Dreamy Wedding Venues from around the World

August 24, 2020 Emily McDonald

We regularly discover new, beautiful wedding venues in our travels for inspiration. We decided to make it easy and collate it all in one spot. As we find (new-to-us) venues, we will add them below. If you know of any that should be on this list, please feel free to reach out. If there are any that should not be on the list (assume that if they are below, we are unaware of any inherent racism, ageism, or discrimination of any form that might be known to local vendors/businesses; again, feel free to reach out to us and let us know). We are most familiar with the venues in our local area - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - and so the majority of venues listed will probably be concentrated around this area. Enjoy the following 100+ venues!

Australia

Queensland

Brisbane & Surrounds

Boulevard Gardens

Brisbane City Hall

Brisbane Marriott Hotel

Bundaleer Rainforest Gardens

Glengariff Historic Estate

Loyal Hope of the Valley

Old Museum

QAGOMA

QUT Wedding Collection (Old Government House, in particular)

Sunshine Coast & Surrounds

Hideaway Weddings

Maleny Manor

Maleny Retreat Weddings

Noosa Boathouse

Secrets on the Lake

The Old Dairy Maleny

Weddings at Tiffany’s

Gold Coast & Surrounds

Albert River Winery

Black Hall Kalbar

Coolibah Downs Private Estate

Cowbell Creek Weddings

Kooroomba Vineyards & Lavender Farm

Rosewood Estate

Sarabah Estate Vineyard

The Overflow Estate 1895

Elsewhere

New South Wales

Bellingen Valley Lodge

Bendooley Estate

Deux Belettes

Glenmore Country Estate

Hinterland House

Hunter Valley Gardens

Lochelen Farm

Milton Park Country House

The Grounds of Alexandria

Victoria

St Andrews Conservatory

The Langham

The Riverstone Estate

Tasmania

Museum of Old & New Art

South Australia

Kingsford Homestead

Western Australia

Caversham House

Northern Territory

Double Tree Alice Springs

Bahamas

Four Seasons Ocean Club

Finland

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

France

Chateau Challain

Chateau Estoublon

Chateau Martinay

Chateau de Bouthonvilliers

Chateau de Carsix

Chateau de Varennes

Chateau de Villette

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

French Polynesia

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

Hawaii

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Conti di San Bonifacio

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco

San Clemente Palace Kempinski

Morocco

Mexico

New Zealand

Switzerland

Badrutt's Palace Hotel

Beau-Rivage Palace

Carlton Hotel St Moritz

Congress Hotel Seepark

Gstaad Palace

Grand Hotel du Lac

Grand Hotel Kronenhof

Historisches Alpinhotel Grimsel Hospiz

Hotel Bellevue Palace

Hotel Chateu d’Ouchy

Berghotel Schatzalp

Hotel Central

Hotel Schweizerhof Bern

Kulm Hotel St Moritz

Lavsanne Palace

Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort

Park Gstaad

Schloss Wartegg

The Chedi Andermatt

Turkey

Sait Halim Pasa Mansion

United Kingdom

Frederick Loewe Estate

Historic Royal Palaces

United States of America

Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club

Gruene Estate

Kestrel Park

Montage Palmetto Bluff

Sands Point Preserve

The Chandelier of Gruene

The Hummingbird Nest

Villa Terrace Museum

Vanuatu

The Inside Scoop on Wedding Planning

August 17, 2020 Emily McDonald

We have planned quite a few events during the past few years. We recently made time to tally how many businesses we have worked with and we’re up around 180 (at least). This means that we have liaised with many more businesses as not every business you approach signs up to work together. This can be for a range of reasons. When businesses work together, it has to work for both parties to be sustainable. What we are offering in that moment does not always align with the goals of the other business at that particular period in time and that is totally okay. Sometimes other businesses are busy working on other aspects of their business to be able to make time to produce content. Sometimes other businesses are in survival mode and having to focus on keeping the essential processes running - and so on. Business-to-business communication is, in most cases and based on our specific experience, very amicable. We have noticed some trends while going through the planning process and thought we would share - hopefully this information proves helpful for you as you go about planning your own event. :)

Here are some of the situations we frequently encounter and how it has played out for us (on average):

Delays in responses from the business?
- This has not actually been a red flag for us. Sometimes it is but sometimes businesses are just genuinely going through a crazy busy season and admin can fall behind. As long as they have responded to us within 7-10 business days (everyone is entitled to a weekend), we have found slight delays to be workable and not reflect poorly on the business - in the majority of cases. Sometimes it has been consistent with their business model in general: mindful and lots of attention to detail. Bear in mind that you are often dealing with real humans (as opposed to fake ones… yeah, we can be dry) at the other end of small business and sometimes they experience sickness, outside stress, and so on. We try to be a little mindful and plan - with all things going well - far enough in advance that people have a little breathing room and there is less reliance on them responding within 6 hours of us reaching out.
Difficulty in finding channels of communication with the business?
- A red flag in a country full of red flags. We have found that the harder it is to track down communication-related information for a business, the more difficult it is to work with them in general. It is a thing. Vulnerable moment: personally, I (Em) dislike talking business over the phone and much prefer to communicate by email, but it is not about me. It is about the client. It should take you no more than 30 seconds or a minute - factoring in reasonable internet speeds - to find a mobile number for me and I will absolutely take your call and happily try to accommodate from my end (hint: you will find it in the header for our website).
Outdated websites?
- I have a bias here. One of the first things I do when I visit a website is see how recently the blog posts have been updated. I personally do this for a few reasons: investment in blogging is typically reflective of passion (not always but a key indicator for me), recent informative posts give me some feedback that the business is up to date/on top of their speciality & provides me with a quick glance at some of their most recent work in one place without having to trawl through the whole site. Now that I have declared my bias, this is not always relevant and sometimes the website can collect dust, but the business is booming in real life. I find a quick phone call can typically gauge how much to read into a dated website.
Reviews turned off on different platforms?
- This one is a mixed bag. My first question would be: can you find reviews for the business anywhere? If nowhere then that is a red flag for me. The first place I look is Google Business. I actually do not place much value on Facebook reviews personally. It is much easier to troll & leave fake reviews and much harder to contact Facebook for resolution through that platform - as opposed to Google, for example. I have seen a few business owners personally known to me lose a lot of time politely responding to trolling and whatever else people with little time and an internet connection can get up to so that they can try to mitigate damage from unknown sources. I find Google a lot more responsive to issues than Facebook and, for that reason in particular, I have turned off reviews on Facebook. If people want to review us, they are welcome to leave their experience immortalised on Google Business.
Businesses that campaign about issues other than their own?
- I am talking about the ones that always seem to have issues with others or in general and broadcast them. Controversy seems to be part of their day to day. The business model is built on being reactive rather than responsive.
  It might be issues with other vendors stealing their concepts (we are huge on crediting - as even a cursory glance at our social media pages/blog posts with reinforce; however, what others choose to do is their business and their own moral code. Unless it directly reflects back on us/effects our quality of life, we remain silent and push on with our own workload - if anything, we push on harder and see the situation as a compliment. If it does affect us beyond what we feel is reasonable, we talk with that business rather than do a series of ranting stories - naming and shaming - on Instagram).
  It might be calling out other people/businesses for being unkind. Interestingly, we are all for kindness (never enough in this world and we try to do our bit to sprinkle kindness wherever we can!) but there seems to be a correlation here: the people who demand kindness from others seem to… well, prove to be unkind themselves. Again, it is a thing, and I think I will always find it confusing to one degree or another. I am guessing that the kind people are just busy being kind. Perhaps it is as simple as that.
Is the business inward- or outward-focused?
- This is straightforward and depends on your individual preference (that is, which category you, as a client, are more likely to work together well with - especially when talking about businesses in relational industries): some businesses bring all focus back to themselves and others are genuinely community-focused. One is built on itself and the other is built on community.
  Firstly, does the business work with other vendors? If so, do they have positive things to say about the ones that they work with regularly? (It can be a risk to say something nice about a fellow business but if someone is regularly using content from a handful of vendors and all tone is neutral, it can suggest that the business is inward-focused. Also, it does not cost anything to be nice.)
  Secondly, if they are self-focused, are they offering something niche that you cannot purchase anywhere else? If so, they might find it challenging to mesh with fellow vendors without losing the clarity of their business purpose. In this case, running solo makes a lot of sense and fits in with their overall theme. Cases like these are unusual, however.
  How does this impact you as a client?
  I think a classic example would be the recent pandemic. Most businesses, like ours, have strong contracts in place to give the client peace of mind that the business will deliver and to protect the business. However, when clients are going through circumstances beyond their control (such as the pandemic), most businesses we know have been accommodating. For example, non-refundable retainers might not be returned but other sustainable offers have been made to lighten the burden on both sides. In one case, we had 3 venue changes - all outside of the couple’s control - and 3 on-site visits (with no fees incurred; the couple are really sweet and offered to cover our time but we insisted that it was part of meeting halfway. All changes were outside of their control and not for a reason such as change of mind).
  The point? If a business is outward-focused, it is more likely to accommodate extenuating circumstances - such as the recent pandemic. If the business is inward-focused, it will most likely lock down and protect itself. We have personally experienced both types but, from our experience, there are a lot more of the former.
Short, abrupt tone from the business?
- Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Standalone issue (that is, only red flag): not usually. Some people are simply direct. Some people are time poor. Some people are driven. I am not a short, abrupt-type person but I do appreciate it from others, funnily enough. At the end of the day, the situation is for business purposes and not directly for relationship. Live and let live where possible. Short, abrupt tone during a coffee/chai/hot chocolate catch-up? Well, that is different in my books.
We hope this information is helpful for you and, as we learn more about the process, we will share. We are all for transparency and, if our experience can make yours easier, we will happily divulge. Take care and all the best with the journey that is wedding planning! Feel free to reach out anytime - even by phone <3

Wedding Venue: Gabbinbar Homestead.Florals & Styling: Emunah Events.Photography: Poppy & Sage Photography. — Wedding Venue: Gabbinbar Homestead.
Florals & Styling: Emunah Events.
Photography: Poppy & Sage Photography.

Encouragement for Covid-19/Coronavirus/Pandemic-Affected Couples

August 10, 2020 Emily McDonald

Times are tough.

Times are tough for everyone right now.

Clients and vendors alike - and everyone in-between.

We figured that this world could do with a little more thoughtfulness at the moment and so we reached out to some vendors for advice. We asked them this question: “If there is only one piece of advice you would give to couples going through Covid, what would it be?”

We deliberately left it open so that each business could choose whether to give general advice or apply it within the framework of the wedding industry.

Please bear in mind that these businesses are under the pump, too, and balancing postponements and, sadly, some cancellations. However, the following vendors kindly replied and shared their wise and encouraging thoughts to pass onto couples perhaps feeling a little lost or disheartened at the moment.

We love the collective wisdom & encouragement here. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you do, too! <3

“You now have time! Make the most of this gift of time to re-evaluate your finances, guest list, etc. Above all, this is a perfect time to rest! Your post-COVID wedding will be here in no time. All the best x” ~Zubeidah, HoneyTub Event Hire
“Whether you have just gotten engaged, you have started planning or you had the whole thing booked and had to postpone, just take a step back and think about exactly what is the most important thing to you as a couple. If it is to get married now, then do it with a smaller group. If it is to get married with your extended family travelling from all of the world, then wait and do that (or organise some amazing video streaming!). I think now more than ever couples can forget everyone else's expectations and just decide for themselves what is most important to them and once you have made that decision it will make the rest of your planning easier.” ~Marisha, Magnolia Studios
“I have translated a card my Mother sent me when I got engaged. It has been with me ever since:
‘Certainty, if someone loves you, they will not show from their words; not even from their actions - yet purely how one endures you.’” ~Nadja, Le Sans Souci
“Keep in contact with your vendors every now and again. My first thoughts for each of my Brides are: ‘How can I help you?’ and followed closely by ‘Are you ok!’ As a Makeup Artist, I have put many things in place to offer all kinds of support to my clients; however, understanding your individual circumstance means I can give you your support exactly how you need! It also means we can hopefully share your worry/stress and be a listening ear - a problem shared, is a problem halved! I know this might not apply to all your vendors completely but in my line of work, I operate in a very personal way, and it comes naturally to offer emotional support. I’m also a really good listener!” ~Tyneale, Tyneale Hahn Makeup Artist
“If you’re on the fence about booking your wedding suppliers in now with Covid - don’t let it stop you. Suppliers are now getting booked up faster and more dates are filling with couples having to reschedule. Make sure you check the suppliers you’re interested in using terms and conditions / contract. For example - for couples using me for wedding stationery, I have a section that basically says if their date changes I can provide a reprint at cost (my fees are wiped), or I can design an additional card for free and the only cost is print or I will design an email change of date / new suite with their design that can be emailed out to your guests for free.
To the couples who have already booked vendors but are unsure if their wedding will happen, my heartfelt sympathies are with you experiencing stress and wedding disruption. I wish I could give you a big hug! My advice is trying your best to have an open mind. It is ok to be upset, anxious or to grieve what could have been. If your plans have to change, know that things happen for a reason and, while it may not be clear now, things have a funny way of working out. At the end of the day, remember that you have someone that loves you and that the end goal is your marriage. Your vendors will be doing everything they can to make your day so special! If you decide that you don’t want to get married soon, then please postpone and not cancel. It could mean you may lose your deposits and your wedding vendors will be financially impacted, too.” ~Hannah, Blossie
“If you're hoping for a huge celebration with guests from all over the world, unfortunately this might mean waiting for some time before you can have the wedding of your dreams.
The alternative is that you can do a smaller legal ceremony now, with the big 'whooo-hoooo' celebrations at a later date. If you go down this route, live streaming your ceremony can work really well, and asking these friends and family to film themselves watching your wedding which can be fun to watch later on so you can see their reactions.” ~Roxy, Roxy Hotten - Celebrant
"My advice would be to decide what is most important to you and plan the wedding you want but don’t stress over small details. If you can have the day you want with current restrictions, don’t delay it. If not, just take your time and enjoy the planning." ~Wendy, Wendy Louise Designs
“My advice would be to think of yourselves as a team. At the end of the day when you’re done juggling work and kids and home stuff, sit down and spend time doing something you both enjoy. Watch TV, play a game, sip some wine or have a cup of tea. If you feel like you’d rather do something by yourself at some point, give your partner their space and enjoy yours, too.” ~Sharmeen, Sharmeen Thomas
“We are encouraging all our Beautiful Brides-to-be to allow as much time as they possibly can to order their gowns! This will allow for any unexpected changes COVID may send us!!” ~Cathy, Pearl Bridal
“Roll with it and do what's right for you and your partner. By making the most of it, you'll still enjoy celebrating your love." ~Julia, Creative Love Ceremonies
“We see you. Planning, postponing or even cancelling a wedding during a pandemic is stressful. It is stressful under normal circumstances but the current situation is next level. We would say to look for the positives. For every dark/overwhelming thought/feeling, find just one thing to counteract it and hold on tight to that silver lining. You will get through this, you will come out on the other side, and you will tell the crazy stories from this season for a lifetime! This will pass!” ~Pete and Em, Poppy & Sage Photography

The Elephant in the Room :: Uncle Bob

August 3, 2020 Emily McDonald

You may or may not have heard of one invitee usually experienced at a wedding.

“Uncle Bob”.

Can be any age (basic requirement being old enough to hold and operate a camera).

Does not have to be male gender.

It is someone who enjoys photography and who also wants to document your day - to one degree or another.

How do we handle “Uncle Bob” at your wedding?

The same as everyone else: with respect and as a valued member of the family/friends that have been invited.
The way that we would want to be treated if we were a guest at a wedding.

We can see some photographers reading this and assuming that we have only had pleasant experiences with “Uncle Bob”.

No.

We have had the jump-in-at-the-other-end-of-the-aisle-just-as-the-bride-is-walking-down Aunt.

A very long title, we know.

We have heard the stories about poor behaviour and so on - we believe them although we ourselves have been mostly lucky.

We have seen the incriminating videos - some of which you may have seen as there are viral ones in the mix.

"Uncle Bob” can sometimes be hard work.

So, the next question would most likely be, “How can Poppy & Sage Photography be so confident about how to handle the Uncle Bobs?” (That is, with respect as mentioned above.)

It comes down to one simple question we ask somewhere in the lead-up to your wedding:

“If there are any issues on the day that can be handled with the minimum of fuss, can you please name one individual from each side who can represent each of your wishes?”

That way, if one particular individual is impacting, in our opinion, our ability to work (and so on), we can approach and have a chat with one of the nominated persons who is best at handling confrontation, conflict or even just open discussion.

Furthermore, this is your day. If the Uncle Bob at your wedding is not upsetting you, your Uncle Bob is not upsetting us (unless being directly disrespectful to us, of course).

We will always work together to find a solution to any issue.

For the sake of clarity and for the record: this lovely gentleman was absolutely no Uncle Bob. He brought along a camera and respectfully documented parts of his son and daughter-in-law’s wedding. It was really sweet. It was not until speeches that … — For the sake of clarity and for the record: this lovely gentleman was absolutely no Uncle Bob. He brought along a camera and respectfully documented parts of his son and daughter-in-law’s wedding. It was really sweet. It was not until speeches that we discovered the powerful role photography had played in his life. As is typically the case with our clients, their stories - and the stories of their associated friends and family - are not ours to tell. However, we will say this: we are very glad this gentleman had the space he wished for to take images that he - and his family - will treasure. If kindness is an option, take it. <3

Meet Florist & Stylist, Nadja!

July 27, 2020 Emily McDonald

Today you will meet Nadja - a florist & stylist and owner of Le Sans Souci. We have worked with lovely Nadja several times now. Every single time, Nadja takes the brief and works her own magic. Her creations bring joy, push boundaries, and make us excited to work with her again. Here are some recommendations we have when working with Nadja:

Firstly, just do it! Le Sans Souci for dreamy florals and exquisite styling.
Secondly, give Nadja creative control. We know this sounds scary and unpredictable… and what if it does not come together perfectly? When someone has as much experience as Nadja, works as carefully & mindfully, and lovingly creates unique, bespoke floral recipes each and every time, you could not be in better hands. We stand by this. How do we know? When we give Nadja a brief, we give her full creative control. Complete control. Our concepts are just to guide the overall direction. We could not have been happier with the result in every instance - trust in a creative is everything - and we are sure you will, too!
Refer to the first point <3

Here is the story behind Le Sans Souci. Thank you for sharing it with us, Nadja, and - as always - we cannot wait to work with you again in the very near future!

MY STORY … Nadja from Le Sans Souci

My name is Nadja, and I am from South-East Germany. I spent many years in Berlin where I was a frequent customer in flower shops; I had to check any new ones out as soon as they opened. Every one of them had their unique twist to their craftsmanship. Most of all, I loved the fragrance walking into a flower shop. A deep appreciation of blooms and greens, I guess, comes from my family roots. Grandma and Mum used to have unique flowering plants we cared for through the seasons; there was always a vase inside filled with blooms.

When I had the opportunity to do what I love most it was as meant to be. After finishing traditional floristry training in Qld, I took every opportunity to learn hands-on with established event florists and used distance workshops with English and American florists to learn. I love how techniques evolve constantly and become more sustainable. The beauty of floristry is that you never stop learning.

Sans Souci means ‘carefree’ or ‘no worries’ – as we take care of the LITTLE things, and you don’t have to worry.

I CREATE BEST … with loud music.

COLOUR TO ME IS … pure life and a language of its own which everyone can speak and understand.

I FIND MY INSPIRATION … all around me in nature. The light & shadow-effects in nature during different times of the day are amazing to watch.

CREATIVITY MEANS … letting my imagination flow. It actually calms me down and helped me personally to overcome anxiety.

CHOOSING BLOOMS IS LIKE … A kid in a candy store.

FLORA & FAUNA … Australian nature has an abundance of amazing textured greenery & unusual fauna which invite to foraging. Top-notch nursery blooms produced in Australia are ridiculous beautiful!

IDEAL MATERIAL COMBOS … are a balanced contrast to me where they bring the best features out in each other. Bouquets with Australian Native florals and dainty heirloom blooms with dreamy soft silk ribbons make me smile.

MY BEST DESIGN DECISION … to go bold & trust my instincts with large scale installations like a massive tall tree with flowers ‘growing’ 6m up the trunk. I love experimenting with colour and texture, letting fresh & preserved organic materials merge together.

A LITTLE NOTE ON STYLING WITH FLORALS FOR YOUR BIG DAY … keep an open mind to possibilities when choosing florals with your florist or stylist. Blooms can create the perfect atmosphere at your venue. Set rules don’t really exist when it comes to what you can or can’t do on your wedding day. Nothing should stop you from achieving your vision. The best weddings I have been part of were team effort with my clients.

xx Nadja

You will find Le Sans Souci here:

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