Weddings – Cheryl Landsberry Brisbane Bayside Celebrant

Wedding at Roma Street Parklands

Bec and Lincoln met at the cinema, where they were both working part time to earn some pocket money during their university years. So it was only fitting that at their wedding ceremony, they included a picnic basket full of bags of popcorn for their guests to enjoy with a glass of bubbles. The little verse on the stickers read,

“You’ve made this a day

We won’t forget

Here’s something sweet

From where we met.”

I love the creative ideas that couples come up with to represent their unique relationship and their back story.

Bec prepped for the wedding day in a Brisbane City hotel, with hair and makeup artist Ellen creating a very natural look for Bec. Her dress was super pretty, with the bodice featuring a white daisy pattern. Bec was chauffeured to the ceremony site by Kandid Kombi, and walked down the aisle to “I’m with you” by Vance Joy.

The colour scheme of the wedding was Autumn colours, with bridesmaid Danielle wearing a toffee coloured dress. Best man, Christiaan, wore a toffee coloured bow tie. Miss Weddings styled a white hexagonal arbour with dried flowers in rust and burnt orange. The bouquet also featured Autumn coloured flowers.

After the ceremony, the couple joined their guests for a celebration at The Port Office Hotel in the Brisbane CBD.

#sibleythebest23

Ceremony Venue: Roma Street Parkland – City View Saddle

Reception Venue: Port Office Hotel – Edward Street

Coordination: Elope Brisbane

Photographer: Romana Saeheng Photography and Graphic Design

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry – Marriage Celebrant

Transport: Kandid Kombi

Styling: Miss Weddings

Flowers: Little Miss Flower Shoppe

HMUA: Ellen Munro

Weddings

Midday Wedding at The Grand View Hotel Cleveland

Like many couples, Mary Ann and Martin were both ready to meet someone to share their life with, and they went about creating an online profile to reflect their personalities and criteria.

Martin thought Mary Ann looked adventurous in her kayaking profile pic, and once Mary Ann read that Martin was looking for a fellow “lover of cheese”, she was sold. The two agreed to meet up in person. The click when they met could be heard around the world. (I love this line – I didn’t write it, but I’m determined to find a spot for it in every wedding from now on!)

The brief for their wedding was for a low-key, relaxed, enjoyable, family focused celebration. They didn’t want drama, cliches, pomp, or formality. Both from the UK, Mary Ann and Martin had previously only attended weddings in stuffy churches, town halls and manor houses so they relished the prospect of an outdoor wedding, bathed in Queensland sunshine, and cooled by the fresh bay breezes.

To avoid the need for designated drivers, Mary Ann and Martin hired a bus to collect their guests and transport them to the wedding location. The guests all piled off the bus in high spirits, setting the vibe for a festive ceremony.

Their chosen venue was the historic Grand View Hotel, Queensland’s oldest licensed pub. Built in 1851, the hotel features wrought iron balconies and views out over Moreton Bay towards North Stradbroke Island. Mary Ann and Martin chose to marry under one of the outdoor gazebos on the hotel grounds, aptly named the Stradbroke Gazebo. The couple hired Mel from Miss Weddings to place a circular foliage arbour with white Tiffany guest chairs.

The couple’s favourite memory of the ceremony was when I reminded them to take in all their surroundings to remember the moment – the smiles on the faces of their guests, the bay views, the sunshine, and the look in each other’s eyes. The wedding ceremony is over so quickly, even practical Martin was lost in a sea of blue as he gazed into Mary Ann’s eyes.

After the relaxed and joyous ceremony, the couple and their guests snapped a few photos before heading upstairs to the verandah for a celebration lunch, heeding the advice of Thorin Oakenshield: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” They enjoyed a delicious meal, the fresh breeze, excellent service, and the sunshine streaming through the trees.

Venue: Grand View Hotel Cleveland

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry – Marriage Celebrant

Stylist: Miss Weddings

Weddings

Wedding at Cedar Creek Lodges, Mount Tamborine

Brooke and Conor went to the same high school, but they were not in the same circle of friends, and didn’t really connect. Some time later, Brooke dropped by the local Sushi store and saw Conor working there. Their eyes met over the Sushi train, and both were immediately mesmerised. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other.

Fast forward a few years, and Brooke and Conor were planning their wedding day. They wanted a relaxed, modern, intimate, and genuine ceremony for just their family and a few close friends. They chose Cedar Creek Lodges at Tamborine Mountain for their ceremony and reception. The couple and their wedding party checked in to the rainforest cabins the day before their wedding, and were able to dress and prepare for the wedding day in their comfy cabins.

Brooke chose a fitted white lace dress from Studio Minc, and the bridesmaids wore boho teal coloured dresses. They all wore Birkenstocks. Hair and Makeup was by Isabella Jane.

Brooke and Conor chose the Simply Elope package from Elope Brisbane, which included experienced wedding professionals celebrant Cheryl Landsberry and photographer Romana Saeheng.

Brooke walked into the ceremony space on the arm of her dad to Jack Johnson’s “I got you”. The ceremony area at Cedar Creek Lodges features a bubbling creek and waterfall, and is set amongst palms, ferns, and tropical rainforest. Time stood still for a few moments as the adorable young couple just gazed at each other, soaking up the tranquil atmosphere.

Conor spoke his vows to Brooke, including, “ I promise to love you in sun and rain and forever hold you in my care.” Brooke replied with, “ I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.”

Following the ceremony and photos, the couple and their family enjoyed a reception in the dining room and then retreated back to the rainforest cabins for the evening, avoiding the need to drive home back down the mountain.

Venue: Cedar Creek Lodges, Tamborine Mountain

Coordination: Elope Brisbane

Photographer: Romana Saeheng

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry

Dress: Studio Minc

HMUA: Isabella Jane

Weddings

Morning wedding at The Pavilion, Mt Tamborine

Kristen and Brody chose a morning wedding at beautiful Mount Tamborine. Although it’s early to be up and wedding ready, mornings are a gorgeous time to marry, especially in the rainforest surroundings.

Brody and Kristen chose the Pavilion near the Curtis Falls walking trail for their ceremony and breakfast reception. The Pavilion is a vintage tea house, with a gazebo for wedding ceremonies. Tables and chairs for the reception can be set up inside the tea house, on the deck, or around the gardens.

What a beautiful little spot for a quiet morning wedding.

Venue: The Pavilion Mt. Tamborine
Coordination: Elope Brisbane
Photographer: Romana Saeheng Photography and Graphic Design
Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry – Marriage Celebrant

Weddings, Your Celebrant

The Marriage Celebrant’s Role: Step 2: Writing the Celebrant

The celebrant’s role

Most of the celebrant’s role happens behind the scenes, with wedding guests only seeing that half an hour of ceremony time.

The celebrant’s role can be broken down into four categories:

1 / The meeting

2/ Writing the ceremony

3/ The rehearsal

4/ The ceremony

Today, I’ll tell you a little more about Step 2: Writing the Ceremony

When do I start writing the ceremony? Whenever you are ready to send me your choices. Sometimes this is a year before the wedding, and other times it might be a month before the wedding. But I like this to be an unhurried process, so the you have time to read the first draft and let it settle. Probably the ideal time to start writing the first draft would be three to six months before the wedding.

What kind of input is needed to write the ceremony? I do like to have some contribution from you in order to make the ceremony more personalised to the two of you. But this shouldn’t feel like homework. And not everyone wants to have a personalised ceremony – some are happy with something more standard.

Where do clients find information for their ceremony? My resources handout has lots of suggestions, ideas, and vow samples. You can choose from three ways of creating the ceremony:

1/ let me create the ceremony for you without needing to provide input

2/ choose options from the resources folder. Eg #3 for the asking, #7 for the vows, #2 for the wedding ring exchange

3/ draw inspiration from the samples to create your own vows

How long does it take to write a marriage ceremony? On average, probably one to two hours would have the first draft covered.

How many edits can couples make? As many as you like. We can email back and forth until the ceremony is just the way you want it. Some couples are satisfied with the first draft – no changes required. Others will add ideas or change things around – that’s no problem!

The story of you is my favourite part of the ceremony. I love this to be a little sweet and a little funny – the kind of humour that will have your Nanna chuckling. From a questionnaire, I’ll gather together your story points and weave them into a wedding highlight.

Sometimes as I’m writing, the words pour out of my brain, and I can scarcely type fast enough. At other times, I’ll sit and agonise over a word or phrase for ten minutes, right clicking through the options of synonyms and not finding the one which is quite right.

As inspiration, I like to listen to the songs which you’ve chosen for the ceremony as I write – it helps to create the atmosphere that we’re aiming for.

There are some celebrants who outsource the writing of their ceremonies, but this is one of my favourite steps in the wedding process, and I often find myself smiling to myself as I write and feel quite accomplished when I receive a grateful reply from the couple -now they can actually visualise their ceremony coming together.

Weddings

Wedding at Redland Bay Golf Club

Emma and Callum loved the beautiful green grounds at Redland Bay Golf Club, and chose this for their wedding ceremony and reception. The Golf Club has three different ceremony areas to choose from, but as their wedding day was a little windy, the couple decided to switch to the gazebo, which provided some protection from the elements.

Callum and Emma planned their wedding day a year in advance, so had plenty of time to attend to so many details for their celebrations.

The colour palette of the wedding was dusty pink and eucalyptus green, which was carried through from the bridesmaid dresses to the cupcakes.

Emma wore a beautiful lace dress from @luv bridal, and wore a white floral headband in her hair with a veil. Callum was very handsome in a three piece grey suit with a dusty pink tie.

The dusty pink colour was continued in the florals, with Emma’s bouquet, Callum’s boutonniere, and florals on the signage created by Mary from @lillicreek. The elegant fresh flowers were quite a feature.

Taking a peek into the reception room, a lolly buffet (also in pale pinks and greens) had been set up by Simone with cupcakes in the same hues.

The room (and also the ceremony arbour) was styled by Beautiful Illusions. The round tables featured white cloths with sparkly gold runners and gold chair sashes. The napkins were pale pink. The centrepieces were glass pyramids with foliage, white and pink flowers, and fairy lights.

So many little elements of the wedding really added to the ambience and made this a wedding to remember.

Dress: Luv Bridal

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry – Marriage Celebrant

Photographers: Hawthorne Creative

Bouquet: Lillicreek Florals

Hair + Makeup: InVogue Hair Designers + Glow Studio By Velbella

Venue: Redland Bay Golf Club

Cake: Cakes by Simone

Styling: Beautiful Illusions

Signage: Amber Luxe

Shoes: Mathers + R.M.Williams

Suit: Ferrari Formalwear & Bridal

Weddings

Wedding at Sandstone Point Hotel

M & R chose their wedding date to coincide with M’s 30^th birthday, so their wedding day was a double celebration.

They booked the rustic arbour at Sandstone Point Hotel for their ceremony, and were blessed with a glorious Autumn afternoon with blue skies and a light breeze from the Bay.

M and the girls arrived in a shiny black stretch Mustang from @special_vehicle_hire

M wore a slinky, fitted gown, which showed off her hours spent in the gym.

The ceremony was light and relaxed, featuring the couple’s children, family and friends.

Following the ceremony, photographer @romana Saeheng snapped a couple of photos for the couple to remember their day, then the group moved to the Oyster Shed at Sandstone Point Hotel for their celebrations.

Venue: Sandstone Point Hotel

Photographer: Romana Saeheng

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry

Flowers: deluca_floral_designs

Mustang: Special_vehicle_hire

Weddings

Morning Wedding at The Bush Chapel, Mount Coot-tha

Hana and Nick are not followers of convention and so decided to do their wedding their own way. They pictured a morning wedding, in the still quiet of the day, surrounded by tall trees and bird song. An 8am wedding doesn’t allow too much time for faffing about, so with minimal contrivance, Hana and Nick arrived at their ceremony location hand in hand.

The bush chapel at Mount Coot-tha is an outdoor chapel in a secluded clearing in the national park, set on a WWII army slab. The pews are lopped trees placed on their sides, and the pulpit is a rustic stone construction. Nick’s family arrived earlier in the morning to set up flowering potted plants along the aisle.

With most of Hana’s family living overseas, a live stream was set up so they could all take part in the ceremony.

Hana and Nick delighted their guests (and myself in particular) by choosing their entrance music from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack – The Fellowship of the Ring. The couple made their vows to each other with just the right amount of sincerity, authenticity and wit.

After a couple of family snaps, the couple headed off to prepare for a celebratory lunch in the city.

Location: The Bush Chapel – Mount Coot-tha

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry

Photographer: family

Styling: family

Weddings

Wedding at Wilson Outlook Reserve, New Farm

Peter and Christine decided on a relaxed, but special wedding at Wilson Outlook Reserve, New Farm, which overlooks the Brisbane River and the Storey Bridge. They arranged for their guests to all frock up and check in to Brisbane city accommodation so they could celebrate with a party at Howard Smith Wharves after the ceremony.

Christine and Peter contacted the team at Elope Brisbane to take care of all their wedding planning for them. They chose the Simply Elope package, which includes a local and knowledgeable celebrant and a qualified and experienced photographer. They also added on the hire of some Americana chairs for their guests. All Peter and Christine had to do was shop for their outfits and wedding rings. And choose their honeymoon destination!

On a warm, Thursday afternoon, Peter and Christine stood side by side, surrounded by their closest friends and family, and promised to live out their days together. For their ceremony exit song, they chose, “You’re the one that I want” from the movie, Grease, which set the tone for an evening of good old fashioned partying.

Client testimonial: “The professionalism we received from Cheryl was above and beyond our expectations!!! It was a beautiful day with a perfect ceremony. Thank you Cheryl
Chrissy & Pete

Venue: Wilson Outlook Reserve, New Farm

Coordinator: Elope Brisbane

Guest chairs & signing table: Miss Weddings

Photographer: Romana Saeheng

Celebrant: Cheryl Landsberry

Weddings

Wedding at Wilson Outlook Reserve

2023 has been the year for couples just doing weddings their own way. Georgia and Declan love a refreshing beer on a warm Brissie afternoon, and their favourite spot is the Green Beacon Brewing at Teneriffe. So, of course, they decided to hold their wedding reception there. With a cold beer or two on hand.

After some wedding prep at the The Calile Hotel at Fortitude Valley, Georgia arrived in the zesty orange Kandid Kombi.

Mel from Miss Weddings styled the ceremony area with a hexagonal arbour, which suited the geometric backdrop of the city skyline. The blue skies were reflected in the Brissie River as the guests looked out over the Story Bridge.

Georgia was dressed in a slim fitting dress from Grace Loves Lace at Burleigh, and she looked naturally beautiful with a couple of soft curls and natural makeup.

Preceding Georgia’s entrance (to Appointment by DMA’S) walked her grandmother, tossing flower petals. How sweet!

Declan and Georgia’s brief for their ceremony was “relaxed, light, and festive” so I told the story of their first meeting while working at the Story Bridge. Georgia noticed that Declan was handsome, likable, and funny. Declan noticed that Georgia was pretty, capable, and strong-willed.’

They soon became a couple – to the delight of their friends and families who saw them blossom and support each other as they grew up together.

Their wedding day was held on their ten year anniversary!

After the ceremony and some photos, the revellers made their way to the Green Beacon to celebrate.

Contact the team at Elope Brisbane to do your wedding just how you want to.

Photos by Romana Saeheng Photography and Graphic Design

Coordination by Elope Brisbane

Styling Miss Weddings

Transport Kandid Kombi

Flowers Little Miss Flower Shoppe

Celebrant Cheryl Landsberry – Marriage Celebrant

Videography Dan Hodgson Freelance

HMUA Silk Hair and Makeup