Tiahni & Josh - Vows And Snap Lockdowns At Hampton Estate

Can you imagine Annastacia announcing a snap lockdown ON YOUR WEDDING DAY? This is exactly what happened on this week’s White Lily bride Tiahni and her husband Josh’s special day. We can’t even imagine the stress levels our Brisbane couple would have reached when first hearing the announcement. Yet, their special day turned out absolutely magical: “The most memorable and phenomenal day was filled with happy and sad tears. Covid tried to get in the way of our love story… but love prevailed.” Thanks to an amazing team of vendors and “people who moved heaven and earth to make it happen”, their wedding day was a shortened version of everything Tiahni had hoped for. But before we get into the full details of it all, let’s talk about how their love story first unfolded.

Tiahni & Josh’s Meet Cute

“We met working at a bar together while both studying at university. One shift, a very nervous Josh created an origami love heart note and put it on top of my coffee cup. The letter read, “Do you like me?” with two options below, yes or no. After a lot of mixed signals, we decided we should stay friends. Josh gave me a kiss on the cheek and whispered in my ear, " I understand but for the record, this isn't what I want, and walked away. I knew at that exact moment I needed this guy in my life. After officially dating for a while, I gave the note back to Josh with the 'yes' circled.”

Josh’s Romantic Kangaroo Point Proposal

“I (Josh) had ideas very early on and I dreamt pretty big as I wanted Tee to love every minute of it as she deserves. I wanted to ask when we were traveling Europe and living abroad together for almost 3 years but knew Tee would want our families there to share the moment with us.

After six years together I arranged for a secret picnic to be set up at sunset on the riverbank just off the cliffs at Kangaroo Point in a nice and private location for just Tee and me to enjoy. With utter excitement, I held both of her hands, looked into her eyes, and reminisced about our love story. I took a deep breath, got down on one knee, and ask the girl of my dreams to marry me. Little did Tee know I had also arranged a photographer to capture the moment. I created a playlist of our favourite songs, had our favourite wine from our travels in Italy, our favourite cheese from France. Everything was perfect!”

A Wedding With A Surprise Dose Of Covid

“My husband and I got married on the day of Queensland’s covid-19 snap 4 pm lockdown. The “strictest lockdown” Queensland and Australia has yet seen, which was announced at 10 am the day of our wedding.

We woke to a beautiful sunny winter’s day on Tamborine Mountain excited to get married. As vendors arrived dropping off our wedding cake, flowers, and more, the venue began setting up and the bridal team was in hair and makeup… then the announcement that Queensland would go into a snap lockdown at 4 pm was made. This news shocked everyone and was absolutely heartbreaking.

No one could have ever expected this. The emotion and heartache we felt finding out about this sudden decision was something we struggle to describe. So many people were affected but our wedding and everything we had planned got turned upside down with only a few hours’ notice. But we refused to give up!

Within an hour we had recreated our entire wedding day & had everyone arriving early so we could have our ceremony & reception before the impending 4 pm lockdown. We took every obstacle in our stride. We had our ceremony & reception in 3 hours surrounded by people who moved heaven and earth to make it happen.

While getting portrait photos, when the new 10 people restriction was implemented, we were met by Queensland Police Service officers monitoring the area. The QPS officers’ community spirit and compassion made for an even more unforgettable day.

The support, encouragement, and love of everyone for sticking by us through the ups

and downs of our crazy & chaotic wedding day was incredible. Although it was not the day we had planned, it was the most wonderful (and craziest) day of our lives. We made a heartbreaking situation amazing and created our own magic while honouring the circumstances outside of anyone’s control.

The most memorable and phenomenal day was filled with happy and sad tears.

Covid tried to get in the way of our love story… but love prevailed.”

Wedding Theme And Styling

All things Covid aside, this Brisbane couple’s wedding day was a beautiful mixture of romantic styling and timeless elements. Perched in the world’s most pristine and untouched rainforests, Hampton Estate Wines was the perfect location to celebrate Tiahni & Josh’s love whilst embracing the Gold Coast hinterland’s beauty. A tasteful combination of warm tones and crisp whites created a beautiful and welcoming atmosphere and transformed the venue into the most romantic space. Arriving in style in Tiahni’s dad’s vintage Holden HR car and surrounded by hundreds of flowers, Tiahni gracefully struck down the wooden aisle towards the love of her life.

Favourite Memories

Despite the immense stress and heartbreak Tiahni and Josh faced on that very same morning, their wedding day was filled with memories the Brisbane couple will cherish for the rest of their lives. From celebrating with a life-size cutout of Josh’s best man (thanks to unpredictable border closures) to a surprise singing performance by Tiahni’s sister that captured the couple’s love story in a song, this week’s White Lily bride wouldn’t change a thing about her special day.

A Special Shoutout To Tiahni’s Favourite Wedding Vendors

Photographers - The Lane Creators

“To say Josh & I, our family & friends have been sooo insanely thrilled with everything The Lane Creators have done for us would be an understatement. Their professionalism, personalisation & positivity, before, during, and after our wedding, was beyond anything we could have ever hoped for. The photos are sooo incredibly beautiful, they found a way to capture every important moment on camera.”

Celebrant - Married by Luke

“Our guests thought Luke was a close friend as he showed so much compassion, insight & understanding of our day & our journey. He captured the essence of us & told our love story in a way we could never. Reflecting, the ceremony was our most cherished part of our wedding day.”

Venue - Hampton Estate Wines

“Hampton Estate Wines moved heaven and earth to make our wedding day possible. We are forever indebted to them & their hard work for everything they did to make our wedding exceptional. The team at Hampton was so invested in every decision, stayed positive & supported us & our families in every way possible through the best and worst parts of our wedding day. They rode the covid wedding wave with us from start to finish.”

The Dress

When we send these questionnaires to our White Lily brides we always ask them: how did you know you had found the one? Here’s what Tiahni had to say about her dream gown THEA by Martina Liana and experience in our Brisbane boutique: “I felt like an absolute princess walking down the aisle to the love of my life. When looking for a dress my mum, sister & I searched night and day for months in-store and online for 'the dress'. I knew I wanted something romantic & timeless, a dress that was comfortable, flawless, and stunning quality but captured our love story.

From the moment I tried on the dress, I knew it was the one. From the beautifully structured a-line silhouette with an elegant square neckline, the sheer bodice and bold laces enhanced my figure but added an element of difference. The low, open scoop back complete with button detailing, the intricate organza petals and motifs on the dress scattered down the full skirt to a modest but effortless train. The dress was finished with a slight shimmer to add a little extra bridal glow. I could not have loved it more.”

What made your White Lily bridal experience special for you?

“Every single element of interaction with White Lily Couture was exceptional. From my initial consult, trying on different styles recommended by your panel of experts, finding my dream dress with my nearest and dearest and celebrating with a glass of bubbly, deciding on accessories to complete my perfect bridal look, to amazing recommendations for alterations and dry cleaning. White Lily Couture made finding my dream dress a truly magical experience, something I will always be grateful for.”

Mr. & Mrs. Carr

Complete the sentence: being married means unity, coming together as one and a commitment to a future together, pursuing our dreams, and facing life’s challenges together. We could not imagine doing life without each other. Marriage is the ultimate commitment and expression of love to one another. Both our parents have been married, loyally dedicated to each other through all of life’s sequence of good and bad happenings, collectively for over 56 years. We hope for a love like theirs, a love that lasts time.