Wedding venue: Cowbell Creek, Austinville
Catering: The Good Food Catering Co
Florals: Vintage La Belle
Music: Benny Hanna Music
Cowbell Creek was one of my favourite wedding venues that I photographed in 2021! Up in the picturesque Gold Coast hinterlands in Austinville, Cowbell Creek is one of those gorgeous, convenient outdoor venues that has a little bit of everything for your wedding all in one spot. When you drive up the road leading into the farm, you’re greeted with open skies and lush, rolling hills. They have three dedicated ceremony areas depending on what you’re after – underneath a giant fig tree, a creekside verandah, or a shaded pergola. Joy and Andy opted for the last option, but I’m sure all of them look equally amazing!
Probably the most fun part about Cowbell Creek (I guess it depends who you ask) are all the animals around the farm that you’ll encounter! If you hadn’t already guessed, you’re going to see a few cows around Cowbell Creek. Not just dairy cows and cattle, but you’ll also get to play with and pat a few super-cute and super-hairy highland cows! Not just that, but Tracey might come out with their resident alpacas and let you give them a little walk around – you’ll just have to make sure to keep your bouquet away from them otherwise they might just eat half of it while you’re not looking. There’s also a few horses onsite at Cowbell Creek, but Joy had a bad childhood experience with them, so we stayed away from them for the photos.
Joy and Andy organised a bus for most of their guests for their wedding, since Cowbell Creek is only 15 minutes away from Robina! They decided to do things their way for most of the wedding, which started off with a cute first look inside the barn before the wedding, and led to them walking down the aisle together. Officiated by their very tall friend Dean, they exchanged handmade wooden rings, and performed a meaningful candle ceremony to represent those who were no longer with them. After the wedding ceremony, they chose to cut the cake immediately and share a bite and a drink with their guests.
Their reception was an epic family feast thanks to The Good Food Catering Co, and after a cheeky little first dance, the dance floor opened up. And following the theme of non-traditional, Joy and Andy hosted an intense lip-sync battle to “I Want It That Way” – the winner taking all the glory, plus the wedding bouquet.
And one of my favourite things about a wedding at Cowbell Creek (or any wedding away from the city) – we snuck outside for some portraits under the stars. Scroll down to the end to peek the magic.
