INDY AND CORY | TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN GLADES WEDDING | GOLD COAST HINTERLAND
If you've ever wanted to know what pure, unfiltered joy looks like in a wedding gallery, scroll through Indy and Cory's and you'll have your answer.
These two met the old-fashioned way — in the bar line at the local pub on a Friday night in Darwin. They started chatting, and that was apparently all it took. From that moment on, the universe seemed determined to keep putting them in each other's path — at work, the shops, the gym, and yes, back at the pub. Eventually they took the hint. The rest, as Indy puts it, is history.
The proposal is one of my all-time favourites. Exactly one year before their wedding day, they were driving through Denali National Park in Alaska when Cory pulled over to take in the mountain views — and got down on one knee. In true Indy fashion, she may or may not have screamed "We're married!" instead of "We're engaged!" But here's the thing — Cory wasn't entirely convinced that counted as a yes. So for the rest of the trip, at every beautiful spot they stopped, he asked again. And again. Just to be sure. Safe to say she never changed her answer.
That energy — the laughing, the teasing, the pure fun of it — is exactly what carried through to their wedding day at Tamborine Mountain Glades, and it made my job an absolute pleasure.
Nestled alongside the cascading Cedar Creek and lush Tamborine National Park, Tamborine Mountain Glades is an award-winning rainforest wedding destination that gives you incredible variety to work with as a photographer — towering trees, lush subtropical greenery, fairy lights, and that gorgeous natural light that filters through the canopy at golden hour. The venue took out a trifecta at the 2024 Wedding Industry Awards, winning Best Wedding Venue Eco, Best Venue Coordinator, and Best Boutique Wedding Accommodation for the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim — and honestly, you feel that standard of care in every detail of the day.
Before the wedding, Indy told me exactly what she wanted — and I respect that enormously. Not just pretty photos. Photos that scream fun. The laughing moments, the funny faces, the dancing, the ugly crying. Real, authentic, in-the-moment. She even had a few surprises planned for Cory on the day that she'd kept to herself. I won't spoil them here but let's just say they delivered.
Cory can be a little camera-shy — Indy's words, not mine — but she was confident a couple of drinks in and the right atmosphere would bring him around. She was completely right. By the time we got into portraits the two of them were totally lost in each other, and any trace of awkwardness had long disappeared.
A special mention to Indy's sister Skye Hughes who stepped up as celebrant and delivered one of the most heartfelt, personal ceremonies I've had the privilege of witnessing. There's something about having someone who truly knows and loves you standing up there with you — it lifts the whole room. LouMakeupArtistry had Indy absolutely glowing, and the pinks, whites and soft neutrals throughout the day were perfectly pulled together.
The reception was exactly what Indy had dreamed of — pizza, dancing, her favourite people, and a late-night shoot where the drinks had been flowing just enough for everything to feel loose and real and completely themselves. Some of my favourite frames of the whole day came from that last hour.
Tamborine Mountain Glades — what a venue to spend a day in. If you're looking for a Gold Coast Hinterland wedding that feels genuinely immersive in nature, with ceremony, reception and accommodation all in one incredible location, this one belongs at the top of your list.
Indy and Cory, thank you for being so utterly, brilliantly yourselves. It was a joy from start to finish.
Venue: Tamborine Mountain Glades
Celebrant: Skye Hughes
Hair & Makeup: LouMakeupArtistry
Dress: Angelic Bridal, Chermside
