Country Wedding Ideas: How a Wedding Planner Can Help

Incorporating Country Wedding Ideas with a Wedding Planner

JN Consulting is a UK based, Event Management Company. It was founded in 2011 by Jo Neville. They are focused on providing high quality service and customer satisfaction. They work to go above and beyond their clients expectations. Wedding planning is one of their services, and one they do very well. We got to talk to Jo about a beautiful wedding that the company worked on recently. Tom and Carly were married in August 2015 and had a beautiful and personalised wedding. As well as chatting with Jo, we are also lucky enough to have some of their wonderful photos from the day. The photos are stunning and give some great country wedding ideas.

1. What was your role in the day? And the lead up?

I was the couples Event Manager and their point of contact at the venue. I met the couple three times prior to their wedding. We had two planning meetings and one final meeting. I ran their big day to ensure that everything went smoothly and acted as Master of Ceremonies. I looked after all supplier, staffing and catering on the day and made sure that Tom & Carla’s day was as they had planned it to be.

2. What was the inspiration behind the day?

A classic wedding that incorporated Tom’s timber business in to the decoration’s for the marquee. They wanted to ensure that small details like the drinks coasters were all personalised.

Tom and Carla’s Wedding was held at the Ashton Lodge Country House in Warwickshire, UK.

The beautiful photos for Tom and Carla were taken by Sarah Salotti.

The photos created on the day were beautiful, unique and classic. This tops off the wedding planning process.

Other vendors involved in the day:

Photo Booth: The Vintage Photo Booth Company

Ceremony and Reception: Ashton Lodge Country House

Event: The Midlands Events Company

Music: Jalapeño Hot Club Band

Photos: Sarah Salotti

Garden Wedding- Be inspired by love and happiness

Garden Wedding of Jordyn and Mike

Jordyn and Mike might just have you swooning as much as we did when reading their submission about their garden wedding. Their story is absolutely beautiful and inspirational. They say a picture says a thousand words, this couldn’t be more accurate as these photos radiate love, happiness and joy.

What do you do for work?

Mike is a Transport Manager for Siteworx Northland LTD which is an earth moving company. I do work at schools and preschools, teach swimming and work with a health and wellness company called Usana Health Sciences.

Tell us a little about the proposal and the lead up to the wedding?

Mike proposed after 5 months of dating. Mike had a few ideas of how he could propose but I kept guessing them or our friends would ruin them. E.G one of our friends – “Wouldn’t it be so funny if you proposed on the Grand Canyon!” We had a randomly planned beach day with our best friends and their children as well as Mikes daughter. Philippa’s excuse to not walk up Tapeka Point was that she was sick so she will stay with the kids. Tony was walking up the hill with his one year old on his shoulders until he said “Rome just pooped his nappy I’ll have to go back.” Close to the top I said I’ll race you. He ran up and I mostly still walked after I was tired. When I got to the top I could see a beautiful view of the Bay Of Islands and him on one knee. He had an apple in his hand with a hole in it. It was a reference to when I had sent him a joke video from Collage Humor about how engagement rings scam made by jewellers and all you needed to show your love was a simple gesture like an apple. I put my finger through the hole and when the apple opened it was a beautiful diamond ring which I loved. The lead up to the wedding was 6 months and pretty low stress, at the beginning! We both chose 5 bridesmaids and groomsmen. I realised how much time it actually took to plan a wedding however I had a lot of help from my mum and other friends and family.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme / vibe?

The theme was like a garden wedding because I found a beautiful venue with a big pond, ducks and a secret garden we took photos in. Then we choose blue and purple as our colours because my favourite colour is purple and Mikes is blue. Mainly what ever we saw and liked I used and it all came together nicely.

Favourite detail and/or moment of the day!

When Vestam, Mikes daughter, came to give me a hug when I met Mike at the alter. That was special as it’s must be pretty different for a child when your dad gets married.

Did you undertake any DIY projects, if so what?

I found a lot on the internet and used the ideas. I did the finger print tree and signs. I also had a friend that for our present she designed our programs and table seating numbers etc.

Any family or religious traditions incorporated into your day?

We are both Christians so we had a pastor marry us. It was special because was my youth group leader when I was at high school and baptized me when I was 18. The ceremony wasn’t super religious we wanted it more relaxed. We wanted the cermony to be short and sweet there was one bible verse read out and prayer before dinner and when we met at the alter..

What does marriage mean to you?

Two people becoming one. Two people committing to work on the relationship for the rest of their life. That you are in a safe place to be your self, share your fears and grow together as much as possible. We also didn’t live together before we got married so it meant I moved in and got used to his snoring.

Talk to us about your dress, where is it from? How long did it take to find?

I first looked around shops and found some that were ok but pretty expensive. I found the style that I liked so then I looked on line. I found one I liked where I could put in my measurements and height and that wasn’t too expensive. I cant remember the website; I’ve even looked to recommend it. I didn’t have my hopes up that I would fit it or that I would like it because I got it online but it fit perfectly and I loved it. I did go to a dressmaker to change the top and the front beading and also the straps. She also made me a veil and added places for me to hold it up. I love it so much it was perfect.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Advice, yes! Have a list of people you want to take photos with and show the photographer and make sure you get them done. EAT FOOD! I didn’t and it made me feel ill until I ate again. Have make up/hair trials. Bring flats to wear for part of the wedding; I wore them at the ceremony so that I wasn’t taller than Mike. Savor every moment and treasure it because the day goes fast. Don’t feel guilty you didn’t get to speak in depth with everyone, they understand. Spend money on a good photographer. Have the best day ever!

Photos: Cameron Thorp – Little Village Co

Cake: Nicky Gabriels, Whangarei

Stationery designer: Trudi Hewitt, Auckland

Hair and Make up: Pip Hagar, Auckland and Dixie Smit, Whangarei

Kylie and Travis - Fulfilling the Wedding Vows ’til death do us part’

Kylie and Travis Wedding Day - Fulfilling the Wedding Vows ’til death do us part’

Here is a submission of beautiful a couple on their special day who hope to fulfil the wedding vows ’til death do us part’. Kylie and Travis Munchenberg married in the Ballroom at Adelaide Town Hall with the company of their loved ones and family who carried the day with love, joy and laughter.

Background:

Travis is an electrician by trade and works as a Project Manager. I worked in marketing for Elders and Vodafone before becoming a mother 4 years ago - I now have 3 young boys (4 years old, 2.5 years old and 8 months old and starting my own wedding stationery business in partnership called Kiki & Poppi.

Tell us a little about the proposal and the lead up to the wedding?

Travis had been planning to propose on our 5 year anniversary and had been planning the day with my mum. He booked flights to Sydney and proposed on the steps of the Opera House and then we had lunch on a boat on the Harbour.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme / vibe?

A traditional formal affair to keep in the theme of the venue for the reception which was in the Ballroom at the Adelaide Town Hall but it was important to still have a sense of fun, bringing both sides of our family together for a true celebration and for everyone to not just be present but enjoy themselves.

Favourite detail and/or moment of the day!

There are truly so many… I had written special letters to important people in my life such as my parents, aunty maria and cousin Irene… seeing their faces as they read how they had influenced my life and what they mean to our family is so very special to me. Seeing the joy of my flower girls dressed up as princesses for the day and knowing I had made them that happy was beautiful. The first 10 minutes spent as husband and wife as we travelled by horse and carriage alone from the ceremony to the park talking about everyone and the day ahead was special. But I think my absolute favourite was seeing the joy that our union brought to our parents has stamped happy memories on my heart forever.

Did you undertake any DIY projects, if so what?

Asking a friend to design my invitations meant that I had a hand in everything from selecting the paper to directing the design, plus they were in small card envelopes which I stuck freeze dried rose petals on the base.

Any family or religious traditions incorporated into your day?

We were married Greek Orthodox - thou Travis was raised Lutheran, so the ceremony was definitely something different for his family. The ceremony incorporated many traditional elements such as our Koumbara (Maid of Honour) placing Steffana (crowns) on our heads and crossing them 3 times representing us being joined from this day forward. The Greek Orthodox ceremony first involves an engagement ceremony and then the wedding ceremony so we had service books created detailing each element so Travis’ family could understand the ceremony.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage was something that both Travis and I knew from a young age was right for us. Both being blessed with parents from long marriages (my parents were married for 31 years - fulfilling the vow of ’til death do us part & Travis’ parents have today been married for a wonderful 51 years, I believe that subconsciously this influenced our desire to be married.

Marriage for us is about loving each other, being loyal and faithful and pushing one another to fulfill dreams. For example, Travis is so supportive of me working from home even thou it means our dining table has become my office and his time is often spent helping me and I know Travis enjoys fishing and hunting so I support him having time to enjoy his hobbies.

Talk to us about your dress, where is it from? How long did it take to find?

My mother and I headed to Melbourne to search for the perfect dress and whilst we ended up being inspired nothing was perfect so we decided on having it made locally by Calache. It was a soft ivory, with a full skirt and strapless but with crystal strands making straps which draped across the top of my arms. It also had strands of crystals dripping from my waist in between pleats in the skirt.

It had a very long train - approximately 3-4 which was so heavy that it was designed to be stitched on and the cut after the entrance walk at the reception, as it was so heavy hooks wouldn’t hold the weight easily.

Any funny stories in the lead up to or on the day?

On the day my flower girls dresses were very tight… my mother wanted to run them back to the dress maker to have them fixed but I refused to have people running around, missing out on the day. My brave little flower girls sucked it up - literally, for the service so the dresses would zip up and then for the rest of the day walked around looking like little princesses from the front, yet when they turned around they looked like little girls halfway through playing dress ups!

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Talk about what each of you want for your big day - then list what’s most important on the list. Often these days budgets play a part in what is and isn’t realistic but by having a list it means you can invest in the ‘must haves’.

Don’t sweat the small stuff… you can never keep everyone happy but if your in-laws really want to have chicken on the menu - add chicken to the menu… Whilst a wedding first and foremost is about the bride and groom, it is also about the joining of 2 families and the reality is that parents have spent much of their lifetime raising the bride and groom so to a degree - it’s nice they get to have what they want too.

The biggest advice I have is shake off the thought that everyone will repeatedly tell you that “It’s only one day…”. It’s a statement I couldn’t disagree more with.

Weddings are sacred and a huge emphasis is placed on them being they are much more than simply one day. Similar to “Rome wasn’t built in a day” - well weddings aren’t planned in a day either. They take months, weeks and endless hours of planning to come together. Whilst planning - mothers and daughters, best friends and family members spend time together, talking, laughing, bonding and creating life long memories. My advice is to soak up each of these moments. The memories created during this time are banked with the memories from your wedding day which you will reflect on years down the track. Each experience is unique to you and yours to hold on forever.

VENDOR CREDITS

Photos - Photography by Belle Photography http://bellephotography.com/

Bridal gown - Calche

Shoes - Alan Pinkus http://www.alanpinkus.com.au/

Rings - CCJ Jeweller http://www.rundlemall.com/directory/c/city-centre-jewellery.shtml

Grooms suit / Grooms Shoes / Groomsmen suits - Myer http://www.myer.com.au/

Ceremony - Cathedral of Archangels Michael & Gabriel

Reception - Adelaide Town Hall http://www.adelaidetownhall.com.au/

Stationery designer - Designed by a friend

Hair and Make up - Pure by Belinda for Make Up.

Music - Zeus

Transport - Meander Coaches http://www.meandercoaches.com.au/

The Perfect Love Story and Fairytale Wedding

If this isn’t the most romantic and magical love story there ever was, than we don’t know what is! The old-school and inspirational couple, Christina Hamlett and Mark Webb share a one of a kind love story. One that is only ever heard of in films, except this one is in fact real, giving all those hopeless romantics out there faith in the possibility of love at first sight.

What you do for work?

I am a full-time writer, media relations expert and performing arts consultant. My credits to date include 31 books, 157 stage plays, 5 optioned feature films, and hundreds of articles and interviews that appear online and in trade publications worldwide. I also do script consultations for the film business (which means I stop a lot of really bad movies from coming to theaters near you) and a professional ghostwriter (which does not mean I talk to dead people). My beloved is General Counsel and Vice President of a California-based insurance company, as well as a gourmet chef and former opera singer.

Tell us a little about the proposal and the lead up to the wedding?

For starters, I actually wished my beloved into existence by throwing a coin into the magic pool at Bath, England in 1994. I specifically asked that a knight in shining armor come into my life upon my return. My very first day back in the office, who should walk through the door but a lawyer/lobbyist named Mark Webb. While waiting for an unscheduled meeting with my boss, he commented, “I hope you don’t think this is forward of me to say so but you have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.” Coming from anyone else, it would have sounded like a line. He said it with such sincerity, though, that I smiled and said “thank you.” He later told me that in the very moment I said that, he knew everything about me there was to know.

Our ‘courtship’ lasted three years. Since we both worked in a particularly political and gossipy environment, he felt it would be inappropriate to ask someone out in an office where he was doing lobbying. He also assumed I was probably dating Tom Selleck. And so instead we simply talked about anything, everything and nothing every time he came into the office. Additionally, he always brought me a single truffle (in a white box) from See’s Candy (which was right down the street from where I worked).

After three years of chocolate and smart conversation, I transferred to a different office (within the same department) that he would never have had occasion to amble out and visit. And so - remembering the date of my birthday - he called me a week before to see if there were any choice lunch dates available to take me to lunch to celebrate. I told him I was taking my birthday off. “Aha!,” he thought. “If Tom Selleck were really in the picture, why wouldn’t he be taking her off someplace fun? Why is she free on her birthday?” And so he invited me to meet him at The Firehouse at noon and there, over a three-hour lunch, he took my hand and said, “I hope you don’t think this is forward of me to say so but I’ve been in love with you from the first moment we met three years ago. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” And I said yes before we even shared our first kiss.
A year later, we exchanged our wedding vows at Stirling Castle (Scotland) in the same chapel where Mary was crowned Queen of Scots. I first saw this castle during the 1994 holiday and decided that if I ever married again, this would be the place. And besides, nothing less than a castle will do when you marry a knight in shining armor.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme / vibe?

Mark has Scottish ancestry and I’m pretty sure I was Scottish in a prior life. Not only did we think it would fun to honeymoon in such a beautiful country but having a very small wedding overseas means that you don’t have to feed 500 of your closest friends at a reception. (We took our wedding party to a lovely Highlands inn for breakfast. That evening we returned to the hotel for wedding cake and champagne.)

Favourite detail and/or moment of the day…

As we were wrapping up with our pictures and leaving the chapel, I found myself musing why there hadn’t been any tourists wandering in during the whole time we were there. Turns out that our driver, Sandy Paterson, spoke to castle security and explained what was going on. When we emerged, we discovered that the entire courtyard had been cordoned off by yellow DO NOT ENTER tape, not unlike that which is used for crime scenes. On the other side of these barriers were squillions of very patient Japanese tourists, all of whom were standing at the ready with their cameras. I’m sure they had no idea who we were but I gave my best princess wave as they snapped dozens of pictures of us. They’re probably still trying to figure this out.

Did you undertake any DIY projects, if so what?

With the exception of the Edinburgh solicitor we retained to walk us through all the legalities, the entire event was DIY. Our friend Barbara Langdon “made” our wedding cake by packing her decorating supplies from home and then purchasing a simple white cake and tubes of frosting the day before. She and my matron of honor, Susan Blondin, expertly assembled the bouquets and boutonnières with flowers procured by Susan’s daughter, Becca, and Becca’s dredlocked Spanish boyfriend, Jose. Since all of us had brought cameras, the shots that fill our trio of wedding albums were taken by the participants themselves. When we returned home after the honeymoon, my talented Aunt Liz designed our pen and ink marriage announcement based on a photo I sent her of Stirling Castle.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage is a lasting commitment between two people who also happen to be best friends and support each other’s dreams. It doesn’t require extraordinary acts to keep it sustainable but, rather, the most ordinary things such as holding hands on a walk, going grocery shopping together, reading novels aloud, cooking meals, playing with the dog, and surprising one another with small gifts “just because.” Mark is also the first person to read my latest scripts while we’re having cocktails at the dining room table. Since we’ve both been on stage, we’re adept at doing a wide range of voices and really throw ourselves into our respective parts. On Summer nights when the windows are open, I’m pretty sure the neighbours think there are at least 19 people living with us.

Talk to us about your dress, where is it from? How long did it take to find?

My wedding dress was a Blackwatch tartan, double-breasted with black velvet buttons, collar and cuffs and my only jewelry besides my earrings and emerald engagement ring was a silver and amethyst thistle brooch. I bought the dress off the rack at Nordstrom because I liked the color and, even better, it was on sale. Not only do I still have it but it also still fits.

Any funny stories in the lead up to or on the day?

Interestingly, there were seven people celebrating with us that day. (The fireplaces in the Great Hall at Stirling are so big we could have fit our entire wedding party in one of them.) Only three of the attendees were related to each other and absolutely none of them were related to either of us. (Susan Blondin was my matron of honor; her husband George, doubled as Mark’s best man and also gave me away.) Years later, the only one who is still in our lives was the person we met that very morning – our Scottish driver, Sandy Paterson.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

If you’re easily given to stress and are planning to marry overseas, our recommendation is that you get married in a short civil ceremony in your home country first.

Be Inspired - The Ultimate Rustic Wedding!

If you are looking for some rustic wedding inspiration with a relaxed atmosphere, look no further than this wedding! Aaron and Lisa recently tied the knot in one of the most intimate and homely themed weddings. The palpable atmosphere was distinctively captured in the charming photos that commemorated a day filled with love, happiness and good energy, which will without a doubt follow them through their lives together in this new chapter. At Classic Wedding Invitations, we collaborated with Aaron and Lisa to create their wedding invitation landscapes and ensure that it complimented their rustic themed wedding.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme / vibe?

Lisa loved the look and general relaxing vibe of rustic weddings while Aaron knew his relatives would love a genuine ‘Australian’ wedding, after visiting the venue, they both were sold.

Talk to us about your dress, where is it from? How long did it take to find?The dress is from a shop on High St called Hills in Hollywood. It was a very comfortable, unstructured dress, without being too casual. It took a little while to find something that I loved, but that also wasn’t ridiculously priced. The store manager was also lovely which was a nice change from the many intense sales people in wedding dress sales.

Any family or religious traditions incorporated into your day?

We had a Christian ceremony in the Garden.

What does marriage mean to you?

A lifelong commitment between two people in love.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Use your bridal party! Don’t do everything yourself, try make planning fun ie take a weekend off somewhere.. Wine also helps.

Did you undertake any DIY projects, if so what?

Yes plenty! The thank you cards, table seating plan, flower decorations, table numbers, display behind the bridal table, isle decoration on chairs, signing board, hair & makeup, photo editing and video editing.

Favourite detail and/or moment of the day…

There was a nice personal touch that made everyones night & that was to create individual thank you cards. Each card had a montage of images dating back to our earliest or fondest memories of our guests. Each card was wrapped up with their name on it and also used as a place card. Yes it took a very long time but when we saw people’s reactions and watching their faces light up it was well worth it.

Any funny stories in the lead up to or on the day?

Wasn’t funny at the time but in hindsight yes. The trifecta of every couple’s worst fears was quickly becoming a reality for ours!
1- It was scheduled to be 43 degrees (second day in a row over 40).

2- Heavy rain was scheduled at the same time ceremony was to commence.

3- Bush fire sparked and was 3kms from the venue.

Thankfully someone was looking after us, it rained after we entered the reception, bushfire was put out and a cool change came in very quickly.

Click here to take a look inside this beautiful wedding.

VENDOR CREDITS:

Photos: Damo Photography (Perth)

Bridal gown: Allure - purchased from Hills in Hollywood

Flowers: Sandringham flowers https://www.facebook.com/sandringhamflowers

Rings:

Engagement ring- Klepners Fine Antique Jewellery

Wedding rings- Patterson Fine Jewellery

Bridesmaids dresses: www.whiterunway.com

Grooms suit: Peter Jackson

Grooms Shoes Windsor Smith

Groomsmen suits: Peter Jackson

Bow ties / ties: Bossini/ Peter Jackson

Ceremony: Emu Bottom Homestead

Reception Emu Bottom Homestead

Catering: Table matters (by Emubottom homestead)

Reception stylist / any decorations / details: Style Republic

Stationery designer Classic Wedding Invitation

Music: Tiaryn Griggs + Band

Cinematographer: Chris Grouse- Scout Films

CWI’s Wedding Invitation Created for Marc and Kristine’s Special Day!

CWI’s Wedding Invitation created for Marc and Kristine’s Special Day!

At CWI, we had the pleasure of designing the wedding invitation for Marc and Kristine’s special day! The wedding invitations were of a black and white colour scheme which complimented the weddings classic and timeless style that was prevalent in every aspect of the wedding from the wedding decor, to the classical styling and even the venue. In order to design these wedding invitations, we utilised the services of our other other brand Melbourne Laser Cutter, to insure each wedding invitation is produced with precision and beauty. Mark and Kristine were married on January 18, 2014, celebrating their elegant wedding lakeside, at Carousel at Albert Park.

Read on to hear more about their story!

Tell us a little about the proposal and the lead up to the wedding?

We went on a holiday to the US. It was my 25^th Birthday whilst we were away and Marc arranged a whole heap of surprises; Massage and facial in the morning at the Bellagio, Dinner at Paris Las Vegas, then we went up to the top of the Paris Hotel tower and Marc dropped to his knee and proposed. After that we went in a limousine to the airport where Marc had also organized a helicopter to go over the Las Vegas strip – very romantic.

Lead up to the wedding was cruisy – we had plenty of time to plan the wedding. It also helped having a wedding planner take off the bulk of the stress.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme / vibe?
Theme was a contemporary/modern. I wanted to do the typical traditional wedding things but with a modern feel. Inspiration was taken from multiple weddings.

Favourite detail and/or moment of the day (besides becoming husband and wife of course! or Wife and Wife, or Husband and Husband!)
Favourite Detail – everything fell into place perfectly

Did you undertake any DIY projects, if so what?
Made our own invitation boxes for immediate family and bridal party, got a few of our venue decorations made; Chandelier, “We decided on forever” sign, stationary cards; bonbonierre, well wishes cards, table numbers etc

Any family or religious traditions incorporated into your day?
Cutting of the ribbon (Italian tradition) when we (bride and groom) entered the venue just before cutting the cake.

What does marriage mean to you?
Spending the rest of your life with the one person you can’t live without – commitment

Talk to us about your dress, where is it from? how long did it take to find etc etc
My dress was made by Annette of Melbourne inspired by a J’aton gown. I had found it a few months before Marc had proposed and new that that was the dress I wanted for our wedding.

Any stories in the lead up to or on the day?

Just a fun time planning the wedding; everyone says that it’s stressful etc but it was a breeze for us! Loved every minute of it and would do it all again!Our ceremony was in a Catholic Church in Camberwell; we chose this church as it was located in the middle of each of our family homes. Our party celebration was at Carousel in Albert Park (I always had dreamed of getting married here) which overlooked the lake and city views. Our colour theme was classic black and white and we had floral table runners on each table, a floral chandelier hanging over the centre of our dance floor and a “We Decided on Forever” Sign on the decking with pillars of flowers. It was a cocktail affair with a live band and plenty of singing and dancing.

Also, my other sister that wasn’t in our bridal party surprised us by singing Marc and I “All of Me – John Legend” which was absolutely beautiful and also an emotional song “Thank-you – Dido” which was my Father’s Funeral Song (sorry they are only on our long video!).

My parents passed away when I was younger (both from Cancer – hence the Cancer Council Bonbonierre); so I had my foster father walk me down the isle. The group shot in front of the tree is of my foster family; who I have grown up with since I was 13 (was 26 when I got married). Marc’s brother also passed away when he was younger; he is in one of the photos on my bouquet.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Ensure you have lots of time to plan – no need to rush; you are going to spend the rest of your life with that one person.

VENDORS

Ceremony Venue: Basilica Our Lady of Victories; Camberwell

Reception Venue: Carousel; Albert Park

Photographer: Joseph Koprek

Cinematographer: C2 Wedding Videography

Wedding planner: Helena Walden-Smith; she assisted in finding suppliers/ideas – but I still directed most of the planning/designing

Entertainment (I.e.DJ, live band, etc.): Live Band – The White Tree

Hair stylist: Kim Tavares; Celebrity Hair and Make Up

Make-up artist: Amelia Birch (sourced from MAC Make-Up as she did my hens make-up)

Bridal dress designer: Annette of Melbourne

Bridal shoes: Scanlan Theodore

Bridal jewellery: Swarovski

Bridal headpiece/ veil: Annette of Melbourne

Engagement rings: Kristine – Canturi, Marc – Tiffany and Co

Bridesmaid dresses designer: Diane Calwell

Bridesmaid Shoes: Wittner

Flower girl dresses designer: N/A

Grooms suit: Menz Mode

Groomsmen suits: Menz Mode

Groom & Groomsmen Shoes: Aquila

Pageboy suit: N/A

Wedding Cars: Triple R Luxury Car Hire

Cake designer: My Cake Delights

Invitation designer: Melbourne Laser Cutter for Main Invite; Boxes were handmade by myself for immediate family and bridal party

Chairs: Boutique Chair Company

Chandelier: Custom Made

We Decided on Forever Sign: Custom Made

Table Stationary: Hand Made

Favours: Cancer Council Victoria and Fresh Flowers from the decking/tables

Looking for Wedding Planners Melbourne Based? We’ve Found Them!

If you are on the hunt for highly skilled wedding planners Melbourne based, look no further then Mackenzi Wedding Planners!

Still not sure? Just take a look at these amazing photos from one of their client’s weddings. The wedding day of Jay and Jo was nothing short of spectacular with a new take on outdoor weddings. The picnic and Mexican food inspired wedding created a relaxed atmosphere and set a laid back approach for the day. This is their story and and how Mackenzie Wedding Planners made their wedding ideas become reality!

THEIR VISION:
Jay and Jo wanted a Picnic in the Park and a fun in the sun afternoon outdoor wedding. They were nice and relaxed and wanted everyone to just have fun and enjoy the day. Jay and Jo both love food, especially Mexican and Jo is a handy DIY vintage girl so loves being creative.

THEIR LOVE STORY:
Their love story was really beautiful. They met when they were really young in primary school - Jay instantly fell in love with Jo even from that young age. Very cute. Throughout their life they would cross paths several times; at church, in music class. At one stage Jay called all the Koo’s in the White pages to try and find Jo (So Sweet). They again crossed paths and Uni where they finally started dating. Because of this love story and wanting a picnic inspired wedding I had a thought of the aisle and as the aisle is a journey in itself. I wanted to take Jay and Jo and all their guests on this journey. So at every “picnic blanket pew end” we had a basket filled with the details of their love story, and then of course they get to the top of the aisle where the next chapter of their life begins. Marriage.

FOOD:

We had a Lemonade stand (Jay loves lemon flavoured anything) and Sangria for that Mexican feel. We also had a taco truck which was really fun and a grand banquet buffet table filled with sweets as both of them have a sweet tooth.

Photo Reel
Behind The Scenes

VENDORS:
Photographer: Sutejo Tan
Videographer: Preface Films

Looking For A Multi Skilled Florist? We May Have Found Her!

If you’re all about efficiency, then we may have what you are looking for! At Visually Creative, Alison is a three in one qualified florist, stylist and coordinator. Visually Creative is based in NSW and has various partners and suppliers they continuously work with to ensure the best quality is provided to their clients. The florist’s talent is evident in these incredible wedding photos that capture her art work and eye for detail.

Here is the wedding photography submission we received from the florist Alison of her clients Beth and Ben, on their wedding day. The photos more than speak for themselves as it was an undeniably stylish and beautifully coordinated event. From the ethereal backdrop, to the delicate flowers and mouthwatering desserts (check out the cake!), this wedding was a magical day captured to perfection.

Ben and Beth were married on November 29 2014 at O’Carrolyn’s Retreat Nelson Bay, NSW. They were flexible with the style they were after and incorporated the skills of their family and friends into they day. Basically they let everyone let their own set of skills flow and it was a happy gathering regardless.

Photographer: Gabe McClintock Photography, Calgary Photographer

VENDORS:

Cake: Angela Gilhooly

Bouquets: Amber Gibbons

Flowers & Styling: Alison from Visually Creative

Music: Shane Turner, childhood friend of the bride

DJ and Mc: Dj Jimmy Beatz

Celebrant: Lyndall Lawson

The Ultimate Vintage Wedding - Get Inspired!

Be inspired by the ultimate vintage wedding of Candice and Alex, told by the bride Candice!

Since the age of 4, I couldn’t wait to get married. Having loved everything wedding my whole life and being a Wedding Planner for 7 years I couldn’t wait for my very own BEST DAY EVER!

Every inch of my wedding was so detailed and intertwined with connections and meaning, every breath of the day had be thoroughly thought through, after all I had been dreaming about this day for approx. 9490 nights. Over the years of creating precious moments in time for my brides it was finally my wedding day! You couldn’t wipe the beaming smile from my face. I wasn’t sure how I was going to take the wedding planner hat off (everyone else was worried about that too) but I did relax and I enjoyed every moment. I have never felt more beautiful and never had so much fun in my life.

Some of my favorite highlights of the day (other than marrying the man of my dreams of course) was my Ombre pink wedding gown, The family photo tree with all of our guests wedding photos from their own wedding day hanging in frames, The comfy Kids corner with giant white cushions, the 10km’s of pearls used (I have a slight obsession with pearls) and a theatrical cast of dancers who performed ‘Be Our Guest’ from Beauty and the Beast.

My love for weddings began watching Ariel the little mermaid. I would dream of finding my own prince charming as I wrapped a sheet around me like a train and walked down the hallway. I burnt out 3 VHS tapes repeating the wedding scene, then when my kinder teacher was having her wedding I HAD to go and seeing her made me fall even more in love with the wedding world which would in turn lead me to become a wedding planner.

I met Alex through my Dad, My dad had worked for Alex’s family company for 20 years – Dad had always wanted one of his 5 daughters to marry Alex he thought he was such a great catch. After a few phone calls and numbers exchanging we finally went out. We discovered we were both big kids who loved dressing up for our nieces and nephews and couldn’t wait to have a family one day. 18 months later we were engaged in New Zealand on a Ski trip.
I’m convinced I was here in the 20’s I love all thing Vintage Glam; Pearls, Lace, Satin, Diamantes, fringing! I used 10km’s of pearls on the wedding including a drape section with hand tied bows that took 2 days to set up.

My gown was insane. My designer Xen wanted to capture the structured planner in me with the Corset and unleash the crazy Candi with a wild train. I wasn’t afraid of colour and texture so he created an Ombre pink wedding gown – who says you have to stick with all white. When I told my mother in law that I was having hot pink tips through my hair to match my gown she didn’t believe me. The hot pink tips also tied together with the white and pink tip carnations and roses.

Adding elements of Old world Charm we had custom letterpressed invitations complete with a sketch of Alex and I as Batman and Fairy ( Alex loves dressing up for his nieces and nephews parties as do I and we are big Kids – For Alex’s wedding day present I bought him the Dark Knight costume. I weaved the Character sketch throughout the day on our invitations, Ceremony booklets, Tea Towel Bomboniere menu’s and even hand painted wooden signs for the back of our chair.

VENDORS

INVITATIONS

The first impression your guests receive is the invitation and I wanted ours to be beautiful and reflect that Old world Charm. LETTERPRESS would be the perfect fit. I worked with the darling Carla from Peppermint Press on a custom design. There were a few details right from the beginning that would start with invitations and then be weaved through the day

‘Be Our Guest ‘ had to be on the invitation. Being a dancer since the age of 2 the second the ring went on the finger I spoke to my old dance teacher about creating a performance to welcome all our guests. I thought Be our Guest hit the nail on the head. Michelle had all the Broadway style costumes complete with Lumiere, Clogworth, Giant Plate can can dancers and even Belle, her talented professional dancers entertained young and old. Everyone was bopping along with big beaming smiles. We had “Be our Guest” on our personalized tea towel Menu’s and to continue the theme I designed and created Vintage tickets to give that dinner and a show feel.
On the Wishing Well card we wanted a custom sketch of a Batman and Fairy. Batman – As Alex loves to dress up for his nieces and nephews. He desperately wanted the Batman dark knight costume anytime anyone would go overseas he would ask them to get it for him. I actually bought one a year ago, and gave it to him as a surprise the morning of the wedding. Me as a Fairy as for 10 years I was one of Melbourne top Childrens Entertainers Performing at over 150 kids birthdays a year. These characters were then used on the back of our ceremony booklets which I designed and made, on our Menu’s and I also hand painted Mr & mrs Signs with our characters on them for the back of our Chairs.
A Giant LOVE sign – Family is very important to both of us and we didn’t want the typical family shots so I create a invitation for our family to join us on the Giant LOVE sign for a special family photo shoot. Everyone would hang, sit, and be silly on the Love letters. It made for a special moment of the day and everyone had so much fun.

Being a wedding planner and a dedicated one at that a lot of my time is spent with my brides or planning their weddings so for our wishing well I created a Poem: To reflect that really all Alex and I needed was time together away from distractions. “The best gift you can give us, is time spent together away from the distractions somewhere with beautiful weather” –I had Carla design an island thought bubble above our heads. Given the running joke was that I never close my Mac I also had in my vows that I promised to close the Mac at least Once, maybe twice a week and come to bed at what Alex calls a reasonable hour!

The DRESS!

A dear industry friend of mine Xen created my amazing Ombre gown… our first chat was about mixing the fun crazy side of me and the vintage glam side of me. I wasn’t afraid of colour and texture and given that I was dying my hair a deep shade of violet with Hot magenta tips through it we thought it perfect to do a OMBRE HOT PINK gown… So it would be white in the bodice keeping the corset traditional with bling and then as the skirt trails down goes from a light shade of pink to a deep magenta. I had told my mother in law that I was dying my hair hot pink and it would match my gown she didn’t believe it till she saw it with her own eyes.

It was beautiful the most amazing dress I have ever seen – okay I may be biased cause it was mine but wow. I had shades of pink petals fall through my 6ft long veil all down the dress; there were ombre satin bows, diamantes, lace, more bows, tulle and even fringing- very 20’s

MY HAIR

It was a 3 months process to strip back the hair to a blonde so as the right pops of colour would come through. Hot pink tips popped through the violet base of my hair to match my dress and the flowers – carnations and roses with hot pink tips.

THE SUITS

I had always loved the morning suit- Top hats and tails! So classy – Alex was happy with the look too,, so we put him in grey with a black jacket and all the boys in black.

THE CHURCH

Just after we had gotten engaged I was attending a rehearsal for one of my Brides at the Newman College Chapel at Melbourne University. It was divine. The architecture is Decorated Gothic 14^th Century. It’s long and narrow and has the perfect mix of intimacy and grandeur. Alex being Catholic and I having graduated from RMIT ( You had to either have graduated Melbourne Uni or a Uni of Melbourne that didn’t have it’s own chapel) we Qualified and Set our Date. 1^st Feb 2014

THE CEREMONY & FAMILY

Family is really important to Alex and I we wanted to include a lot of our family in the day. Alex and I chose our god children 4 year old Harvie and Ruby to be Flowergirl and Page boy and the cutest ones ever at that! We are both so very close to our god children and really wanted them to be a special part of our day.

We had both our older sisters say a reading. Our Mums light the family candles for the candle ceremony and all our nieces and nephews say the prayers of the faithful.”

THE CEREMONY BOOKLETS

I love a good fairytale and we wanted our ceremony booklets to be a little different so instead of just opening up the page to the processional we started with Once Upon a Time and told the story of who we were and how we met in the traditional fairytale style then followed on with the order of service. My sisters and I sat for many hours twisting black and pink ribbon together for the effect of the binding.

THE MUSIC- A Disney string quartet

My String quartet composed a special version of ‘Part of your world’ It was so beautiful such a dream come true and took me back to all those years ago watching the movie and pretending it was me getting married, now it was! During the Candle Lighting ceremony we had ‘A dream is a wish your heart makes’ such a sweet song and very meaningful considering we had been dreaming of this day for so long.

THE STYLING

My personal style is Vintage glam, I love Satin, Lace, Pearls, Roses and all things pretty and whimsical. I do love Pink … it was funny when we got engaged and were talking about colours Alex said – I love Blue and Lily’s I said great we are going Pink and Roses. I’m lucky he loves me so much he let me have my Pink and Roses.

It took 5 days to Set up the Marquee at Eynesbury Homestead. I wanted all my guests to enjoy the journey and the grounds.

DIRECTIONAL

Guests were greeted with a Vintage blackboard and as they walked up the trail there were hand painted signs (Yes I hand painted them) with words of the day

Love, Laughter, Happiness, Friendship, Family, Cherish. Then they walked onto the Secret Garden

The FAMILY TREE

Filled with hanging framed pictures of ALL the guests wedding photos from their own wedding day. Over the 18^th months I had asked everyone to send me in pictures of their wedding day – some didn’t so I plucked them from facebook – much to their delight when they rocked up on the day and went oh how did she get that photo! Everyone loved it, it was a tree filled with so much love,happiness, joyful memories and it was fun to have a giggle at the fashion!

The BIRDCAGE GIFTS TABLE

Our Presents table I had been dreaming of for so long. A vintage table with all the draws pulled out, filled with flowers. Hanging birdcages filled with florals and dripping pearls. As our Wishing Well card and poem was dear to my heart I framed that and put that on the table too.

THE SEATING CHART

I hand painted a sign saying ‘ find your seat’ and created Individual Vintage tickets as the seating chart, hung from twine wrapped around the tree. This tied in with the “ Be Our Guest” performance. – Dinner and Show

THE TEA TOWEL MENU’s

I loved the idea of having a useful bomboniere so for something different Carla and I designed a Menu that matched the design of the stationary and I had it printed on Tea Towels. They were folded on everyones place setting to look like the napkin (we had tucked the real napkin underneath)

The KIDS CORNER

Being 2 big kids ourselves we love our nieces and nephews. We wanted the kids to be comfortable so we created an enchanted Kids corner complete with Giant white ottomons and oversized scatter cushions ( that Alex had made himself ) Tree stump cushions ( again Alex had made) sitting upon a bed of grass with a backdrop of Ivy walls, fairy lights and green uplights. – The kids wouldn’t have to be bored and sit down in the one spot at their table they were free to lounge around the kids area eating pizza, sausage rolls, chicken nuggets and Chocolate fudge Ice cream sundae’s with mini M&M’s! There were a few big kids that wanted to hang out in that section too.

The CANDY BUFFET

Being nicknamed candi for most of my life I couldn’t not have a candy buffet. Early on the planning I came across coloured pastel striped wrapping paper I bought two roils and kept it aside for over a year. It would set the tone of the Buffet. As the backdrop I matched the tones with streamers, had colourful striped ribbon for the labels and even found these cute Lemonade bottles to finish off the area.

10km’s (6.2Miles) of PEARLS!

It took over 2 days to drape the middle section roof of the marquee with 60 x 10 meter strands of pearls. As these pearls were individually on the string they kept sliding so instead of having all these gaps I decided to fill in the sections with hand tied satin bows – I tied a lot of bows- but totally worth it! All the other pearls were used in the Centerpieces, on the tables, throughout the grounds. In the candleholders. There were pearls everwhere.

HANDMADE

Among the other many things hand made Alex also made The wooden table numbers, painted and sanded to get that shabby chic look as well as a Sign for the Bridal table with Mr. & Mrs. and a Heart for the AND.

THE FLOWERS

I love roses and carnations. There is a beautiful white carnation that has a hot pink tip it was perfectly suited to match the ombre dress as well as all the pink I had everywhere. Carnations are my mum’s favorite flower and they always remind me of her, soft and fluffy and roses well they are so elegant and timeless.

The Bouquets I wanted the girls to have a stronger mix of pink to white and intertwine pearls to match the style of the wedding.

The Ceremony; The Church only allowed 2 large arrangements so we had made two very large arrangements of pinks and whites. Carnations, Roses and Alex’s favourite – Lily’s. We then transferred these arrangements to the Reception and had them at the entrance of our Marquee – It was great to be able to re-use them and something I try and do for my brides to get some extra value in.

OUTSIDE the Reception

There were flowers everywhere! – In tea pots in the Garden tea party I had set out on the verandah. Dripping from the birdcage and the draws on the gifts table. Hanging in over 80 t-lights balls in the trees and the trellis.

THE GUEST TABLES

We had alternating settings for the guest tables – it’s a great way to incorporate two versions of centerpieces you like, while allowing the room and line of sight not to feel too cluttered. On every second table we had Large whimsical balls of Carnations, Roses, Gipp and Seasonal Blooms standing on a tall vase with pearls ( yes more pearls) dropping through the center of the vase. The alternate tables had a 3 Set candle holder. 2 of the set had smaller versions of the large balls with pearls draped through and the 3^rd Candleholder had a large candle sitting amongst a sea of Pearls. Oh Candlelight everything looks better with Candlelight doesn’t it. At the base of both arrangements set 5 silver mercury and diamanté t-lights.

LIGHTING

Lighting can really change a room and add so much character … Inspired by Pandora’s wedding from RHWBH I had pink uplight set around the side of the room at the draping points to bounce the colour off the white. As the sun went down the candlelight and pink hues were just incredible it was great to see the ever changing mood of the night.

To top off the lighting I had 3 Chandeliers installed it really put the icing on the cake

CAKE

Set on a vintage side table we chose a 3 tier cake with the perfect shade of pink. Growing up my mother had a crystal vase filled with Pearls and I would always dress up in them ( that’s where my love of pearls started) so it was only fitting that I borrowed her Vase filled it with pearls and it sat next to cake paired with a single rose in another of her vases. It looked much like my mothers dressing table growing up.

Alex’s favourite flavor in the whole world is cookies and cream – anything cookies and cream he will eat it… so we had a cookies and cream lover, a Red velvet – because YUM! And white chocolate and Raspberry – delicious!!!!

Talk about delicious my sister makes the most incredible amazing choc peppermint truffles they are to die for (her secret recipe) and so I asked her if she could make some for coffee and cake time. The best truffles you will ever have (wish you could taste them)

WHITE WHITE WHITE

To finish off the marquee I have always loved the White Chivalri chairs they are just so classic- an elegant Chair makes such a difference to the room. We also bought in a white acrylic dance floor to lay over the parquetry one – Much to the dismay of my budget according to my husband but I just couldn’t bare to have a gold dance floor in the middle of a white room.

SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING BLUE

Playing in my mums jewelry as most little girls do I especially loved her diamond bracelet that was her grandmothers I always told her I am going to wear this at my wedding and so I did. My garter was a kitten D’amourgarter ( a designer in Brisband of Vintage glam) I usually co-ordinate wearing a kitten dress it’s a bit of a lucky charm so I had wear kitten on my day. Due to limited stock I almost missed out but thanks to the postie for dropping off the day before the wedding.

THE BEST DAY EVER! - Taking the Planner hat off and Being THE BRIDE

The morning of the Wedding I woke and couldn’t believe how calm I was. It was finally here. The morning was a lot of fun getting all glammed up. Just before I put my dress on I took a big deep breath … this is it! I have never felt more beautiful in my life. The Car ride to the church in our 22 seater Hummer ( we wanted it to be super fun) My gals and I sung Love ballads the whole way.

The moment when I was standing at the top of aisle no words can describe. It had been a moment in time I had been early waiting for and it was everything I dreamt it would be. Yes I cried! As I walked down the aisle everyone went into a blur and I was just so focused on getting to my Husband to be that I forgot to pick up my dad half way (Miss independent wanted to walk in by myself then meet dad halfway) he tapped me on the shoulder with a ‘hey what about me’ and the whole church cracked up in hysterics. It was such a funny moment and really lit up the whole church up.

I couldn’t stop talking to my husband it was like I hadn’t seen him in forever we were sitting there giggling away the whole time.

The rest of the day was so much fun, as we rode around in the hummer we played 80’s classics as well as all the great sing-alongs. From the photos, to the Love sign, to getting to Eynesbury and seeing all those elements come together it was magic.

We snuck out for some sunset shots which are some of my favorite shots of the day, we danced the night away and it truly was The Best day ever!

Vendor Credits

Photographer- Milk Photography
Flowers- Style By Nature
Videography – Preface Films
Hair – The Girl in the Green Scarf
Makeup – Tanya Guccione
Cake- Sophisticakes of Melbourne
Stationary Design – Peppermint Press
Stationary printing – Mickey Loves Jacqui

All Things Pink! Hannah’s Pink Wedding Dress and More!

Here’s to the nonconventional bride who dares to defy wedding traditions! Hannah’s wedding is a unique one in more than just her floral pink wedding dress, but also by the fact that her pony, Dudley, walked her down the aisle along with her father! Not to mention, Dudley’s plaited hair adorned with pink bows!

Hannah’s love for pink didn’t stop there, in fact her wedding bouquet, bridesmaids dresses, wedding cake and other parts to the wedding were coloured pink too!

This addition to our Real Wedding series tells the tale of the union of Hannah and Tom. The pair were engaged in the city of love, Paris and celebrated their wedding amongst family, friends and Hannah’s pony Dudley. Here’s a sneak peak of her special day!

Tell us a little about the proposal and the lead up to the wedding?

Tom proposed to me in Paris on the Ponte Des Arts or love lock bridge. He had a lock engraved with our names and as we bent down to put the lock on the bridge out popped a little box with a diamond!

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme / vibe?

Our wedding was a little ‘central park NYC’ not over the top just great food, good company and a pony!

Favourite detail and/or moment of the day (besides becoming husband and wife of course! or Wife and Wife, or Husband and Husband!)

I loved getting ready with the girls and having one of Brisbane’s most exclusive hotels babysit my horse Dudley!

Did you undertake any DIY projects, if so what?

Yes – mum created all the name tags as the gift and we also created all of the styling.

Any family or religious traditions incorporated into your day?

I wore mums garter from her wedding day and stayed true to something borrowed something blue something old and something new

What does marriage mean to you?

Spending the rest of my life with my best friend

Talk to us about your dress, where is it from? how long did it take to find etc etc

I hated wedding dress shopping.. loathed it. Until I walked into Wendy Makin Bridal and found my pink wedding dress – this was custom fit to my body and I fell in love instantly.

Any funny stories in the lead up to or on the day?

Telling my dad he had to share walking me down the aisle the day before with my pony!

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Do what makes you happy – don’t try and please everyone else. Also keep it simple!

VENDOR CREDITS

Photos: Dear and Tine photography

Bridal gown: Wendy Makin

Veil / hair piece: Chanel

Shoes: Christian Loubiton

Flowers: Alba Roses

Rings: Diamonds International

Jewellery/Accessories: Grandma!

Bridesmaids dresses

Grooms suit: Hugo Boss

Ceremony: Brisbane Botanical Gardens

Reception: Restaurant Two

Cake:Jocelyn’s Provisions

Stationery designer: Jacqui loves Mickey

Hair and Make up Hair: Andrew Stafford / m/up Ginelle Dale

Music: Maddie McHugh

Celebrant: Emily Jade O’Keefe

Transport: My pony Dudley and 4 classic Cobra’s thanks to the Cobra club of QLD

Cinematographer: Short Stack