A classic wedding in Australia
This classic wedding is absolutely stunning! Christine and David share all the details of their gorgeous day…
How did you and your partner meet?
At School! David started coming to School when we were in year 8 but we didn’t ever talk much. We began to enjoy each other’s company in year 11 and then both became College Captains – we’ve been together ever since.
How did he propose?
He took me to my favourite restaurant and then to Blue’s Point. He asked if we could go for a walk, which is something we enjoy doing so I didn’t see it coming. He then started telling me how much he loved me and I remember waffling on and on and not giving him a chance to speak. Before I knew it, he was on one knee – that definitely got me to stop talking. He took out a beautiful London gemstone and told me that the last six years with him had been the best part of his life. The next morning, we took the day off and went diamond ring shopping.
What’s your most important piece of advice for creating and maintaining a strong relationship?
Keeping God at the centre of our marriage is key. To us, He’s the glue that binds us together. We’ve also learnt that listening before speaking and being open and transparent no matter how small the issue, is key for an open and honest line of communication.
Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it:
I didn’t have a dream dress and wanted to try on every gown possible! My mum was amazing and came with me to absolutely every store – I’m sure we must have visited close to 20 over the six-month period. After the first few, I had an idea of what I wanted. I envisioned a fitted dress with lots of lace, beautiful off the shoulder sleeves and a long train. Finally, I got to Brides of Francesca and the girls there were great. Once I explained what I wanted, the girls all looked at each other and said they had the perfect dress. Before I knew it, I was in my perfect wedding dress – a Pronovias beauty! I knew it was the one but there was one more person who needed to come and see – my dad! I made an appointment to come in with my dad the following week and that was it
What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
David and I knew we wanted to do something different for our wedding. We ditched the massive guest list and the seated dinner and opted for a cocktail event with our nearest and dearest. We chose L’aqua Gold Room – a gorgeous intimate venue overlooking the Harbour and had French Provincial style furniture with couches, stools, long mirrors, chandeliers and a gorgeous bar. I remember telling Jess from Angelic Events that I wanted people to see flowers and candles wherever they looked and she made that a reality. The food was also great. We had large platters on arrival, a custom bar with a gorgeous bar menu and then over 13 items of food coming out plus a dessert table! We also had a gorgeous live duo playing in the background which really set the scene. Our friends were raving about the food all night and we had our closest friends tell us that this was the best wedding they had attended. After the formalities, it became a party with our closest friends!
What was your favorite moment from the day?
Fireworks behind us, friends in front of us. It was an amazing feeling being surrounded by all of our loved ones and I really felt this come through when everyone was out on the balcony posing for a large group photo with the fireworks as a backdrop. I was so blessed to have an amazing husband next to me and so many friends and family around me.
Any DIY décor elements?
No – all my styling was done by Angelic events.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
I would stress less and enjoy the planning more!
Any tips that you can give to future brides?
Wedding planning is so much fun. Involve your soon to be hubby in all the details (don’t assume he doesn’t care) so that he can feel just as much a part of it as you do and make dates out of every single wedding appointment you have. Its so enjoyable that way.
The details
Invitations : Bwedding Invitation – bweddinginvitations.com/
Dress: Brides by Francesca – bridesbyfrancesca.com.au/
Makeup: Eloise Proust
Hair: Hair by Suzy
Shoes: Shoes of Prey
Accessories: Underwood Jewellers
Bridesmaids Dresses: Custom made – boutique, independent dressmaker
Grooms Suit: Politic – politix.com.au/
Photographer: T-One Image – t-oneimage.com.au
Stationary: Giant Invitations – giantinvitations.com.au/
Cake: Cake Salon
Food: L’aqua Gold Room
Printing: Ink Tank Printing – inktankprinting.com/
Flowers: Angelic Events (styling also)
Ceremony Venue: St Mary & St Merkorious Coptic Orthodox Church
Reception Venue: L’aqua Gold Room – docksidegroup.com.au
Any Other Vendors: Michael Arthur Diamonds, Reese Szabo (live duo), Jeremiah Hartmann (MC)
A winter wonderland wedding scheme
High school sweethearts Katrina and Leigh share their stunning day, featuring a winter wonderland wedding scheme with a pop of colour…
How did you and your partner meet?
We met during year 11 at high school.
How did he propose?
He proposed on my 25th birthday with breakfast in bed and wrote me a love letter, read it out and asked me on one knee.
What’s your most important piece of advice for creating and maintaining a strong relationship?
Dont sweat the small stuff, life waits for no one.
How did you choose your wedding gown?
I wanted something modern without all the “frills” and hallmarks of being a wedding dress. As soon as I had it on that was it, clean, crisp and unique.
Number of guests at your wedding:
250
What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
I envisioned a winter wonderland with a pop of colour. Silver, purple and deep pinks were my choice.
What was your favorite moment from the day?
The first dance with my husband, I’ve never been so overwhelmed with love in that one moment, I just wanted to stay like that all night!
Any DIY décor elements?
Yes! I made the candle gifts for my guests
If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Stuff the budget! We didnt have all the luxe elements because of it and we look back and think we should of done this….
Any tips that you can give to future brides?
This is your day! Dont let people overshadow it and take over decisions.
The details
Wedding Invitations: Bwedding Invitations – http://bweddinginvitations.com/
Dress: Brides of Beecroft – http://www.bridesofbeecroft.com.au/
Makeup: Manushi Singh & Kerry Beever
Hair: Manushi Singh
Shoes: Ebay
Accessories: Ebay
Stationary: Adorn Invitations – https://www.adorninvitations.co.uk/
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jean Fox Parramatter
Grooms Suit: MJ Bale – https://www.mjbale.com/
Photographer: Splendid Wedding Photography – http://splendid.net.au/
Cake: Celebrations Cakes
Printing: InkTank Printing – www.inktankprinting.com
Ceremony Venue: Bicentennial Park
Reception Venue: Waterview Homebush – http://www.waterviewvenue.com.au
A chic winter wedding
A stunning white winter wedding in December with subtle nods to Christmastime. Real bride Lauren tells us what gave her day the wow factor…
How did Dan propose?
“We were in London and I think Dan tried all day, but couldn’t find the perfect time (or was too nervous)! He finally blurted it out at Joe’s Southern Table and Bar in Covent Garden.”
What dress did you wear?
“Despite trying, I was never going to be a bride who fell in love after only trying on one dress. I went into boutiques with an idea in my head of what I wanted, which was more ball gown-style, so my mum and nan suggested going bespoke. Sarah Treble Couture in Exeter got what I wanted instantly: a pale pink tulle skirt, with the top heavily embellished all over.”
And the accessories?
“The dress didn’t need any extra bling – there was enough already! I wore a bracelet that Dan bought for me years ago, and had fresh flowers in my hair.”
What did Dan wear?
“Dan’s suit was also bespoke. It was a lovely dark blue with a tan stripe and a tan waist coat, designed by Zebel – who are also Exeter-based.”
Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?
“My maid of honour was my younger sister Jasmin, and my bridesmaid was Rosanna, who’s one of my closest friends since university. They both wore a black high-low dress from Coast. They were exactly what I wanted and they both looked so beautiful. They had fresh flowers in their hair and a corsage instead of a bouquet.”
What was your theme?
“I wouldn’t say I had a theme, as such. However, with it being winter, I wanted warm deep colours for my flowers (by Heather Flowersmiths in Dartmouth). I wanted the fires all on in the venue to give a feeling of being cosy. I also had candles everywhere, with a lovely spiced orange Yankee candle scent. We had mini Christmas trees dotted all around the venue with fairy lights on. We just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable… And for them to be warm!”
What was your best buy?
“It had to be the venue. I fell in love on the first visit – I was so glad we made the decision to go with Rockbeare Manor. The food was brilliant. All the guests said it was the best wedding food they have ever had!”
What was the highlight of your day?
“My dad’s speech was probably the highlight of my day. He was so nervous, bless him! But as soon as he opened his mouth the room roared and they didn’t stop the whole way through his speech. I was extremely proud and impressed.”
The Details:
Date: 16th December 2017
Venue: Ceremony at Broadclyst Church, Broadclyst, Exeter. Reception at Rockbeare Manor, Devon rockbearemanor.co.uk
Photographer: Holly Collings Photography hollycollingsphotography.com
Lauren’s dress: Sarah Treble Couture sarahtreble.co.uk
Dan’s attire: Zebel zebel.co.uk
Bridesmaid dresses: Coast
A rustic festival wedding in a beautiful orchard
Ben and Casey tied the knot in a fun-filled, relaxed festival wedding with plenty of gorgeous rustic touches – including a real-life apple orchard! Here’s more from the big day…
How did Ben propose?
“It was Valentine’s Day 2015. Starting at home with a romantic breakfast, and waking up to a room filled with helium balloon with photos attached to them of our memories together. Ben disappeared for about 20 mins before calling me out to the roof, which he had covered with blankets and fairy lights. We sat up there for a while and listened to music, but Ben had left the ring inside! We then went for dinner, and when we returned Ben got out the bubbly, covered the living room in tea lights, sat me down and asked me to marry him!”
What dress did you wear?
“My dress was by Augusta Jones, bought from Abbey Brides in Sherborne.”
And the accessories?
“My shoes were from Next, my jewellery was my wedding gift from Ben, and our wedding bands were custom made by Andrew English, who is based in Hatton Garden in London.”
What did Ben wear?
“The groom and best man’s outfits were from Marion Baker of Bond Street, Yeovil, with shoes by Loake.”
How did you feel when you saw him up the aisle?
“When I saw Ben I couldn’t stop smiling, my nerves went, and I thought how gorgeous he looked.”
Who were your bridesmaids and what dresses did they wear?
“I had one adult bridesmaid, one of my closest friends; Claire. She wore a dress from ASOS. We had three flowergirls – our daughter, Ben’s niece and the best man’s daughter. I dressed them as little flower fairies in outfits from Monsoon. The pageboys’ outfits included a Marion Baker shirt, Matalan waistcoat and chinos, and shoes from Next.”
What was your theme?
“Festival! We wanted it to be really laid back and for everyone to have a good time. To create that feel we had some fair stalls to entertain the 40 children attending, and the food was served from stalls, catered for by The Bakery Cafe in Sherborne. We gave wristbands as our wedding favours and the order of the day was given in a lanyard.”
What was your best buy?
“I think the stalls were our best buy as they kept the kids really entertained.”
What’s your saving tip?
“We saved money by running our own bar. Ben makes cider so we had that on tap!”
The details
Date: 11th-12th September 2015
Venue: Dorchester Registry Office & Ben’s parents’ farm in Longburton, Dorset
Photographer: Cummins Photography
Casey’s dress: Augusta Jones
Ben’s attire: Marion Baker
Bridesmaid dresses: ASOS
Flowergirls: Monsoon
Pageboys: Marion Baker, Matalan and Next
Shoes: Next
A pretty marquee wedding with garden games
Libby and Shaun enjoyed a perfect Summer marquee wedding in the Somerset countryside, complete with garden games and hedgerow flowers. The bride tells all…
What dress did you wear?
“The gorgeous Zara dress by So Sassi, bought from Sassi Holford in Taunton. It was the very first dress I tried on! I tried a few after, but I always came back to it.”
And the accessories?
“Earrings from Sassi Holford, a pretty bracelet from Ernest Jones (which was a gift from my sister), and shoes from John Lewis.”
Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?
“My sister Hannah, my best friend Katie, and our friend from church, Kelly. Their dresses were from Ariella at House of Fraser.”
What did Shaun wear?
“His suit was from Next and he wore brown shoes and sage green accessories.”
What was your theme?
“There was a loose rustic theme but we weren’t too fussy. Mostly we just wanted the day to be a very relaxed, joyful celebration with all our favourite people around us. We wanted great music, plenty of food and lots of fun – and I think that’s exactly what we achieved!”
What was the highlight of your day?
“The highlight would have to be the feeling of pure love and happiness walking back down the aisle after marrying Shaun, and seeing all our family and friends beaming back at us.”
What was your best buy?
“Definitely our photographer; Simon Biffen. Our photography was the one thing that from the offset we said we wouldn’t scrimp on. The photographs are the only part of your day that you get to keep forever so it was important for us that our memories were captured exactly as the day was. Simon did just that and was worth every penny. We will treasure our photos forever and find new favourites every time we look at them!”
What’s your saving tip?
“Do as much as you can yourself and be resourceful. I made all our invitations and orders of service, borrowed lots of bits from friends, a family friend made our cake and we asked our families to collect their jars for the whole year, which we used as vases/candles etc. Also, don’t rule out a designer dress because you think it’s out of budget, just keep an eye out for the sales. Growing up near Taunton, I always dreamed of having a dress from Sassi Holford on my wedding day, but never thought it was something I’d be able to afford. I went in to try some on and they told me about their sample sale the following week. The dress that I’d fallen in love with just happened to be in the sale, in my size!”
The details
Date: 28th June 2014
Venue: West Buckland Church and Cowparsley Weddings, Roughmoor Farm, Somerset
Photographer: Simon Biffen
Libby’s dress: So Sassi
Shaun’s attire: Next
Bridesmaid dresses: Ariella at House of Fraser
Shoes: John Lewis
Jewellery: Bought from Sassi Holford and Ernest Jones
Real bride Lyndee wears Casablanca Bridal for her destination wedding
Today we’re dreaming of sunshine thanks to Lyndee and Alexander’s destination wedding in Cancun! Take a look at real bride Lyndee’s stunning Casablanca Bridal gown…
When it comes to saying “yes” to the perfect dress, it looks like mother isn’t the only one that knows best. Lyndee found the dress of her dreams at Bridals by Elena while window shopping with her sister.
“My sister and I were casually looking at dresses and Sage (Style 2256) had JUST been put on the mannequin. She spotted the mannequin in the back of the store, pointed at it and said ‘that’s your dress!’
Lyndee had her consultant pull the lovely lace wedding dress from the mannequin to try on, and amazingly, the dress fit perfectly! The fit and flare style fit so well that the bride-to-be didn’t even have to have alterations of any sorts.
If that didn’t give you butterflies, Lyndee’s love story will:
“My husband and I met in middle school and started dating end of 8th grade. We were high school sweethearts all throughout high school until 2nd semester of freshman year of college. He did sports and I was a college cheerleader so we broke up due to the inability to see each other (neither of us had a car– I was in MD and he was in PA). We lost contact for about 6 years. It was just after Christmas when I received a text from a random cell phone number. It turned out to be Alex seeing if my cell phone number was still the same (he later admitted he memorized it from high school days) and if I was home for the holidays.”
“Within a few weeks we were dating again, and we’ve been together ever since.”
Lyndee chose soft slate hues to offset the palmy greenery of Cancun. Powder blue tones served as a complementary color to thematically mimic the sea.
When it comes to wedding planning, Lyndee admits that the most daunting part of planning a destination wedding is not being able to see the final product of your planning until the day of.
Still this Casablanca Bride proves that with your soulmate by your side, marching towards the aisle to face the new and unknown is half the adventure in marriage!
Looking for more dress inspiration for your destination wedding? Take a look at casablancabridal.com.
Credits
Photography: Rachel May Photography
Gown: Bridals by Elena
Planner: Edith Federick from Secrets Silversands
Beauty: Brittny N. Ruthberg
Silk: Honey Silks & Co.
An elegant Essex wedding with an all-white theme
For a magically minimalist day, bride Natasha tells us about her elegant Essex wedding and how her bridesmaids got everyone dancing…
How did Nicholas propose?
“He constructed a fake trip to Brighton, where we had first met, saying that we were going to be spending the weekend in a caravan. Instead, he took me to Brighton Beach and proposed, before surprising me with a scrapbook of memories and tickets to Amsterdam – so no caravan, after all!”
What dress did you wear and where did you buy it?
“I was very picky with my dress – I had a very good idea of what I wanted. I found my dream dress by Tara Keely at Les Trois Soeurs at Canary Wharf. It had a full-sleeved lace inset with a figure-hugging body and a long train. I customised it so that I was able to pin the train up for some dancing later on during the night!”
And the accessories?
“I decided to go for a minimalistic look, so I didn’t wear many. I didn’t want anything to take away from the glorious dress! I wore a diamond necklace, bought for me by Nick’s mum, and small diamond earrings to finish off the look. I also wore a long veil, which trailed behind with my dress.”
Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?
“I had four of my very close friends and my sister-in-law as my bridesmaids. They wore long, dark purple dresses from ASOS with low, embellished backs.”
What did Nicholas wear?
“Nick wore a blue-grey Reiss suit with a subtle checked pattern that he picked all by himself – very dashing!”
What was your theme?
“I wanted our wedding to reflect our personalities. We opted for a minimalistic theme, with decorations and flowers that were simple and elegant. We chose to have pretty white peonies on the flower centrepieces and on our bouquets.”
What was the highlight of your day?
“The bridesmaid dance. The girls had put together a dance routine that involved some of my favourite songs and pulled off a great performance! Everybody loved it and it was a fantastic way to start the dancing!”
What’s your saving tip?
“Less is more. It can be quite overwhelming, with endless options and it can seem quite daunting to pick the right thing. Stick to your theme and style. I always go with my gut instinct, which has worked well for me during wedding planning.”
The Details:
Date: 27th May 2017
Venue: Gosfield Hall, Essex gosfield-hall.co.uk
Photographer: Jasmine Jade Photography jasminejadephotography.co.uk
Natasha’s dress: Tara Keely jlmcouture.com/Tara-Keely
Nicholas’ attire: Reiss
Bridesmaids’ dresses: ASOS
We love this real-life couple’s pretty pink and ivory wedding theme!
If you love everything girly and sparkly, then you’ll adore Jacqueline and David’s pink and ivory wedding theme! The bride tells us her wedding story…
How did David propose?
“David proposed on Christmas morning. I had my eye on the biggest box under the tree, and as I opened it, I found a smaller box inside. I anticipated receiving a watch that I had previously hinted to him that I liked, but to my surprise it was a beautiful diamond ring! He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes!”
What dress did you wear?
“My beautiful wedding dress was by Martina Liana purchased from Wellbet Bridal in Swinderby, Lincoln.”
And the accessories?
“I wore a gorgeous traditional cathedral-length veil and customised the dress with a Swarovski belt. I also wore my chic Jimmy Choo shoes and Swarovski jewellery.”
What did David wear?
“He wore a dark grey suit and blush pink cravat hired from Greenwoods. His shoes and cufflinks were from Next.”
Who were your bridesmaids and what dresses did they wear?
“My bridesmaids were all of my close and dearest friends: Lauren, Laura, Kerry, Victoria (who’s also my cousin!) and Louise. The dresses they wore were from Elouise Boutique in Essex. The flowergirls were my little cousins Georgia and Samantha and our goddaughters Olivia and Evie – all dressed in JRP at Debenhams.”
What was your theme?
“Our wedding theme was blush pinks, ivories and crystals. It’s hard to explain how we created it, but once we started it all, it just seemed to fall into place and looked perfect.”
What was the highlight of your day?
“The highlight of our day was our ‘alone time’ in the woodland area for our private photos with our photographer, Mark Pugh. It’s very hard to explain how overwhelming the whole day and experience can be, so just having those moments alone together, to me, was amazing.”
What was your best buy?
“Definitely the flowers! Guests commented on how they had never seen such beautiful flowers than the ones in our bouquets and on the table. They were bought from Belles Floral Boutique in Newark at a very reasonable price.”
The Details
Date: 22nd August 2015
Venue: Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Newark, followed by a reception at Kelham House Country Manor Hotel
Photographer: Mark Pugh, markpugh.com
Jacqueline’s dress: Martina Liana
David’s attire: Greenwoods
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Accessories: Swarovski
Flowergirl dress: Debenhams
Flowers: Belles Floral Boutique
