Chantelle & Christopher

15 May 2015
Maleny Retreat, Booroobin, Qld
Photography by Studio Impressions

“Chris and I met in our high school’s art supply room,” Jennifer said. “We both knew that in the near future we wanted to go backpacking around the world. I surprised Chris by booking one-way flights for us to England and told him that we were leaving in eight months. We left in March 2011. Chris proposed to me at Blue Lagoon, Iceland. It is a heavenly geothermal spa. He coerced me into a private corner of the pool. I thought he may have had ulterior motives and he certainly did! There, he produced a ring he had bought in Maleny before we left Australia 2 years prior. He had been secretly carrying it with him the whole trip. He asked me to marry him. It was a real surprise.”

Creative opportunity

With its breathtaking backdrop, Maleny Retreat provided the wide open space for Chantelle and Chris to create a wedding with a unique festival feel. “We were after a fun, mini festival vibe at our wedding so our friends and family could relax and be themselves. Our styling was rustic, natural, simple and eco-friendly.” As an arborist, Chris was keen to incorporate timber into the design. “Chris collected, cut, sanded and varnished round slices of wood for the table centrepieces. We also made wooden coasters for our guests. Instead of name cards we burnt their names into the coasters.”

I'll meet you there

Chantelle and Chris organised a spiral ceremony where a long, single row of chairs was arranged in a spiral shape. “It made the ceremony very intimate and I was able to see each guest as I walked between the chairs to meet Chris in the centre. Chris said it was very emotional and there was an incredible energy being surrounded by all our friends and family as he waited for me to arrive.”

Knock on wood

Fusing old school craftsmanship with modern style, Chris wore a navy suit with wooden bow tie. Chantelle wore an ivory lace dress and summery flower crown with cheerful yellow daisies and billy buttons to match her bright, native bouquet. “We let our florist design everything so that it would be a surprise on the day. We loved the sunflowers and native designs.”

A special place

The Glass House Mountains area of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland was a meaningful location for Chantelle and Chris as they both grew up and met there. “It was incredible to have the majestic mountains as our backdrop. After the ceremony we watched the sun set behind the mountains beside an open fire. We lay out blankets on the hill and invited our guests to unwind and share in a gourmet picnic feast while listening to the tunes of Chontia and Parris, a musical duo with piano, guitar and vocals. ”

Reception fun

“We were going for an outdoors, rustic feel with our reception design,” Chantelle said. The couple used vintage heirlooms and rustic antiques to create this vibe inside their tipi marquee. Bunting, festoon lighting, an open fire pit and smaller details like doilies and lace tablecloths gave the reception a homely, inviting feel. Jennifer admits, “It was quite stressful setting everything up the night before the wedding, but even more stressful was not finding my wedding dress until 4 weeks before the wedding!”

Chocolate heaven

The homemade chocolate mud cake was created by Jennifer’s mother. “Following on from our natural, rustic theme we wanted everything to be handmade, even our wedding cake was made with love. We couldn't have organised our wedding without the help of our family and friends. It was as if everyone who attended the wedding played a part.