Rowena and Thomas got married at the beautiful new registry at the Brisbane courthouse in front of 56 of their nearest and dearest, some of whom had flown in from overseas or up from Sydney to share the couple’s big day! Thomas is from a big family, with two sisters and several step siblings, and this was the first time that they had all been together in the same place, which was very special – and of course Elizabeth, who was the Willow Branch photographer on the day, made sure they got a photo to remember it by.
Rowena got ready at the Oaks Hotel on Charlotte St in the city, and she had three vibrant bridesmaids; her friend, her sister and the sister’s fiancée. This bride did things a little bit differently and wore a gorgeous champagne/blush coloured dress with a detailed sash around the waist by Jennifer Gifford Designs, while her bridesmaids wore white knee length off the shoulder dresses. Rowena had a lovely fresh flower arrangement in white, green and purple from Brisbane Market Flowers, and the bridesmaids wore matching corsages in lieu of bouquets. A family member of Rowena’s from Sydney did the girls’ hair and makeup, and they all looked stunning!
Thomas and the groomsmen all wore grey suits with purple ties and white boutonnieres, and they wore matching bright colourful socks in polka dot and stripe patterns.
Rowena and Thomas did a First Look in the city before heading to the ceremony, and Tom got a bit emotional!
Earlier in the day, Rowena had been told that she looked like Belle from Beauty & the Beast, and when it was time to walk down the aisle, they played a beautiful classical version of the Beauty & the Beast theme song, which was very fitting! The ceremony was very short, but beautiful, and after the papers were signed, Elizabeth took the couple away for photos with close family, as well as a big group photo of all the guests.
They bridal party headed to the Sherwood Arboretum for photos, and the beautiful green backdrop looked great with the subdued white, grey and purple colours that they all wore! Elizabeth took them around for different photos and poses; some of the couple by themselves, some of the girls, some of the boys, some of the bride and groom on their own, and some of the entire bridal party.
After the photos, the white stretch limo they were escorted around in from Golden Gate Limos took them to the reception at Landing at Dockside where the room was beautifully set up with lots of fairylights, wooden boxed flower arrangements on the tables, a fingerprint tree and a stunning buttercream cake from Cakes Actually with fresh flowers cascading down the side. After the bridal party’s entrance to the reception, G&M DJs provided fantastic music for the evening, and there were a lot of highlights throughout the night. The speeches were entertaining and emotional and brought both laughter and tears, they had cake cut, bouquet toss, and lots of fun on the dance floor!
We wish Rowena and Tom all the best for their future!
Photographer on the day: Elizabeth from Willow Branch Photography.
Brisbane Registry Wedding Photography
