Jess & Mitch // A hinterland wedding at Tall Trees Estate

Now this was a fun day!

We met Jess and Mitch at the Your Local Wedding Guide Gold Coast Expo in 2020, about three months prior to their big day. They had been trying to get married twice prior to meeting us, and due to Covid couldn’t proceed with their original plans. Our team clicked instantly with Jess and Mitch, who had this wonderful sense of calm and respect towards each other in the midst of a hectic schedule. We managed to get this beautiful wedding and full reception planned and executed in record time and the end result was just amazing as these pictures show. So, enjoy.

Location: Tall Trees Estate, Tallebudgera Valley, Queensland

Photography and Video: Wander & Follow Images Wander and Follow Images

Celebrant: Bree Nicholls

Planning, styling and coordination: Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings and WedMe

Catering & cake: Gareth K Catering

Cale & Melanie // Gold Coast Beach Pop Up Wedding

Nestled below Point Danger and just around from the Gold Coast’s iconic Snapper Rocks is a beautiful alcove beach known as Froggy’s. You can’t help but notice the big green frog painted on a giant boulder rock when looking up to the nearby lighthouse, hence the name Froggy’s Beach.

This is one of our most popular beach wedding locations giving you privacy, intimacy and a sense of calm looking out to the Eastern horizon of the Pacific Ocean.

Cale and Melanie had a small group of friends attend their ceremony. With Cale from Canada and Melanie from Scandinavia, their immediate family were not able to attend. So they set up a live stream of their ceremony for everyone to be able to tune in - complete with a couple of whales frolicking in the ocean at the end of the day! They also had a creative video made by the fab team at Anchored Cinema. Check out the full video here.

Here’s our amazing team from the day:

Celebrant: Bree Nicholls, Be Weddings & Events

Photographer: Hayden Phoenix

Floral: Flower Studio Gold Coast

Planning & Styling: Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings

Videography: Anchored Cinema

Mexican Fiesta Vibes - A Styled Shoot at the Gold Coast and Tweed Hinterland

Tucked away in the Tweed hinterland in northern New South Wales, and only a 15 minute drive from the Gold Coast airport, is something of a hidden gem of a venue. Surrounded by spectacular views, untouched farmland and rolling hills it made the perfect backdrop for this Mexican-inspired styled shoot. Visionary Bree Nicholls and her team at Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings and sister company, Your Wedding Planner, shared these words about the inspiration behind the day.

“We wanted to create something truly unique for this private property. The Mexican-inspired colour palette gave us an opportunity to use rich earth tones coexisting with cacti and contemporary decor to create a most inviting wedding event. We felt we truly captured a desert-feel splashed against a backdrop of greenery.

“The ceremony was positioned to capture the southern view of the property - overlooking the spanning Tweed River and surrounding sugarcane valleys, banana fields and dairy farms.

"For the reception, we focused on creating a setting for celebration and grace amidst family and friends. The table styling brought about rustic oranges and earthy neutral-tones paired with greenery. The team at Inksy cleverly designed matching Cacti menus that doubled as place cards and featured inventive pull-out sections to for readability. With the on-trend Star marquee, chill-out picnic zone, Rambling Rose caravan bar and pop-up oyster cart, the reception area showed how Brides and Grooms can create an array of choice for guests be entertained and relax. The entire setting oozed simple sophistication.

"The amazing florals were the work of Flower Studio Gold Coast who created chic, unstructured designs to compliment the colour palette.

"Gareth K Catering created a wedding cake that continued the floral and textured themes to beautiful effect on an understated two tiered cake.

“The bridal wear provided by Gabrielle Rose Collective is Australian-made, using the most sustainable and eco-friendly practices.”

This new venue is due to be launched in late 2021. It will be the only wedding venue to offer 270 degree spanning views of the Pacific Ocean and Tweed River simultaneously. It offers a rare, secluded option for elopements and small weddings with the option to continue intimate celebrations in a pop up structure atop a beautiful peak. Keep an eye out for the launch via Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings and Your Wedding Planner.

• Planning, Decor & Styling @gcpopupweddings & @yourweddingplanner.au

• Photography @caseyjane_photography & @amydeboerphotography

• Video @goldenhourvideography

• Floral @flowerstudiogoldcoast

• Catering @garethkeenancatering & @theitalianjobcatering

• Hair & Makeup @makeup.by.theresa.eltagonde

• Furniture Hire @scenicrimweddinghire

• Wines @smallthingswine

• Caravan @ramblingrosepopupbar

• Star Tent @happymarqueehire

• Gowns/Jewellery @gabrielle.rose.collective

• Suits @blackjacketsuiting

• Stationary @inksyau

• Jackets/Champagne artistry @paper.pickle

• Light Up Letters @lightuplettersqld

• Pop Up Tent @eventsfantasticaus

• Pop Up Picnic @gcpopupweddings

• Musician @melissalukin.music

• Models @michelleanowland @zakarilyster @hayleyblondiee

Tall Trees Estate Gold Coast Hinterland Elopement

The picturesque and intimate elopement of Emma and Ben took place at one of our favourite venues, Tall Trees Estate, which sits in the majestic Tallebudgera Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland, Australia. With so many ceremony options and beautiful backdrops on this 10 acre property, Casey Jane Photography was able to capture some truly amazing images for the couple to look back on as husband and wife.

Emma and Ben’s day, styled and coordinated by Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings, included some rain and as the forecast predicted, the heavens opened up right as Emma walked down the aisle. Luckily, we had a backup plan close by but the umbrellas were enough to keep them dry. The ceremony was sweet and heartfelt, performed by marriage celebrant Bree Nicholls from Be Weddings & Events and filmed by Bjorn from In Love Weddings (In Love Pictures). Emma and Ben’s vows were personalised and emotional - just perfect.

Post-ceremony the couple were able to wander through the tall pine trees, rolling hills and natural rainforest, which all overlook the misty covered mountains. As the day grew dark Casey Jane explored an area at the of the property which had never been shot before. It was dark, but she said she loved the contrast and moodiness it brought to the images.

Emma and Ben finished the their Gold Coast elopement with saturated shoes and a very wet wedding dress but it was so much fun and all worth it to give them the most magical wedding day.

Pop up wedding Q&A

Can you give us a run down on what Gold Coast and Brisbane Pop Up Weddings involve? 

Gold Coast and Brisbane Pop Up Weddings are all about providing seriously fun wedding and ceremony packages at a fraction of the cost of a large wedding. From under $2000 we offer a new way for couples to say, “I do” or “I do, again”. Our 1.5 to 2 hour packages include everything you would expect in a wedding day but condensed into a small amount of time. Couples simply choose a private time slot on one of our event days (where we have the date and venue covered) or a tailored pop up wedding package on a date of their choosing, round up their closest family and friends (or their entire guest list!) and enjoy an amazing venue with a Celebrant, photographer, stylist, cake, champagne toast and their own wedding planner. What’s not to love? 

What are the benefits of a pop up wedding as opposed to a traditional wedding? 

There are so many benefits: saving your hard earned dollars that can be spent elsewhere, being able to have a wedding in a venue you couldn’t otherwise afford, focusing on a sense of intimacy and simplicity for their special day, and even surprising family and friends with a spontaneous wedding!

Why do you believe there’s a big market for pop up weddings?

We all know how expensive weddings are these days. The average cost  of a wedding in Australia is now over $65,000 so couples definitely want to keep their wallets in check and sometimes weddings are put on the back burner after children come along. 

 But as well as being affordable, a pop up wedding also enables the focus to shift to the most important part of a wedding - the ceremony.  We’ve also seen a real ‘back to basics’ trend emerge where couples are craving that small, intimate and personalised celebration. 

The term "Micro-Wedding" has also come about recently and this is related to weddings with 20-50 guests.  Couples often have a pop up ceremony package and a mini (2 hour) reception to follow. It’s a great way to keep the celebration going that little bit longer but it doesn’t have to go for the usual 6-8 hours. 

Has the idea been popular with Brides and Grooms-to-be so far? 

We’ve been inundated with enquiries since our launch in 2015.  From first timers to old timers, we are noticing the idea is something that is really appealing to all generations. We’ve already confirmed bookings well into 2021.

So how many guests can attend?

Something that’s unique to our business is that we don’t restrict guest numbers. If the venue can hold up to 150 guests, then couples are free to invite that many people along and it won’t affect the package price. We also work with a number of partner venues that offer great options for follow-on celebrations. Whether it be a formal reception, a picnic-style lunch or just a party we can point our couples in the right direction.

What was the idea behind the decision to launch your pop up weddings?

Founder of Gold Coast and Brisbane Pop Up Weddings, Bree Nicholls, is an Authorised Marriage Celebrant who has worked in the wedding and events industry for over 20 years. She has planned hundreds of weddings and managed large-scale corporate events in Australia, the UK and Canada. Her passion for the industry has never wavered and when she saw how pop-up weddings were trending internationally, she decided to set up a dedicated pop-up wedding service for the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.

Bree too spent upwards of $20,000 on her own wedding and if she had her time again would do things a little differently. 

“Planning a wedding can be a very time consuming and stressful task for anyone. There’s always a million and one things to organise. A pop-up wedding is a great way to still enjoy everything that makes a wedding day come together but with less expense and time involved. It’s such a great concept and I only wish I had the option of having a pop-up wedding when I was getting married”. 

Where are your Event days held?

We hold numerous pop up wedding day events each year and offer private pop up wedding and elopement packages all year round. See all our event day offerings here. Our elopements here and our tailored pop ups here.

What has the feedback been like? 

All of our couples say how easy the lead up to their day was. Rather than having the added stress of organising suppliers, paying hefty bills and arranging a seating plan, they were able to relax and just enjoy being engaged. And, the money they saved along the way allowed them to have an amazing honeymoon!

Thinking of a Botanic Garden Wedding?

Do you love the idea of tying the knot amongst luscious greenery, a rainforest backdrop, quiet lake or manicured gardens? Then a Botanic Gardens ceremony is for you! These green open spaces provide endless amounts of photo opportunities for your day - there is no need to go anywhere else! Many accommodate large guest numbers and accessibility is easy.

Why not add on a POP up picnic or high tea to follow in the park? Did you know we can help with this service as well?

Our Botanic Garden tailored pop up packages start from just $3,900 inc GST for Gold Coast and $4,050 inc GST for Brisbane. The packages include public park booking fees, a wet weather back up venue, ceremony furniture and styling, your marriage officiated by a Celebrant plus all legals, PA system and ceremony music, two hour photo-shoot, 150 high-res edited images for your own personal use, wedding cake with fresh floral topper OR a Bridal bouquet, pre-wedding consultation AND your own on-site wedding coordinator!

For those wanting a simple yet modern elopement, these packages start from just $1800 inc GST including Celebrant plus all legals, PA system and ceremony music, Two hour photo-shoot, 150 high-res edited images for your own personal use, decorated arbour, plus signing table and two chairs. What’s not to love?

You can see more of our packages here.

Gold Coast Botanical Gardens 

The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens are a green oasis located in Benowa, in the centre of the Gold Coast. The Gardens are a short 10 minute drive from central Surfers Paradise and are set on 31 hectares of parkland and lakes. There are four perfect wedding ceremony locations for your Gold Coast wedding ceremony. These are the Lakeside Lawn (150 guests), Cypress Lawn (100 guests), Sensory Gardens (100 guests) and the Lakeside Rotunda (30 guests). All locations have easy parking and accessibility for your guests. Styling and decor can be tailored to the season at hand.

(Click on the pictures to see more)

Mt Tamborine Botanical Gardens 

Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens have been described as 'The Jewel in the Crown’ of the Scenic Rim. Just a short drive through the hinterland west from the Gold Coast, the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens combine a colourful and diverse range of exotic and native flora. The Gardens include a glorious lake as the centrepiece, a tranquil Japanese garden, a tropical rainforest walk and many other secret spots where you can get hitched in paradise!

Brisbane City Botanical Gardens 

The riverside City Botanic Gardens are Brisbane's original botanic gardens. The Gardens have 10 outdoor areas available to book for your garden wedding ceremony. They include the Wedding Lawn, Palm Tree Court, Morningstar Lawn, Lillypond Lawn, Entrance Lawn, Royal Palm Lawn, Rainforest Hideaway, Café Outlook, Cardyline Lawn and the Camelia Lawn. 

Mt Coot-Tha Botanical Gardens 

The Brisbane Botanic Gardens are located only 7 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD. The 138-acre botanic gardens are alive with native displays, a tropical dome, kids trail & bonsai house. The perfectly manicured garden areas give you the most stunning backdrop for your wedding day.

Elopement // Rainforest paradise

Funky duo Becca & Bryan came to us not knowing where they wanted to elope. They only knew they wanted a ceremony with just the two of them set in beautiful gardens with tall trees. After advising them of many different options (and sending them on a few day trips!) they finally decided on the Mt Tamborine Botanical Gardens and it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.

Our crew arrived on site early and as a surprise decided to set up their ceremony off the beaten track, right in the middle of the rainforest! They absolutely loved it and these amazing pictures show it.

Our talented team on the day were:
Celebrant: @beweddingscelebrant 
Photographer: @haydenphoenix 
Planner: Tahlia @gcpopupweddings 
Arbour floral: @leafenbloom 

Becca and Bryan wrote their own vows and their ceremony was so heart felt! So much so a few tears were shed (not just by the Bride and Groom!).

After the ceremony the couple retreated to a beautiful balinese hut where they signed their marriage paperwork.

After all of the formalities were done Becca and Bryan shot off with the very talented Hayden Phoenix to have an extended photoshoot. As you can see, the natural rainforest makes the perfect backdrop for some stunning wedding photos. The couple had their friends and family join them after for a picnic in the park, so the celebrations continued!

Congratulations guys and thanks for eloping with us !!

Vlad & Melanie // Fur better or worse !

Having pets in Weddings is becoming more common than ever so when Vlad & Melanie requested having their fur babies be apart of their special day we new just the location! Coolibah Downs allow you to have your furry friends by your side even when you are saying your vows. So if you want your dog to be your best man, flower girl or even your maid of honour - We can make it happen!

Location: Coolibah Downs Private Estate

Photographer: Hayden Phoenix

Styling & Coordination: Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings

Flowers: Leaf En Bloom

Celebrant: Shane Vincent

Dressed to impress and waiting at the alter !

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When Vlad saw Melanie - Stunning photos by Hayden Phoenix.

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Guests formed a line either side of the doors showering the newly married couple in dried flower petals.

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Tap on the pictures below to see more of the gallery.

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“Dogs are more than just pets- they are family”

Tap on the picture to see more !

Sarah & Andrew // A beautiful beach wedding !

This funky Gold Coast duo met on the 4th August 2006 at the Powerhouse, Albert Park, Victoria. It was the University watersports cocktail night (which was odd because Andrew no longer attended university and neither of them were involved in any water sports what soever) Andrew immediately noticed Sarah’s calfs (which she thought was weird) and she immediately noticed that Andrew and his friends were WAY past university age.

They bonded over a mutual love of Billy Joel, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Beatles. They exchanged numbers and had a date not too long after.

Fast forward 13 years and a baby later they decided to get married at the beautiful Burleigh Beach in the John Laws Park on the 16th of March 2019. Normally this location offers views all the way to Surfers Paradise but the overcast weather provided the perfect backdrop for their wedding with the buildings in the distance just poking through.

Styling & Coordination: Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings

Celebrant: Lisa, Custom Ceremonies

Photographer: Yoko, Yokos Photography

Flowers: Leaf En Bloom

Location: Burleigh, John Laws Park

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The couple had their Pop Up Wedding with their closest family and friends in attendance- with an extra special guest- their son Patrick. ( click the photos to see more )

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With love in her heart and flowers in her hair.

Sarah looked amazing in her Leaf en bloom flower crown with matching bouquet.

Flower crowns are the perfect alternative to the traditional veil. They bring a fresh, natural beauty to your bridal look and really stand out in your wedding photos.

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If you’re not barefoot you’re overdressed…

Siobhan and Dan // A Colourful Celebration

A beautiful Chinese Wedding with everything from a Tea Ceremony to a 10 course meal !

Celebrant - Bree Nicholls- beweddings.com.au

Styling and coordination - Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings

Dress - Made with love bridal from bluebellbridal_

Hair & Make Up - The Touch Up Team

Cake - Sugarize Events

Floral - Opium Wedding Flowers

Cake Topper - Night owl personalised printing

Photography/videography - Rezolutionphotography

Ceremony venue - Soiree Deck, Sofitel Brisbane Central

Reception venue: Prive249, Sofitel Brisbane Central

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Tap on the pictures below to see more!

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The Ceremony was held at the Soiree Deck, Sofitel Brisbane Central. Stunning red blooms lined the aisle and arbour.

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The couple said their vows in front of family & friends.

The tea ceremony sees the newlyweds serve tea containing either two lotus seeds or two red dates to the groom’s family. The family are served in order, starting with the groom’s parents before progressing from oldest to youngest. After each family member takes a sip of their tea, they offer the couple a red envelope with money or jewellery inside.

For all the things my hands have held the best by far is you !

Brisbane's beautiful architecture makes the perfect backdrop for wedding photos.

Even in modern Chinese weddings, the couples can take great liberty with choosing a Western-style ceremony, but the banquet remains a heavily-traditional affair out of respect for their parents and families. Both sides of the family come together to host a bright and colourful celebration that usually includes between five and 10 courses for the main meal, filled with highly symbolic foods.

Fit for a feast.

All you need is LOVE and CAKE!

Ruth & Kyle // A destination pop up wedding....

Canadian-based couple Ruth and Kyle chose magnificent Main Beach to hold their 10 year vow renewal. The day was stormy, cloudy and dark!! But, it didn’t dampen the brightness felt in their hearts. Of the Anglican faith, we had the Reverend Stewart Parry on board to officiate their ceremony. The celebrations continued into the night at the nearby Southport Yacht Club.

Location: Main Beach, Qld

Photography: Amy De Boer Photography

Officiant: Rev. Stewart Parry, Robina Anglican Church

Hair and makeup: The Touch Up Team

Planning, styling & coordination: Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings

Floral: Leaf en Bloom

Cake: Sugarize Events

Guests came from Fiji, Canada, New Zealand and northern Queensland to celebrate in such a special day.

Beautiful couple and beautiful blooms captured by our amazing photographer Amy De Boer.

Vow renewal’s are such a great way to celebrate 10 years together. These hands are now ready for another 10 years of holding.

Maryam and Bill's Day...

We just received these beautiful images from Maryam & Bill’s wedding day and we are so excited to feature them in our first blog post. Their day was truly a graceful affair that captivated everyone.

The Ceremony…

Coolibah Downs Private Estate is a beautiful venue with a natural rustic vibe. It offers plenty of room among the gardens and has accommodation for the bridal party to get ready. The ceremony was set up in the Croquet Lawn with tiffany white chairs facing a glamorous arbour that featured taupe draping and purple florals nestled in its corner. It was a combination of elegance and simplicity.

The Photography…

Maryam & Bill were taken around Coolibah Downs Private Estate to capture their beautiful moments by Rezolution Photography. The picturesque venue created magical moments that will be able to be treasured for a lifetime. 

The Wedding Reception…

In celebration of the happy couple, the reception was held in a beautiful, grand marquee draped decoratively with hanging chandeliers. The tables carried with the wedding theme of eggplant and white. The tables featured tall vases with flowing tulips as centrepieces. The bride and groom decided on favours of mini cheese knives and mini photo frames that were placed on each table for each of their guests.  The newlyweds continued to celebrate their marriage with family and friends into the night.

It was a pleasure to be a part of this beautiful day and we wish Bill & Maryam a lifetime of happiness together!

Event vendors:

Venue: Coolibah Downs Private Estate

Planning, Styling & Coordination: Gold Coast Pop Up Weddings / The Agency Wedding and Events.

Celebrant: Bree Nicholls, Be Weddings Events

Florals: Leaf En Bloom

Photography: Rezolution Photography

Cake: Sugarize Events

Hair & Makeup: Jodie Lee Artist to the Stars

Dress: Hand-made by international Persian designer