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When you think about transportation on your Big Day, the mind of most brides jumps immediately to the fairy tale: a horse and carriage.
For grooms, it’s often a classic car like the Bentley or Rolls Royce.
But one North Queensland couple are giving wedding transport a twist with their unusual – and environmentally friendly – business.
Just Tuk’n Around was founded in 2015 by Tania Lewis and Brett Jones, with the Airlie Beach business offering an Aussie take on the auto rickshaw or pedicab.
Commonly known as ‘tuk tuks’, they’ve been a popular form of transport throughout Asia for over a century and expanded into parts of America, Europe and Africa as a cost-effective way for tourists to get around and experience their destination.
Yet in the three years since they first started Just Tuk’n Around, the growing business has found a popular niche with couples looking for something a little bit different on their wedding day.
“A lot of people travel to North Queensland – and Airlie Beach especially – to get married and so much of our customer base is couples getting hitched now,” says Lewis.
“It was surprising at first, but it also makes a lot of sense because people want something different.
They want something that’s not the same as every other couple they’ve seen get married and the tuk tuks just look so great in photos.”
Lewis estimates they’ve done over 30 weddings, with the summer months being the busiest season for newlyweds.
“My husband and I run the business together and we love the romance of it all on a happy wedding day,” she says.
“We often do the whole day for the couple, which starts with picking the bridal party up and dropping them off for hair and make-up appointments, to riding them into the actual ceremony and reception itself.
Because we’re classified as a bicycle, we can also ride along the boardwalks at Airlie Beach which saves the bride having to walk around in high heels with the photographers as you look for the best photo location.”
With 14 tuk tuks in operation, Just Tuk’n Around handles not only the bride and groom, but also the wedding parties and family members as well with up to 28 people able to be transported across their different pedicabs.
“The romance of riding around in a tuk tuk is pretty unique,” says Lewis.
“We have ‘just married’ signs and cans that we can attach to the back, so when we do a Main Street run all of the tourists and business owners are waving and cheering.
It’s like the whole town gets involved in your special day.”
For the environmentally conscious, tuk tuks have become an increasingly popular option.
That’s not to mention the location itself, with the Whitsundays area one of the most popular wedding destinations in Australia.
“It’s a spectacular spot to get married,” says Lewis, who herself was married on Airlie Beach in 2016.
“There’s the view, the surroundings, the weather … it’s a very special place.”
Bookings for Just Tuk’n Around can be made online at their website http://justtuknaround.com.auor via phone: 0421 513 033