E R I N A + C H R I S
By the ocean on a warm summer’s day Erina and Chris made a promise of lifelong devotion to one another.
F R O M T H E B R I D E . . .
We first met…
We met at College in 2002.
We knew it was love…
For us it was a case of friendship developing into a relationship. We enjoy each other’s company and don’t ever take that for granted.
The proposal…
We were engaged at City Beach on a balmy summer’s night. We had discussed marriage and as a result chose a setting that felt natural to us.
T H E W E D D I N G . . .
Our Photographer
We chose our photographer, Katie Grant, based on strong recommendations from our florist Jappalin Manning from Flower Talk, supported by our own research of her portfolio. We admired her artistic eye and valued her professional assistance to our day.
Dream wedding style…
We decided on an outdoor civil ceremony followed by a beachside reception. It was a meeting of river and shore and was held on beautiful warm summer’s day. The theme and styling was a mixture of rustic nature and vibrant crystal waters, sharpened with bursts of floral colours. We held the ceremony in Lower Mosman Park and the reception was at the Indiana Tea House in Cottesloe.
The wedding party…
We had two bridesmaids, my sister and cousin, and two groomsmen – close friends of Chris. The bridesmaids wore pale pink dress. I let them pick their own style of dress. And the groomsmen wore matching dark blue, three piece suits. Chris wore a navy blue, three piece suit.
The gown…
It was a fitted corset mermaid style dress, with a long ruffle train. I have always known I wanted a French lace wedding dress. The designer was Betty Tran Bespoke Couture dresses. I got my dress altered by Mei from Final Touch.
The blooms…
I was pleasantly surprised and happy with my bouquets. They balanced my venue and theme beautifully. The bouquet consisted of perfume da grande roses, hydrangea and white peonies in a posy. I attached a gold pendant to my flower bouquet, from Chris’ grandmother for the “something old”. Jappalin from Flower Talk was involved in a lot of my wedding planning. She is the best wedding vendor with an amazing eye for detail. She listened to everything that I liked, and by put everything together in such a beautiful stunning way. I love roses and peonies, and the rest was left in her hands.
The reception…
The reception venue was decorated with a centrepiece of hanging flowers above the bridal table, which consist of perfume de grande roses, dahlias, peonies, hydrangea flowers. The tables were decorated with small posies of the same flowers, with vintage vases in between, and small tea light candles. Our wonderful floral arrangements were provided by Flower Talk. The decorations were provided by Heartstrings and Pretty Things and the cake was provided by Cake and I.
The menu…
We had a sit-down meal. Pre-reception canapes included battered prawn cocktails, Turkish bread and dip and a sushi banquet. For Entrée we had a choice of crisp calamari with kimchee and Szechuan salt or confit duck leg with green pea and mint. Main course offered a choice between roast beef fillet with parsnip puree, beef cheek sauce and crisp parsnip or a barramundi fillet with Asian green vegetables and a fusion sauce. A dessert buffet station was complemented by a cheese plate selection.
Wedding bomboniere…
Our guests were gifted a scented soap bomboniere presented in silk wrapping and tied with ribbon.
F R O M T H E G R O O M . . .
Memorable moments…
Erina’s walk down the aisle in her stunning dress was a moment to cherish. The opportunity to celebrate with the people who mean the most to us will never be taken for granted. In truth, the entire occasion was as close to perfect as we would have dared to imagine.
Wedding Soundtrack…
Erina walked down the aisle to an acoustic rendition of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s rendition of Somewhere over the Rainbow. Our first dance was to an acoustic version of James Taylor’s You’ve Got a Friend.
The honeymoon…
We had a week in a private Villa in Seminyak, Bali.
The future…
To live well and to live happy.
In 40 years you hope to…
Reflect as fondly on the greatest day of our life as we did on the occasion itself. Happiness is merely the ability to reconcile dreams with the opportunities taken. The rest is out of our hands.
W O R D S O F W I S D O M
During the planning…
Although it is exciting to plan the wedding. Make sure that you focus on the relationship as a couple as well.
When you’re planning…
Control the controllable and plan rationally over emotionally. Relinquish avoidable stress over the things you can’t alter and you’ll discover that ultimately they don’t matter.
And wedding day…
Don’t be daunted by the significance of your day. It will go fast. In understanding this, it enables you to enjoy your wedding for the blissfully short ride that it is. The wonderful memories take care of the rest for you.
MW x
Gown Betty Tran Gown Alteration Final Touch (Claremont) Florist Flower Talk Photographer Katie Grant Makeup Anastasia Peng Hair Kayla Marshall Wedding Hair Headpiece Victoria Novak Accessory Kezani Shoes Vynka B Bridesmaid gowns Champagne Couture and Coco & Lola Cake The Cake & I Stationary Felicitations Transport Bridal Bentleys Chair for reception Charming Chair Ceremony equipment Heart string and Pretty