AS a little girl, Gwen Inglis would spot a wedding outside a church and ask her father to pull over.
He would wait patiently until the bride and groom emerged, giving his daughter what she affectionately calls her “wedding fix”.
That childhood fascination never faded.
Twenty-one years after performing her first ceremony, Ms Inglis has retired as one of the Redlands’ best-known marriage celebrants, having helped more than 1500 couples say, “I do”.
“For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a marriage celebrant,” Ms Inglis said.
Her first wedding was in September 2005 at Shangri- La at Wynnum West.
Despite years as a member of Toastmasters International, Ms Inglis said she was deeply nervous.
“I kept telling myself to get the butterflies flying in formation. I am not sure they ever did that day,” she said.
“But I was on such a high after that ceremony. I knew this was my dream come true.”
It also began a ritual shared with her late husband Ian.
After every wedding, they would return home and toast the health and happiness of the newlyweds.
Ms Inglis continued the tradition after Ian died in 2021.
For the next two decades, she became a familiar face at ceremonies across the Redlands and beyond – joining couples in bayfront parks, gardens, chapels and historic venues.
Macarthur Park Wedding Chapel and Gardens at Alexandra Hills was among her favourites, while the former Courthouse Restaurant in Cleveland held special meaning after hosting countless ceremonies.
“The Redlands will always be a fabulous area for weddings with our beautiful bay, parks and gardens, as well as the close vicinity of our islands,” she said.
Ms Inglis said Covid-19 brought one of the biggest changes she saw in the industry, with weddings becoming smaller.
“Prior to Covid, a big wedding was about 100 guests. Post Covid, 40 was big,” she said.
Her career also brought plenty of colourful occasions – including Gatsby, rock ’n’ roll, Queen of Hearts, medieval and
ABBA-themed celebrations.
At one St Patrick’s Day wedding, Ms Inglis even wore a green wig as guests arrived dressed in green.
One of her funniest memories came when two young ring bearers began tugging over the rings, sending them flying into the grass.
A group of female guests, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, dropped to their hands and knees to help find them.
“It reminded me of chooks in a pen scratching for seed,” she said.
For Ms Inglis, the most meaningful ceremonies were those that told each couple’s unique story and vows written from the heart.
“People in love are happy people. Their happiness has always rubbed off on me.”
That happiness has continued long after many of the ceremonies, with Ms Inglis regularly meeting couples while out shopping – often alongside the children who followed.
“I love it when their Mum or Dad tells the children, ‘Gwen married us’,” she said.
To the 1500-plus brides and grooms who entrusted her with their wedding day, Ms Inglis has one final message.
“I hope you look back on your wedding day with love, happiness and wonderful memories, just as I do,” she said.
