Darling Downs industry commit to lucrative business nuptials

Toowoomba entrepreneur says the region has potential to trump hinterland as wedding mecca of regional Queensland, so long as the industry bands together.

WEDDED BLISS: Kim Cahill and Sian Benson at the Wedding Industry and Business Leaders Breakfast event. Picture: Nev Madsen

Dozens of dearly beloved Darling Downs wedding venues, businesses and vendors gathered together at the Oakes Hotel this week to join in a commitment of economic matrimony at the Wedding Industry and Business Leaders Breakfast.

Event organiser, Toowoomba entrepreneur and creator of the online business directory, Toowoomba Darling Downs’ Kim Cahill said she was pleased with the turnout and said she was confident with the right amount of industry collaboration, the Darling Downs could easily become the next big regional wedding destination, with the potential to surpass Queensland’s marriage mecca Maleny in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

“I have no doubt Toowoomba and the Darling Downs has the potential to become an even bigger and better regional wedding destination because this region has so much going for it,” she said.

“We’ve got the beautiful different seasons and times of the year, we’re a safer distance from capital cities making us a more reliable wedding destination with regards to the pandemic and we have a wide range of award-winning venues and services to suit weddings of all budgets – we just need more collaboration.”

Toowoomba-based wedding vendors, Ian Wickham from In the Booth and Mary Reid from Merivale Cakes and Crafts teamed up with Ms Cahill to create the industry breakfast in response to the pandemic downturn, inviting Natasha O’Meara, Managing Director of ABIA Weddings Australia to assist with identifying and assisting with putting the Toowoomba region on the map as a prime wedding package destination.

“The Toowoomba region shows huge potential to become one of Australia’s leading wedding destination locations so long as the local industry leaders can commit to what I like to call the four C’s – communication, co-operation, co-ordination and commitment,” Ms O’Meara said.

“If the Darling Downs wedding industry can come together as a united community the potential is there for the entire community to benefit economically.”

Kim Cahill (left) and Sian Benson at the Wedding Industry and Business Leaders Breakfast. Picture: Nev Madsen

New Toowoomba events co-ordinator Sian Benson has only just started organising regional weddings in the last 12 months but says she can already see the potential the Toowoomba region has when it comes to the $7.25 billion Australian wedding industry.

“In a lot of ways Covid has been a good opportunity for the industry to look at what we were doing and find some better ways to deliver wedding services. What Kim has started will be extremely valuable for the industry and I hope more young and new vendors start to come on board over the next several months,” she said.

“It might seem a bit scary to reach out and collaborate at first but the more we come together, the more we all set to benefit in the long term.”

For more information about the regions special occasion related businesses, head to the Toowoomba Darling Downs website’s recently established wedding section here.