When Julia mentioned to two of her girlfriends, Jo and Angie, that she just wanted a nice, kind, and smart guy, Jo exclaimed, "Finally!" and urged her to meet Dave, Jo's now husband's best friend. With nothing but Jo's recommendation to go off, she almost called off the blind date, but with a bit of convincing, the two met over a drink at a cute wine bar in Burnett Lane. Their first date went well, and a second wasn't far behind.
In 2022, the pair adopted their fur baby Rufus, and suddenly, they were walking through Victoria Park at least once a day. Julia came to love a section of the park lined with jacarandas, her favourite of them all, a big sprawling jacaranda that lays a carpet of lavender coloured flowers every year.
In February 2024, on one of their many walks in the park, Dave took Julia down to her favourite jacaranda and popped the question. Rufus couldn't contain his excitement for his parents and actually ran off!
When it was time to start planning, the two of them decided they wanted a venue outside of Brisbane, and that if possible, they wanted their little pup, Rufus, to attend the wedding too! After looking at the Gold Coast, Maleny, and Montville, they stumbled upon Gabbinbar in Toowoomba.
Gabbinbar was a wild card at first, but after meeting with the team and doing a virtual tour, they knew it was the perfect place to celebrate their love. "The team were so professional, the grounds were stunning, and they offered wedding planning recommendations to help us out. The best part - Rufus was able to attend not only the ceremony but be there the whole day." To make the experience even more special, they offered him puppacinos and steak for dinner!
The next part of the planning process was finding the perfect dress, or in Julia's case the perfect TWO!
Originally overwhelmed by how many dresses there were and how many dress stores
were available, she set aside back-to-back appointments, each day going home saying she had found the one. Dave had to remind her that there could only be one 'the one', but turns out he was wrong - there could be TWO!
At her first booking at When Freddie met Lilly, she knew she didn't want something too form-fitting but was otherwise open to suggestions. Initially thinking she wanted a classic, simple, all-white dress, when she first saw herself in her beaded Houston gown, she knew it was perfect. With the willing help of Laura and Vanessa, she made the final tweaks - a shortened sleeve there, a longer train here and an in-built bodice was all in order.
But, Julia still loved the idea of a minimal white dress, so instead of opting for a classic white ceremony dress and then a sparkly second dress, she flipped it and worked with Laura and Vanessa to design a 1950s-style, all-white, mid-length dress. She changed out the accessories too - adding a tennis necklace and custom Jimmy Choo silver sparkly heels, perfect for a night of dancing!
When asked about her favourite part of the day, Julia mentioned there were many wonderful things on their big day, but the absolute highlight was the very end, the exit that only they and her Mum knew about. They ended the night with sparklers for each of their guests, and after running through the receiving line, fireworks on either side of the walkway went off as they walked away! With the mist settling in Toowoomba for the night, they walked off through the fireworks and into the rest of their lives together!
Another special part of her ceremony was the inclusion of hydrangeas, both in the bouquets and around the venue. A wonderful tribute to her Nana and one of Dave's grandparents, honouring them and tying their two families together.
Advice from the beautiful bride to any bride-to-be:
1) Invite only the people you really want there - the ones who are the most important to you both.
2) What the hell - you only get married once, buy what you want! (This was dangerous - Jimmy Choo's and a tennis necklace ordered!)
3) All that matters is that you show up, he shows up, and a celebrant turns up. Ultimately, it's just about the two of you together.
You'll question your choices a million times, and you'll worry that you've forgotten something...but when you get to the day, none of those things really matter. The day moves so fast! Surround yourself with your favourite people on the day - that's the most important!
Julia describes her experience with When Freddie met Lilly as never a cookie-cutter experience; she always felt beautiful, seen, heard and listened to about what she wanted for her big day.
We loved being a part of your beautiful love story and are so pleased that we could bring your vision to life!
Vendors:
Venue: Gabbinbar (@gabbinbar)
Photographer: Feather and Finch Photography (@featherandfinchphotography)
Styling and Florals: Emunah Events (@emunahevents)
Hair: Sarah Neill Hair (@sarahneillhair)
Grooms Suit: Institchu (@institchu)
Bridesmaid dresses: Hexie (@hexie_studio) and Aje (@_aje_)
Music: Nick Trovas Band (@nicktrovasband)
Cake: Cake House by Katrina Allan (@cakehouse.by.katrinaallan)
Stationery: Trescher Papier (@trescherpapier)
Celebrant: Ange Anderson (@marriedbyange)
Wedding Pet Sitter: First Class Pet Wedding Assistants (@pet_wedding_assistants)
Wedding Child Minding and Entertainment: Timmy & Tammy (@timmyandtammy_events)
