March 25, 2025 • 34 mins
Welcome to Episode 67 of the Wed.Co Podcast. Today, Toga sit’s down with Alina, managing director of Coolibah Downs Private Estate for a chat about renovations, design and continually evolving as a wedding venue.
In this episode of the Wedco podcast, Alina discusses the history, transformations, and future plans of Coolibah Downs, a wedding venue that has been hosting weddings for over 20 years. The conversation covers the venue's renovations, design philosophy, guest experience, accommodation options, vendor collaboration, and the importance of community engagement.
Alina emphasizes the significance of creating an stress-free and transparent booking process for couples planning their weddings.
Takeaways
- Coolabah Downs has been a wedding venue for over 20 years.
- The venue underwent significant renovations to enhance guest experience.
- Feedback from past couples was crucial in planning renovations.
- Accessibility and functionality were key considerations in the design.
- The venue offers multiple ceremony spaces, including gardens and a chapel.
- Accommodation options include a bridal suite and a large villa for guests.
- Vendor collaboration has increased, enhancing the venue's offerings.
- The team at Coolibah Downs focuses on maintaining a consistent guest experience.
- The venue is conveniently located on the Gold Coast, making it accessible for guests.
- Future plans include exciting developments and community engagement events.
Your support enables us to bring more enriching conversations and insights to both engaged couples and wedding professionals.
Stay connected with us on Instagram at @wed.copodcast and watch all your favorite wedding professionals on our YouTube channel @wed.copodcast.
Catch our episodes on major podcast platforms like Apple, Spotify, and IheartRadio, all under WedCo Podcast.
Join us for our next episode on the Wed.Co Podcast, where we continue to explore the mesmerizing and ever-changing landscape of weddings.
Toga xxx
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Welcome to the Wedco podcast, your ultimate guide to the wedding world.
Whether you're a bride, groom or wedding vendor, this is the place to be.
Join us as we dive into real stories, expert advice and behind the scenes insights to helpyou plan the perfect day.
So grab a seat and let's celebrate love, connection and creativity together.
Before we get into this episode, I'd love to ask you a super quick and easy favor.
(00:24):
If you're enjoying the Wedco podcast, please hit that follow button on Apple, Spotify orYouTube.
It might seem small, but it makes a huge difference in helping the podcast grow and meansI can keep bringing on amazing vendors to share their insights with you.
Thank you so much for your support.
truly means the world.
and welcome to the web.
hosted by Alina at Coolabah Down's private estate.
(00:45):
Thank you so much for having us here.
It's been a while coming, like I've really wanted to get here and now it's fun, know,stars are finally aligned.
Very excited to be back here.
Usually we kind of start with a little bit of the backstory of the venue.
Yeah, and just like how long you're been in the industry and I guess the differenttransformation of Coolabah over the last, I've probably been here for the last decade and
(01:08):
how much has changed within that decade as well.
yeah, no.
I think actually Kullabah has been around for about 50 years.
yeah, we've been doing weddings for 20 years now, which is crazy to say.
but actually how it all started in the very beginning, the previous owners before us, Johnand Jill, they were, such lovely people.
(01:33):
but the
The place we're sitting in right now, which is the homestead, it's currently a bridalsuite now, but it all started with this building.
So John actually built this place because he was the first person in Australia to receivea lung transplant.
like way back in the day.
Yeah.
Okay.
and so he was so inspired by his medical team, that he felt like he needed to give back tohis community somehow.
(02:01):
because it was such a rare procedure at the time, he decided to build this homestead, as aplace for the future recipients of a lung transplant to actually come here to recover.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So he actually built this, in the very beginning, before we were even a wedding venue.
Because the estate is such a like a peaceful place.
(02:22):
He was like, oh, you know, this is a great place to recover And then that's how it allstarted and then once people came here and you know, more and more people got to see the
estate I think there were a lot a lot of requests to to do private events or do weddingsand then eventually It became a wedding venue But in the beginning it was just essentially
(02:43):
his home and he built this to to rehabilitate other patients really
I can imagine that as like, mean, obviously we'll talk about the new gates and everythinglater on, but I imagine like as you're driving through those gates and coming down that
hill and back up onto here, like it does feel so tranquil and so just you're out in themiddle of nowhere as soon as you kind of come through those gates.
Yeah.
So I can definitely imagine that as a place of, yeah, rehabilitation coming here and justlike being able to breathe.
(03:07):
What do want to talk a little bit about the grounds and more so, I guess, what has thelast say 10 years of Kullabah Downs kind of looked like?
the last 10 years.
think the last 10 years has been just a lot of change, I think, in the best way possible.
I think we started off, you know, just like with like the grounds as it was.
(03:30):
And then last year we did a massive renovation to the estate.
And I think it's kind of added a lot more character, a lot more...
a lot more colour to the estate.
But yeah, the last couple of years, we've always just been hosting weddings, doingaccommodation on site.
But yeah, last year, we sort of, you know, got to a point where we were like, okay, youknow, we really want to add something new to the estate.
(03:58):
It took us three years of planning to be able to renovate because we needed to figure outwhat it is that we wanted to do.
And, you know, it took a lot of time to do research.
Chat to our actual past past couples that have been married here chat to our lovelyvendors to figure out Hey, what is it that you guys want to see on the estate?
(04:21):
And it was it's like collating all of this data and being like, okay What is the commonthread that everyone's been saying?
For us to be able to then manage like, you know what it is that we were gonna put out intothe world I guess and yeah, and then we kind of came down to it and like, okay, let's
you know, the marquee, were like, it's the main reception area.
(04:41):
We want to make sure that, you know, the experience is nice and open for everyone.
We want to make sure our bar has multiple points of services for everyone to be able toenjoy.
We wanted to make sure our landscaping, our gardens were always accessible, like nomatter, you know, what your age is, like, especially for the grandparents, we wanted to
(05:02):
make sure everything was like nice and flat for everyone to get to point A to point B.
So yeah, we kind of started there and then we were like, okay, we should change the frontgate as well.
Everyone is saying that like, it's sometimes hard to see us.
So we want to make sure that as soon as you drive in, you see Kullaba and then you come inand then you see the tranquil gardens and everything.
(05:22):
But yeah, those were some of the things that we focused on because of the feedback that wegot from like our lovely community and also the past couples that we had here.
Well, you definitely can't miss the front gate now.
when you're like, know it's there.
Do you want to talk a little bit, like you've talked previously about kind of keeping tothe heritage of the building because of how stunning that is, but then also modernizing
(05:44):
and how you can kind of tie those two together as well.
Yeah, that was, that took a little, three years of planning, really.
And I think because of the beautiful heritage that the original owner, John, had, you forthis building, and also our chapel was actually built by him, it was just about finding
(06:06):
like the right...
I guess the color palette first to make sure that anything new didn't look too new.
It looked like it was almost a part of it, but it's just something different.
So yeah, we kind of had to figure out what the color palette was.
then, you know, because at the end the day, we are a wedding venue and we host familiesand close friends.
(06:27):
So we never want to be at the center of the attention.
We want the couple, the family to be at the center of it all.
So.
It was pretty easy to decide on the color palette, which is the neutral tones.
And then maybe some hints of like brass, just to add to that feeling.
And then once we had the color palette sort of down pat, we then figured out, master planwise, how do we make sure that even with these old buildings, are accessible?
(06:58):
Like how do we get multiple exit and entrance points?
You know, that way anyone can come in, come out at any point.
And then design wise, we then looked at, you know, what is something that's timeless?
What are some architectural designs that are timeless?
And I think we were just heavily inspired by Europe, anything Europe, anything likeParisian, anything from Tuscany.
(07:23):
It's like that kind of old school design, but it just never goes out of fashion.
yeah, we kind of added some of those elements into, I guess, our new bar, our new...
homestead kind of feeling.
Yeah, and then added some more photo moments as well, like features in the garden, waterfeatures, all that kind of stuff and sort of worked off that way, if it makes sense.
(07:49):
Because even with the front gate, like you've got this beautiful brick wall by thefireplace as well, where, you know, they're not identical the same, but it still is tying
in little pieces of here with that front gate.
So, and like with the water feature as well, it all kind of like ties in together.
Did you have like an interior designer or a designer on board to help you with thatprocess as well?
Absolutely.
We had an amazing architect, Bridgette.
(08:11):
definitely, she's from Archinteria, actually.
We definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
I think she was probably like the first person that truly understood the vision we weretrying to go for.
You know, because we wanted someone that could work with something that's pre-existing andthen making it better.
And she really, really understood the vision and she really understood that, yeah, wewanted more photo moments along with it being functional as well.
(08:40):
So she was amazing to work with and every time she came up with a design, we would justtalk about it, add more things here and there.
She was the best.
We could not have done it without her.
And even though you're talking about accessibility before, like I love whenever you workhere and like you've got the decks pretty much wrapping around the whole thing.
And so as far as like even, you know, the bride and her kind of squad are getting ready uphere, but the ceremony is just there as well.
(09:04):
So you can kind of, as a vendor point of view, you can kind of go, cool, I need to set updown there and then I can kind of come back here.
But it is also, it is sort of like all close together and intimate, but then also it'slike such an expansive grounds as well.
Yes, yeah, we're really lucky to be on like a 10 acre property.
So I think like we really wanted to, because the homestead and our beautiful marquee, theyare the center point of the venue.
(09:29):
So we really wanted to focus on, okay, we want to focus on the center and then move out.
But yeah, because one of like, sometimes people think, 10 acres, that's so big.
You know, do people get lost in 10 acres?
So we wanted to create little
throughout the 10 acres to then be able to say, know, if it's once you finish a ceremony,the bride and groom and their bridal team, they, yeah, the bridal crew get a little moment
(09:58):
for themselves while, you know, the other guests are hanging out for the canopy hour.
And, you know, they have the privacy to take photos without people staring at them all thetime.
You know, so we wanted to create little pockets of privacy so that
you know, everyone can have a special moment if they wanted to, and everyone can also betogether in one go kind of thing.
(10:20):
Do want to talk about, say, the different ceremony spaces and just the spaces in generalthat people kind of will move to throughout the day on a wedding day?
Yes, so, I mean, the first place you will go past is obviously our front entrance and ourfront gate, which kind of sets the tone of like, I guess the aesthetic of what we're
trying to go for.
(10:41):
So you'll come through our beautiful gates and then, depending on whether you want agarden ceremony or an indoor ceremony, we've got the chapel as like the indoor ceremony
option.
And that's just like a beautiful, like kind of old heritage kind of style.
that everyone seems to really, love.
(11:02):
So yeah, depending on where your ceremony is, you'll kind of move to those differentspaces.
If you choose the gardens, we've got multiple garden ceremony locations.
The most popular one currently is our croquet lawn.
But before you even start the ceremony, everyone is getting ready first.
So we'll start in this building.
Usually the bridal team are in here getting ready.
(11:23):
And then the groomsmen are usually in our, it's called the farmhouse.
which is also an accommodation unit on the site.
So they're getting ready and then once the ceremony starts, if you're in the garden, thebride usually actually walks from here and then they can access the aisle straight away.
(11:44):
which is always just a lovely moment to see.
We open the beautiful French doors and then she walks down the steps and then sees all herguests down and then usually the groom is standing at the altar and he can see her coming
down the steps and it's just, it never gets old.
It's like our favorite moment.
But yeah, so the ceremony happens.
(12:05):
Our coordinators are right behind her every step of the way, making sure the dress isperfect as well, making sure the doors are open at the right time.
And yeah, so once the ceremony kind of ends, it's a chance for like the rest of thewedding party to now move into their photos.
And we also want them to get canapes as well.
(12:26):
So we usually move them to our lily pond area, which is, yeah, which is separate to wherethe canopy area for the rest of the guests would be.
And then we serve them like.
you know, special canapes for themselves and they can have a moment before the photos willstart for them and then depending on what they want, like if they want more hinterland
(12:46):
kind of photos.
We've also got like a rainforest they can go into if they want a more like, you know,French kind of style of photos.
We've also got different kinds of spots on the venue for them to move into as well.
But yeah, that's sort of how it starts.
And then while they're taking photos, all the guests are like in our main, the middlesection near the homestead.
(13:08):
There's often lawn games as well that they can play while they're waiting for everyone.
And they're just having a chat, catching up in general, really.
But yeah, that's sort of how it would start.
And then
And then once the photos are finished, around like five o'clock usually is when everyonestarts moving into the reception hall, which is the marquee.
(13:28):
And again, everything's so like close proximity so everyone can get on easily.
Yeah, and then dinner starts, we make sure the special drinks are all ready for you.
And then our.
amazing bar team sort of take over our catering starts, the food starts and yeah and thenall the fun starts depending on if you have speeches, performances that all comes through
(13:48):
as well and then yeah and like towards the end of the night dancing and yeah and if youstay on site as well like everyone sort of just either just walks back to to their
respective accommodation units at the end.
So accommodation wise, what do you have on site here?
Yeah, so the Homestead, which is the Bridal Suite, that's always included in our packages.
(14:10):
and then the farmhouse, is, another, another unit that we have as well.
Each of these, houses can sleep up to six to eight people.
Yeah.
And then we're very lucky to have our next door property as well.
it's called the Valentine Villa.
and that is a, that's a really big, Villa.
(14:33):
can sleep up to like 21 guests.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, that's accessible, via bridge.
can just walk back to that house as well if they want to stay there.
Yeah.
So you find like, like say like the bridal team would kind of say here, the grooms wouldkind of be up in that accommodation there.
And then maybe it's like a close family or something, or maybe it's like a group offriends up at the back.
(14:54):
Yeah, yeah, because that villa has a really, really nice infinity pool that outlooks thisrainforest as well.
So, um, often it's sort of like the after party kind of goes there.
It's away from, um, you know, the other people who actually want to sleep on the, on, onsite.
And then they, they do like an after party over there.
That's like even looking, you know, Instagram and everything is huge.
(15:15):
Like whenever I look at your Instagram, there's so many different spots where you seephotos and videos getting taken.
And you're like, it's, it's crazy that it's all like kind of within this one location aswell.
And how different photographers, you know, you might have this like dark and moodyphotographer and they end up in the rainforest there and doing a lot of kind of stuff down
there, but it's so, it can kind of be anything to any couple depending on what they want,I guess.
(15:37):
And like, yeah, all that kind of, I see, I see the modern kind of photo shoots coming outhere as well.
style and it's like it's just it gets taken in so many different directions yeah yeah it'sreally cool i love it
We're always surprised because they're like, wow, we didn't know we looked like this, youknow, depending on the style of the photographer or videographer, we're just like, wow,
this is really cool.
A new spot's been found, you know, so we're always surprised.
(15:59):
And then even like the whole trend at the moment is kind of, especially for photo videois, okay, we're go get say 15 minutes of photos and then you're go have some canapes, you
know, with your guests and everything like that, then we'll take you back out.
And like with that close proximity from the, know, the, from the lounge, so from whereyou're getting married through to the canopy hour, it's so close.
And it is like, we can just be like, cool, we're just gonna go get some photos by the pondand then we're gonna come back up here and get those.
(16:23):
So you can kind of just move in and out throughout it as well.
And even with like the family photos, you know, uncle Bob's only got
onto the bar just here.
So it's like, it's very easy to kind of control everyone and get everyone back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
we're like, we're speaking to a lot of, bigger venues with more space like yourself.
And that does feel like the big challenge is we've got so much space, but keeping thatintimacy as well, which definitely is held true here as well.
(16:47):
Yeah, no, it's definitely something that we really needed to curate in order to figureout, one group is here, but we don't really want people to be wandering off and then
getting lost as well.
So yeah, think it's been, I think ever since we've like, with our new renovations, our newlandscaping, that was definitely something we focused on even more, because we just wanted
(17:10):
everyone to feel together.
but also not feel empty and depending, because there's not always gonna be a big weddingas well.
I think the great thing about us is even if you've got 40 guests or you want a smallintimate ceremony or something, we can still make it feel intimate even though the space
is big.
And so like a majority of people, do you see like majority of people are on the lawn orlike majority of people are in the chapel up the front?
(17:37):
Like is there a big difference there?
it's, it's honestly really 50 50.
It's I think people come to us either that really set on the chapel, like they've just gota vision and they want that chapel look, or they're just here for the gardens.
And then usually if it's gardens, we just tell them obviously the chapel is like your wetweather option.
(18:00):
And they're usually quite happy with that.
But I've been really trying to figure out what's more popular, but it's actually beenreally 50 50.
That's so good.
Yeah.
Cause even like the family photo is down by the chapel.
I've done those down there and it's a beautiful spot down there as well for the familyphotos.
Yeah, it is.
And so it's, even like keeping things separate, like you are getting married at the chapeland then everyone kind of comes back up to the lawn for the canopy hour and the bridal
(18:23):
party kind of hangs behind.
And like you talk about, they do really get that space to just kind of be alone and like,Hey, we just got married and like have that time as well.
Yeah.
I feel like.
So you say like the Renaults, know, how long ago actually did the renovations happen withthe bar and then also the gate?
So the bar was the first thing we did.
That was at the beginning of last year.
(18:45):
around right now, actually, February last year was when we did the bar and then thehomestead area.
And then the front gate came sort of shortly after that, which was about mid-year lastyear.
I feel like your team has really leveled up at the same time.
Was that like a really kind of conscious effort of like, okay, we're renovating, but yeah,it feels like the whole team behind Kullabah has completely changed as well in that time.
(19:09):
Yeah, I think, well, yeah, our team is absolutely amazing.
They're just so great at what they do.
But I think prior to the renovations, because it took so much planning, and one of thethings that we really wanted to focus on was like, we can't just renovate and our team
(19:32):
doesn't keep up with this.
So the three years prior to planning,
was actually mostly internal.
was like making sure we had a very consistent call of our experience, making sure thateveryone knew exactly what people would be expecting from us, making sure we had the
training in place to make sure our service could always keep up with that, making sure.
(19:58):
I mean, our coordinators have always just been amazing.
just making sure that the coordinators also in the new spaces, how do we function as well?
And putting in that time to train the team to make sure everyone was up to speed.
But yeah, I think the best thing about it is like our team, everyone's like, it's all coolabout team.
So everything's internal.
(20:20):
it is a lot easier in that sense to then be like, okay, in this new space, how are wegonna set up?
you know, but the set up team is from Coolabah.
So it's the branding and all that kind of stuff was just easy to collect if you're alreadya part of one team.
And do you find with the renovation, like I see some of the style shoots that coming outof here and they're stunning.
(20:42):
Do you feel like the vendors that are kind of getting attracted to Coolabar have changed alittle bit over that time as well?
Definitely, I think that's been like one of our favorite parts.
Just getting to know more vendors and getting to see different vendors and what theartistic vision for the venue might be.
(21:03):
And yet getting to know more of the community that we have around us, I think it's beenlike one of my favorite parts because I think before that, you know, because we have been
doing weddings for a while, so it does get to a point where it's like, okay, we've seenlots of things.
What else can we do?
So having that refresh, having new elements come in and then being able to work with thathas been really, really cool.
(21:28):
And even like host, you you've hosted little like vendor experiences here and everythinglike that.
It feels very collaborative here.
You know, there are, you know, there's a lot of beautiful venues around, but I feel like alot of the vendors I speak to feel very welcome here as well.
And then I feel like a lot of the vendors will go above and beyond to create good content,like as a team for everyone here as well.
(21:50):
So it's, definitely, I've noticed a huge shift, like the amount of people within theindustry talking about Coolabar.
is insane, which is really cool.
So we're really, really grateful because I think before this, know, we really, I think inthe last year, that's something that we really wanted to do was to get to know the
community a bit more.
Because sometimes, you know, we're hosting a lot of times and then we don't actually getto, you know, go out and see everyone all the time.
(22:17):
So it's been really, really cool to get to know everyone and see how much talent is aroundus constantly.
feel with venues at the moment, like obviously, Kulubar, you look like you're doing reallywell.
Like everywhere I see, there's a lot of weddings coming here.
Everyone's very hyped about coming to this venue.
Has your business had to kind of shift to keep with the times?
(22:37):
Like, I feel it's like you're almost like at a peak now where you kind of like, everyone'sbeen in the industry for a long time.
And now it's like, it's really peaking.
A lot of people are coming here and you're getting a lot of attention at the moment.
Was that a big shift within your management style as well?
Yeah, think so.
Because I think before, yeah, I think the attention thing is a lot of people are reachingout to us, which is really, really cool to see.
(23:01):
And yeah, to be able to keep up with that definitely involves a lot of teamwork, a lot ofteam planning.
And I think...
before, even though everything was internal, the chances we got to really talk alltogether as a team was a lot less, whereas I think now we're putting a lot more focus into
(23:23):
that.
When there's new things that we wanna introduce, new elements that we wanna introduce intoCooler Bar, it's always a discussion with our wedding coordinators, first of all, because
they get to see all the guests all the time.
I think we work best when we're collaborative anyway.
So I think we've just kind of...
(23:43):
added to that a lot more.
Do want talk a little bit about proximity to the Gold Coast as well?
As far as guests being able to get up here?
Do you find most people are kind of maybe staying down on the Gold Coast and then do theycatch a bus up here together or how does that work?
I find with actually with our couples, not many people opt for a bus option.
(24:08):
I think just because we, our car park is actually really big.
Yeah, we can fit up to like a hundred and something cars all together at Kullaba which isreally great.
So, and I think because we're actually quite close to Broad Beach, we're like about 20minutes away from Broad Beach.
So often people will just Uber.
I mean, they're not staying on, usually people do stay on site as well.
(24:30):
So if they're not staying on site, yeah, they usually just get an Uber at end of the nightor they just carpool.
There's always like one friend that doesn't drink.
You know, that's usually the designated driver.
But no, usually it's very rare for them to get a bus, to be honest.
It's not something that we say that you have to have.
We're very lucky to be able to have that kind of car park space where we want to just stayand hang out and be stress free, really.
(24:54):
And that is a big thing.
There's like a lot of venues further out where it's like you can't get an Uber out here.
Yeah.
And, and it's like having this tranquil kind of setting, but you are only 20 minutes fromBroad Beach as well.
It is so accessible.
Yeah.
Which is a lot.
That's a big difference between a lot of, guess, other venues close by as well is yeah,this is the accessibility from there.
Yes.
Do find it is a lot of still local couples coming to get married at Kullaba?
(25:19):
Yes, but I feel like a lot of our couples do come from Brisbane as well and I'm seeingmore and more couples come from Sydney, New South Wales now, which is really cool.
And then slowly we're seeing more couples come from Melbourne, but definitely I'd say likemore than 50 % of our couples do come from Brisbane.
(25:40):
And then yeah, New South Wales and Gold Coast is obviously quite a few people that
Do want to talk about the process of, okay, couples have seen you on Instagram or seenyour website, they found you.
What's that process for like a couple who they want to come past?
Are most of them coming down for a viewing and getting a tour around with either yourselfor with the coordinators as well?
Yeah, so depending on how you've seen us, probably most likely you've seen us on Instagramfirst.
(26:09):
But yeah, basically once you see us, if you really like us, usually our couples will booka venue tour.
And then the first point of contact that they'll see usually is our wedding coordinators.
If you have any questions prior to that, we always just ask if you could read ourpackages.
(26:29):
don't, it's okay as well.
But yeah, usually we'll start with the wedding coordinators and our venue tours.
That's usually our first point of contact.
And then if you end up booking a wedding with us, they're always like the last point ofcontact as well.
And they take you through the whole journey.
But yeah, the coordinators will take you on a tour around Kula Bar, get to know you, youcan get to know them.
(26:51):
and then tell us essentially what you're looking for, what you want.
If you have any questions, we usually answer that.
And then from then on after the tour, we always send through our quotes straight away.
think one of the biggest things that for us that's really important is to make sure thatthe day is stress free.
(27:11):
And I think in order to do that, like, I mean, right now I think financially, itfluctuates.
The economy is going up and down.
So we really try to make sure that in our packages we include the base of what you needfor a wedding.
And so...
Yeah, we don't believe in like having hidden surprises that people didn't know about inthe beginning.
(27:34):
We really try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to our pricing model, comesto how we write up our packages.
Yeah, and then so from then on, if you want to add more to it, that's all like, you justtell your coordinators and essentially we just add whatever you want, take off whatever
you don't want really.
(27:56):
Yeah, and then we start planning the wedding.
So, okay, so someone's getting married here, they've got to say 80 guests, and obviouslyyou're having a reception in the marquee there.
Like tables, chairs included, you know, crockery and cutlery, is that all kind of includedthere as well?
Yes.
Yeah, all of so usually we always include yeah the catering crockery We actually alsoinclude basic styling as well.
(28:20):
So table linens basic candles also like
depending on some bar candles as well.
then actually often we get people asking like, oh, do you guys charge us extra for, Idon't know, turning on the fairy lights?
(28:40):
Or like, do you charge extra for cutting our cake and then serving it?
And we always say no, like this is something that's always included in our packages.
You know, I can tell their stress levels going up every time they ask as well.
But yeah, everything that we say we include, it's always in the packages.
(29:01):
But yeah, that's sort of.
Yeah, that's good.
Cause I've had that in the past.
Like it might be a couple months out.
And like you said, like even fairy lights might be a string of fairy lights behind thebridal table.
And then like the couple will find out, you know, two months out, like, yeah, that'sthousand dollars.
If you want to turn on those lights or like you said, like cutting up the cake, we needchef for an hour.
And it's actually this much like, it's just cutting our cake.
(29:22):
So I think it is really good for couples to know that.
There's like, yeah, like you, could like, this is our, you know, our bare bones is stillgoing to be a beautiful wedding.
And then you can go as, as
extravagant as you want above and beyond that.
Yeah.
Like do you have regular, let's say like florists and stylists that would work with likewith your team to create something as well?
Absolutely, because with our styling, we always say like, if you, it depends on like thecouple, right?
(29:49):
Even if you, know, depending on like what it is that you want to create, if you wantsomething to be more simple, without basic styling that's included, it looks beautiful
anyway.
But if you want to add some more color, if you want to add a specific style, if you wantto add things, we're always advocates for that.
And like, we have an amazing list of like,
(30:10):
vendors that we absolutely love, that we know that's gonna be able to create the qualityfor you.
And so usually we'll just like send through the list and then if they wanna add more, ifthey want something more extravagant, absolutely, we welcome that.
But we just always say like, look, even if you don't wanna add that, that's totally fine.
It just really depends on your budget.
(30:30):
It depends on what you wanna see and what you're comfortable with.
feel like even this self perpetuating cycle where vendors see you're really putting ineffort and growth into your venue and then they want to kind of match you as well.
So like if a couple books them and like, yeah, we want to do this florals and they're kindof almost lifting their game because they see how well you're doing it as well.
(30:51):
And kind of just all this together.
And we love it when like stylists come in and like just do something completely differentthat we've never seen and it almost sometimes looks like a different venue, which which is
really cool.
it depends on the couple.
What they what they want is essentially what they get.
But yeah, even for Wedding Collective recently, our stylist Hannah from Anama Wedding, sheshe just made that garden ceremony look so amazing.
(31:20):
She changed the furniture completely.
And it was just yeah, it was
It was really cool to see.
Yeah, yeah.
So whatever the vision is, it can be created.
It just depends on what you want.
(31:43):
So depending on first of all what kind of tables you want, so we give our couples a choicebetween the long tables or round tables.
With round tables it's less capacity just because they take up more room.
So usually we'd say about like a hundred guests on rounds and then with the long tablesmaximum 160.
(32:06):
Yeah, but that gives you obviously less space on our dance floor.
But yeah, usually maximum is 160.
Yeah, the after party.
mean, I don't know.
don't see.
(32:30):
Cool, I feel like often it's through our Instagram and then if you like our mood board, ifyou have any questions, you can go on our website to ask inquiry or if you want to book a
tour, anything really.
But yeah, our website is usually a great point of contact.
And then we can just go from there.
(32:52):
If you've got questions before you want to come in for a tour, that's also fine.
If you're interstate as well, you're welcome to even just do a virtual tour as well.
We can take you on a virtual tour around our state, show you what's around.
Yeah.
(33:12):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
In the beginning we were like, my god, how do we do this?
But I think now we've gotten pretty good at it.
our Instagram is at Coolabah Downs Private Estate.
then our website is www.coolabahdowns.com.au.
(33:34):
Thank you so much,
Does the future, our future plans, very exciting.
But I mean, in the next month, we've actually got our menu tasting coming up, which is areally, it can be used as a little date night even, you can bring your family.
(33:58):
But yeah, it's a chance to try the menu before you select what you're gonna be serving onyour wedding day.
So we usually do that event once a year.
And then, yeah, we've got lots of...
I don't know, if you want to come stay with us again, we've got accommodation that'salways listed publicly as well on Airbnb and whatnot.
(34:20):
But yeah, the future is looking exciting.
There's probably going to be more things coming along that I can't say just yet, butthere's lots planned for us.
Yes, definitely.
We would love that.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Wedco podcast, your ultimate guide to the wedding world.
Whether you're a bride, groom or wedding vendor, this is the place to be.
Join us as we dive into real stories, expert advice and behind the scenes insights to helpyou plan the perfect day.
So grab a seat and let's celebrate love, connection and creativity together.
Before we get into this episode, I'd love to ask you a super quick and easy favor.
(00:24):
If you're enjoying the Wedco podcast, please hit that follow button on Apple, Spotify orYouTube.
It might seem small, but it makes a huge difference in helping the podcast grow and meansI can keep bringing on amazing vendors to share their insights with you.
Thank you so much for your support.
truly means the world.
and welcome to the web.
hosted by Alina at Coolabah Down's private estate.
(00:45):
Thank you so much for having us here.
It's been a while coming, like I've really wanted to get here and now it's fun, know,stars are finally aligned.
Very excited to be back here.
Usually we kind of start with a little bit of the backstory of the venue.
Yeah, and just like how long you're been in the industry and I guess the differenttransformation of Coolabah over the last, I've probably been here for the last decade and
(01:08):
how much has changed within that decade as well.
yeah, no.
I think actually Kullabah has been around for about 50 years.
yeah, we've been doing weddings for 20 years now, which is crazy to say.
but actually how it all started in the very beginning, the previous owners before us, Johnand Jill, they were, such lovely people.
(01:33):
but the
The place we're sitting in right now, which is the homestead, it's currently a bridalsuite now, but it all started with this building.
So John actually built this place because he was the first person in Australia to receivea lung transplant.
like way back in the day.
Yeah.
Okay.
and so he was so inspired by his medical team, that he felt like he needed to give back tohis community somehow.
(02:01):
because it was such a rare procedure at the time, he decided to build this homestead, as aplace for the future recipients of a lung transplant to actually come here to recover.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So he actually built this, in the very beginning, before we were even a wedding venue.
Because the estate is such a like a peaceful place.
(02:22):
He was like, oh, you know, this is a great place to recover And then that's how it allstarted and then once people came here and you know, more and more people got to see the
estate I think there were a lot a lot of requests to to do private events or do weddingsand then eventually It became a wedding venue But in the beginning it was just essentially
(02:43):
his home and he built this to to rehabilitate other patients really
I can imagine that as like, mean, obviously we'll talk about the new gates and everythinglater on, but I imagine like as you're driving through those gates and coming down that
hill and back up onto here, like it does feel so tranquil and so just you're out in themiddle of nowhere as soon as you kind of come through those gates.
Yeah.
So I can definitely imagine that as a place of, yeah, rehabilitation coming here and justlike being able to breathe.
(03:07):
What do want to talk a little bit about the grounds and more so, I guess, what has thelast say 10 years of Kullabah Downs kind of looked like?
the last 10 years.
think the last 10 years has been just a lot of change, I think, in the best way possible.
I think we started off, you know, just like with like the grounds as it was.
(03:30):
And then last year we did a massive renovation to the estate.
And I think it's kind of added a lot more character, a lot more...
a lot more colour to the estate.
But yeah, the last couple of years, we've always just been hosting weddings, doingaccommodation on site.
But yeah, last year, we sort of, you know, got to a point where we were like, okay, youknow, we really want to add something new to the estate.
(03:58):
It took us three years of planning to be able to renovate because we needed to figure outwhat it is that we wanted to do.
And, you know, it took a lot of time to do research.
Chat to our actual past past couples that have been married here chat to our lovelyvendors to figure out Hey, what is it that you guys want to see on the estate?
(04:21):
And it was it's like collating all of this data and being like, okay What is the commonthread that everyone's been saying?
For us to be able to then manage like, you know what it is that we were gonna put out intothe world I guess and yeah, and then we kind of came down to it and like, okay, let's
you know, the marquee, were like, it's the main reception area.
(04:41):
We want to make sure that, you know, the experience is nice and open for everyone.
We want to make sure our bar has multiple points of services for everyone to be able toenjoy.
We wanted to make sure our landscaping, our gardens were always accessible, like nomatter, you know, what your age is, like, especially for the grandparents, we wanted to
(05:02):
make sure everything was like nice and flat for everyone to get to point A to point B.
So yeah, we kind of started there and then we were like, okay, we should change the frontgate as well.
Everyone is saying that like, it's sometimes hard to see us.
So we want to make sure that as soon as you drive in, you see Kullaba and then you come inand then you see the tranquil gardens and everything.
(05:22):
But yeah, those were some of the things that we focused on because of the feedback that wegot from like our lovely community and also the past couples that we had here.
Well, you definitely can't miss the front gate now.
when you're like, know it's there.
Do you want to talk a little bit, like you've talked previously about kind of keeping tothe heritage of the building because of how stunning that is, but then also modernizing
(05:44):
and how you can kind of tie those two together as well.
Yeah, that was, that took a little, three years of planning, really.
And I think because of the beautiful heritage that the original owner, John, had, you forthis building, and also our chapel was actually built by him, it was just about finding
(06:06):
like the right...
I guess the color palette first to make sure that anything new didn't look too new.
It looked like it was almost a part of it, but it's just something different.
So yeah, we kind of had to figure out what the color palette was.
then, you know, because at the end the day, we are a wedding venue and we host familiesand close friends.
(06:27):
So we never want to be at the center of the attention.
We want the couple, the family to be at the center of it all.
So.
It was pretty easy to decide on the color palette, which is the neutral tones.
And then maybe some hints of like brass, just to add to that feeling.
And then once we had the color palette sort of down pat, we then figured out, master planwise, how do we make sure that even with these old buildings, are accessible?
(06:58):
Like how do we get multiple exit and entrance points?
You know, that way anyone can come in, come out at any point.
And then design wise, we then looked at, you know, what is something that's timeless?
What are some architectural designs that are timeless?
And I think we were just heavily inspired by Europe, anything Europe, anything likeParisian, anything from Tuscany.
(07:23):
It's like that kind of old school design, but it just never goes out of fashion.
yeah, we kind of added some of those elements into, I guess, our new bar, our new...
homestead kind of feeling.
Yeah, and then added some more photo moments as well, like features in the garden, waterfeatures, all that kind of stuff and sort of worked off that way, if it makes sense.
(07:49):
Because even with the front gate, like you've got this beautiful brick wall by thefireplace as well, where, you know, they're not identical the same, but it still is tying
in little pieces of here with that front gate.
So, and like with the water feature as well, it all kind of like ties in together.
Did you have like an interior designer or a designer on board to help you with thatprocess as well?
Absolutely.
We had an amazing architect, Bridgette.
(08:11):
definitely, she's from Archinteria, actually.
We definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
I think she was probably like the first person that truly understood the vision we weretrying to go for.
You know, because we wanted someone that could work with something that's pre-existing andthen making it better.
And she really, really understood the vision and she really understood that, yeah, wewanted more photo moments along with it being functional as well.
(08:40):
So she was amazing to work with and every time she came up with a design, we would justtalk about it, add more things here and there.
She was the best.
We could not have done it without her.
And even though you're talking about accessibility before, like I love whenever you workhere and like you've got the decks pretty much wrapping around the whole thing.
And so as far as like even, you know, the bride and her kind of squad are getting ready uphere, but the ceremony is just there as well.
(09:04):
So you can kind of, as a vendor point of view, you can kind of go, cool, I need to set updown there and then I can kind of come back here.
But it is also, it is sort of like all close together and intimate, but then also it'slike such an expansive grounds as well.
Yes, yeah, we're really lucky to be on like a 10 acre property.
So I think like we really wanted to, because the homestead and our beautiful marquee, theyare the center point of the venue.
(09:29):
So we really wanted to focus on, okay, we want to focus on the center and then move out.
But yeah, because one of like, sometimes people think, 10 acres, that's so big.
You know, do people get lost in 10 acres?
So we wanted to create little
throughout the 10 acres to then be able to say, know, if it's once you finish a ceremony,the bride and groom and their bridal team, they, yeah, the bridal crew get a little moment
(09:58):
for themselves while, you know, the other guests are hanging out for the canopy hour.
And, you know, they have the privacy to take photos without people staring at them all thetime.
You know, so we wanted to create little pockets of privacy so that
you know, everyone can have a special moment if they wanted to, and everyone can also betogether in one go kind of thing.
(10:20):
Do want to talk about, say, the different ceremony spaces and just the spaces in generalthat people kind of will move to throughout the day on a wedding day?
Yes, so, I mean, the first place you will go past is obviously our front entrance and ourfront gate, which kind of sets the tone of like, I guess the aesthetic of what we're
trying to go for.
(10:41):
So you'll come through our beautiful gates and then, depending on whether you want agarden ceremony or an indoor ceremony, we've got the chapel as like the indoor ceremony
option.
And that's just like a beautiful, like kind of old heritage kind of style.
that everyone seems to really, love.
(11:02):
So yeah, depending on where your ceremony is, you'll kind of move to those differentspaces.
If you choose the gardens, we've got multiple garden ceremony locations.
The most popular one currently is our croquet lawn.
But before you even start the ceremony, everyone is getting ready first.
So we'll start in this building.
Usually the bridal team are in here getting ready.
(11:23):
And then the groomsmen are usually in our, it's called the farmhouse.
which is also an accommodation unit on the site.
So they're getting ready and then once the ceremony starts, if you're in the garden, thebride usually actually walks from here and then they can access the aisle straight away.
(11:44):
which is always just a lovely moment to see.
We open the beautiful French doors and then she walks down the steps and then sees all herguests down and then usually the groom is standing at the altar and he can see her coming
down the steps and it's just, it never gets old.
It's like our favorite moment.
But yeah, so the ceremony happens.
(12:05):
Our coordinators are right behind her every step of the way, making sure the dress isperfect as well, making sure the doors are open at the right time.
And yeah, so once the ceremony kind of ends, it's a chance for like the rest of thewedding party to now move into their photos.
And we also want them to get canapes as well.
(12:26):
So we usually move them to our lily pond area, which is, yeah, which is separate to wherethe canopy area for the rest of the guests would be.
And then we serve them like.
you know, special canapes for themselves and they can have a moment before the photos willstart for them and then depending on what they want, like if they want more hinterland
(12:46):
kind of photos.
We've also got like a rainforest they can go into if they want a more like, you know,French kind of style of photos.
We've also got different kinds of spots on the venue for them to move into as well.
But yeah, that's sort of how it starts.
And then while they're taking photos, all the guests are like in our main, the middlesection near the homestead.
(13:08):
There's often lawn games as well that they can play while they're waiting for everyone.
And they're just having a chat, catching up in general, really.
But yeah, that's sort of how it would start.
And then
And then once the photos are finished, around like five o'clock usually is when everyonestarts moving into the reception hall, which is the marquee.
(13:28):
And again, everything's so like close proximity so everyone can get on easily.
Yeah, and then dinner starts, we make sure the special drinks are all ready for you.
And then our.
amazing bar team sort of take over our catering starts, the food starts and yeah and thenall the fun starts depending on if you have speeches, performances that all comes through
(13:48):
as well and then yeah and like towards the end of the night dancing and yeah and if youstay on site as well like everyone sort of just either just walks back to to their
respective accommodation units at the end.
So accommodation wise, what do you have on site here?
Yeah, so the Homestead, which is the Bridal Suite, that's always included in our packages.
(14:10):
and then the farmhouse, is, another, another unit that we have as well.
Each of these, houses can sleep up to six to eight people.
Yeah.
And then we're very lucky to have our next door property as well.
it's called the Valentine Villa.
and that is a, that's a really big, Villa.
(14:33):
can sleep up to like 21 guests.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, that's accessible, via bridge.
can just walk back to that house as well if they want to stay there.
Yeah.
So you find like, like say like the bridal team would kind of say here, the grooms wouldkind of be up in that accommodation there.
And then maybe it's like a close family or something, or maybe it's like a group offriends up at the back.
(14:54):
Yeah, yeah, because that villa has a really, really nice infinity pool that outlooks thisrainforest as well.
So, um, often it's sort of like the after party kind of goes there.
It's away from, um, you know, the other people who actually want to sleep on the, on, onsite.
And then they, they do like an after party over there.
That's like even looking, you know, Instagram and everything is huge.
(15:15):
Like whenever I look at your Instagram, there's so many different spots where you seephotos and videos getting taken.
And you're like, it's, it's crazy that it's all like kind of within this one location aswell.
And how different photographers, you know, you might have this like dark and moodyphotographer and they end up in the rainforest there and doing a lot of kind of stuff down
there, but it's so, it can kind of be anything to any couple depending on what they want,I guess.
(15:37):
And like, yeah, all that kind of, I see, I see the modern kind of photo shoots coming outhere as well.
style and it's like it's just it gets taken in so many different directions yeah yeah it'sreally cool i love it
We're always surprised because they're like, wow, we didn't know we looked like this, youknow, depending on the style of the photographer or videographer, we're just like, wow,
this is really cool.
A new spot's been found, you know, so we're always surprised.
(15:59):
And then even like the whole trend at the moment is kind of, especially for photo videois, okay, we're go get say 15 minutes of photos and then you're go have some canapes, you
know, with your guests and everything like that, then we'll take you back out.
And like with that close proximity from the, know, the, from the lounge, so from whereyou're getting married through to the canopy hour, it's so close.
And it is like, we can just be like, cool, we're just gonna go get some photos by the pondand then we're gonna come back up here and get those.
(16:23):
So you can kind of just move in and out throughout it as well.
And even with like the family photos, you know, uncle Bob's only got
onto the bar just here.
So it's like, it's very easy to kind of control everyone and get everyone back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
we're like, we're speaking to a lot of, bigger venues with more space like yourself.
And that does feel like the big challenge is we've got so much space, but keeping thatintimacy as well, which definitely is held true here as well.
(16:47):
Yeah, no, it's definitely something that we really needed to curate in order to figureout, one group is here, but we don't really want people to be wandering off and then
getting lost as well.
So yeah, think it's been, I think ever since we've like, with our new renovations, our newlandscaping, that was definitely something we focused on even more, because we just wanted
(17:10):
everyone to feel together.
but also not feel empty and depending, because there's not always gonna be a big weddingas well.
I think the great thing about us is even if you've got 40 guests or you want a smallintimate ceremony or something, we can still make it feel intimate even though the space
is big.
And so like a majority of people, do you see like majority of people are on the lawn orlike majority of people are in the chapel up the front?
(17:37):
Like is there a big difference there?
it's, it's honestly really 50 50.
It's I think people come to us either that really set on the chapel, like they've just gota vision and they want that chapel look, or they're just here for the gardens.
And then usually if it's gardens, we just tell them obviously the chapel is like your wetweather option.
(18:00):
And they're usually quite happy with that.
But I've been really trying to figure out what's more popular, but it's actually beenreally 50 50.
That's so good.
Yeah.
Cause even like the family photo is down by the chapel.
I've done those down there and it's a beautiful spot down there as well for the familyphotos.
Yeah, it is.
And so it's, even like keeping things separate, like you are getting married at the chapeland then everyone kind of comes back up to the lawn for the canopy hour and the bridal
(18:23):
party kind of hangs behind.
And like you talk about, they do really get that space to just kind of be alone and like,Hey, we just got married and like have that time as well.
Yeah.
I feel like.
So you say like the Renaults, know, how long ago actually did the renovations happen withthe bar and then also the gate?
So the bar was the first thing we did.
That was at the beginning of last year.
(18:45):
around right now, actually, February last year was when we did the bar and then thehomestead area.
And then the front gate came sort of shortly after that, which was about mid-year lastyear.
I feel like your team has really leveled up at the same time.
Was that like a really kind of conscious effort of like, okay, we're renovating, but yeah,it feels like the whole team behind Kullabah has completely changed as well in that time.
(19:09):
Yeah, I think, well, yeah, our team is absolutely amazing.
They're just so great at what they do.
But I think prior to the renovations, because it took so much planning, and one of thethings that we really wanted to focus on was like, we can't just renovate and our team
(19:32):
doesn't keep up with this.
So the three years prior to planning,
was actually mostly internal.
was like making sure we had a very consistent call of our experience, making sure thateveryone knew exactly what people would be expecting from us, making sure we had the
training in place to make sure our service could always keep up with that, making sure.
(19:58):
I mean, our coordinators have always just been amazing.
just making sure that the coordinators also in the new spaces, how do we function as well?
And putting in that time to train the team to make sure everyone was up to speed.
But yeah, I think the best thing about it is like our team, everyone's like, it's all coolabout team.
So everything's internal.
(20:20):
it is a lot easier in that sense to then be like, okay, in this new space, how are wegonna set up?
you know, but the set up team is from Coolabah.
So it's the branding and all that kind of stuff was just easy to collect if you're alreadya part of one team.
And do you find with the renovation, like I see some of the style shoots that coming outof here and they're stunning.
(20:42):
Do you feel like the vendors that are kind of getting attracted to Coolabar have changed alittle bit over that time as well?
Definitely, I think that's been like one of our favorite parts.
Just getting to know more vendors and getting to see different vendors and what theartistic vision for the venue might be.
(21:03):
And yet getting to know more of the community that we have around us, I think it's beenlike one of my favorite parts because I think before that, you know, because we have been
doing weddings for a while, so it does get to a point where it's like, okay, we've seenlots of things.
What else can we do?
So having that refresh, having new elements come in and then being able to work with thathas been really, really cool.
(21:28):
And even like host, you you've hosted little like vendor experiences here and everythinglike that.
It feels very collaborative here.
You know, there are, you know, there's a lot of beautiful venues around, but I feel like alot of the vendors I speak to feel very welcome here as well.
And then I feel like a lot of the vendors will go above and beyond to create good content,like as a team for everyone here as well.
(21:50):
So it's, definitely, I've noticed a huge shift, like the amount of people within theindustry talking about Coolabar.
is insane, which is really cool.
So we're really, really grateful because I think before this, know, we really, I think inthe last year, that's something that we really wanted to do was to get to know the
community a bit more.
Because sometimes, you know, we're hosting a lot of times and then we don't actually getto, you know, go out and see everyone all the time.
(22:17):
So it's been really, really cool to get to know everyone and see how much talent is aroundus constantly.
feel with venues at the moment, like obviously, Kulubar, you look like you're doing reallywell.
Like everywhere I see, there's a lot of weddings coming here.
Everyone's very hyped about coming to this venue.
Has your business had to kind of shift to keep with the times?
(22:37):
Like, I feel it's like you're almost like at a peak now where you kind of like, everyone'sbeen in the industry for a long time.
And now it's like, it's really peaking.
A lot of people are coming here and you're getting a lot of attention at the moment.
Was that a big shift within your management style as well?
Yeah, think so.
Because I think before, yeah, I think the attention thing is a lot of people are reachingout to us, which is really, really cool to see.
(23:01):
And yeah, to be able to keep up with that definitely involves a lot of teamwork, a lot ofteam planning.
And I think...
before, even though everything was internal, the chances we got to really talk alltogether as a team was a lot less, whereas I think now we're putting a lot more focus into
(23:23):
that.
When there's new things that we wanna introduce, new elements that we wanna introduce intoCooler Bar, it's always a discussion with our wedding coordinators, first of all, because
they get to see all the guests all the time.
I think we work best when we're collaborative anyway.
So I think we've just kind of...
(23:43):
added to that a lot more.
Do want talk a little bit about proximity to the Gold Coast as well?
As far as guests being able to get up here?
Do you find most people are kind of maybe staying down on the Gold Coast and then do theycatch a bus up here together or how does that work?
I find with actually with our couples, not many people opt for a bus option.
(24:08):
I think just because we, our car park is actually really big.
Yeah, we can fit up to like a hundred and something cars all together at Kullaba which isreally great.
So, and I think because we're actually quite close to Broad Beach, we're like about 20minutes away from Broad Beach.
So often people will just Uber.
I mean, they're not staying on, usually people do stay on site as well.
(24:30):
So if they're not staying on site, yeah, they usually just get an Uber at end of the nightor they just carpool.
There's always like one friend that doesn't drink.
You know, that's usually the designated driver.
But no, usually it's very rare for them to get a bus, to be honest.
It's not something that we say that you have to have.
We're very lucky to be able to have that kind of car park space where we want to just stayand hang out and be stress free, really.
(24:54):
And that is a big thing.
There's like a lot of venues further out where it's like you can't get an Uber out here.
Yeah.
And, and it's like having this tranquil kind of setting, but you are only 20 minutes fromBroad Beach as well.
It is so accessible.
Yeah.
Which is a lot.
That's a big difference between a lot of, guess, other venues close by as well is yeah,this is the accessibility from there.
Yes.
Do find it is a lot of still local couples coming to get married at Kullaba?
(25:19):
Yes, but I feel like a lot of our couples do come from Brisbane as well and I'm seeingmore and more couples come from Sydney, New South Wales now, which is really cool.
And then slowly we're seeing more couples come from Melbourne, but definitely I'd say likemore than 50 % of our couples do come from Brisbane.
(25:40):
And then yeah, New South Wales and Gold Coast is obviously quite a few people that
Do want to talk about the process of, okay, couples have seen you on Instagram or seenyour website, they found you.
What's that process for like a couple who they want to come past?
Are most of them coming down for a viewing and getting a tour around with either yourselfor with the coordinators as well?
Yeah, so depending on how you've seen us, probably most likely you've seen us on Instagramfirst.
(26:09):
But yeah, basically once you see us, if you really like us, usually our couples will booka venue tour.
And then the first point of contact that they'll see usually is our wedding coordinators.
If you have any questions prior to that, we always just ask if you could read ourpackages.
(26:29):
don't, it's okay as well.
But yeah, usually we'll start with the wedding coordinators and our venue tours.
That's usually our first point of contact.
And then if you end up booking a wedding with us, they're always like the last point ofcontact as well.
And they take you through the whole journey.
But yeah, the coordinators will take you on a tour around Kula Bar, get to know you, youcan get to know them.
(26:51):
and then tell us essentially what you're looking for, what you want.
If you have any questions, we usually answer that.
And then from then on after the tour, we always send through our quotes straight away.
think one of the biggest things that for us that's really important is to make sure thatthe day is stress free.
(27:11):
And I think in order to do that, like, I mean, right now I think financially, itfluctuates.
The economy is going up and down.
So we really try to make sure that in our packages we include the base of what you needfor a wedding.
And so...
Yeah, we don't believe in like having hidden surprises that people didn't know about inthe beginning.
(27:34):
We really try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to our pricing model, comesto how we write up our packages.
Yeah, and then so from then on, if you want to add more to it, that's all like, you justtell your coordinators and essentially we just add whatever you want, take off whatever
you don't want really.
(27:56):
Yeah, and then we start planning the wedding.
So, okay, so someone's getting married here, they've got to say 80 guests, and obviouslyyou're having a reception in the marquee there.
Like tables, chairs included, you know, crockery and cutlery, is that all kind of includedthere as well?
Yes.
Yeah, all of so usually we always include yeah the catering crockery We actually alsoinclude basic styling as well.
(28:20):
So table linens basic candles also like
depending on some bar candles as well.
then actually often we get people asking like, oh, do you guys charge us extra for, Idon't know, turning on the fairy lights?
(28:40):
Or like, do you charge extra for cutting our cake and then serving it?
And we always say no, like this is something that's always included in our packages.
You know, I can tell their stress levels going up every time they ask as well.
But yeah, everything that we say we include, it's always in the packages.
(29:01):
But yeah, that's sort of.
Yeah, that's good.
Cause I've had that in the past.
Like it might be a couple months out.
And like you said, like even fairy lights might be a string of fairy lights behind thebridal table.
And then like the couple will find out, you know, two months out, like, yeah, that'sthousand dollars.
If you want to turn on those lights or like you said, like cutting up the cake, we needchef for an hour.
And it's actually this much like, it's just cutting our cake.
(29:22):
So I think it is really good for couples to know that.
There's like, yeah, like you, could like, this is our, you know, our bare bones is stillgoing to be a beautiful wedding.
And then you can go as, as
extravagant as you want above and beyond that.
Yeah.
Like do you have regular, let's say like florists and stylists that would work with likewith your team to create something as well?
Absolutely, because with our styling, we always say like, if you, it depends on like thecouple, right?
(29:49):
Even if you, know, depending on like what it is that you want to create, if you wantsomething to be more simple, without basic styling that's included, it looks beautiful
anyway.
But if you want to add some more color, if you want to add a specific style, if you wantto add things, we're always advocates for that.
And like, we have an amazing list of like,
(30:10):
vendors that we absolutely love, that we know that's gonna be able to create the qualityfor you.
And so usually we'll just like send through the list and then if they wanna add more, ifthey want something more extravagant, absolutely, we welcome that.
But we just always say like, look, even if you don't wanna add that, that's totally fine.
It just really depends on your budget.
(30:30):
It depends on what you wanna see and what you're comfortable with.
feel like even this self perpetuating cycle where vendors see you're really putting ineffort and growth into your venue and then they want to kind of match you as well.
So like if a couple books them and like, yeah, we want to do this florals and they're kindof almost lifting their game because they see how well you're doing it as well.
(30:51):
And kind of just all this together.
And we love it when like stylists come in and like just do something completely differentthat we've never seen and it almost sometimes looks like a different venue, which which is
really cool.
it depends on the couple.
What they what they want is essentially what they get.
But yeah, even for Wedding Collective recently, our stylist Hannah from Anama Wedding, sheshe just made that garden ceremony look so amazing.
(31:20):
She changed the furniture completely.
And it was just yeah, it was
It was really cool to see.
Yeah, yeah.
So whatever the vision is, it can be created.
It just depends on what you want.
(31:43):
So depending on first of all what kind of tables you want, so we give our couples a choicebetween the long tables or round tables.
With round tables it's less capacity just because they take up more room.
So usually we'd say about like a hundred guests on rounds and then with the long tablesmaximum 160.
(32:06):
Yeah, but that gives you obviously less space on our dance floor.
But yeah, usually maximum is 160.
Yeah, the after party.
mean, I don't know.
don't see.
(32:30):
Cool, I feel like often it's through our Instagram and then if you like our mood board, ifyou have any questions, you can go on our website to ask inquiry or if you want to book a
tour, anything really.
But yeah, our website is usually a great point of contact.
And then we can just go from there.
(32:52):
If you've got questions before you want to come in for a tour, that's also fine.
If you're interstate as well, you're welcome to even just do a virtual tour as well.
We can take you on a virtual tour around our state, show you what's around.
Yeah.
(33:12):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
In the beginning we were like, my god, how do we do this?
But I think now we've gotten pretty good at it.
our Instagram is at Coolabah Downs Private Estate.
then our website is www.coolabahdowns.com.au.
(33:34):
Thank you so much,
Does the future, our future plans, very exciting.
But I mean, in the next month, we've actually got our menu tasting coming up, which is areally, it can be used as a little date night even, you can bring your family.
(33:58):
But yeah, it's a chance to try the menu before you select what you're gonna be serving onyour wedding day.
So we usually do that event once a year.
And then, yeah, we've got lots of...
I don't know, if you want to come stay with us again, we've got accommodation that'salways listed publicly as well on Airbnb and whatnot.
(34:20):
But yeah, the future is looking exciting.
There's probably going to be more things coming along that I can't say just yet, butthere's lots planned for us.
Yes, definitely.
We would love that.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.