F A R A H A N D R A Y
For Farah and Ray, it was love at first sight. They celebrated their relationship in a magical, sparkly wedding ceremony with their beloved family and friends. The theme of their wedding was ‘new beginnings’ which was perfectly encapsulated with blossoming blooms, sparkly touches and a symbolic release of butterflies.
At First Sight…
Ray’s version of how he met Farah is an ultra-romantic tale that takes place on a magical mountain. Which is true…kind of! Farah and Ray’s love story began when they locked eyes in a funky boutique bar in Melbourne called Magic Mountain. “We spotted each other from across the room and it was literally love at first sight,” says Farah. Farah recalls how, just like Cinderella, she left the bar at midnight and awoke the next morning to a beautiful text from her future husband. “Ours is a true story of love at first sight,” says Farah.
Love At The Lake…
In September 2017, Ray whisked Farah away for a romantic birthday getaway at the Lake House in Daylesford. After an indulgent, exquisite dinner, the pair cozied up in front of a roaring fire in the library room where Ray asked Farah to marry him. “We were both so excited and completely over the moon,” shares Farah. From that moment on, the Lake House played an integral part in the couple’s love story…
A Taste Of Heaven…
Farah and Ray always knew that the Lake House would be the perfect place to make their romantic, whimsical and sparkly wedding vision come true. The couple collaborated with the internal team at the Lake House to bring their magical wedding theme of ‘new beginnings’ to life. “We chose butterflies to represent our theme as butterflies are a symbol of hope, joy and new beginnings,” says the bride. The whole day incorporated a romantic colour palette of antique blush pinks, sage green and ivory tones with touches of sparkly silver butterflies sprinkled throughout the decor to create an utterly heavenly vibe.
Boys In Blue…
Ray was joined on the big day by three groomsmen; their dashing son, Fraser, and two of Ray’s best friends. The groomsmen all looked incredibly dapper in blue Hugo Boss suits which were complemented with handmade buttonholes crafted from champagne and wine corks. These eye-catching buttonholes boasted a gorgeous array of freesias, rosemary spikes, and foliage to add to the vibrant look. “Ray owns gourmet food and wine stores and we’re both true foodies so having the corks added a very personal and special touch to our day,” shares Farah.
Sparkly Bride Tribe…
Farah’s bridal party was made up of her two friends as bridesmaids, her beautiful mother as maid of honour, and her daughter, Aryana, as flower girl. The bridesmaids wore stunning Thurley gowns which perfectly complemented the wedding colour scheme while the maid of honour wore a stunning and sparkly custom-designed Tanya Didenko gown. Aryana looked like a beautiful garden fairy in a classic tulle dress with intricate hand beading on the back of the dress that made up sparkly butterfly wings! Farah and Ray’s son, Levi, also joined the bridal party as a handsome page boy who looked too cute!
Butterfly Queen…
Farah looked absolutely dazzling in a custom Tanya Didenko gown that perfectly encapsulated her love of sparkles. Farah collaborated with the designer to create the elegant, sexy, ethereal and sparkly gown of her dreams. “I spent many nights flicking through Modern Wedding magazines and scrolling through Pinterest to get an idea of exactly what I wanted,” says Farah. The gown that Farah had envisioned came to life with an endless sea of sparkles and a mini train that cascaded down the back of the dress. This was also hand-beaded with the words ‘Ray & Farah Happily Ever After’ on it. “The wedding gown was like all of my dreams coming true in one magical moment!” shares Farah. The stunning bridal bouquet which accompanied the look was a loosely constructed natural posy with white peony roses, dusty pink roses and astilbe, white hydrangeas and sage green foliage.
Real-Life Fairytale…
The picturesque ceremony was captured by Lost In Love Photography after Farah and Ray fell in love with their romantic photography style. “The photos have a stunning fairytale feel, yet are truly natural and in the moment,” says Farah. The magical vibe of the day was further captured in the ceremony decor with a beautiful large wooden archway at the end of the aisle. This was adorned with divine sheer drapes and a breathtaking installation of blooms to create a luxe whimsical feel. The whole celebration looked like a page out of a romantic fairytale book!
Butterfly Fly Away…
One of the most memorable moments from the ceremony was the beautiful butterfly release into the sunny Daylesford skies. Along with their bridal party and guests, Farah and Ray released monarch butterflies after their vows to encapsulate their theme of ‘new beginnings’. “It was magical to see the butterflies fluttering around and landing where they chose,” reminisces Farah.
Sparkle And Shine…
After enjoying the sparkly wedding ceremony in the sun, the celebrations moved to the Terrace Room at the Lake House. With the help of the Lake House team, the reception venue became a breathtaking vision of romance and sparkles. Dramatic ivory drapes and twinkling fairy lights hung from the ceiling, with dreamy centerpieces of roses, peonies, lisianthus, freesias, and sparkly silver butterflies. “We also had small silver glitter photo frames as place card settings, so every guest knew where they were sitting, and then had a sparkly piece of memorabilia from the night,” says Farah.
Beaded Butterfly…
At the reception, Farah had a costume change into her second glamorous outfit of the day! The bride’s second dress exuded a fun, party vibe and was paired with a custom-made pink denim jacket which featured hand-beaded sequin butterfly wings to match Aryana’s flower girl dress.
Magical Music…
The ethereal beauty of the day was accentuated by the divine music that accompanied the celebrations. Tobi Tobi played all of the newlyweds’ favourite songs including ‘Here Comes The Sun’ while Farah walked down the aisle with the words changed to “here comes the bride”. “Renae and her hubby Jamie, who make up Tobi Tobi, are so gorgeously loved up that their vibe added to the love and sparkle of our day!” says Farah. Towards the end of the night, everyone was up on the dance floor as sparkly glitter bombs flew into the air to keep the theme going!
For The Love Of Love…
After their truly magical celebration of love, Farah and Ray jetted off to honeymoon in the heavenly Maldives. Their number one tip for future couples planning their wedding is to make all about you and your love! “Plan your wedding uniquely for the two of you,” says Farah, “This is your day and it’s all about your love and your happiness”. Plus, the bride has some advice about narrowing down your guest list. “Don’t feel obliged to invite people that you hardly see or aren’t part of your lives as a couple,” shares Farah, “Make the day all about love…who you love and who you love to be around!”
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Ceremony And Reception Venue: The Lake House / Stylist, Flowers And Cake: The Lake House / Photographer: Lost In Love Photography /Bridal Gown: Tanya Didenko Bridal Couture / Brides Shoes: Guiseppe Zanotti / Brides Jewellery: Holloway Diamonds / Hair and Makeup: Carlie Christie / Bridesmaids Dresses: Thurley / Grooms Attire: Hugo Boss / Grooms Shoes: Loake Shoes / Groomsmen Attire: Hugo Boss / Matron Of Honour And Flowergirl Dresses: Tanya Didenko Bridal Couture / Officiant: Archdeacon Ray McInnes / Ceremony And Pre-Reception Music: Tobi Tobi / Reception Music/DJ: DJ Zung @ Team X / Butterflies: Blissful Butterflies / Dance Choreographer: The Next Step Co