Danijela met Richard on his front door step. “He had just finished renovating his first house and was looking for a house mate, I had just finished a jaunt in Europe and was looking to move out of my Mum and Dad’s house,” Danijela of wedding decor specialists Decorations by Jelena laughs. “I found him on realestate.com.au!” Their elegant wedding was infused with old world charm, a sense of occasion and a healthy dose of pink.
“It was all about romance and fun, with a dash of 1920s elegance,” says Danijela. “Only without the stuffiness!” she quickly adds. “It wasn’t until looking at our wedding photos later that I realised my wedding dress was a huge source of inspiration. I wanted something modest, unique, with just the right amount of lace and femininity.”
“I knew I wanted to keep him pretty much straight away,” says Danijela. “My family cannot keep a secret so he had to wait until the night before to ‘ask’ for my hand in marriage. Friday was like any other day – Richard dropped me off at work (which just happens to be my Mum’s place) and my dear friend Adrianna was there having coffee with Mum and one of my sisters Kat. It was a stunning Winters day and as the morning went on my other sister Ivana turned up, my little sister Maria called sick and asked to be picked up from school and my dad called home to see if lunch was ready. None of this was too weird as my family loves nothing more than to take it easy on a stunning day… then my older sister Dijana turned up with her little girl for a visit – it was a full house! But I had arranged to have lunch with Richard in our favourite beer garden so as I was grabbing my bag and getting ready to head out of the door, the door bell rang and as I opened it I just freaked out – it was Richard, dressed in a gorgeous dinner jacket, holding a dozen red roses and getting on bended knee with a gorgeous little wooden box! The family was screaming, I was screaming, I just kept asking if it was a joke – we like to play the odd practical joke on each other – but he wasn’t joking! He then gave me a few minutes to gather my self, he had packed our bags and was sweeping me away to my favourite Bannisters for the weekend where we later met up with some friends.”
Thinking back to her wedding gown, Danijela says “I didn’t have any inspiration other than I wanted a modest gown. My sisters and mum had hijacked me one day shortly after we got engaged and we went dress shopping – I had tried on over a dozen dresses across a few shops and when we walked into the last store there really wasn’t anything that caught my eye – but the rules were I had to try on at least one dress in every shop – so I haphazardly just shrugged into a dress that was in the corner. Once I put her on though – I almost cried. I couldn’t believe how well she fit off the rack and just how amazing she was. I loved the unique deco shapes made with the beading and it had just the right amount of lace and it wasn’t white! We added a cathedral veil and I knew I had my gown sorted!”
When choosing her reception decor and theming the space, Danijela and Richard looked for a way to bring romance and elegance to the room. “We wanted it to be bright – but not stark white. We had ivory satin linen, an amazing blush damask overlay, hand made twirl sashes in chiffon and crystal organza and an custom main table with mocha tones and soft pink high lights. We used pink up-lights to create warmth by washing the walls and centerpieces that incorporated plenty of candles to add to the atmosphere – the main feature of our centrepieces were the candelabra which we decked out with flowers.”
Guests were treated to a cocktail hour, followed by a sumptuous three course meal. The couple spent their wedding night at The Shangri-La in Sydney, honeymooned in Vanuatu and are now living in a beautiful cottage in Parramatta.
When asked if she has any advice for future brides, Danijela says “Make sure you confirm everything you chat to your suppliers about in writing on the day – even if it is just a short email of your understanding of what is expected. Even being in the industry didn’t save us from headaches!”
Congratulations Danijela and Richard, thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us!
Ceremony: St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Ryde
Reception: Lauriston House, Dundas
Cake: CakeArt
Flowers: Blooms and Scents (Adrianna)
Decorations: Decorations by Jelena (the bride’s mother’s wedding styling company)
Photography: Emotiva Photography
Will you be incorporating a little pink or a little elegance into your big day? Let us know! Leave a comment, stop by Facebook or tweet us @ModernWeddingOz
For loads more real wedding inspiration visit Modern Wedding online.
Rosemary xox