Frequently Asked Questions

How soon can we get married?
Once you have lodged your ‘Notice of Intended Marriage’, then you can marry as early
as one month and one day later.

How far in advance should I book our wedding?
As early as possible to secure the venue and avoid disappointment.

When is our wedding date secure?
Many couples have a specific date they want to be married. For this reason, we encourage you to book early, as there are often several other enquires for the same day.Your wedding date will be confirmed when required deposits have been paid. There are different deposits for different services, depending on the venue and accommodation options you have chosen.

What is the best way to contact you?
The easiest way to reach us is either by email or telephone. We answer all questions promptly, usually within one to two business days. Phone (07) 4778 5955 or email emma@magneticislandweddings.com or donna@magneticislandweddings.com

We live far away. Do we need to visit the island to organise our wedding?
A great many of our weddings are organised together with the bride and groom from a distance without visiting the island until the day before the wedding. We try to provide you with as much information, photographs and communication as possible to make sure that you are comfortable with your wedding plans and that the process is as stress free as possible.

We don't want a big wedding, but simply want to run away and just be married. Can we do this on Magnetic Island? Do you provide witnesses?
Our elopement package covers this scenario and we take care of all of the arrangements, to simply allow you to arrive and marry on one of our stunning beaches. This package also provides for the necessary witnesses.

Guests
What is the largest capacity you can cater for?
Depending on the style of wedding, the maximum number of guests we can currently cater for is 300 people.

What is the smallest wedding party we can have?
Our smallest wedding package is for just the bride and groom. We are able to choose reception venues from the local restaurants for small wedding parties. Alternatively you may prefer a gourmet picnic basket to enjoy in privacy on one of our beautiful beaches.

What transport is available on the Island for our guests?
The island has two main means of transportation:
-The Magnetic Island Bus service meets all the ferry times and stops in all bays on the island.
- There are also hire cars available on the island.
- Magnetic Island Taxis offers a round the clock service.

Do you cater for children?
We do cater for children and most of our venues are children friendly.
Depending on their age we organise appropriate childrens menus, charges for children range from $17.50 - $30.00 per head.

Are there babysitting facilities on the island?
We have access to a small number of babysitters on the island who are happy to babysit at accommodation or at the reception venue. Availability is limited, so we suggest you book well in advance.

Wedding Ceremonies
Can I get married on one of the beaches?
Yes. Most of our wedding ceremonies take place on one our stunning beaches or the park areas overlooking the beaches.

Do you provide a set up service for the beach ceremony?
Yes. We do provide different levels of beach set up for ceremonies.

Can you provide music for the beach ceremony>
Yes. We can provide for hire a portable CD pa system for you to play your chosen music at the beach ceremony.

Payments
How should I pay the deposit?
Preferred payment is by credit card or direct deposit.

When is the final balance due?
The final payment is due 30 days prior to the wedding date.

When are final numbers attending due?
The final headcount has to be confirmed 30 days prior to the wedding, along with the final payment.

Wedding Planning
Can you help us plan other events surrounding our wedding?
We are a full-service wedding company and will assist you with all of your planning needs including hens and bucks nights, guest activities and much more.

Can you arrange services such as Flowers or Hair and Makeup?
Yes. We are more than happy to help organise or put you in contact with all the things you need to make your wedding day as stress free as possible.

What if you don’t list a service we need?
We offer many wedding services and it is often difficult to list them all.
If you have something in mind that you want, by all means, please ask.

What if we have our own celebrant or photographer?
Although we highly recommend the island services, if you have a friend or a service you would like to provide yourself then that is also fine with us. The services we work with are purely recommendations so if you would like to do your own hair and make up for example, or have a family friend who is a photographer then that is fine also.

Menus and Drinks
Are the displayed menus the only menus available? What if I have my own ideas about the menu we would like for our wedding?
We offer the menus as samples and are able to quote on your own menus or modify our menus to suit. Please email us your request and we will do our best to accommodate you.

I am planning on using the wedding cake for dessert. Do I still need to have desserts with my menu?
Most of the menus have been designed for the use of the wedding cake as dessert. You do also have the option of adding desserts if you wish at an additional charge.

I would like a cocktail party but nothing too formal for my island wedding?
We have many menus for cocktail parties and a number of venues where this is an option for small to medium sized weddings.

I have guests with special dietary needs. Can these be accommodated?
With enough advance notice most dietary needs can be accommodated. You need to make sure that your wedding planner is aware of these as early as possible.

Can my guests pay for their own dinner?
Your guests can pay for their own meals, by paying you themselves prior to the wedding. We can only accept full payment for meals from the bride and groom payable when your
final balance is due 30 days prior to the wedding.

Can my guests pay for their own drinks?
Most of our function venues have a minimum spend required by the bride and groom on alcohol for your wedding. Your guests can pay for their own drinks throughout the night, for example for spirits if your alcohol package excludes this for guests. Some of the smaller venues will allow guests to pay for their own drinks the whole time. This is determined on a case by case basis in coordination with your wedding planner.

Accommodation
How do my guests find accommodation?
We offer an accommodation booking and referral service for your guests, to try to make
their holiday planning as easy as possible.

Is there only one type of accommodation available?
There is a variety of accommodation available on the island to suit your guests different needs and budgets.

Do we have to prebook accommodation for our guests?
If you'd like to guarantee a certain style of accommodation, such as the Pure Magnetic Villas for your guests, you will need to reserve the accommodation in advance. Your guests can then make their own bookings within an allocated time frame.

How many guests can the island accommodate?
In various styles of accommodation we can provide accommodation for up to 300 guests.

What if my family would like to stay for a week and rent a house?
We also provide bookings and referrals for holiday houses as well as resort based accommodation and can organise this for your guests.

My guests will all have different budgets for accommodation can you provide different options?
We offer budget motel rooms through to four star houses in our accommodation service. One of the great things about Magnetic Island as a wedding destination is the variety of choices you have for many services.

Self Catering
We have our own venue but need assistance with hire equipment for the reception and ceremony. Can you assist us or do we have to be planning our whole wedding with you?
We are able to offer any level of assistance for your wedding planning that you may need. You may have your own plans but need accommodation assistance for your guests, or have your own venue but need to hire the equipment for the day. We offer a full hire service, and offsite catering service, so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions relating to weddings or functions on Magnetic Island.

We simply require offsite catering for our wedding or function. Can you assist?
Yes we can. Simply contact us with your catering needs.

Do you only do weddings or are you able to organise other functions such as birthdays or family reunions etc?
Yes, we also are able to organise other types of functions and family events. Please contact us and let us know what you would like and we will provide you with the options.