Jess & Adam | A Golden Afternoon at The Old Dairy, Maleny

Real WeddingsSunshine Coast hinterlandweddingsThe Old Dairy maleny
Written By Angela Brushe

There are wedding days that run like clockwork, and then there are wedding days that run like clockwork because two adorable, chaos-agent kids kept everyone on their toes. Jess & Adam's day at The Old Dairy, Maleny was very much the second kind — and honestly, it was better for it.

Getting Ready: Small Space, Big Feelings

The getting-ready spaces at The Old Dairy are compact, which sounds like a small detail until you're actually in the room and realise it's exactly why the photos turn out so good — everyone's close, everyone's laughing, and there's nowhere for the emotion to hide. We kicked things off with Adam, who had his first look of the day with his two kids. Now, if you've ever tried to get small children to cooperate for a "sweet, still moment," you'll know exactly how that went. The kids did what kids do. We still walked away with some genuinely gorgeous, giggly frames, plus some lovely family portraits with Adam's parents and siblings tucked in among the hinterland greenery, and I have to say — the boys scrubbed up sharp in their Tarocash suits.

Jess, meanwhile, wanted her first looks done properly — one at a time, with her mum, her dad, and each of her bridesmaids. I'll be honest, this is one of my favourite ways to start a day. Instead of one big blur of emotion, you get these individual, private little moments that are just for the two people in them. The light in the bridal getting-ready room at The Old Dairy does a lot of the heavy lifting here too — it's soft, it's flattering, and it makes every single one of those reactions look like it was lit on purpose. Jess's dress, a stunning Destiny Chic gown, deserves its own paragraph honestly, and her hair and makeup by Erin Fedele was flawless from first look to last dance — not a hair out of place, even after the dance floor got going.

The Ceremony: Onions Were Definitely Being Chopped

There's a reason The Old Dairy is one of the most sought-after wedding venues on the Sunshine Coast — you can get ready, say "I do," and party the night away without ever leaving the property, all with the Bell Tower quietly stealing the background of every photo. The ceremony space was dressed with the dreamiest arrangements from Wylde Magnolia, and honestly the blooms looked like they'd grown there on purpose. Jess made her entrance down the aisle and Adam's face did that thing grooms swear is just hay fever. It wasn't hay fever. These two exchanged some genuinely beautiful, personal vows in front of their celebrant, and it was the kind of ceremony that sticks with you long after you've packed up the cameras.

Afterwards, we built in a buffer — no rushing straight from "you may now kiss the bride" into couple portraits. There is nothing worse than being swept off a happy-crying high and shoved in front of a camera thirty seconds later. Fifteen or twenty minutes of hugging, happy tears and champagne with family and friends first? Always worth it.

Couple Photos: Cellars, Cars and That Sunset

This is where The Old Dairy really shows off. The property has so many distinct pockets to shoot in that we could have kept going all afternoon. We ducked down into the cellar beneath the getting-ready house for some moodier, low-lit portraits that look nothing like your typical Sunshine Coast wedding photo — it's one of the venue's best-kept secrets and one of the reasons I love shooting here. Then, because Adam's 1994 Toyota Supra is clearly a third member of this relationship, we snuck in a few cheeky portraits with his pride and joy parked in the golden light.

And then there was the sunset. Considering the weather Queensland has been throwing around lately, I genuinely don't know how we pulled it off — but the sky lit up gold right on cue, and the hinterland views did exactly what they always do at The Old Dairy: made two people in love look like they're standing inside a painting.

The Reception: Straight Into Party Mode

No lingering at the door for these two — Jess and Adam walked into their reception and went straight into their first dance, which set the tone for the rest of the night. The team at Good2Eat kept everyone fed and happy, and turns out their family and friends know exactly how to throw a party — the dance floor didn't really empty after that.

To Jess & Adam — thank you for having me along for the day. It was an absolute joy from first look to last dance.

Vendor Credits

Dreaming of Your Own Old Dairy Wedding?

If a hinterland sunset, a cellar full of mood lighting and a day that feels this good sounds like your kind of wedding, I'd love to be there with you. My photography and videography packages start from $5,000, and with every videography package you'll receive a sneak peek, your full wedding film, and RAW footage of your ceremony, speeches, first dance and first looks — so none of it is ever lost, even the moments the highlight reel doesn't have room for.

Get in touch to check your date — Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Queensland Hinterland weddings welcome.

Angela Brushe
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