Gabbinbar Homestead - Insider Tips!

For most couples, the bride gets ready in the bridal retreat onsite, and the groom gets ready offsite at a hotel or home nearby. You could ask your videographer and photographer to attend the groom preparation offsite, but if it’s in a small motel room it probably isn’t ideal.  I usually recommend to my couples that the groom and his entourage arrive at Gabbinbar about 1.5 – 2 hours before the ceremony, wearing their pants and shirts. They can bring with them their ties, buttonholes and jackets, and put these final touches on in the exquisite Library at Gabbinbar. There is a rail on the bookshelf where the lads can hang their jackets. The staff will bring the boys a drink, if they are so inclined, to help them relax and enjoy those final moments together before the groom needs to start meeting and greeting guests.

The wedding planners at Gabbinbar will suggest that you hold your ceremony about 2.5 hours before sunset. They are flexible on this of course, but it is great advice. It allows you to have your 30-45 minute ceremony, followed by a two hour Garden Party for your guests while you have your photo shoot around the property. Your guests will enter the reception space at sunset – about half an hour before last light – which means the conservatory will look stunning as your guests first walk in. This also allows the photo / video shoot to take place when the natural light is ideal. You can check sunset times for your wedding date by entering “Sunset time Toowoomba + [your wedding date]”  into a Google search.

A lot of wedding days can be adversely affected by rain. But Gabbinbar provides a bucket of big umbrellas at the car park for your guests so they can be covered from the moment they arrive. They also provide the Pavilion as an undercover outdoor ceremony space and are efficient to move your props and styling to this area. During the photo shoot you have the School House, Stables, and plenty of rooms in the house itself to provide indoor options. And if you’re a playful couple you can head outside with umbrellas and get some amazing shots in the rain with the woods behind you. Gabbinbar can provide their black umbrellas for this, but if there is a chance of wet weather I would recommend you ask your photographer and videographer ahead of time if they are supplying their own clear or white umbrellas, which tend to look better in photos than the black. (You can acquire these cheaply at DAISO stores yourself if your vendors aren’t being helpful).

Most couples go all out in styling the reception space, which is typically the Conservatory. However, some couples overlook the Ballroom, which is where they hope their guests will boogie the last part of the night away. Some additional lighting and decorative touches in this room really help to build the kind of dance floor atmosphere you want. If you’re hiring a DJ they will take care of the lighting and atmosphere for you. But if you are going DIY on the music, brainstorm your options with the wedding planners at Gabbinbar. For example, you might like to put some candles on the ledges around the edge of the room.

Gabbinbar have a number of optional extras on offer when you book your wedding (ie. stuff that comes with an additional charge). My favourite of these, from a videography point of view, is the fireworks. A lot of couples choose to surprise their guests with fireworks over the glass roof of the Conservatory as they cut the cake. Every person in the room has a huge smile as they look up into the sparkles. It’s a magical moment in real life, and one that looks amazing on video as well.

Make sure you check with your videographer / photographer whether they plan to take you outside for a few romantic night shots. You can sneak away while guests are dancing and get some footage under the famous magnolia tree, or in the woods, or even in the School House which is lit by a chandelier and has a different look at night time.