F I O N A & A A R O N
The couple began their day with a difference and opted to do a first-look photo shoot before the ceremony. The moment Aaron and Fiona first saw each other was captured perfectly by TK’s Photography.
F R O M T H E B R I D E . . .
We first met…
Through mutual friends. One of my best friends hosted a 30th birthday party and told me all about her boyfriend’s eligible housemate. Both my friend and I knew that this was a sneaky set up, but my friend’s boyfriend and Aaron were completely oblivious!
We knew it was love…
Both Aaron and I were given fantastic job opportunities at the same time. The problem was that our jobs required us to move away from each other. My job opportunity was in remote Western Australia, and Aaron’s was in Sydney, both for 9 months. We knew it was love when our long-distance relationship didn’t become the bane of our existence, it actually became something we both could easily handle because we knew we wanted to share life together.
The proposal…
We flew to Sydney for a weekend away in April last year. Sydney is such a special place for both of us because it holds such beautiful memories from all of the times we flew to see each other throughout the long-distance chapter of our relationship. Aaron booked dinner at Icebergs Dining Room in Bondi. I went to dinner not expecting the proposal to happen, so it was such a lovely surprise.
T H E W E D D I N G . . .
Our dream wedding…
The theme of our wedding was classic elegance. We went for lots of soft colours, filled with candlelight and lots of flowers. We wanted to style our wedding in a way that was timeless and romantic. Our wedding was designed around a palette of grey and blush pink, with gold undertones.
Wedding photography…
We chose TK’s Photography. Tanya beautifully shot my big sister’s wedding and was so lovely and easy-going. I think it’s important that you feel comfortable with your wedding photographer(s), as they will be with you all day long, on one of the most important days of your lives. I love our photos because they beautifully capture the story of our wedding day.
Ceremony Location…
Our ceremony was held at Mount St Canice Church in Sandy Bay. St Canice Church is part of the breathtaking, heritage-listed Mount Saint Canice Complex. This location has stunning views of Hobart’s picturesque harbour.
Reception venue…
We celebrated our reception at Hobart Function Centre on Elizabeth Street Pier. The venue spans out over the Derwent River and showcases Tassie’s natural beauty. Most of our guests had travelled from interstate to attend our wedding so we loved giving them a special taste of Tassie, complete with gorgeous views, and Tasmanian food and wine.
The bridal party…
We had 3 bridesmaids and 3 groomsmen. My three bridesmaids were my sisters, who I’m also lucky enough to call best friends. Aaron had his two brothers and cousin as his groomsmen.
The bridesmaids wore…
Our bridesmaids wore convertible wrap dresses from Coralie Beatrix. My sisters and I are quite tall, so finding long enough floor-length dresses was challenging. We loved that Coralie Beatrix made custom sizes and lengths.
The groom and groomsmen wore…
Aaron and his groomsmen wore blue suits by KENJI.
The Dress…
My wedding gown was a Brides by Mancini gown, purchased from Bridal by Aubrey Rose in Perth. I wore a blush fit-and-flare strapless gown with a convertible tulle skirt. The tulle skirt provided a fairytale, ethereal look for the ceremony, and I was able to easily remove it for the reception for a slinkier look, that was more dance-floor-ready.
Wedding flowers…
To keep with the classic theme, I chose simple, yet elegant white rose bouquets.
Reception decor…
Ceiling drapes covered the entire ceiling to create a really soft and romantic feel. A gorgeous floral hedge of lisianthus, carnations and foliage spanned the length of the bridal table, and these flowers formed the centerepieces of our guest tables.
On the menu…
We had a sit-down reception (alternate drop) that offered our guests a real taste of Tasmania’s wonderful produce.
Canapes
Bacon and mushroom arancini with aioli dip
Bruschetta with Richmond brie and a quince paste
Chicken and coriander dumplings
Entree
Char grilled chicken tenderloins served on a mushroom and shallot duxelle with an apple and balsamic glaze
Seared lamb cutlets on puy lentils with olive tapenade
Main
Premium eye fillet of beef on a duchesse potatoes with forestier sauce and seasonal vegetables
Port Huon Atlantic salmon steak pan seared and served on crisp dauphinoise potatoes, steamed green beans and a creamy leek braise
Dessert
Citrus tart with a sour cherry compote and mascarpone
Tasmanian cheese platter- award winning cheeses from Tasmania served with house baked apple and fig bread and lavoche
Drinks
Devils Corner Sparkling, Tamar Valley TAS
Chartley Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Tamar Valley TAS
Storm Bay Pinot Noir, Tamar Valley TAS
Bonbonniere…
My dad and I made 150 raspberry red velvet cupcakes, and my sister decorated them with delicious cream cheese icing. We packaged them in beautiful boxes with ribbons. We had a massive production line going that involved my entire family 🙂
Memorable moments…
Aaron and I decided to go against tradition and see each other before the wedding ceremony for a ‘first look’ photo shoot. Our pre-ceremony photos were taken at Hobart’s stunning Royal Botanical Gardens. Aaron and his groomsmen turned up to the location first and waited behind a rustic brick wall with an archway. When my bridesmaids and I arrived shortly after, I stood on the other side of the wall. Without seeing each other, we held hands, back-to-back on either side of the wall. It was such a beautiful and special moment in time. After a short time, we came out from behind the wall and saw each other for the first time as bride and groom. The opportunity to be with one another in a time and place of absolute calm and quiet, before embarking on the most important day in our journey together, was so precious. It also meant that we could join the reception celebrations early.
Which songs made up the soundtrack to your day?
Family members helped add a very personal touch to our wedding by providing music for our ceremony and first dance. I walked down the aisle to ‘Ave Maria’, sung by my cousin, who was accompanied by a magnificent church organ. My aunty sung a gorgeous acoustic version of ‘The Luckiest’ (Ben Folds) as Aaron and I signed our registry. For our first dance, my sister and cousin sung a cover of ‘More than Words’ (Extreme).
M A R R I E D L I F E . . .
The honeymoon…
We honeymooned in the Maldives. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to stay in an over-water bungalow and be able to wake up to such breathtaking views each morning.
The future…
To continue to live a happy and healthy life together 🙂
W E D D I N G W I S D O M . . .
Panning advice for couples…
Make sure that you take time in your engagement to relax and enjoy this extremely special and exciting time. It can be easy to get overly-consumed by wedding planning- make sure to spend lots of time together enjoying each other’s company. My approach was to book all of our vendors and the ‘big stuff’ within the first 2-3 months of our engagement so that we had a big chunk of time where we could just sit back and enjoy being engaged. Everyone is different though. Do what works best for you.
Advice for enjoying the wedding day…
The day goes by faster than you could possibly imagine! Make a conscious decision to take a few moments where you just stop and take it all in so you will be able to imprint lots of special memories in your mind. Otherwise your wedding reception can feel like a blur. Even as you sit at the bridal table, take a moment to look at all of your most favourite people in the world who have come to share this moment with you. Some of my clearest memories of our wedding are from moments where I stole a few minutes to take in my surroundings.
MW x
Photograph TK’s Photography Reception venue Hobart Function and Conference Centre Ceremony St Canice Church, Sandy Bay Chair hire Salters Hire Bride’s Accomodation The SmokeHaus Groom’s Accomodation Providence Rings Adam Graham Designer Jeweller Suits KENJI, purchased from Myer Wedding dress Brides by Mancini purchased from Bridal by Aubrey Rose Bridesmaid Dresses Coralie Beatrix Flowers Coral & Teal Invitations and Menus Emmy Designs Transport The Untouchables Makeup Donna James Band Neon Cover Band