Looking for an un-boring, NO cheese, full of personality & FUN photographer? Hi there! You found me.

powerhouse weddings

A Brisbane Powerhouse park wedding

The Brisbane powerhouse is such an awesome venue. Once an old tram power station, it still retains some of its history. Inside, the venue has an old industrial warehouse feel and is often home to comedy shows, plays and art exhibits. It’s also a popular place to meet, share a meal at one of the restaurants of just catch up for drinks with friends. The Powerhouse is also famous for its funky brick walls, making it a popular backdrop for wedding parties. And as it’s located next to Newfarm park, it offers wedding couples a variety of different photographic opportunities. And I’m always keen to photograph a Brisbane powerhouse park wedding.

A real life wedding

So, when Liz and Kurt contacted me about their wedding photography, I was thrilled they wanted photos in and around the Powerhouse. Now, there’s usually a bit of a crowd at the Powerhouse, particularly in wedding season. Everybody loves photos at the Powerhouse. But, thankfully on Liz and Kurt’s wedding day it wasn’t too crowded and we managed to get some awesome photos around the Powerhouse, Newfarm park and at some of the funky old buildings in Teneriffe.

And here’s Liz and Kurt’s story.

How did you meet?

It was a funny chance meeting (see below!). We met on a Friday night the day after Valentine’s Day 2013 at the A&C Bar in the Valley.

Any funny stories about that meeting?

I (Liz) was out for a quiet night catching up with a friend. All of a sudden this random guy (ends up it was Kurt’s friend) who was sitting next to my friend started chatting her up. And he failed miserably. The situation soon became awkward as neither of us were interested.

So Kurt, seeing his friend from a distance, comes in to save him and the night! And he sits right next to me in an attempt to ease the tension of the drunk friend who failed to chat up my mate.
Conversation quickly started between Kurt and I. We exchanged numbers and the rest is history!

We went on a date within a few days of that night, and haven’t been apart much since!
Both of these friends featured in the wedding speeches. And to this day it’s still a cracking story when people ask how we met!

Who would have thought a drunk friend being chatted up, and Kurt saving the night would have led us to here.

The proposal

Kurt proposed on the Ferris wheel at South Bank in a private booth! The Ferris wheel was always somewhere I (Liz) wanted to go on and we never got around to doing it. He surprised me, down on one knee in the Ferris wheel on the 27th Aug last year (2015) which also happened to be the day before we departed for 5 weeks in Europe, talk about having something to celebrate! Which then also happened to be the date 27th Aug 2016 that we got married on this year!

How long have you been together?

We have been together just over 3.5 years, since Feb 2013.

Why did you choose Alison  for your Powerhouse park wedding?

I (Liz) attended a wedding in Coolum over 5 years ago which Alison photographed for a friend of mine. So I asked this friend if she recommended this photographer. And she said she couldn’t be happier. Then when I saw Alison’s photos from this friend, I was happy! We were not disappointed!

When we met with Alison she was warm and welcoming she had that special personality we were looking for. Alison worked so hard on the day, she was knowledgeable and had that different flair in her photography that we were looking for.

Alison’s price for what we got was also reasonable in the market for wedding photography. So this also played a part in our decision. If ever given the opportunity again for other photography we will be calling Alison again. We have also been spreading the word about Alison to friends who are also getting married in the months to come. We want to spread the love!

What was the one thing you just had to have for your wedding day?

Of course our friends and family there to spend this amazing day with us, there is no way we would have wanted it any other way. Everyone we invited came, and spent the day and night with us, it was the best day ever! We had a lot of people from interstate that travelled to be with us, so it made the day even more special being around people we don’t see that often.

What made your wedding so amazing?

So many things! From getting ready in the morning, getting there in a 1955 Rolls Royce, our photographer (Alison), the whole set up! And the view of the Brisbane river in the back ground, the decorations, the food, the cake, the Photo Booth!! We literally loved everything!! And we were so lucky with the weather! Brisbane put it on for us, not too cold and not windy at all. Couldn’t be happier.

Also the fact that our Celebrant was Liz’s best friend’s husband. It made for a very close and personal ceremony. He knew exactly our style and how to make the ceremony very special for us.

How did you plan your wedding & did you have help?

We started planning our Powerhouse park wedding not long after the engagement. And we ended up getting married exactly to the date – 12 months after Kurt proposed. We didn’t have any hired help, but we both had input into everything (except the dress and flowers!). And we researched A LOT!

Every vendor we looked into in-depth, we price matched, and read reviews and Facebook pages of all vendors. We called and emailed, met vendors, got multiple quotes. This all ran with a massive budgeted spread sheet (for us OCD type) and we both did it all together. Down to every detail!

And it was a stressful, tiring but majorly fun experience to do this as a couple! We think this is a massive part of the fun of the day, putting so many hours, days, months into one day. And then getting to live that day was a truly amazing thing to have created together.

Any tips for future couples

Start early, do your research and if you like the vendor get in early! And pay a deposit so you don’t miss out!
If they don’t feel right, they probably aren’t.
Give vendors a chance to reply. Most are very busy and some work wedding stuff as a second job. So two to three days for a reply was normal and fair.

Otherwise call, as emails can get lost in translation.
Don’t stress about the small details! I literally don’t remember much from the ceremony.  All I saw was Kurt there waiting for me and my friends and family.

The rest is a drop in the ocean. Like what colour the flowers were, whether the set up or plates or glasses were this or that way, it will not matter on the day. You will not see much except for your partner there waiting for you!

Was something unique about your wedding?

We think our vows, we spent A LOT of time on the vows, it took us months and months brain storming and writing them. We had a portion of the vows that were kept secret until the day, and then we had a portion which we both wrote together and each read out as part of our vows.
It was nice to piece together something personal and say it to each other at such a special moment. It was truly the best day of our lives.

I know the Photo Booth isn’t unique these days, but it was the best thing! It was entertainment in between for guests and the kids. And it was so much fun to have some silly photos and muck around during the night.
The speeches also were quite unique. Poor Kurt’s favourite football team, the Canterbury Bulldogs, and his amazing and OCD type spreadsheets copped a few words!! We loved how much effort was put into the speeches by the MOH and Best Man.

Any advice for future wedding guests?

Just arrive ready to have fun and party. But don’t expect too much time with the bride and groom as the night does fly! And while we managed to speak to and see all our guests, we didn’t get much time with each group of guests. But all in all it was a great night and everyone we love was there and that’s all that mattered to us.

Did you honeymoon, where and for how long?

We honeymooned in Airlie Beach for 5 nights. It was amazing, so relaxing, so quiet, the water was crystal clear. We were lucky enough to stay in the top accommodation in Airlie overlooking the amazing beach/ocean views in a penthouse with our own Jacuzzi on the balcony!

 

powerhouse park weddingpowerhouse park weddingpowerhouse park weddingpowerhouse park weddingpowerhouse park weddingpowerhouse park weddingpowerhouse park wedding
Supplier list – Powerhouse park wedding

Photographer: Alison Cooke Photography

About Alison

Alison Cooke Photography is a Brisbane wedding photographer with over 20 years experience in the wedding industry. If you’re looking for an experienced, fun loving photographer for your Powerhouse park wedding, get in touch here.

error: Content is protected !!