•  James, when I first visited Broadway Chapel, I was surprised to find it nestled amongst the trees in a quiet inner-city location – how did you stumble upon this hidden treasure? The original Chapel was built in 1884 and ceased operating as a church in the late 1970’s. The Chapel had been empty for over 20 years when we took over.  We rescued the Chapel from developers who wanted to convert the building into residential use and after renovations the Chapel was heritage listed and started its new life as Broadway Chapel: Brisbane’s Wedding Chapel.

• What was your inspiration behind the extensive renovation of the chapel? We have always loved heritage architecture and friends of ours were in the process of getting married and could not find a traditional venue for their civil ceremony. Their only option was to host a garden or hotel wedding, which was not in line with their ‘traditional’ wedding plans. As Brisbane had no wedding chapel at that stage, we undertook the renovation process to create Broadway Chapel

•  How would you describe your style and do you think it is reflected in the Broadway Chapel? We wanted to enhance the heritage nature of the building while maintaining the luxury comforts Brides expect.  We wanted to create something truly special that takes peoples breath away and transports them to a bygone era.  We are never tire of the compliments and sheer surprise that most guests have when they enter the Chapel.

  Broadway Chapel from the inside
 

• How did the name “Broadway Chapel” come about? The original building was built in 1884 on Broadway Street as the Broadway Congregational Church. We wanted to incorporate the original name and created Broadway Chapel.

• In a competitive wedding market, what do you think makes Broadway Chapel stand out from the crowd?  Do you offer anything extra or unique? I believe Broadway Chapel provides brides with a classically beautiful inner-city ceremony venue that alleviates the stress associated with garden weddings and the weather.  The Chapel also provides brides with an event manager to look after all the finer details for the ceremony.

a wedding at Broadway Chapel

• Do you see any trends happening in weddings/ceremonies right now? We are noticing that wedding guest numbers are increasing with our average wedding now between 80-120 guests. Brides are looking at reducing the stress associated with planning and hosting their big day. For this reason we provide an informal wedding planning service as part of the service.

• Are there any weddings which stand out in your mind for a particular reason? Our favourite weddings are when the couple are relaxed and really enjoy their day.  Having an event manager to take all the stress out allows the couples and their families to enjoy the moment.

• What is your no.1 tip for brides and grooms? Relax and enjoy the process of planning your wedding.

•  How far in advance of their wedding, do you like couples to contact you?  If couples want a particular Saturday afternoon date and time, we suggest 12-18 months booking in advance.  If they are flexible on dates and days, that can afford the luxury of 6 months notice.

enjoy the moment at Broadway Chapel

• Your website has some lovely photos of all aspects of the Broadway Chapel, but I still think it needs to be seen in person to appreciate its unique beauty – How can couples do this? Like with all venues, you have to experience the sights, sound and ambience in person.  The Chapel hosts no-obligation viewings on Thursdays and Saturdays.  This allows couples and their families to experience the Chapel for themselves.

• What does the future hold for Broadway Chapel? We have introduced Broadway Live this month allowing couples to live stream their wedding on to the internet for family and guests who cannot attend in person.  We are always looking at introducing services to couples based on their changing needs. 

• Where and what do you see yourself doing in the future? Do you have any more projects underway? For us the focus is to maintain the ambience of the Chapel and continue to deliver the highest level of service to our couples.  We work very closely with our staff to ensure they share our philosophy on service to all our couples.

Broadway Chapel entrance

•  As the owner of a successful business – what is your business philosophy? Attention to detail is paramount and provide a service that you would expect to receive yourself.

• Do you have any words of wisdom to offer our wedding guide brides? Once again, relax and enjoy the process of planning your wedding.  If you work with reputable providers, everything should be stress free on the day as their job is to fix potential problems before they arise.