Welcome to our Real Life Weddings page !
This is where the spotlight shines on the amazing weddings that we photograph
Today the spotlight is on Rochelle & Gabes beautiful Brisbane Wedding !
Tell us how you met
We met through work. Gabe was a pricing analyst and Rochelle was a contracts administrator.
The first time we spent an extended amount of time together was on a work trip to Canberra.
It was not at all romantic but when we came home and started talking to family and friends about the guy/girl we’d just spent the best part of a week with there were a few predictions that we’d end up together.
Of course we didn’t start going out until a few years later when Gabe was transferred to a different division of the company. That’s when Gabe took a chance and asked the quiet girl out.
The proposal
Rochelle had been away for a few months in South America visiting her sister, Karla.
We had planned a trip to Sydney together for when Rochelle got back and there were a few people taking bets that Gabe would propose while we were down there.
Gabe didn’t propose in Sydney but when we landed in Brisbane there was a limo waiting to whisk us away to Secrets on the Lake in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
This is where Gabe proposed – surrounded by rainforest and overlooking the lake where we’d had our first kiss. Much better than Sydney!
The Details
Ceremony location: Our Lady of the Way church in Petrie. This is the the local parish church for Rochelle’s family and where several family members were christened and confirmed.
Reception location: We were keen to have a less traditional more dinner party feel to our reception. Restaurant Two delivered this with beautiful food, professional service and a tastefully simple and elegant atmosphere.
Gown: My dress was from Sugar and Spice in Chermside. Lucky for me the lovely girl who assisted me insisted I try on a gown she had tucked away out the back.
It was nothing like what I had requested but the minute I tried it on I knew it was the one.
Wedding bands and engagement rings: Xennox Diamond World made my engagement and wedding rings. Gabe’s wedding band was from Blue Nile.
Fr Peter McCartin did us the honour of marrying us. He had retired as parish priest only a few weeks prior to our wedding so we were grateful he agreed to come back for our wedding.
Wedding Coordinator: We planned the wedding ourselves, with lots of help from our family and friends.
Decorator: Styled Events provided the lovely fairy lights, easel and wishing well. Our florist Karen, from Bliss Floral, arranged all the flowers. We sourced the linen napkins from Thea and Sami a local Brisbane screen printer. Everything else we arranged ourselves, including Gabe’s project which was to take photos of places of significance to us while we were dating which we used as table names.
Hair: Bec from Dextress in Murrumba Downs cut and styled my hair a few days prior to the wedding.
Sarah from the Powder Room looked after our hair on the day and did a great job to fit in my last minute hair piece.
Hair piece: The decision to wear something in my hair was very last minute. I found the hair comb in the cupboard the day before the wedding.
My sister had bought it from Lovisa as a potential accessory for the bridesmaids and it just seemed to work with my dress.
Bridal party attire:
The bridesmaids wore navy dresses from Review and the groomsmen wore suits from Tony Barlow. Gabe wore his own suit (and complained a little that he was the only one without a new outfit).
Make-up: Prue from the Powder Room made us look beautiful with her make-up on the day. The Powder Room girls were a great calming influence in the morning.
Flowers: Karen from Bliss Floral Design did an amazing job with all the flowers.
My sisters and I carried bouquets of roses and orchids. My bouquet included cymbidium orchids, Singapore orchids, Emmanuel roses and beautiful two toned sugar plum roses. My sisters’ bouquets included Singapore orchids, sugar plum roses, glamour girl roses and Rosalind David Austin roses. Gabe had a single Emmanuel rose button hole and the groomsmen wore sugar plum rose button holes.
Stationery: Our invitations and order of service covers were printed by Peppermint Press who thankfully accepted our last minute order just before Carla had her baby last year.
The remaining stationery was put together with paper from Paper Connection on Charlotte Street.
Our Cake
Kate from Vanilla Lily Cake Design made our wedding cake. It was three scrumptious tiers of fruit cake, dark chocolate mud cake and vanilla bean cake with berries baked in. Just delicious.
Entertainment: Rochelle’s Uncle Simon performed MC duties on the night.
Music: We were very fortunate that Gabe’s sister-in-law Fiona and her good friend Anita could play at our ceremony.
Afterwards Radio Club Band provided the great musical backdrop to at our reception, including our first dance song.
Transport: We were provided with excellent service from Brisbane VIP Limousines. Lyn our driver was particularly attentive and on hand to look after us and make things as smooth and easy as possible.
Photography: Ben Clark and his wife Lisa Clark of course!
Videography: We decided to invest in great photography and didn’t arrange a videographer but Gabe’s brother Sebastian was on hand to record all the key moments.
Honeymoon
A couple of weeks to unwind in the South Island of New Zealand with good wine, food and great scenery.
Funniest Moment
Definitely has to be the content of the speeches.
Favourite Wedding Day moment
Walking down the aisle realizing that things are getting very real and that wedding planning is behind us!
Special thanks to
To our friends and family for being there on our special night
In your experience what did you value most about using Ben Clark Photography ?
We most valued the fact that no matter what happens rain, hail, or shine Ben will produce great photos.
We love that he is exceptional at natural shots which is something that we looked for plus he gives great advice.
Advice for other brides-to-be
Start planning early because some things like venues and photographers book out quickly. There is always lots left to do in the weeks before the big day so the more you can do ahead of time the better.
Also, try not to get caught up in the bridal magazine/ wedding blog hype but really think about and and discuss with your fiancé what you want the day to be like and use this to guide your decisions.
Finally, on the day just enjoy it. Take it all in because it will be over before you know it.
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Thanks so much Gabe and Rochelle for having myself and Lisa along for the fun !