Kirby and Jeremy’s Popup Wedding – Brisbane Wedding Photography
If there’s one thing I’ve discovered during 2020, aka, the year of COVID, is that small weddings are making a HUGE comeback. I mean, there’s always been a market for small little popup weddings and many Brisbane venues offer all-inclusive popup wedding packages for couples wanting an intimate ceremony.
However, COVID caused many couples to postpone their large wedding plans until 2021 which means this year is all about the small, popup wedding.
And I admit, I’m really enjoying these small, intimate gatherings. So far this year my largest wedding has been 3 hours long and had 30 guests, while the smallest had just 5 guests.
Livestreaming weddings has also become extremely popular with family and friends tuning in from all over the world to share in their loved ones special day.
One of my latest popup weddings was for Kirby and Jeremy, who were married out at beautiful Bundaleer Rainforest Gardens in Brookfield, just 20 minutes from Brisbane. Bundaleer Gardens is a fabulous location for a wedding ceremony and offers a beautiful backdrop of lush rainforest complete with a running creek. The staff are amazing and will make sure your wedding day runs smoothly and without a hitch!
And it’s even dog friendly! Which was perfect for Kirby and Jeremy who included their little dog Monte in the wedding.
A massive congratulations to Kirby and Jeremy and thank you for choosing me to capture your beautiful popup wedding.
I asked Kirby to tell me a little bit about their love story and here’s what she said:
How did you both meet?
We met on Boxing Day at the Carriers Arms Hotel in Maryborough, 2013. It was later in the night, and I’d had a few ciders by then. Jerry had also had a few drinks and was feeling pretty good when I spotted him from across the room.
I recognized him from a few years earlier, I’d seen him working in town. And I thought he was a bit cute! When I saw he was on his own in the pokies room, I decided to approach him. I asked, “are you having a win?”.
We didn’t remember much of our first conversation or how we came to swap phone numbers, but we did. A few days later we met up at a coffee shop called Toast for a coffee date, took a stroll along the Mary River, and two hours later agreed on a second date. Needless to say, we have been inseparable ever since.
Any funny stories about that meeting?
We were both looking for love and had searched for it everywhere when we returned to Maryborough and found each other! Not knowing we had both been there all along!
The Proposal
Jeremy asked me to marry him on January 31st, 2019 in a gorgeous, sleepy little fishing town called Poona a half hour drive from Maryborough. Originally he had taken me to Rainbow beach for breakfast and a walk on the sand dunes to a beautiful lookout where he planned to propose. However, I was really feeling the heat, so we went back to Poona to a wonderful and secluded part of the beach. And that’s where he proposed.
How long have you been together?
Six years, and eight months this September.
Why did you choose Alison Cooke Photography to photograph your popup wedding?
We’d decided to get married at Bundaleer Rainforest gardens and saw Alison was one of their highly recommended photographers. So, we checked out her website and Instagram and loved her style of photography. We knew she was the one to photograph our special popup wedding day.
What was the one thing you just had to have for your popup wedding day?
Our gorgeous little dog Monte with us!
What made your Brisbane popup wedding amazing?
Everything! Our venue was fabulous. Our Celebrant was absolutely amazing. The fact that we could have our dog with us and be a part of our day was so special. The weather was perfect. Alison was so wonderful and guided us along, making sure our photos were perfect. Neither of us have had professional photos and were a bit camera shy! But it was an easy and a stress-free popup wedding day.
How did you go about planning your Brisbane Popup wedding?
We looked at lots of different ideas and decided on a wedding package with Bundaleer. They were so fabulous and had everything we wanted in one package. My cousin, who is like a sister, helped me plan and organize and stopped me from getting overwhelmed with everything! Of course, our families were able to help with things along the way too. So, it was a joint effort from all!
What tips or ideas would you pass onto future couples?
The wedding day is about you and your significant other, so do what makes you happy.
How did you go about choosing your Brisbane wedding venues & wedding vendors?
We looked at all the different options and were so happy to find and love the packages Bundaleer Rainforest Gardens offered. All the help and support we needed was all in one place.
When the COVID restrictions started we were scared and stressed, so we decided to postpone our wedding. Sasha, the events manager at Bundaleer, was so wonderful and helpful and kept us up to date with restrictions. She gave us lots of time and options for a new date for our Brisbane popup wedding.
What was unique about your Brisbane popup wedding?
It was smaller and intimate during the global COVID pandemic. Instead of a traditional wedding reception we had a beautiful dinner at a fabulous restaurant in Woolloongabba called Electric Avenue. It was really wonderful and suited us much more.
Do you have any useful advice for future wedding guests?
Be excited for things a little less traditional when it comes to ceremonies and wedding receptions. So many new and wonderful things are happening on the wedding scene!
Did you honeymoon, where and for how long?
Not yet! We were hoping to go somewhere overseas so we had to put our plans on hold due to COVID. Instead we are planning something luxurious on the north QLD coast! Maybe Port Douglas or even the Whitsundays for a week or two!
Brisbane Wedding Supplier list:
Photographer: Alison Cooke Photography
Ceremony Venue: Bundaleer Rainforest Gardens
Reception Venue: Electric Avenue, Woolloongabba
Cake: Luisa’s Sweet Creations
Flowers: Hacienda Flowers & Furnishings
Décor: own venues decorations
Wedding Planner: Sasha Donald, Event Manager Bundaleer Rainforest Gardens
Suits: Politix
Transport: Uber black
Jeweller: Temple and Grace
Celebrant: Renee Wilkins
About Alison Cooke Photography – Brisbane Wedding Photographer
Alison is a Brisbane based wedding photographer with over 22 years’ experience in the wedding industry. Alison Cooke Photography was voted one of the top 10 wedding photographers in Brisbane by the Courier Mail and one of the top 30 wedding photographers by The Wedding Diaries. She is also an experienced portrait and newborn photographer and an award-winning member of the AIPP. Alison has over 22 years’ experience in the wedding, family and newborn portrait industry. If you’re looking for a photographer for your Brisbane popup wedding get in touch here. You can check out Alison’s pricing and wedding information prices here.
