It is always such a pleasure to hear our couples say, “…we’ve chosen Gabbinbar Homestead.” Fabulous!!!
With family coming from all over the world- Hawaii, the USA and the Philippines, it was Jana and Roni’s top priority to host an elegant and beautiful celebration in the exclusive estate.
Jana reflects; “When we finally visited Gabbinbar, I knew that it was the one.
I just wanted something relaxed and romantic with a little bit of old school vintage. I loved the natural beauty of all the locations at Gabbinbar and wanted to accentuate that. While other places were beautiful too and had their own unique feel, there was just something magical about Gabbinbar that was too good to pass up on. In hindsight, it was the perfect choice.”
The sky was clear; the light was golden, and the cool late-winter air made Gabbinbar’s seasonal specials so welcome. Think hot mulled wine, tiny cob loaves and pumpkin soup!
Jana and Roni’s styling team from Green & Bloom also celebrated the season’s colour palette. “Wine is my favourite colour and I picked it for my bridesmaids dresses. I just love how rich the tone is and wanted to create a romantic and moody vibe for the ceremony and reception, which was perfect for Winter. This led me to incorporate a lot of unstructured greenery, with a wide array of burgundy, dark red, cream, blush and peach toned flowers and blooms, and added hints of gold with the décor. The addition of candles added that element of moodiness and romance that I think went really well with the overall look. I just loved it all and am so glad that I had an amazing floral and styling team that were able to bring my vision to life.”
Their ceremony was close to perfect – they were officiated by Pastor Romeo, (can you be born for a job?) had three runaway flower girls, (not all things can go to plan) and there was a LOT of lip wobbling in the crowd!
Jana recalls, “While we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves the whole day, one favourite memory comes to mind – walking down the aisle towards Roni with both my mum and dad. Being the only daughter, I wanted both of my parents to “give me away”. My mum has always been there for me as one of my biggest supporters, so I wanted to include her too. As we walked down to Nik’s acoustic cover of “Say you won’t let go” by James Arthur, I made sure to take the whole moment in. The lyrics mirrored our love story and relationship so perfectly, and I remember looking at everyone’s faces and their reactions to Roni and I FINALLY tying the knot, (after almost 10 years together!). It was priceless. A lot of emotions. A lot of tears. But most of all, a lot of love. I think because Roni and I had been together for so long, it was a long time coming, which made this moment so heartfelt for us and all of our guests. Being able to share this moment with our closest friends and family was truly something special.”
During the photoshoot, friends and family enjoyed a garden party and played classic colonial games like coquet and boules with a Pimms cup in hand. Of course, nothing says exceptional service like a smartly dressed waiter spying your glass is 2 sips away from empty, and preemptively mixing you another!
Some people have a cherry on top, but Jana and Roni had the whole banana split – a blast of rooftop fireworks as they cut the cake, a dessert buffet that broke even the gym junkees and a traditional Filipino money dance that included Dad’s platinum card. Phowow!
We feel so much warmth and joy each time we view this collection and hope you will too. Look out for a few fun elements like a maid of honour that won’t be tamed and her three sweet children – flower girls each armed with a sparkling white star, and a tinder date that escalates at the end of the night…
Enjoy!
Toowoomba is an easy 90-minute drive from Brisbane and Gabbinbar Homestead is renowned for its beautiful gardens, peaceful ambience and warm hospitality. It is one of our favourite locations to shoot and we would highly recommend couples that are looking for a luxury estate experience consider this venue.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Gabbinbar Homestead @Gabbinbarhomestead https://www.gabbinbar.com.au/
Celebrant: Pastor Romeo Vasquez – Pentecostal Community Church
Florals & Styling: Roberta – Green & Bloom @greenbloomevents https://www.greenandbloom.com/
Entertainment (i.e.DJ, live band, etc.): Nik Conomos @nikconomos https://www.nikconomos.com/
Bridal dress designer: Angelic Bridal (custom-design) @angelicbridal https://www.facebook.com/angelicbridalgowns/
Bridal shoes: Novo
Bridal jewellery: Little White Couture @littlewhitecouture https://www.littlewhitecouture.com.au/
Bridal headpiece: LUV Bridal Harbour Town @luvbridal https://luvbridal.com.au/outlet/harbour-town/
Engagement rings: Zennox Diamonds @xennoxdiamonds https://www.xennoxdiamonds.com.au/
Wedding Rings: The French Door Jewellers – Indooroopilly @thefrenchdoor_ https://www.thefrenchdoor.com.au/
Hair and Makeup: Kailee – Venetian Beauty @venetianbeauty2 https://www.facebook.com/venetianbeauty/
Bridesmaid dresses designer: Oleg Cassini @olegcassiniau https://www.olegcassinistore.com/
Flower girl dresses designer: Arabella & Rose @arabellaandrose www.arabellaandrose.com.au
Groom’s suit: YD @ydaustralia https://www.yd.com.au/au/
Groomsmen suits: YD @ydaustralia https://www.yd.com.au/au/
Cake designer: Jill from Jill-i-cious Cakes @jilliciouscakes www.jill-i-ciouscakes.com/
Invitation designer: Digital Dreams Foundry – Etsy @DigitalDreamsFoundry https://www.facebook.com/DigitalDreamsFoundry/
