Why have a wedding in winter most would say… Well, we’ll tell you exactly why winter weddings on Straddie are our favourite!
Winter wildlife on Straddie is pretty damn breathtaking, imagine your beach ceremony with whales swimming past and breaching in the background! From around June till September the whales migrate past Point Lookout and if you’re keeping a good eye out for them they’re pretty impossible to miss. There’s something so special about getting cozy with the ones you love on a headland for a vibrant winter sunrise or sunset and watching the whales pass by! This is a lovely way to spend the days leading up to or post the wedding, the type of moment that becomes a core memory in your life.
One thing most people may not consider when planning for a beautiful sunny beach ceremony is that standing in the sun for an hour while you say your vows and get the formalities out of the way isn’t going be super comfortable in the warmer months of the year, especially in a thick wedding dress or suit. As much as we love sunny weddings there’s no dancing around the fact that it’s going to be HOT and getting all sweaty in an outfit you’re going to be stuck in for the next 10 hours isn’t exactly ideal.
Winter weddings not only avoid the heat but also the usual influx of visitors the island has in warmer months of the year, there’s certainly still some tourists but not nearly as many as there are when the sun is in full force. The local community often talk about how special winters on the island are; beautiful wildlife, empty beaches and delightful winter sunshine.
I think we all know it can be a struggle to get the ferry slot you’re after or to find accomodation on the island, in off-peak season there will be plenty more options available and more flexibility with how far out you need to book. Not to mention lower off-peak pricing for vehicle ferries as well as AirBnB’s and rental properties! This is definitely something to consider if you are having a larger wedding, your family might be able to find accomodation without too much trouble but what about the 80 other wedding attendees?
Now this point is a little random but hear me out…March Flys AKA flying menaces to society. I’ll be the first to admit Horse Fly bites do NOT tickle! Now imagine getting bitten by one and having to swat it away mid ceremony, that’s a definite mood killer. March Flys are pretty much non existent in winter whereas in summer they are out for blood and annoyingly persistent. Unless you want your wedding perfume to be bug spray I would suggest avoiding March Fly season.
If you’re reluctant to book during winter because you’re worried about your guests being too cold we have the option to add fire pits for on beach weddings which will be prepped with ample wood and lit by our staff. If you’re going for an indoor venue we can add heaters for some extra warmth and have throws available for the guests that want to get super cozy.
If there’s anything you take away from this blog let it be that winter weddings aren’t as scary as they may seem and after successfully servicing over 1000 weddings Stradbroke Island Events have solutions to just about any issues or concerns that may arise.
If you made it to the end of our blog post we’d like to reward you with $1000 off any full service wedding packages for June & July 2024 bookings! If you’d like to take us up on this deal get in contact and let us know the code ‘ welovewinterweddings ‘ when enquiring – we hope to hear from you soon!
All wedding imagery by NSI Productions.