Tanya and Brad

Returning to her hometown of Gympie for a mutual friend’s birthday after 18 months in the UK, Tanya met her future husband Brad.

Photography by Bambi Photography

“I was at my friend’s party at the local hotel, and was introduced to Brad early in the night.  We hit it off straight away and just talked and talked the whole night long. From there, the rest as they say is history!” said Tanya. The couple, who then got to know each other better in Gympie, were soon engaged following a romantic proposal in Byron Bay. “Brad had a serene engagement moment in mind and had planned to propose to me at Cape Byron Lighthouse,” said Tanya. “But, after the long trek to the top and with what seemed like a hundred tourists surrounding us, Brad decided to reschedule his proposal. He then proposed to me later that evening prior to our dinner date, and of course I said yes,” said Tanya.

Having both lived in Gympie and the Sunshine Coast area Brad and Tanya knew the landscape would be the perfect canvas for their country style wedding, Tanya and Brad chose the historic St Patrick’s Catholic Church and Gunabel Homestead to celebrate their ceremony and reception. Inspired by Brad’s love of restoring convertible automobiles, Tanya and Brad chose a vintage theme for their wedding day. A mingling of crystals and pearls together with a palette of ivory and mocha formed an elegant décor touch to the glamorous reception space.

Dazzling in an ivory gown with a bodice encrusted with delicate crystals and pearls, Tanya was flanked by her three bridesmaids in grape satin dresses with matching wraps. “I felt incredibly relaxed when I turned up at the church, just a couple of minutes late,” said Tanya. This was the moment she had been waiting for, and with her father by her side, Tanya made her entrance and was overcome when her eyes met Brad’s. “I could see that Brad was already overwhelmed with emotion and then the tears started flowing for me too.”

“Our ceremony was very important to us, the commitment of marriage was very special, and to celebrate our love in front of all of our family and friends was an incredible occasion,” recalls Tanya. After the ceremony the bridal party and guests arrived at the historic grounds of Gunabel Homestead (built in 1885) near the banks of The Mary River, where they all enjoyed champagne and canapés. Brad’s parents owned a nearby property and the newlyweds decided to have location photography on the property, which allowed them to unwind a little and enjoy some time with their bridal party.

Both Tanya and Brad wanted a country style shoot with a touch of elegance and Gympie photographer Bambi Wixon from Photography by Bambi had the pleasure of capturing the wedding day. “Bambi’s professionalism, creativity and attention to detail, not only on our wedding day, but also leading up to the event, was outstanding,” said Tanya.

“Bambi spent time with us on several occasions at our selected locations, to ensure each site would deliver the right background for the images we were hoping to capture. We were incredibly impressed by her dedication and desire to get to know us better and deliver exactly what we wanted,” said Tanya. “Bambi also created a table seating arrangement for us using a photo taken at our complimentary engagement sitting which was placed on an antique style easel at the entrance of the reception.  It was a lovely touch for our guests to see,” said Tanya.

The reception had a soft ambient feel with oil burners in glass vases complimented by crystals and pearls which created a romantic glow through the evening. Topiary trees threaded with fairy lights were placed throughout the room and together with soft candles, created the soft mood lighting. The family and their cars played a big part in Tanya and Brad’s wedding day, with Brad’s 1070 VW Fastback convertible taking centre stage and Tanya’s grandfather proudly driving his immaculate 1963 EJ Holden Wagon in the bridal procession.

“There were so many wonderful moments of the day, but my favourite moment was when Brad started to reach for his handkerchief before the first bridesmaid had even made her way down the aisle.  It was so touching to see him so full of emotion, crying and smiling at the same time,” recalls Tanya.