I Do Flowers, Paronella Park, Bronz Beauty crowned FNQ’s best bridal vendors

With wedding season well underway, it’s time to reveal Far North Queensland’s best bridal vendors as voted by you.

I Do Flowers, Paronella Park and Bronz Beauty have been voted FNQ's best wedding vendors by Cairns Post readers.

From the dream venue and perfect bouquet to finessing that bridal glow, Far North wedding vendors can help make your wedding the best day of your life.

The Cairns Post can reveal this year’s best bridal florist, venue and makeup artist, as voted by our readers in a recent poll.

It was a nailbiting race to the finish with only one vote separating many of the winners from second place.

The fight was on to crown FNQ’s best bridal makeup artist, with an extension announced to break the tie, only to crown a dark horse candidate.

Here is who you voted for.

Best bridal florist: I Do Flowers

Cindy Vick, Kristy Curcuruto, Kerry Woodgate Kyreen Illyman and Cindy Hughes of I Do Flowers Cairns which has been voted FNQ’s best bridal florist by Cairns Post readers. Picture Emily Barker.

A Cairns florist who made bouquets for Elton John on his Australian tour, has been crowned Far North Queensland’s best bridal florist.

I Do Flowers Cairns owner and manager Kerry Woodgate was voted FNQ’s best bridal florist by Cairns Post readers in a recent poll.

Ms Woodgate said she had been passionate about helping couple create their dream wedding since she was a child.
“My mum was a wedding gown designer so I grew up around a lot of weddings,” Ms Woodgate said.

“I am so passionate about every single couple who come into the shop and I love getting to make their dreams a reality.”

Ms Woodgate, who has run I Do Flowers for 17 years, said the win was a team effort and she could not live her dream without the help of her experienced staff.

“These girls are amazing and I couldn’t do what I do without them,” she said.

Among Ms Woodgate’s biggest achievements was providing flowers for Sir Elton John when he performed at Cazaly’s stadium in Cairns in 2017.

“His team got in touch with us and asked if we could do the flowers for his dressing room,” she said.
“I was jumping around like ‘oh my god!’ because it’s like royalty.”

Ms Woodgate revealed the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ singer has a fondness for roses.

“We did mixed coloured roses for him mostly,” she said.

Best venue: Paronella Park

Paronella Park has been voted FNQ's best wedding destination for 2024 by Cairns Post readers. Photo: Supplied.

Set against the backdrop of Queensland’s only castle, Paronella Park has been voted FNQ’s best wedding destination, despite not hosting a wedding since the Covid pandemic.

Paronella Park owners Mark and Judy Evans said the park was set to host its first wedding since pandemic in July.

“We haven’t had weddings in a couple of years, since Covid arrived and turned off weddings for obvious reasons,” Mr Evans said.

“What makes this wedding extra special is that the bride is the granddaughter of the first couple who married in Paronella Park,” Mr Evans said.

The park, built by Spanish immigrant Jose Paronella in the 1930s, hosted its first wedding in 1936.

“Personally, I think it’s the perfect backdrop (for a wedding),” Mr Evans said.
“Partly because of the romance of the area but also we get a lot of proposals here. At least once a week.”

Historically, Paronella Park has been a favoured wedding destination, particularly with the Paronella family.

“The daughter of the original family, Theresa, was married here and so were (Jose Paronella’s) two grandchildren and a great-granddaughter,” Ms Evans said.

Mr Evans said the couple were in talks with a local wedding provider to see if they could host more weddings at the park in the future.

“We’re working with a provider to see if we can host a few micro-weddings,” he said.

Best bridal makeup artist: Bronz Beauty

Bronz Beauty owner Bronya Ghidella has been voted FNQ's best bridal makeup artist by Cairns Post readers. Photo: Supplied.

In a tight race to the finish, only one vote stood between Bronz Beauty owner Bronya Ghidella and second place in a nailbiting race to crown FNQ’s best bridal makeup artist.

Ms Ghidella, has been in the industry for 17 years, credited a love of art and creativity from making her hobby into a full-time business.

“I have been doing hair and makeup for weddings full-time for the past 12 years plus 5 years part-time prior,” Ms Ghidella said.

“I always had a love of many different crafts going up and coming from a very artistic family, I was able to make a hobby a successful full time business.”

In addition to wedding styling, Ms Ghidella said she also takes clients for formals, special events and other occasions.

“I’ve had clients who I’ve done their makeup for formals and gone on to do their weddings, right on through to maternity shoots,” she said.
“It’s really sweet because you see the progression through their life and they stay with you.”

Ms Ghidella, who runs her own hair and makeup salon from her home in Bellenden Kerr, travels around the Far North from Tully all the way to Port Douglas and Mount Isa for her clients.

“I am mobile a travel mostly between, Tully and Mission Beach through to Port Douglas and all around the Atherton Tablelands,” she siad.

“I recently did a wedding at Chilligoe, and a graduation at Mt Isa.”

Ms Ghidella said the best part of her job was making people feel happy with themselves.

“A lot of girls, especially graduates can feel very self-conscious about wearing makeup, so it’s all about building them up to a point where they feel really comfortable in themselves,” she said.

Originally published as I Do Flowers, Paronella Park, Bronz Beauty crowned FNQ’s best bridal vendors