HOW WE MET: At a mutual friends birthday party.
OUR ENGAGEMENT STORY: After a long day at work with a 3.30am start to the flower markets, I got home and Baz had organised a romantic dinner for us at a local restaurant. I gave so many excuses that I’d rather stay in and sit on the couch but he convinced me to go. Over dinner I noticed he was being very romantic and bringing up special memories over the past 2 years of our relationship. I found it very sweet but was falling asleep over dinner as I had been up now for way too long. We eventually left and I changed into my pj’s and sat on the couch ready for our Friday movie night (a little ritual we had, creating the lounge area into a mini cinema) he disappeared for half an hour and when I said that if he doesn’t come back I was going to start the movie with out him; he emerged all shy and came over to me, leaned over and reached for a jacket he had placed on the couch I was on. I turned to see what he was reaching for and when I turned back to look at him, he was on his knee declaring his love, so to say. I screamed and instantly cried happy tears! When that little blue box opened I screamed even louder, never had I seen a more beautiful ring in my life. To this day we tell the story and add the reason he took long to come out - he was freaking out because he knew right then was the perfect time to ask me, in our little home we’d recently purchased, in our own special time with no-one around.
MARRIAGE TO US MEANS: Challenging one another, a promise of unity and support. Those who know us, know that we support each other in every aspect of our lives. Good or bad we’re each others biggest fans.
WEDDING LOCATION: The Fitzroy Inn. A Bride I provided flowers to two years ago had her wedding here during the winter and it was love at first sight for me. From the old brick bridge, you drive over to the lavender hedge that wraps around the drive way. The wild gardens were flourishing with David Austin Roses, Camillia Bushes and old world blooms, enough make any florist weep with delight! Sandstone walls that surround the reception area and a cottage style guest house with its own juliet balcony across the path. I knew if we were to ever get married, it had to be here. I had loved the movie "The Secret Garden" as a child and this was everything I had ever imagined only more, especially now being a florist. So you can imagine I lost my mind when I came back in the spring to book our date!
THEME/STYLE: My own secret garden with a vintage twist, I knew I had ideas in my mind but never did I think I would have pulled it off. The Fitzroy Inn is situated on the most luscious grounds and over the years the owners of the gorgeous heritage home, Paul, Maria and Peter have planted the most amazing blooms, large maple trees, hydrangea hedges, apple blossom trees and there is even a pond with ducks. Like a scene straight out of an old movie, this place will take you back and leave you feeling all soft and gooey with its beauty and the cosy atmosphere.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Taryn-Amy Photography. Words cannot express the admiration we have for both Brendan and Taryn. I knew we had found our photographers from the moment I called to ask about booking them for our wedding. Photography was number one on my list, abd I had an idea on how I wanted them shot and the look I was after. I saw a lot of beautiful photos on The LANE and loved the natural feel they had with out it looking so structured and both Brendan and Taryn’s portfolios on their site did just that. So amazing that the photos speak for themselves.
BRIDE’S DRESS: I knew I wasn’t the white dress/long veil girl, I had been obsessed with all things vintage from the time I watched “Gone With the Wind” and an old Mexican movie called “Ramona” that my mother loved. I found my wedding dress by accident in a little store called Sami & Sita, in Paddington. The back room had a rack full of delicate gowns with gorgeous trimmings, delicate beads and lace, all things that were always on my mind. The colour alone made my decision; the fabric was the cherry on the cake.
BRIDE’S SHOES: I borrowed mine from my bridesmaid!
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: Sami & Sita (long cream floral) Wayne Cooper (khaki with black straps) Maticevski sweetheart charcoal long gown. I wanted the girls to first and foremost be comfortable. All different in size, I asked each to choose their own dresses. As long as it complimented the latte in my dress I was happy if they were. On our first trip out we found all three.
BRIDESMAID’S SHOES: Wittner - Pink strappy wedges. Ralph Lauren - Cream wedges and Tony Bianco - Black heels
FLOWERGIRLS/PAGEBOYS: Bardot for Kids
JEWELLERY/ACCESSORIES: Lovisa
WEDDING RINGS: Family Jeweller
GROOM/GROOMSMEN: Politix jacket, Ralph Lauren Shirts, American Apparel pants
HAIR: My gorgeous girlfriend Amy, she has styled my hair for years it had to be her.
MAKEUP: Angelique Hogan – I am a huge fan of my makeup artist and will happily refer her to every bride. I was concerned I was going to have a lot of make up on and I don’t really wear any on a daily basis, but I wanted flawless makeup with a little bit of a vintage glamour look. Angie is a self confessed lover of all things vintage from 1950’s, I knew when I met her she was the pick.
STATIONERY/INVITATIONS: made it ourselves, Baz loves photography and took the photo of the house at Fitzroy Inn. I love the idea of our guest getting an old postcard from us as the invite, By adding our personalised stamp to the post card it finished it off beautifully. The stamp we had made whilst we were holidaying in Laos visiting his family.
WEDDING FAVORS/BONBONNIERE: Candy Buffet,
FLOWERS: My Violet - As a florist, leading up to the day I constantly got asked what I would have for my wedding flowers. I knew I wanted my own posy simple and delicate and was so happy Lily of the Valley had begun just a week prior, simple, classic and timeless. All the bridesmaids had a collection of beauties in season basically top shelf in the world of floristry. Lilac clusters, exotic lemon orchids, hellebore in lime and mauves. Tree peonies were a magical surprise, parrot tulips and pastel ranunculus. Finishing touches were my secret stash of lush ribbons I have been holding onto for a few years. I collect ribbons and embellishments from vintage stalls, dressmakers, fabric stores or online at Etsy. My collection is ridiculous, I often part with them with My Violet and all my brides. More of a reason to collect and buy more I say!
CEREMONY DÉCOR DETAILS: I wanted to keep it simple and only have pastel rose petals and white deck chairs, as we were to be married under the large oak tree by the entrance. Alas mother nature had other plans, the misty rain created a gorgeous smoky effect and we married on the front deck of the historic home with red camellia bushes as our back drop. The long narrow walk way made it much more personal and intimate our guests were all close and it was just so much more beautiful than I had hoped.
RECEPTION DÉCOR DETAILS: Keeping to the secret garden vintage theme, my brother had made planter boxes out of old fence palings he had at his home, complete with lichen moss growing over them. I wanted to create a mini garden on each guest table, so each planter box was filled with begonia plants, wild hellebore, and trails of smilax foliage, white hippiastrums, tree peonies, orchids and spring blooms. My mother made table numbers out of mini terracotta pots lined with moss and a wooden numbers I purchased at Lincraft, my father hand painted each one black. There were five children attending and knew I didn’t want them to be bored, so I bought a collection of colouring and activity books, wrapped them in brown paper tied off with string and stamped each with their names. All children love getting gifts and I really wanted them to have fun. I found white watering cans and small pails and filled them with colouring pencils and textas for each one. When they arrived, they were in there own world. I made a Well Wish Tree from viburnum blossom branches and found small tags with beautiful images of Paris for my guests to each write a well wish for Baz and I. Since we had been living together for 5 years we already had our home established we had a wishing well for our gifts, in the form of a vintage style suitcase three in total creating a tower.
CAKE: We ordered two tarts from a café in Bowral. One was a country mud cake and the one we cut was an apple and rhubarb crumble.
WEDDING SONGS: Ceremony song was Sade: By Your Side. Our first dance was to Al Green - Lets Stay Together.
ENTERTAINMENT: We set up a photo booth. I used my own furniture I have collected over the years, created a hedge as a backdrop with ivy strands. I found funny facemasks as props on Etsy. It gave them hours of entertainment we had 400 photos at the end of the night just from the photo booth alone. Great memories.
HONEYMOON: Koi Samui Thailand
GIFT REGISTRY: Wishing well
ANY EXTRA DETAILS: I attached a small chest full of gold coins to my posy- my mother had it given to her on the day of her wedding, as it represented life prosperity and good fortune in a future as husband and wife. Baz's family is from Laos and before we said our vows, his mother gave my parents and us both a traditional Lao blessing to welcome us into their lives and them into ours.
SOURCES OF INSPIRATION: The LANE over the year has had so many beautiful photos, I get the newsletter emailed to me as I am a member. The LANE featured shots that were so free and unstructured and I knew I wanted my wedding photos to be the same free-flowing and an unforced look. I began searching for photographers and their sites to find that exact look. The LANE featured Kate Moss’s wedding photos and I loved the country theme that was so wild and free. The flowers looked so unstructured and I knew I wanted it to be flowers, flowers, flowers with little to no effort in the styling.
A MEMORABLE MOMENT: The photo shoot outside in the gardens was hilarious and the entire bridal party was in fits of giggles as were our photographers. By this point it had started to rain but we were in such high spirits we didn’t care and kept on cracking jokes.
BEST ADVICE FOR PLANNING A WEDDING/TO BRIDES: Don’t stress out, at the end of the day no one will notice the little things that you have. No-one really ever knows what’s going on in your head or exactly how things are meant to look, so why bother worrying about it on the day. Give your photographer a list of things you want captured. I knew on the day it would of being too hard to ask questions, so with the list I gave him I got that special moment with my parents, little things like the page boys bird nest, my mothers chest of coins and the flowers.
CONTACTS:
PHOTOGRAPHY: Brendan and Taryn Ottley
BRIDE'S DRESS: Sami & Sita
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: Wayne Cooper, Maticevski, Sami & Sita, David Jones
BRIDESMAIDS SHOES: Wittner, Ralph Lauren, Tony Bianco, Pitt Street Mall
FLOWERGIRLS/PAGEBOYS: Bardot for Kids
GROOM/GROOMSMEN FORMAL WEAR: Politix, Ralph Lauren, American Apparel
JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES: Lovisa
MAKEUP: Angelique Hogan 0429 832 655
FLORIST: My Violet
CAKE: The Bowral Café (02) 4861 5691
CATERING: The Fitzroy Inn
WEDDING VENUE: The Fitzroy Inn
HONEYMOON DESTINATION: Koi Samui Thailand
