plus the ‘Four Weddings Australia’ TV crew. Yes, we were one of the contestants in the show!

Newstead Rotunda winning Four Wedding Ceremony

Reception Location: The best pub in town – The Breakfast Creek Hotel.

Tell us about your reception:

Beer off the wood, great steak and a live band – it doesn’t get any better than that!

What we loved:

We loved arriving on the bus together, walking down the aisle together when we arrived and just sharing the whole day with some of our closest friends and family.

Describe your experience with Jamie from Brisbane City Celebrants:

Our experience with Jamie as our Celebrant was so perfect, it is hard to find the words. Jamie did everything he said he would, but most importantly he listened to our story, he understood what we were trying to do and he delivered. He made our ceremony fun, got a few laughs and kept the atmosphere to that of a true celebration!

View a short clip of this winning wedding here: Winning Four Weddings ceremony at Newstead Rotunda with Jamie Eastgate – Brisbane City Celebrants

Your advice to bride and grooms to be:

My only advice is to do it your way. That’s what we did, we didn’t follow any ‘how to’ guide or even listen to any well meaning

advice givers. At the end of the day I think that’s why we won on the Four Weddings show, because our wedding was true to our personalities and style.

To see more of Chani and Lindsays winning ‘Four Weddings Australia’ ceremony, click here (click refresh if the video doesn’t show immediately)

If you enjoyed hearing about this winning Newstead Park Rotunda wedding ceremony and are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding, Jamie would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony as featured on Polka Dot Bride

on December 16, 2013 · 3 Comments

With Celebrant Cara Hodge of Brisbane City Celebrants

I am so excited to share this story of a sweet surprise vow renewal ceremony – with a twist!

The twist being that it wasn’t the guests that were surprised it was the bride and groom who had absolutely no idea that their photo shoot was about to turn in to a vow renewal ceremony which not long after featured on the fabulous Polka Dot Bride blog.

Brisbane City Celebrants featured on Polka Dot Bride

I first heard from Melissa when she contacted me via my Facebook page where she inquired in to my availability to be their Celebrant for their wedding in the garden gazebo at the Glen Hotel.

I excitedly confirmed my availability and a few days later we met at a local coffee shop where we discussed the kind of wedding that would perfectly reflect them as a couple and as a family as they have 3 beautiful daughters together.

I love it when couples are eager to involve their children in their wedding day, there are many different ways to involve children of all different ages in weddings. I discussed various ideas with Melissa and Aaron and one of my ideas that they loved was the ‘rings blessing’ where each daughter would place a kiss on the wedding rings before they were exchanged to give their blessing to their mum and dads marriage.

Before we knew it their wedding day had arrived, the romantic gazebo at the Glen Hotel set amongst a purpose built ceremony garden set the scene for their special day. Rain clouds were lingering and I recall the Events Manager asking Aaron to make the final call of if the ceremony should proceed to take place outside, or be relocated indoors. Aarons thoughts were immediately with his bride and he responded by saying he wanted Melissa to have the ceremony she has been dreaming of, so he instructed the ceremony to proceed in the ceremony gardens as planned.

The ceremony flowed perfectly, there wasn’t a drop of rain and the super cute flower girls looked divine and completed their roles of blessing the wedding rings with perfection!

While Melissa and Aaron enjoyed a fantastic wedding day, when it came to collecting the wedding photos they were shocked to find out their photographer seemed to have significantly increased the price of their package from what was initially agreed, perhaps this was covered in the small print of their contract, I’m not sure but either way the amount their photographer was demanding was simply out of their reach and simply just not do-able for them meaning the couple ended up with no professional wedding photos, not even a sneak peek!

This also meant they didn’t have professional photos of their family to treasure from this special day.

Myself and Melissa stayed in touch via Facebook and when her 1^st wedding anniversary came and went she had no wedding photos to share on her page, it was then that she explained to me what had happened and how upset she was not to have any wedding photos.

While you only have 1 wedding day and they can never get that day back, my mind raced and I contacted a reputable photographer that both myself and Jamie had worked with on a number of occasions, Deb from Boots Photography, and also a family member Anne who runs the Rose Room High Tea Café in Noosaville to share Melissas story and see on the off chance if they would be interested in doing a shoot with Melissa and her family.

The reason Anne came to mind to contact was because Melissa has a love and passion for vintage and retro, as does Anne with every item you find on the table at her High Tea café being carefully selected and from a former era.

Beside themselves with excitement I received immediate responses from both Anne and Deb they had been planning to do a styled shoot with Anne’s beautiful china and vintage furnishings and they were only too happy to work the shoot around Melissa and Aaron, they Deb had the brainwave – why not surprise them with a vow renewal on the day to make the day that bit extra special!

Melissa and Aaron’s Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony

Deb did a fantastic job enlisting a team of wedding professionals who were kind enough to donate their time and services to put this shoot together, while they were all in on the surprise vow renewal ceremony we had to keep it all super secret from our unsuspecting bride and groom.

The couple were thrilled to receive such stunning professional images by Deb of Boots Photography

The couple were thrilled to receive such stunning professional images by Boots Photography

Usually our couples have a huge amount of input in to their ceremonies and we always get their approval on the final ceremony before their special day. However under these circumstances I had to create the ceremony without the couples sign off, so I wrote their vows for them and couldn’t resist including their children with a rings blessing just like on their wedding day!

The day arrived and the vendors were buzzing around busily passionately creating their own special part of the day.

The couple had no idea their photo shoot was about to turn in to a surprise vow renewal ceremony.

The day commenced with Deb shooting various backdrops with the couple, then right on cue she led the couple over to the ceremony set up where she continued to shoot, suppliers gathered around the signal was given and a track from one of Melissas favourite bands the Foo Fighters played.

Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony with Brisbane Celebrant Ciara Hodge

Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony with Brisbane Celebrant Cara Hodge

I surfaced from the acreage property dressed appropriately in a vintage style dress and with Melissa and Aaron already in their places under the lace draped wedding arch, I was the one to walk down the aisle. It wasn’t until the music faded out and I whipped out my ceremony folder and said “SURPRISE” that Melissa and Aaron realised what was about to happen, they responded ‘Are we getting married again?’ hehe! Love them!

I commenced the ceremony requesting their permission to renew their vows to which they both happily agreed. The vow renewal ceremony was so much fun for everyone present, the girls kissed their wedding bands just like on the wedding day and as I pronounced them husband and wife for the second time, they shared a kiss while Aaron spontaneously threw his hat in the air as everyone roared with laughter and Deb captured the moment.

The couples children kissing the wedding bands to signify their blessing of the marriage…for the second time!

Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony when the surprise was on the couple! with Ciara Hodge, Brisbane Celebrant

Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony when the surprise was on the couple! with Cara Hodge, Brisbane Celebrant

We all enjoyed tasty treats whipped up by the resident Chef Jamie and a glass of celebratory champagne, except for Deb who continued to shoot the now re-married couple making the most of the beautiful afternoon sunset.

The ceremony was promptly snapped up and featured on the Polka Dot Bride blog which was a lovely way for all the deserving suppliers to receive recognition for coming together and giving Melissa, Aaron and their family not just a day to remember but this time beautiful photos to treasure.

Congratulations to the happy couple just married… again!

If you enjoyed hearing about this surprise vow renewal ceremony and are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding or vow renewal ceremony, Cara would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

The Ultimate Dream Wedding at Riverlife

on December 14, 2013 · 7 Comments

With Celebrant Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

The Riverlife wedding venue is situated perfectly on the Brisbane river overlooking the city making it such a great location for an urban wedding, so we were thrilled when the Event Manager contacted us to ask us if we would like to be the Celebrant for the winners of their Win an Ultimate Dream Wedding at Riverlife competition.

Riverlife Wedding Ceremony with Celebrant Jamie Eastgate. Image: Milque Photography

In Australia it is a requirement that all couples have a choice of Celebrant which also applies to the ‘win a wedding’ competitions occasionally held by venues or bridal publications. So with this in mind the venue pulled together a number of excellent reputable Celebrants so the winners could proceed having that choice.

The competition was advertised in the ‘U On Sunday’ magazine from the Sunday Mail with the prize being an entire luxury wedding held at Riverlife including Bride and Bridesmaids Dresses from Hills in Hollywood, an abundance of florals from Julie Vine Flowers, a Firework display by Fireworx and many more talented suppliers that came together to make this wedding super special.

Riverlife Wedding Ceremony with Celebrant Jamie Eastgate. Image: Kindly provided by Milque Photography

Applicants were invited to share their story and tell Riverlife why they think they should be the Ultimate Dream Wedding Winner.

Riverlife Wedding Ceremony with Celebrant Jamie Eastgate. Image: Kindly provided by Milque Photography

When Riverlife announced the winners Katrina and Nat and shared their heartfelt story, we couldn’t be happier hearing the prize was going to such a deserving couple. Katrina and Nat had worked and saved hard to purchase their first property based in Ipswich. When news of the expected 2010 floods became apparent with their home being in a flood area, they followed advice and worked tirelessly to move all their belongings to the top floor of their house out of the way of flood ways, then hastily evacuated.

After the floods subsided, they returned to their house only to find the flooding had been much higher than any of their neighbourhood had anticipated, completely saturating the entire top floor containing all their possessions with that stinky muddy water that we all unfortunately became accustomed to during this time. Needless to say they lost everything, worst of all they were even more devastated when their home and contents insurer refused to pay up.

Shortly after the floods while Katrina and Nat were working hard to rebuild their lives, their neighbour entered them in to the Riverlife Ultimate Dream Wedding competition, and fortunately for them their luck completely changed for the better when they won!

Soon after the Riverlife Events Manager got in touch to tell us that the couple had picked Jamie Eastgate to be their Celebrant. So sharing in their excitement, Jamie got in touch and met with the couple where he explained the legal paperwork and discussed the kind of ceremony they would like. Jamie found Katrina and Nat a true pleasure to work with and be around, they were incredibly easy going and expressed their love for the idea of a simple and meaningful ceremony with a family member performing a reading.

QLD Brides feature on the Riverlife Ultimate Dream Wedding: Images Milque Photography

QLD Brides magazine feature on the Riverlife Ultimate Dream Wedding: Images Milque Photography

When the special day arrived the glowing bride Katrina arrived on the CityCat boat at The Thornton Street ferry terminal, just a short stroll from Riverlife, where she was walked down the aisle by her father to her eagerly awaiting groom.

U on Sunday Feature of the Riverlife Ultimate Dream Wedding

U on Sunday Magazine Feature of the Riverlife Ultimate Dream Wedding

The ceremony looked stunning and went perfectly, there were even a few onlookers who had been following Katrinas weekly journal on the ‘U on Sunday’ magazine leading up the wedding that came along for a squizzy at this lavish wedding and gorgeous bride and groom.

Shortly after the wedding Katrina and Nat submitted this absolutely lovely ‘Real Wedding’ testimonial to us. Their wedding was also featured in the QLD Brides magazine and U on Sunday. They have since restored their damaged home and are enjoying being madly in love and happily married.

Bride and Groom: Katrina & Nat

Wedding Date: 20th August 2011

Wedding Ceremony Location: Riverlife, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane

Tell us about your ceremony:

As we were lucky to be the winners of the Riverlife dream wedding giveaway, we were so grateful to be able to hold both our Ceremony and Reception at Riverlife. The ceremony was held outdoors on the deck overlooking the river on a beautiful afternoon. With all of our friends and family around to witness us announced as husband and wife, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

Reception Location:

Also at Riverlife, in the Sunset Marquee.

Tell us about your reception:

Themed as a soft winter romance, the reception was so beautifully designed with endless amounts of flowers, candles and of course a lolly buffet. We had great music, great food and danced the night away with all of our loved ones. The most fantastic day imaginable.

What we loved:

The beautiful venue and spending the day celebrating with all of those closest to us.

Describe your experience with Jamie from Brisbane City Celebrants:

Jamie was so fantastic to work with and from day one made the entire process so simple and easy. With only 2 months’ notice after winning our wedding prize, time was no problem for Jamie and he was more than happy to meet up with us and work around our busy schedule. The ceremony was such a wonderful success, exactly as we had always imagined and it was all thanks to Jamie. We would have no hesitation in recommending him to all of our friends in the future.

Your advice to bride and grooms to be:

Don’t stress about the little things, everything will work out on the day, just treasure every minute as it goes by so quickly.

If you enjoyed hearing about this dream wedding at Riverlife and are looking for a Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding, Jamie would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.

Married in Brisbane Airport and they flew happily ever after

on December 11, 2013 · 1 Comment

Married in Brisbane Airport and they flew happily ever after

With Celebrant Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

One of the many perks of getting married in Australia is that couples can wed pretty much anywhere!

This couple who opted for a valentines day wedding ceremony decided to take advantage of this freedom to wed where ever they pleased. They planned a very intimate wedding in the company of 4 close friends (plus their Celebrant Jamie Eastgate) and when it came to deciding where to say their ‘I Do’s’ the special place that just felt right for them, took everyone by surprise – The Brisbane Airport Jetstar departure gate 36!

Brisbane Airport Valentines Day Wedding with Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

Married in Brisbane Airport on Valentines Day with Jamie Eastgate of Brisbane City Celebrants

The reason this unusual wedding ceremony location was special to the couple is that this was where they shared their first kiss after they had met at a function the evening before and the smitten groom offered her a lift to the airport. Can you imagine the butterflies she must have had as she got on to that plane.

Although the ceremony would have been a great location to jet straight off on a romantic honeymoon from, instead they enjoyed a High Tea reception at the Brisbane Marriott Hotel with a small group of friends and family.

This quirky wedding was featured in the Courier Mail, where many of the couples surprised friends and family first heard the exciting news of their marriage taking place.

Brisbane City Celebrants love fun and quirky weddings and we are only too happy to share in the excitement of couples special day, wherever they choose to wed.

If you enjoyed hearing about this quirky wedding that took place at Brisbane airport and are looking for an open minded Celebrant for your Brisbane wedding, Jamie would love to hear from you. Contact Brisbane City Celebrants for more information and to confirm availability for your special day.