Wedding at The Church Events Venue | Jen & Wade

There are weddings where the details are beautiful simply because they’re beautiful — and then there are weddings where almost everything seems to have a story behind it. Jen and Wade’s wedding at The Church Events Venue in Rockhampton was definitely the latter.

Family history was woven throughout their day, from old wedding photographs of generations before them to jewellery passed through the family. Even The Church itself had a connection to Jen’s family long before it became the beautiful wedding venue it is today.

And then there were all the little things that made the day completely their own. Their boys taking to the microphone before Jen walked down the aisle, their mums presenting the wedding rings, a surprise petal toss made from her dad’s roses, and even a perfectly timed patch of rain that left everyone waiting just a little longer for the bride to arrive.

It was thoughtful and sentimental, but it was also incredibly fun — which, as it turned out, was a pretty good indication of how the rest of the day was going to unfold.

The Wedding Day

Jen and Wade both got ready at The Edge before heading to The Church for their ceremony. The rain caused a slight delay, but their celebrant made good use of the extra time. Everyone took selfies and sent messages to the couple while they waited. I happened to be there to photograph some of it, which made for some very fun guest photos!

Jen and Wade’s three little boys were waiting outside The Church when Jen arrived. They were all waving and blowing kisses to her as she pulled up in the car. Their oldest took hold of the back of her dress and carried it as she walked towards the church, before handing the job over to Grandad at the doors. Some of the photos I captured of Jen with the boys actually had me in tears when I went through them for the first time. It was such a beautiful part of the day.

After the ceremony, we headed off with Jen, Wade and the bridal party for portraits, while Kirra, my second photographer for the day, stayed behind at The Church to photograph cocktail hour. It meant Jen and Wade didn’t have to choose between having time for their own photos and having all those moments with their guests documented too. They later printed the guest photos and included them with their thank-you cards, which I thought was such a great idea.

Once the bridal party headed back, we took Jen and Wade around Rockhampton for a few more portraits. We stopped at Green Brothers and O’Dowd’s Irish Pub — two locations that are very much part of their story.

We finished at O’Dowd’s and I left the two of them there for a few quiet minutes together before they headed back to The Church. I later found out those five minutes alone ended up being one of Jen’s favourite memories from the day.

Then it was back to The Church for dinner, speeches and their first dance, before Jason Rigby Band got everyone onto the dance floor. There was plenty of the usual chaos that comes with having three little boys, but Jen and Wade just let them be themselves and enjoy the day. By then, the suits had been ditched, and the boys were comfortable and having a great time.

It was such a fun wedding to photograph, but I think what I’ll remember most is just how personal it all was. So many of the details, locations and traditions had a story behind them — and I loved being able to photograph it all.

Wedding Vendors

Photographer: Jodie Potter Photography
Second Photographer: Kirra Hicks

Venue: The Church Events Venue
Celebrant: Cath Hogarth
Catering: Harmony Food & Wine
Cake: All That Cake
Flowers: Shannon Hawkes
Hair & Makeup: Revenge Hair & Beauty
Wedding Dress: Mason Bridal
Bridal Robes: Outback Linen
Suits: Stewarts Rockhampton
Music: Jason Rigby Band

Getting Married at The Church Events Venue

The Church is a beautiful option for couples looking for a Rockhampton wedding venue where the ceremony and reception can all happen in one place. There are plenty of opportunities for photos around the venue itself. You can also head into the city for something a little more urban, or take a short drive to the river or some beautiful rural settings for a completely different feel.

I particularly loved how well the venue worked for Jen and Wade’s cocktail hour. While we headed away for bridal party photos, their guests could relax and enjoy the afternoon at The Church before everyone came back together for the reception.

If you’re planning a wedding at The Church Events Venue and looking for a photographer, you can have a look through my website to see more of my wedding photography and find out a little more about how I photograph a wedding day.