Gold Coast Farm House Wedding

Some couples want to spend a big part of their wedding day disappearing off for photos, but Keely and Max had other ideas. They wanted some great photos, but they also wanted to actually spend the day with the people they had invited. The plan was simple, keep things relaxed, spend time with family and friends and grab the photos along the way – our favorite style of wedding. With Gold Coast Farm House as the setting and a perfect spring afternoon on the cards, it was shaping up to be a good one.

We started with the girls at Keely and Max’s apartment, where they were almost ready to go. We headed downstairs for the final details and spent some time photographing Keely with the girls before making our way over to the venue. The timber house looked fantastic in the afternoon light, and Keely waited inside while Max came in to see her. It was one of those quiet moments that didn’t need much direction, with the two of them just taking in the fact that the day was finally here. The bridesmaids were watching through the window and were in tears, which probably tells you everything you need to know about the mood in the room.

After a few photos together, we headed outside towards the big tree where the ceremony was taking place. Max was greeting guests as they arrived and doing a good job of keeping things together, although there was a little nervousness underneath it all. Eventually he made his way into position with his groomsmen, and when Keely arrived with her bridesmaids, his attention went straight to her. The ceremony itself was a great mix of laughs and heartfelt moments, with a couple of the bridesmaids reaching for tissues along the way. They exchanged rings, shared their first kiss and signed the certificate before making their way back up the aisle as Mr and Mrs through a shower of bubbles. About halfway down they stopped for another kiss, which got a big reaction from everyone before they continued into the crowd.

There wasn’t much time for Keely and Max to make it more than a few steps before they were surrounded by hugs and congratulations. Once everyone had said hello and the initial excitement had settled, we gathered the whole group together for a big photo before moving through the family photos and bridal party shots. After that, we gave Keely and Max a few quiet minutes together and grabbed some photos while they had a chance to take it all in. It was a nice little pause before they headed into cocktail hour, where they could finally relax and spend some proper time with their guests.

While everyone was catching up over drinks, we moved around and captured the candid moments happening naturally around them, along with some video messages and well wishes from their guests. It was one of those parts of the day where there isn’t really anything that needs to be organised. People were talking, laughing, hugging and enjoying being together, and there was always something happening somewhere.

As the sun started to drop, we stole Keely and Max away for about 15 minutes for some portraits. They were happy to take a short break, but they were never going to disappear for half an hour or more while everyone else was celebrating. The timing worked perfectly anyway. The light had softened, the property was looking great and the two of them had a chance to slow down together for a few minutes before heading back.

Keely had one more surprise planned for the evening. She changed into her party dress while her hairdresser worked some magic upstairs, taking her from long flowing hair to a shoulder length cut. Max changed into a black shirt and the two of them eventually came walking back down the hill together. The reaction from their guests was brilliant. There were genuine gasps as people realised what Keely had done, followed by plenty of cheering. The transformation had definitely landed.

During cocktail hour, the team leaders had also been handed their very official looking “top secret” envelopes, and as the afternoon turned into evening it was time to find out what they were for. Keely and Max were set up on two stools while everyone was divided into groups, with each team given 30 seconds to race in for a nice smiling photo before going completely off script for a few crazy ones. It was a great bit of fun and definitely brought out a competitive side in a few people.

Then it was time for dinner, followed by the speeches and some very competitive speech bingo. Max’s dad had helped everyone with their cards, and it seemed like quite a few people were determined to get their full house. Eventually Keely and Max got up to thank everyone for being there, finishing with the words, “Let’s get the party started.”

Cue the Black Eyed Peas.

The dancefloor filled and the rest of the night took care of itself. After a day that had been all about spending time with their favourite people, Keely and Max were right in the middle of it, surrounded by everyone they had brought together for the occasion.

A relaxed spring wedding, a few good surprises, plenty of laughs and one very full dancefloor. 

Congrats lovers

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