Brides, celebrants and planners on the Noosa wedding business
From a Covid-19 celebration, to weddings worth more than $250,000, superstar bands in bridal parties and A-list nuptials, take a peek inside the Noosa wedding industry.
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Covid saving has sparked a wedding cash splash in Noosa with some couples dropping more than $250,000 on their big day.
Lovebird Weddings planner Trudy Croad said she had some clients who had spent more than $250,000 on their weddings after saving up throughout the pandemic years.
She said the average spend before the Covid-19 pandemic in the Noosa region was about $60,000-$80,000.
The wedding planner said in 2022, the average spend was between $80,000 and $150,000.
“They’re not just doing one event now,” she said.
“A recovery event the day after is becoming an event in itself.”
The planner said one couple who spent about $250,000 rented out Domic, the house of domes in Sunshine Beach, and entertained their guests over five days.
She said the benefits of the wedding trade transferred to other industries including accommodation, venues, restaurants and tourist activities because some guests were staying up to four nights rather than the traditional two or three nights.
The wedding planner said the industry was not sheltered from staff shortages and her business had organised 200 weddings this year.
The usual number in pre-Covid years was about 135.
“We’ve had to do a lot of work managing our energy levels,” Ms Croad said.
She said early indications were that 2023 would remain busy.
Fellow wedding planner Melinda Gannan said pre-Covid, the wedding industry was worth $70m in Noosa.
“It’s a such a positive for the Noosa economy to have these weddings here,” she said.
$250k wedding
When the weather scuttled Annabelle and William Jones’ plan to marry at Maravista Farm in the Noosa hinterland, they turned to their wedding planner Trudy Croad for another venue.
The bride, 32, of Brisbane, said she would not have changed a single detail about her more than $250,000 wedding that was eventually held at the Noosa Country Polo field in Cooroy, in July, 2022.
The clear 20m marquee, the only one of its size in Queensland, was filled with flowers.
“The styling was everything I dreamt of and more,” Mrs Jones said.
The bride and her mum were dressed by Brisbane designer Darb Bridal Couture and Mrs Jones’ long-sleeved gown was completed with a bow at the front and lace detail.
The bride said the only thing that went wrong was the champagne tower smashing as the bride and groom poured the drinks.
“My reaction was priceless,” Mrs Jones said.
Mrs Jones works in an insurance agency and her husband, 31, is in commercial real estate.
Celebrity weddings
Celebrant Jacqueline Gray said many celebrities asked her to sign confidentiality agreements but she was able to talk about a couple of famous pairings during her 28-year career.
She said she performed the wedding for golfer Stuart Appleby and Ashley Appleby on the Noosa spit in 2002.
The celebrant said the bride travelled by gondola to the ceremony while the groom took a fishing charter.
She said some of the children involved were terrified of being eaten by a shark because they had just watched Jaws.
Ms Gray, who has performed more than 3000 ceremonies, said one of the most embarrassing celebrity moments she had encountered was during a wedding in Mudjimba in the early 2000s.
“I said to the best man, ‘that’s lovely that you’re playing a guitar and singing as the bride walks down the aisle’,” she said.
The celebrant said the best man turned to her and said “we’re Powderfinger” and she learnt he was the lead singer, Bernard Fanning.
Ms Gray said every band member was part of the bridal party.
“I got straight on the phone and rang one of my friends and said ‘have you ever heard of Powderfinger?’” she said.
The celebrant said her children were young and listening to more “junior music” at the time.
Covid-19 wedding
If Pria Puri’s mum had her way, there would have been 200 people at her daughter’s wedding.
Instead, Ms Puri and her husband Craig McCallum were married during Covid-19 restrictions that limited their wedding party.
The Brisbane couple celebrated their wedding in Noosa in October, 2021, with eight of their friends because their families could not cross the Queensland border.
Ms Puri said they married at Noosaville and then went to an Italian restaurant for lunch.
Mr McCallum, of Scottish heritage, wore his family tartan and Ms Puri was dressed in an Indian lehenga gown.
The ceremony was live-streamed to interstate and overseas family and friends.
Some of the guests also hired kilts to wear and the women had henna painted on them.
Ms Puri said henna was a hand decoration.
Her husband’s initials were painted into the bride’s henna and the goal was for the groom to find them.
She also wore red and gold bangles with kalira ornaments attached.
“Normally a bride’s brother gives (the kalira) to the bride to signify a blessing for the bride and groom,” Ms Puri said.
Ms Puri said the wedding cost about $20,000 and that included rental of a holiday home for several days, meals out plus makeup and more.
Third time lucky
It was third time lucky for Amie and Joel Hewes who were married on their third attempt in September, 2022, after years of Covid-19 kept forcing them to change their date.
The couple wed in Quota Park in Noosaville.
“Pretty much everyone walking past was cheering us on, which was awesome,” Mr Hewes said.
The ceremony was a casual affair with the groom in dress pants and a shirt.
Mr Hewes said the ceremony was overwhelming at times.
“I was having trouble holding it together to be honest,” he said.
“Seeing the bridesmaids first, and (Amie) was looking amazing and I thought ‘I’m done’.”
Mrs Hewes’ family is from Noosa and Mr Hewes is from the Sunshine Coast.
The couple met in Mooloolaba and moved to Melbourne.
The bride is an emergency nurse and said it was hard for her leave Melbourne in the Covid years.
Mrs Hewes’ mum also has breast cancer, which meant having friends and family gather for the wedding even more important.
The bride said the wedding including accommodation cost about $25,000.
The couple had their reception at the Noosa Boathouse.
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Originally published as Brides, celebrants and planners on the Noosa wedding business
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