Chelsea and David’s Fabulous wedding
What can I say about Chelsea and David? They are such a super sweet couple whose long distance romance had already spanned 18 months and endured many flights between Brisbane and Mackay. Their original wedding plans took a pretty huge detour when COVID restrictions kicked in and sadly, many family members, including Chelsea’s Mum, couldn’t make it to Queensland for their big day. But determined to proceed, they changed their formal lunchtime reception to a fun and relaxed picnic reception at Sherwood Arboretum, followed by wedding photos.
And it was a fabulous wedding day. If you’ve never visited Sherwood Arboretum it’s a gorgeous park on the southside of Brisbane. It spans 11 hectares and its sprawling grounds run alongside the Brisbane River.
With so many gorgeous locations, Sherwood Arboretum is a perfect location for wedding photos.
And Chelsea and David totally rocked their wedding photos.
Thank you both for choosing me to capture your beautiful day.
I wish you both a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness.
Alison xx
PS. Keep scrolling to read all about their real life, long distance, romance.
Sherwood Arboretum Wedding Photos
Sherwood Arboretum Wedding Photos
How did you both meet?
Dave and I met on Bumble. A friend of mine signed me up and that’s how I met Dave. We had a coffee and discussed all the important things in life like waffles and the best toppings for them.
Any funny stories about that meeting?
Dave was waiting out the front of the café. I spotted him and stood behind a pole. I then messaged my sister saying he was there, and that I couldn’t move when Dave sent me a message describing what he was wearing.
And when we left, we found we were actually parked next to each other in the carpark.
Where you did you get engaged?
Dave proposed at Sherwood Arboretum on the hill overlooking the river at sunset. This is also where he asked me out and where he first said he loved me.
How long have you been together?
We have been together for just over two years.
Why did you choose Alison Cooke Photography to photograph your wedding?
I contacted Alison when we were looking for a photographer and after looking at her website and reading her blurb about herself.
When we started discussing plans, I appreciated how much effort she put into communication, how kind she is and how easy-going she is too.
The whole time Alison was accommodating and understanding which made the planning and replanning so much easier.
Alison is beautiful to work with and made us feel valued and special on our big day.
We can’t recommend Alison enough to anyone who asks us who we had photograph our wedding or our engagement shoot.
*aaaw, thanks you guys <3
What was the ‘must have’ thing for your wedding and photos at Sherwood Arboretum?
Fun! Planning a wedding is hard work. It takes a lot of time and effort.
So it’s important on the day to take a breath and just enjoy all the hard work that went into making it happen.
What things about your wedding made it so amazing?
Dave – the bride.
Chelsea – the overall feeling of the day.
Because of COVID restrictions we went with plan B on the day. And we really enjoyed the lowkey vibe and the atmosphere of the day.
How did you go about planning your wedding? Did you have help?
We read a lot of lists people put together online and then made our list of things to do from that.
Also, we discussed dates and locations and then planned from there.
And we loved the idea of having an afternoon tea reception at Sherwood Arboretum and how that simplified things.
We also thought about who was coming and planned to have our reception in a family friendly place to allow parents to have fun while the kids were entertained.
What tips or ideas would you pass onto future couples?
Having planned a decent sized wedding and then changing it to a lowkey wedding, I think I enjoyed the lowkey feel more than a big wedding.
There are so many people who want your attention on the day that it makes it hard to focus on the purpose of the wedding – to be celebrating a union between you and your partner.
And I feel a smaller wedding allows you both to enjoy each other and others company in a more intimate setting.
Also, give people as much notice as you can so they can make necessary arrangements to attend your wedding.
How did you go about choosing your wedding venues & vendors?
We researched vendors and talked to friends who are married and went from there.
We looked at what would fit and found someone that was a good fit for us.
What was something unique about your wedding?
It marked the end 1.5 years of long-distance relationship.
Do you have any useful advice for future wedding guests?
The day moves along a lot quicker than it feels.
And if the bride and groom don’t get to spend a lot of time with you, they still appreciated having you there to celebrate with them.
Did you honeymoon, where and for how long?
We went to Tasmania for a week, and stayed in a beautiful little town called Snug. We stayed in Snug Haus for the duration of our honeymoon.
Some vendor love!
Photographer: Alison Cooke – she is fabulous and very knowledgeable! We’d love to do future photos with her ?
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Saint Paul’s Presbyterian Church for the ceremony and Sherwood Arboretum for wedding photos and the reception.
Cake: Cheesecake shop on the day. Originally Baked by Brooke who is amazing!
Flowers: Debbie Gould – silk flowers
Décor: we will be using Borrowed Weddings and Events for our reception in 2022
Dress: Wendy Makin Bridal – highly recommend the team at Wendy Makin!
Suits: Groom got his suit from Myer, groomsmen hired their suits. Ties and pocket squares from otta.com
Transport: we used family cars
Jeweller: Ethical Jewelry Australia
Minister: Pastor Paul Jackson
About Alison Cooke Photography
Alison is a professional wedding, family and newborn photographer in Brisbane. With over 25 years experience, an award-winning member of the AIPP and with a gazillion weddings under her camera strap, your wedding photos will be amazing. If you’re looking for a fun photographer for your wedding at Sherwood Arboretum, get in touch here.
