Renewal of Wedding Vows – Appreciating the Journey Paul and Jane contacted me from England. They wanted to renew their wedding vows on an Australian Beach while over here on holidays. They had originally planned for Hamilton Island but the costs were too prohibitive. Their search brought them to the Sunshine Coast and they are so glad it did. They chose the popular Maroochydore Beach with the charming Boathouse Restaurant at Cotton Tree for their reception. Such an awesome location. We met for a meetup with local photographer Jason Cosgrove under the large cotton trees while we planned the finer details and got to know each other. As a Sunshine Coast celebrant, I know they really appreciated my local knowledge and put a great deal of trust in me which was very humbling. We found it easy to communicate via the internet and we planned their special event with ease, just meeting the day before for a coffee and a chat. The day you renew your wedding vows can be as important, special and memorable as the day you first made them. For Paul and Jane, it was a lovely moment for them to just stop and appreciate the journey they have both been on over the years. They chose this time and place to make a public commitment in front of their close friends, that they wanted to continue to share their life together. Yes, my groom needed that tissue that I always suggest they keep in their pocket! It’s always so touching to see how moved men can be by the women in their lives. I never tire of witnessing that depth of love and commitment. The photo doesn’t show what was really happening on the day. It was such a race to get the photography done before a large summer storm hit. Just to the right (cleverly cropped out by the photographer) was a massive line of black clouds rolling in. I thought I’d make a dash and get home before it hit. I was wrong! I drove through heavy rain and hail all the way along the Nicklin Way, but managed to get back before the worst of it hit. That’s the unpredictable nature of a Queensland summer and yes, we certainly had a wet-weather plan in place! just scrapped through this time !!
