E M I L Y + B R E N D A N
Emily and Brendan married under a leafy gazebo on top of a waterfall. Emily wore a custom Leah Da Gloria gown and she says she’ll never forget the look on Brendan’s face when he saw her from the end of the aisle.
F R O M T H E B R I D E
We first met…
We met through a mutual love for sport and cars, we also had heaps of mutual friends!
We knew it was love…
When we both realised we couldn’t imagine life without each other.
The proposal…
Brendan had planned to pop the question on our impending holiday that was coming up in Fiji a few weeks later. He had the ring ready to go and had planned it all out.
Until – I asked him what he would like to do to celebrate our 5 year anniversary (which was 3 weeks sooner). I suggested that we go hot air ballooning over the Hawkesbury. He thought, great, this will work even better as she will have no idea what is about to happen (because I had planned the whole anniversary myself!) haha.
Brendan had already asked the hot air balloon company if it was ok that he ask me to marry him once they landed as he had seen photos on their website of other people getting photos inside the balloon as it deflated, he also knew that I would love photos of that moment when it happened.
I got a photo of myself inside the balloon as did Brendan, then it came to the photo of Brendan and me together, we gave my camera to a lovely lady whom had actually just gotten engaged herself whilst we were in the air!
She took a couple of photos while we were standing there, and before I knew it Brendan was down on one knee with the most amazing ring I have ever seen.
I couldn’t believe my eyes; I was so overcome with emotion that I didn’t even think to say yes! Needless to say I eventually realised that I had left the poor guy kneeling there whilst I balled my eyes out holding the ring without an answer!
I said yes, and the rest was history!
After our adventure the hot air balloon company took us back to The Sebel Hotel Resort where there was champagne and breakfast waiting for our arrival.
T H E W E D D I N G
Our dream wedding…
I changed my mind quite a bit towards the begging as to what style/type of wedding I was after, although as soon as I saw my venue I knew exactly what I wanted and what would suit the venue.
Glamorous but with touches of shabby chic throughout (white wash furniture etc), tonnes and tonnes of pastel flowers, greenery, glass, gold, and chandeliers.
Our photographer…
Alex Marks Photography was our photographer for our wedding day. Alex and his team made everything so easy and so natural, it didn’t feel forced or staged at all.
We chose to use Alex and his team to capture our wedding day as we loved how candid his photography style is, he has the ability to work with absolutely any situation or backdrop and make it breathtakingly beautiful. I love how much happiness and love oozes from our wedding photos, you only need to look at a couple to know that our true love was captured.
We also used Alex to capture our day through videography – He has a wedding video company alongside his photography called ‘Hummingbird Wedding Films.’
Ceremony location…
The wedding ceremony was held at The Hunter Valley Gardens at the ‘Waterfall Outlook’ on top of the waterfall, it was gorgeous.
Reception venue…
The wedding reception was held at Ironbark Hill Vineyard, catered by Enzo Weddings. The staff there were absolutely fantastic and the food was amazing.
Pre-wedding celebrations…
Before the wedding all of our closest friends and family travelled up to the Hunter Valley a few days before hand. We booked out an entire estate for all of us to stay together over the weekend (Bluebush Estate).
The day before our wedding I booked a wine tour for all us girls and the boys had a day of golf.
It was great to have everyone all together for a week away for our wedding and it was very special being able to reflect on the wedding the next morning over a big BBQ breakfast the following day.
The bridal party…
All of our bridal party were friends of ours that have been in both of our lives for a really long time. I had three bridesmaids. Adele was my maid of honour, Tracie and Katrina are two of my longest friends from high school. Brendan had four groomsmen. His best man was Josh J and he had his brother Ben and his long term friends Shaun and Josh D.
The bridesmaids wore…
The bridesmaids wore custom made dresses from J’adore in dusty pink/nude.
The groom and groomsmen wore…
The groomsmen and groom all wore custom made suits by The Tailors Co. Brendan’s suit was all navy blue and the groomsmen wore a light blue jacket with their pants matching Brendan’s full suit colour.
The dress…
My wedding gown was a custom made couture gown designed by myself and the extremely talented Leah Da Gloria. I always knew I wanted a fitted strapless gown with a contrast against the lace.
It was covered in tiny clear crystal like beading and pearls which followed the flow of the scalloped lace. The underlay was a soft nude colour that matched my skin tone to create the contrast I was after to really make the detail pop.
My veil was also custom made by Leah, it had the same lace and beadwork from my dress on the comb and the pearls scattered down the veil from the comb.
Wedding flowers…
My bouquet was filled with beautiful ranunculus, garden roses and open Columbian roses in white and soft pastels bound with a cream ribbon. I had a photo of my grandfather and I that I attached to the bouquet using ribbon. I also had one of my mums pearl earring’s from her wedding attached to look like a charm (something borrowed).
The bridesmaid’s bouquets were the same as mine but less structured and with sweet peas, bound with a mauve/ dusty pink ribbon.
Reception décor…
Our reception venue was filled with an abundance of pastel flowers, greenery, gold accents, glass candelabras, and chandeliers. All sections of the room were decorated; our wishing well, favours ladder, fireplace and seating plan were all covered in cascading vine, hanging stock and delphinium.
The guest tables were decorated with three vases alternating in heights, filled with blush, purple and white sweet peas, stock, roses and ranunculus. Tall crystal glass candle holders/ candelabras and tea lights surrounded by rose petals heaped around the bases.
The table numbers were gold clear glass photo frames with white table numbers written in white paint on the glass of the frame. There were also rose gold place cards for the guests on their tables and handmade menus placed at each seat.
The bridal table was similar to the guest tables, however there were eight pillar candles in small cylinder glass vases lining the centre of the table, along with the tea lights, tall crystal candle holders & candelabras and heaped rose petals.
The front of the bridal table was also decorated with cascading vine, white stock and delphinium hanging down the front of the table. The table number was the same as the guests although using a larger frame.
The fireplace in front of the dance floor was decorated with the same flowers as the front of the bridal table (cascading vine, white stock and delphinium hanging down the front of the fireplace). Our bouquets were placed in vases and sat along the top of the mantel piece, along with the rose gold hanging lanterns that were at our ceremony, plenty of tea lights and heaped rose petals.
Jade Mcintosh Flowers was our florist. All the rest of our decorations were D.I.Y made by myself and my mum.
Our cake was made by ‘All Things Sweet by Carissa’ and floristry on the cake was done by Jade Mcintosh Flowers.
On the menu…
We had a canapé hour and a three course sit down meal. The menu options were:
Canapés:
– Toasted croute with pulled pork and crisp eschallots
– Chicken and chorizo skewers with a BBQ marinade
– Prawn and bacon skewers with a lemon and chive dressing
– Italian chilli meatballs with a rich tomato sauce
– Chive and feta arrancini balls
– Tempura tiger prawns with a honey soy dipping sauce
Entrés:
– Poached Tiger Prawns with smoked salmon, avocado, baby tomato, young leaves and a parsley butter
– Roast Tomato and Goats Cheese Tartlet with rocket, salsa and aged balsamic
Mains:
– Pork Cutlet Sous Vide with a white bean and chorizo cassoulet and a pistachio and oregano crumble
– Chargrilled Beef Fillet with a roast vegetable hash, red wine jus and crisp eschallots
Dessert:
– Wedding cake (white chocolate and butterscotch marble served with berries, cream and a caramel drip sauce
Bomboniere…
Our bomboniere were potted succulents in little white tins, they had small flags in them that said ‘let love grow, Emily and Brendan 22.10.16’. They were presented on a white wash ladder that my dad and I made. The guests were encouraged to ‘please take one home and let love grow’.
Memorable moments…
I will never forget the look on my husband’s face as I walked down the aisle. The emotion and the look in his eyes when he first saw me took my breath away.
Also the moment when he accidentally said “My awfully wedded wife” during our vows instead of lawfully was pretty funny!
Wedding soundtrack…
I walked down the aisle to: Latch by Boyce Avenue (Sam Smith cover)
Bridesmaids walked down the aisle to: A Thousand Years by Boyce Avenue (Christina Perri cover)
Signing of documents: Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison
Recessional: Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
First dance: All of Me by John Legend
M A R R I E D L I F E
The honeymoon…
We spent two weeks travelling around the islands of Hawaii, two more weeks travelling around Japan and 10 more days in Boracay in the Philippines.
It was the most amazing holiday. I will always remember – almost every restaurant we ate at in Hawaii had a live band singing our recessional song (Somewhere Over the Rainbow) it was really special.
Future plans…
We hope to have many beautiful healthy children, plenty more adventures and continue to travel the world together.
In 40 years we hope to…
To be still as madly in love as we are now, retired and well travelled.
W E D D I N G W I S D O M
The engagement…
Don’t get too stressed out by the wedding planning process (hard I know) – and really enjoy the time together as an ‘engaged couple’ as it is usually only for a small time in your life.
Planning…
Don’t sweat the little things, everyone said it, but I didn’t believe it, they really don’t matter and no one else notices if they are missing except you!
On the day…
Take it all in, it goes SO QUICKLY!!
Photographer: Alex Marks Photography / Videographer: Hummingbird Wedding Films / Wedding dress and veil: Custom Leah Da Gloria / Hair: Bride’s friend, Jo Clifford / Makeup: Helen Samaryan / Shoes: Panache Wedding Shoes / Brides rings: Custom made by Diamond World / Grooms ring: Michael Hill Jeweller / Grooms and groomsmen suits: Custom made by The Tailors Co / Bridesmaid dresses: Custom made by J’adore / Celebrant: Carla Davern / Ceremony Location: Hunter Valley Gardens ‘Waterfall Outlook’ / Reception location: Ironbark Hill Vineyard / Florist: Jade McIntosh Flowers / Spray Tan: Glow by Becca / Wedding accomodation: Bluebush Estate / Wedding cake: All Things Sweet by Carissa / Invitations: Silk Beau / Wedding cars and transport: Absolute Vintage / Guest transport: Rover Coaches and Newcastle Limousines