Maleny Wedding Festival Recap – Behind the Scenes with Sunshine Coast Celebrant Amanda Jensen
Last weekend, on the 27th of July 2025, I had the absolute pleasure of being part of the stunning Maleny wedding festival trail. It took place at Secrets on the Lake, Montville.
Nestled in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on the edge of Lake Baroon, this venue truly is a hidden gem. The day was filled with love, laughter, creativity, and a show case of incredibly talented wedding vendors. (more on them shortly!).
I was there showing my services as a wedding celebrant and acoustic musician. The site was unpowered, otherwise I might have brought my full DJ set up too! I had the chance to meet some amazing couples. Some had already enquired with me and just wanted a friendly face-to-face chat before locking in their date.
I played a handful of my favourite acoustic songs, handed out a expo bag filled with information from the day’s vendors, and took full advantage of the breathtaking Secretes on the Lake backdrop from some promotional photos! Huge thanks to Daniel Faint Studio for the great shots!
Why Secrets on the Lake?
Apart from the fact that this place is undeniable one of the most picturesque venues in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with its tranquil lakeside setting and magical rainforest surrounds – it’s the perfect fit for my Four-in-One Wedding package as a marriage celebrant, acoustic musician, DJ and MC.
With at least five beautiful ceremony spots to choose from and a reception space inside the venue’s own restaurant (complete with fairy lights and a deck overlooking Lake Baroon), Secrets on the Lake is ideal for couples who want everything in one dreamy location.
Vendor Shoutout – Meet the Wedding Dream Team
(In alphabetical order of course, because it’s impossible to choose favourites! Every vendor brought their own unique flavour to the day.)
All descriptions below are inspired by details from The Sunshine Coast Hinterland Tourism website
ATG – Against the Grain Health
Traditionally a skincare and nutrition business operating at local farmers markets, ATG now offers two beautiful pop-up bar options perfect for weddings. They specialise in non-alcoholic beverages but can also serve alcoholic drinks with style.
Interested to know more? Click here
Daniel Faint Studio
Brisbane-based wedding and portrait photographer Daniel Faint brings a candid, fun, and heartfelt approach to wedding photography. His philosophy?
“Your wedding is not my photoshoot – it’s your wedding.”
Daniel captures raw, real moments with genuine emotion. Warning: fun and good vibes are compulsory!
See his work here or below – he took this photos. This was styled by Dream Weddings Sunshine Coast
Dream Weddings Sunshine Coast
This talented team offers full and partial planning, on-the-day coordination, and beautifully curated styling for both ceremonies and receptions. Whether it’s an intimate elopement or a big celebration, Sheryl and the team bring your vision to life with elegance and ease.
(Side note-Sheryl is hands down one of the loveliest humans you’ll meet.)
Get more information here
Evvoke Celebrations
Evvoke Celebrations also know as Maria is a Southeast Queensland marriage celebrant. Maria is a storyteller, travel designer and event organiser, curious and insanely organise by nature. She loves to create unforgettable celebrations that are authentic and personal, no matter where or how you are celebrating. Her vibe is “no surprise, no gimmicks”
She will make your celebration as seamless, calm, enjoyable and memorable as possible, so you can just relax and savour the day.
Read more about Evvoke Celebrations here
Soul Shack Music
Recently relocated from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast, Soul Shack Music specialises in boutique event entertainment. Always funky, always soulful, and always a vibe! They bring experience, energy, and unforgettable music for everything from intimate weddings to large-scale festivals.
My ears were VERY happy all day. Hear for yourself here
The Timeless Collection
This husband-and-wife duo offers photography, videography, and content creation designed to capture your love story in the most relaxed, meaningful way. Their style is romantic, candid, and, of course timeless.
They are drawn to the in-between moments. The laughter, the quiet glances, the unscripted emotions.
View their work here
Vanessa Wiggins Ceremonies
Vanessa is a marriage celebrant know for creating joyful, heartfelt wedding ceremonies across Brisbane and The Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Scenic Rim.
She has a deep love for people, romance and meaningful connection. She will create warm, genuine and joy filled ceremonies that truly reflects the love story of the couples she works with.
Find out more about Vanessa here
Amanda Jensen WEddings
(Not quite alphabetical, but I didn’t want to go first!)
As a Sunshine Coast Marriage Celebrant, Acoustic Musician, DJ, and MC, I offer a unique blend of services to help couples create their perfect day. Known for being down-to-earth, responsive, and warm, I focus on crafting personal ceremonies and musical moments that leave lasting memories.
Whether it’s singing your aisle song, telling your story with heart and humour, or curating the perfect dance-floor playlist, I’ve got you covered from “I do” to the final song of the night.
Your guests will be thanking you (and blaming me) for their sore feet the next morning.
Yes I really am putting a link to my website too 🤣 here
Tips for couples attending a wedding festival
If you’re planning to attend a wedding trail or festival, come prepared! Luckily, the Hinterland Tourism Sunshine Coast wedding trail includes all the info you need to plan your route and find your perfect fit.
Here are my top 3 tips:
- Bring a notebook or use your phone to take notes and photos.
- Ask questions – especially about pricing and availability. Save yourself a hundred emails!
- Trust your gut. When you know, you know.
Final thought
I always love connecting with excited couples face-to-face (especially with a coffee in hand!). The Maleny Wedding Festival was a beautiful reminder of the love, talent, and creativity that thrives in our Sunshine Coast wedding community.
If you’re planning your big day and looking for a celebrant, musician, DJ or MC who brings heart, humour and energy, I’d love to hear from you.
And if you’re curious about any of the incredible vendors above, do reach out. You won’t be disappointed.
Special mention
Although not an official part of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Maleny Wedding Festival Trail I would love to thank the wonderful team at Wildest Dreams Content for creating an amazing reel for me to help promote this excellent event. These guys always go above and beyond.
Other venues open that day
While Secrets on the Lake was where you could find me there were plenty of other Sunshine Coast Hinterland Venues that you could have explored too. Don’t worry if you missed this one, keep an eye out of the next one!
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