A Dream Country wedding at Royston House

If you’re planning your wedding and have your heart set on a country wedding, you cannot look past Royston House. If you’ve never heard of this amazing venue, read on!

Royston House is located in rural Innisplain, a small country town in south-east Queensland’s Scenic Rim. The stunning homestead is set on 60 acres and is surrounded by mountains and green pastures for as far as the eye can see.

This house is the perfect for weddings, a girls’ weekend or a romantic country getaway. And best of all, it’s just a one hour drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

I do LOVE the country, so I was super excited to venture out to Royston House for Kayla and Ben’s wedding.

And the venue, and the gorgeous couple, did NOT disappoint.

The six bedroom house was huge, so it was perfect for Kayla and Ben’s bridal party preparations which started a few days before the wedding.

The Ceremony

The location for Kayla and Ben’s ceremony was also divine! The couple chose to marry under a large tree, which provided some much needed shade on a sweltering summer’s day. And what’s a country wedding without a few cheeky horses stopping by?

As for their wedding photos, Royston House is a photographer’s dream. With lush, rolling green hills, horses, amazing horse stables and epic sunsets, you cannot go wrong.

Just check out Kayla and Ben’s awesome wedding pics below.

And keep on reading for the story of their real life love story.

Massive congrats to you both and thank you for choosing me to capture your amazing wedding.

Kayla and Ben’s Real Life Wedding at Royston House

How did you meet?

We became aware of each other over social media as we both had a mutual friend, she suggested we would be a good match and pushed us to speak via Facebook chat. It did not take long before we were talking every day, then hanging out every day. Ben showed up one afternoon for a date night and never left mine.

Any funny stories about that meeting?

It was a very romantic date at Nando’s (which Ben dislikes).

I’d just had a huge fight with my workplace so, I basically just complained and cried the whole time.

How long have you been together?

3 years

The wedding proposal?

Ben was set to go on a deep-sea charter, this trip was for just over a week (keeping in mind we’d been together just under 6 months).

Anyone who knows me will tell you I live for a meal out at a restaurant or takeaway.

I just love food. Ben decides to take me to an all you can eat buffet (this is why I love this man. He feeds me).

Ben suggested we get dressed up and make a big deal as it was our last outing before his trip.

When we arrived at the restaurant car park, he started to seem a little shady and nervous. And he was taking so long to get his stuff together and I’m like, ‘hurry the hell up!’.

Ben then surprised me and handed a ring to me.

He never planned to ask me in a car at a restaurant car park, but said he was too nervous to ask inside.

Why did you choose Alison Cooke Photography to photograph your wedding?

I had sent out about 6-7 emails, including one to Alison Cooke Photography.

A few days passed with no response from any.

Finally, the responses started to come through and not one, ‘I’m sorry for the late response’, until Alison’s email came through.

She was extremely apologetic and even though I felt her time was stretched, Alison took time to answer all my questions and make my wedding day feel special.

It was as if it was her only job.

It turns out after looking through Alison’s portfolio Alison was the photographer for a friend’s wedding, and I absolutely loved their wedding photos.

And I had no idea it was her handy work.

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

The venue, Royston House. It gave our wedding that big country feel I’d dreamed of.

What was the best thing about having a country wedding?

The freedom to move and the open spaces around us. It felt like our day was the only thing going on in the world that day.

And most definitely the horses at the Royston House property.

What made your wedding at Royston House amazing?

The 3-day stay at Royston House with our closest friends. It was the time we spent making memories we’ll forever cherish and remember.

How did you go about planning your wedding at Royston House?

Pinterest was my biggest inspiration. Ben and I started looking at party hire supple companies and wow!

We soon realized our budget wouldn’t go far if we didn’t think smart.

We bought or made 80% of our items as this was the cheaper option.

Ben and I are highly creative people and could not be happier with how it all turned out.

With a bit of research, anyone can make their dream wedding happen on a budget.

What tips or ideas would you pass onto future couples?

Pick your theme early and do not chop and change.

Do loads of hunting around and find the best value for money as the budget fades fast.

And don’t be scared to ask for a discount. We did this with most suppliers, and we received free delivery and pick-up. And because our venue was remote, it saved us thousands of dollars.

What advice would you give to other couples?

Just be super organized. If it’s a DIY wedding, get as much stuff ready the week before.

If you have a wedding planner, trust them! They’ve done it a million times so they’re likely to know best.

What was something unique about your wedding at Royston House?

I would say having our 2-month-old daughter there with us was unique. Because not many couples would head down the aisle juggling a brand-new baby.

Do you have any advice for wedding guests?

Remember the day is not about you. The happy couple have asked you to attend to enjoy their day with them. So, sit back, be patient and enjoy.

Yes, you many dislike things but again, it’s a day to make the couple feel special. And they’ve put a lot of hard work into everything.

Did you honeymoon, where and for how long?

We have postponed our honeymoon until our first wedding anniversary in 2022. Because with covid and a newborn we thought best to lock it in as a reward for making it 12 months ?