Category: DIY Bride News

5 Ways to Feel Glowing and Confident on your Wedding Day

When you’ve dreamed of your wedding day, you probably always envisioned yourself as a glowing and happy bride. Now that you’re engaged and in the thick of planning, you may be feeling more stressed than “glowing.”

That’s okay and completely normal! Though you may feel that way now, there are plenty of changes you can make to your daily routine and mindset to feel your happiest and healthiest on your wedding day.

1. Love the skin you’re in

Feeling happy and confident starts with you! Are you giving into the noise in your head that tells you that you’re not thin enough, that your hair isn’t long enough, or that your skin isn’t clear enough? Challenge yourself to ignore that deceitful voice that shows up without your permission and really try to open your mind to your unique and beautiful qualities that made your spouse-to-be fall in love with you in the first place. 

With that said, it never hurts to practice self-care and develop a daily routine before the wedding. We all feel an extra boost of confidence when we actually make the time to take care of and pamper ourselves and make our personal health a priority. Self-care can be as simple as making sure you floss every day or as extensive as getting your teeth straightened and whitened. Your skincare routine can be as intense as having a strict regimen that you follow every day, or as relaxed as simply drinking more water and taking flax oil supplements. No matter how you choose to practice self-care, just be sure to do it out of self-love and care for your body, not out of shame, embarrassment, or punishment.

2. Make others feel appreciated

When it comes down to it, this day is about you and your spouse. That’s why elopement has become a popular trend in recent years. But if you’re choosing to go the more traditional route of a large gathering to celebrate your marriage, consider what you can do to make the people in your life feel special during this momentous occasion by showing them gratitude and appreciation. Whether it’s a special gift with a personal touch, a heartfelt hand-written thank you letter for even the smallest gestures, or a special shout out or dedication during the reception, helping others feel appreciated helps to boost your mood, happiness, and confidence. 

3. Focus on what’s important

Whether we realize it or not, society puts huge amounts of pressure on us to have a wedding that looks a certain way. We often get so caught up in the details– the projects, the objects, what we have and what we don’t have– that we forget what this day is really about; celebrating the life-long love that you’ve found.

There’s nothing wrong with finding joy and excitement in designing your dream wedding and seeing your vision come to life, but remember to take a step back and realign your focus if you ever start to feel like getting married is becoming more about putting on a show for everyone else and less about marrying the love of your life.

4. Feel good from the inside out

Your upcoming wedding is a great motivator to develop a new healthy lifestyle, as long as it’s not coming from a place of self-hate and punishment. Getting married means you are committing yourself to your partner for life and starting a family may be in your near future, if you haven’t already. You’ll want to be healthy for both your spouse and future children for as long as you can, and this means adopting a healthier diet and including more physical activity in your day-to-day. Plus, focusing on your health feels good, and feeling good translates to a glowing, happy, healthy and stress-free bride!

 

There are plenty of ways to bring health and fitness into your life, even with your busy bride schedule. The two things you need to think about are nutrition and exercise. Both can seem daunting, but investing in different health programs can take the heavy lifting off your shoulders. For example, consider joining a flexible diet plan with community support to help you learn the ins and outs of a balanced diet. For exercise, keep it simple yet effective by downloading an at-home workout app you can complete from the comfort of your own living room or joining a local group fitness. 

5. Accentuate your favorite qualities

Find the physical attributes you love most about yourself and accentuate that on your wedding day! If you love your eyes and their color, tell your make up artist that you want to use a style and color that will make your eyes pop. If you love your legs, consider a tea-length dress or one with a slit. If it’s your hair you’re proud of, find a style and accessories that will showcase it perfectly. Happiness and confidence will come from focusing on the positive, so let your favorite qualities shine on your wedding day!

 

 

 

Elegant, relaxed and a touch of rustic wedding – Holli & Richard

Holli & Richard

Bride’s Maiden Name: Wilson
Occupation: Retail Logistics Manager
Groom’s Full Name: Richard Suddes
Occupation: Physiotherapist

Contact Email: holliwilson27@gmail.com

Wedding Date: 23.06.18
How many guests? 96 day 190 evening
Wedding Budget (Optional):

The Team

Wedding feature thanks to: Adorn https://www.adorninvitations.co.uk/
Wedding Invitations: Dandelion Stationary
Dress: Badley Mischka http://badgleymischka.com/
Veil: The Bridal Collection Harrogate
Makeup: Megan Bulmer
Hair: Laura Collett-Bradley
Shoes: Kurt Geiger
Bridesmaids Dresses: Ted Baker https://www.tedbaker.com/
Groom’s Suit: Paul Smith
Groomsmen Suit: Ted Baker
Cake: Made by a family friend!
Food: Taste Cuisine
Flowers: Leafy Couture
Photographer: Lumiere Photographic https://lumierephotographic.com/
Ceremony Venue: Priory Cottages
Reception Venue: Priory Cottages http://www.priorycottages.co.uk/
Entertainment: Jonny Ross Music + Simply Strings + Marcus Songs
Celebrant: Harrogate registrars
Transport: None
Wedding Favours: Krispy Kerme Doughnuts
Any Other Vendors: Balloons by Funky Muppet

The Details

How did you and your partner meet?
We met working together at Ted Baker when Rich was at university and I was just out of school.

How did he propose?
We were on holiday in Costa Rica. He had set up with the hotel that we won a romantic meal for two on the beach so I didn’t suspect! It ended up raining so they moved in into a wine cellar in one of restaurants. He had chosen my favorite food and I thought it was strange how the hotel had known! Little did I know he was about to propose 

Length of Engagement?
2 years

What do you love most about your partner?
His humor

How would you describe your wedding in one or two words?
Perfect 

Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it.
It was the last dress I tried on at The Bridal Collection in Harrogate – it was the first time I had ever tried on dresses and I knew I wasn’t going to be one of those people who went from shop to shop! When I first put it on a wasn’t 100% but my bridesmaid said why don’t I try a belt and it completely changed the dress and I loved it! I felt so comfortable which is something I really wanted to make sure of and I felt amazing in it 

Did you do a ‘first look’ before the ceremony?
No – it was all a surprise!

What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
We didn’t want to make it too formal. We wanted everyone to feel as relaxed as possible so kept things quite simple but with a touch of elegance. I didn’t want it to become to country themed with it been in a barn so made sure the flowers and the decoration didn’t fall into that and brought out a little bit of glamour!

How did you come to choose the location and venue?
It was the first and only venue we looked at. I loved that we could all stay at the venue and has access to the whole site for 2 days and the amazing courtyard! This made the wedding as all our friends and family could enjoy the run up and be together to celebrate with us for as long as possible! The day ended up been really warm so our singer and string quartet ended up been outside in the courtyard and it was amazing. We are both very laid back so as soon as we went to look we knew it was the one so went for it! 

Can you describe what type of ceremony you had and how you were able to personalise it. 

  • Any readings? Yes we had both our sisters do a reading each. 
  • Vows – did you write your own vows, if so, would you be willing to share them in the feature. If you didn’t write your own vows, can you share what you said or were asked by your officiant? We didn’t write our own we stuck to the standard ceremony 
  • Were any of your guests involved in the ceremony in any way? No but my flower girl (my niece) decided half way through that she wanted to come up and hold my hand so we had a little guest stand with us for part, which was very cute!
  • How did you enter your wedding ceremony? (Accompanied? Together? Solo?)
    I walked down the aisle with my dad

  • What made you choose the type of ceremony that you had? We wanted it to be simple and short. It’s a lot of pressure to stand in front of everyone saying your vows, so we wanted to make sure we both felt as relaxed as possible, but not putting too much pressure on ourselves 
  • Do please share any other thoughts or feelings that you have about your ceremony, which might help inspire others. We had an amazing string quartet who were playing at the ceremony. 

Describe the cake (including the flavors) and cake topper.
We had cupcakes and then just a small cake at the top! The small cake was made by Richs mum. They love fruit cake and this was a really nice touch for her to be involved with the making of the cake! The cupcakes where made by a family friend. I didn’t want a huge cake that no one would eat, so went for cupcakes and I didn’t even manage to get one as they all got eaten that quick! We had white chocolate and lemon flavor with a few different icing designs, it was really affective and looked amazing!  

What flowers did you use in the bouquet and at the venue?
We opted for an all-white colour theme with touches of blush and ivory for contrast and to tie in with my dress and the bridesmaids. My bouquet was white roses, peonies and blush colored stocks with some tiny eucalyptus, we had two amazing floral columns at the ceremony made from white lisianthus, big white roses, white peonies, green bell and white hydrangea. 

How did you choose your table décor?
We decide to go for half the tables decorated with an arrangement of candles which we did ourselves and the other half with big floral center pieces that where high and had floating candles to tie in with the other tables.

What was the menu for the reception?
We had an informal BBQ type menu. We didn’t have starters and we increased the number of canapés. For main we had the taste surf & turf grand skewer which included, smoked rib eye steak, Giant Szechuan king prawns and Butter grilled chicken with Chunky hand cut chips, Classic Caesar salad and garlic and tomato herb breads. For dessert, we had sticky toffee pudding and a cheese board. 

What were your favorite moments from the day?
The speeches. They were all amazing and I don’t think these was a dry eye in the room! 

Name your wedding soundtrack (aisle entrance & exit, reception entry, first dance songs):

  • Aisle entrance: Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley (played on the string quartet) 
  • Exit:Think I Want To Marry You – Bruno Mars (played on the string quartet)
  • First dance: Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran 

Any DIY décor elements?
We decorated part of the ceremony room ourselves. There was a large opening which we wanted to fill so thought what’s better than flowers. My mum loves flowers so we ordered from a wholesaler and got some vases and it looked amazing! We also did half the table decorations ourselves which were simple but affective 

Any sentimental personal touches?
My bridesmaids were my cousins who are my best friends. We have grown up together so for their gift we got them a picture of when we were younger and framed into a lovely frame with a nice message at the bottom. 

How did you save on costs?
By doing some of the decoration ourselves. I have a very creative family which helps but where able to make it look like it was done by a professional by just keeping it simple and setting it all up at home until it looked perfect!

In hindsight, anything you would have done differently?
Absolutely nothing 

Where did you go on honeymoon?
Mexico – we spend the first week on our own and then family and friends came to join us for the second week to extend the celebrations!

Any tips that you can give to future brides?
Don’t overthink it! The little things that you stress about are not worth the stress! It was all work out perfectly

If you could sum up your wedding in one sentence, how would you describe it?
Best day of our lives!

 

Ballet Wedding – Zara & Daniel, Dancing Into the Night

Bride’s Full Name: Zara Bartley (now Convery)
Groom’s Full Name:Daniel Convery

Wedding Date: 4th January 2018
How many guests? 80

Vendors

Wedding feature thanks to: Giant Invitations
Photographer: Rick Liston
Videography: Michael Braun (a friend of the bride & groom)

Celebrant/Officiant: Andrew Redman
Florist: Victoria Whitelaw
The Dresses: Milva Russia

 

Photography by Rick Liston

Shoes: Ralph and Russo
Styling: Zara and Daniel
Groomsmen’s suits: Arthur Galan

Hair: Sammy Fyfe
Make-Up: Victoria Jade
Ceremony Venue: Stones of the Yarra Valley (Chapel)
Reception Venue: Stones of the Yarra Valley (the Barn)
Catering: Stones of the Yarra Valley
Cake: Miss Lady Bird Cakes, Melbourne
Entertainment: Saxophonist and DJ from Rutherford Entertainment

Personal Information

Photography by Rick Liston

How did you and your partner meet?
– We met 4 years ago when Daniel came to dance for my Ballet School in Canberra.

How did he propose?
– It was Christmas day and he took me on a very long walk around a beautiful part of Melbourne. When we arrived back at his parent’s house, he took me into a quiet room and knelt down on one knee and asked would I marry him. I cried and laughed and jumped into his arms. Mind you, at first, I was just as excited thinking he had adopted a dog for us and that I was going to get it as a present. But a diamond ring from my wonderful man more than made up for the lack of a dog that Christmas day.

What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day (in terms of venue & décor + styling)?
– We love design and we started by choosing our colour pallet which was soft rose pink & rose gold. We went for a rich, warm rustic Italian inspired vibe following a trip to Italy and falling in love with the Tuscan countryside.

How did you choose your venue?
– We chose The Stones purely based on how much it made us feel as if we were back in Italy.

Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it:
– My gown was made in Russia by a beautiful designer, Milva, who I found online following my first local dress fitting, after which I felt a tad despondent about how much I’d have to alter all the dresses I tried on in order to even remotely resemble and reflect my taste. When I searched on Pinterest to find more of what I was after, I came across this gorgeous design. It took hours to locate this picture to the designer but finally I managed to track down the website and immediately got in contact with her via email.

After seeing her range of very unique and stunning dresses, it was so hard to choose the exact one for me, especially as I wasn’t able to try any of them on. But Milva was able to describe each of the dresses I loved and how I would feel in them on the day. She also asked me lots of questions about the setting of the venue so she could picture exactly what I was after. I finally made a decision to purchase a beautiful soft pink gown with a milk lace overlay. The dress felt very elegant to wear and the quality of the fabrics were divine. As I wanted to dance all night, I also decided to get a very pretty and more fun inspired short wedding dress made by the same designer.

As for my husband’s attire, he has been an Arthur Gallan fan for some time, and he was beside himself when he inadvertently walked up the stairs of a ‘local tailor shop’ in a little side street in Toorak near the same corner of Arthur’s boutique store to then be greeted by Arthur himself. Daniel couldn’t say no, hehe, and the rest is now history. He wore a stunning tailor-made pink (that his dad preferred to call salmon) suit designed and made by Arthur himself with fabrics ordered from Russia and Italy to complement the wedding dress.

What was your favorite moment from the day?
– Everything! But a few very special highlights were: Seeing each other for the first time that day as I entered the Chapel, and our first dance as husband and wife! Amidst a lot of smiles we also cried a lot.

Any tips that you can give to future brides?
– Elope haha I’m so kidding. But just remember to plan your day never losing sight of why this day exists. That is, to mark the beginning of a life with the person you love the most.

Anything else you’d like to add?
– Personalized vows make for a very special and emotional moment that you and your guests could never forget given the verity of words coupled with a moment of raw emotions that just cannot be anticipated. We would also love to especially thank Rick Liston, Andrew Redman, Nick and team from Rutherford Entertainment, Victoria Jade, Milva and Arthur Gallan, for going above and beyond in so many ways and bringing our dreams for this wonderful special day to fruition.

Given our line of work and the number of hours we commit, we are not often ‘out there’ kind of people, however, these wonderful people truly made us feel comfortable and worthy of the attention that such a day bestows on you.

A great wedding is made up all those who special and who love and support you. And for this we would also like to acknowledge all our family and friends who very presence contributed to such an amazing day and evening.

Big & Modern Macedonian Wedding– Natasa & Jason

Jase & Tash

Bride’s Maiden Name: Natasa (Natasha) Lukic

Occupation: Account Manager

Groom’s Full Name:  Jason Ploeg

Occupation: Carpenter

 

Contact Email: natasa.lukic@realestate.com.au

 

Wedding Date: 23rd September 2017

How many guests? 190

Wedding Budget (Optional): 80,000

 

The Team

Wedding feature thanks to: Giant Invitations http://giantinvitations.com.au
Dress: Enzoani with alterations https://www.enzoani.com/
Veil: Rosa & Marys Bridal
Makeup: Tanielle Jai MUA
Hair: Evalyn Parsons Hair
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Accessories: Mimco
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jadore from White runway
Groom’s Suit: Male Manor
Groomsmen Suit: Male Manor https://malemanor.com.au/
Cake: Studio Cakes
Food: Moda Events
Flowers & Event Styling: Stylised http://stylised.com.au
Photographer: Pelizzari http://www.pelizzariphotography.com.au/
Ceremony Venue: Newstead Park & The Macedonian Orhodox Church, Newfarm
Reception Venue: Moda Events Portside https://www.modaevents.com.au/
Entertainment: GM Events & Macedonian Band
Celebrant: Michelle Anderson
Transport: Mercedes C200 & Chrysler Limos
Wedding Favours: Engraved stemless wine glasses

The Details 

How did you and your partner meet?
We met through mutual friends whilst attending a music festival on the Gold Coast.

How did he propose?
Jase surprised me when I arrived home from a week long work trip. He surprised me with flowers and made the room look amazing. He prepared a will you marry me tick a box (I had told him how cute I thought it was in school when boys would pass around notes to ask a girl out and include a tick a box at the bottom) so he made sure I got to tick yes for last time!!

Length of Engagement?
1 year- together 5 years

What do you love most about your partner?
He is the most genuinely caring man- sometimes he thinks he covers this up but you can see it in his eyes every day.

What’s your most important piece of advice for creating and maintaining a strong relationship?
Talk to each other and be real. Too many people speak to everyone else but their partners about how they feel when that is the person they should go to first.

Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it.
I loved so many gowns but I was forever drawn to anything with a hint of colour outside the usually whites and ivory. The lace was intricate and detailed and the exposed boning and buttons perfection.

Did you do a ‘first look’ before the ceremony?
No, we had so much going on bringing together a traditional wedding with Macedonian cultural wedding. Plus, I wanted Jase to see me for the first time walking down the aisle.

What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
I wanted a soft romantic style with punches of glam. Charlie for Stylised made this happen combining Grey and Gold to perfection.

How did you come to choose the location and venue?
Coming from a big family I have been to so many weddings in Brisbane and Jase and I wanted ours to be different so we chose a location that not only suited our style but was one that we hadn’t been to before.

Did you have any symbolic gestures during your ceremony i.e. a hand-fasting, candle ceremony, wine ceremony or something else?
We had a many of these elements in the Macedonian ceremony including; the crowning, ring & wine and first steps as husband and wife wrapped together with a beautiful piece of chiffon.

Did you have a wedding party? Did they do anything special during the ceremony?Nothing special- My sister Branka Lukic as MOH, Cousin Katrina Bogoevski & Best friend Jessica Millman

Were any of your guests involved in the ceremony in any way?
Godparents Brad & Jacinta Ploeg

How did you enter your wedding ceremony? (Accompanied? Together? Solo?)
With my step dad for the traditional ceremony and with Jason for the church ceremony.

What made you choose the type of ceremony that you had?
We chose to do both as having a traditional ceremony was important to me and I didn’t want Jase to miss out on a wedding as he knows it.

Describe the cake (including the flavors) and cake topper
The wedding cake was a simply designed 4-tiered cake with brushed gold accents and 2 large white magnolia style flowers. We had 2 different flavours a white chocolate caramel tier and an almond & coconut mud which we served the following day at my parent’s place.

What flowers did you use in the bouquet and at the venue?
Cream blooms mixed with abundant greenery

How did you choose your table décor?
Grey and gold theme- Charlie went to great lengths to source the table cloths in a beautiful grey that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses.

What was the menu for the reception?

Entrees

Pork belly

Pork belly, seared scallop, cauliflower puree, 5 spice sauce 

Moroccan, Spatchcock supreme

Moroccan, Spatchcock supreme, pumpkin puree, pepitas, petit salad

Mains

Fillet of beef

Fillet of beef, garlic mashed potato, sweet corn salsa, and red wine jus

Breast of chicken

Breast of chicken, parmesan polenta, roast onion, chorizo, salsa Verde

Dessert

Sticky date pudding

Sticky date pudding, ripple ice cream, vanilla sauce

Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice cream sandwich, marshmallow and praline.

Tea & Coffee


What were your favorite moments from the day?
The super excited feeling of getting ready with my girls and my mum in the morning, reading a letter from Jase in the morning, seeing him as I walked down the aisle and off course partying the night away.

Name your wedding soundtrack (aisle entrance & exit, reception entry, first dance songs)
Isle entrance was Angels by The XX- First dance- XO John Mayer (Beyonce cover)

Any DIY décor elements?
No

Any sentimental personal touches?
No

What was the biggest splurge of the day?
Wedding Stylist

Where did you go on honeymoon?
Europe- Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Florence & Berlin

Any tips that you can give to future brides?
Start planning early

If you could sum up your wedding in one sentence, how would you describe it?
Perfect would do it again in a heartbeat!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RENT THE RUNWAY LAUNCHES FULL-SERVICE WEDDING CONCIERGE PROGRAM

RTR solves age-old wedding challenge ensuring women never have to buy another dress they won’t wear again!

New York, NY (February 20, 2018) — Rent the Runway announced today that it is doubling down on its eight years of deep experience and data dressing women for weddings with the launch of RTR Wedding Concierge, a new service making dressing for the full range of wedding events — from the engagement party, to bridal shower, to the big day — easier for the bride, her wedding party and her guests.

Since its founding in 2009, Rent the Runway has been the sustainable, cost-efficient go-to for women who don’t want to buy another formal dress they won’t wear again. A quarter of new customers are using RTR for wedding events and starting today, the company is formalizing this relationship with a brand new program that includes a full-service concierge, at-home try-on, personal styling, access to an unmatched range of styles and accessories, and more. With 75% of new users referred by a friend, Rent the Runway is now allowing brides to register their weddings with RTR to give guests access a 20% off discount code.

“Women rely on Rent the Runway during the most important moments in their lives, so it’s a natural step for us to offer a highly-personalized, full-service experience to make dressing for a wedding easier and more fun,” said Jennifer Hyman, Rent the Runway Co-Founder and CEO. “We have unprecedented data on wedding attire and trends and are thrilled to leverage what we’ve learned directly from our 8 million+ users to provide this enhanced experience.”

The RTR wedding program features:

  • Special Discount for Wedding Guests

Every couple that registers their wedding will receive a custom code for all wedding guests to receive 20% off. Plus the bride will receive a complimentary month of RTR Unlimited when 15+ guests use her promo code.

  • Dream Closet

Access to thousands of designer dresses and accessories from the best names in the business including Badgley Mischka, DVF, Jill Jill Stuart, Kate Spade, Marchesa Notte, ML Monique Lhuillier, Nicole Miller, Trina Turk and more.

  • At Home Fittings

For the first time ever, RTR is offering the bride and her wedding party exclusive at-home try-on to ensure the perfect fit before big wedding events.

  • Wedding Concierge

A dedicated member of the concierge team will help the bride with all logistics, from fittings to shipping, so she can focus on the fun.

  • Personal Styling

Access to personal stylists for the full range of wedding events. Our wedding trend experts will curate on-trend and complementary bridesmaids styles for the wedding party since many brides are favoring non-matching looks, and make sure that each person is beautifully styled.

  • Partner Perks

For any couple that registers their wedding with RTR, a welcome package includes exclusive perks from RTR’s favorite wedding brands including Minted, Black Tux, Oasis, and Zola (valued at more than $300).

For more information, visit www.renttherunway.com/wedding-concierge.


About Rent the Runway
Rent the Runway is transforming the way modern women get dressed – and in turn disrupting the $1.7 trillion fashion industry – through the concept of renting over buying clothing. Founded in 2009 by Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, RTR pioneered the ‘closet in the cloud’ and believes that women everywhere will soon have a subscription to fashion, making renting an indispensable utility while also empowering them to feel like their best selves everyday. RTR carries hundreds of thousands of pieces of apparel and accessories by 550+ designer partners with options for work, weekends and special occasions. The company has built proprietary technology, one-of-a-kind reverse logistics operation, and retail stores of the future that bring the dream closet to life. RTR has raised more than $200M from top-tier investors, has more than eight million users, and prides itself on the entrepreneurial, dream-big culture at the company which employs 1,200 people — 70% of whom are women and 71% are minority/non-white. In 2015, the co-founders launched the Rent the Runway Foundation, supporting tens of thousands of female entrepreneurs in building and scaling their businesses.

REAL WEDDING: STACEY AND MICHAEL’S WINTER ELEGANCE WEDDING

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The couple finally wed after actually meeting at someone else’s wedding. A Winter Elegance themed wedding saw their special day incorporating Stacey’s Jewish heritage throughout and hosted in a beautiful timber book barn at Bendooley Estate (NSW, Australia.)

Stacey always joked about running through an AFL banner on her big day and her and Michael bonded over their love of football – he a bombers supporter and she a swan’s, so her favourite part of the day was running through the banner at the reception reading ‘TWO TEAMS, ONE LOVE. STACEY & HOBBSY.’

See the beauty of the winter elegance wedding! You may even get amazing inspiration from them! Remember to check their wedding details.

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The Wedding Details

How did you and your partner meet?

We met at a wedding in Melbourne. An old school friend of mine was marrying Michael’s cousin. Michael’s sister had planned to set him up with another old school friend at the wedding but when she introduced them the match was not meant to be and Michael & I ended up chatting for the most of the night. At the very end of the wedding I saw Michael striding over to me out of the corner of my eye and I was overcome with butterflies. He asked for my number and a date once we were both back in Sydney and the rest as they say is history.

How did he propose?

Michael surprised me with a helicopter ride from Hamilton Island to Hayman Island where we spent the day relaxing by the pool at the One & Only resort. That night he organised a private dinner on the beach and he got down on one knee under a super moon with the waves lapping beside us and proposed. Funny side note: the super moon meant the tide came in a lot quicker than expected and by the end of dinner we were basically sitting in the ocean! We then spent the rest of the week sailing around the Whitsundays and basking in engaged bliss!

How did you choose your wedding gown?

I had been looking for a wedding dress for a while and just didn’t feel like anything I tried on was ‘The One’. I kept expecting to have some kind of holy moment when I would try a dress on that would give me the sign that it was ‘The dress’. I happened to visit Savvy Brides in Sydney on a weekend when Erin Clare was having a trunk show of her collection there and I immediately fell in love with ‘The’ dress. It was made even more special to have Erin herself there so talk everything through. Erin made the dress to fit my measurements and I ended up going up to her studio in Noosa for a dress fitting which was a surprise getaway with my mum that I organised for her birthday. While I was having my dress fitting Erin showed me a veil that she had made to match my dress design and not already having found a veil, I knew I had to have it. It was a wonderful and very special experience to deal directly with my dress designer and really made the whole experience quite unique.

What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?

‘Winter Elegance’ – a roaring fire, a beautiful timber book barn, cosy and oozing with love.

What was your favorite moment from the day?

Running through our AFL banner (with the song Holy Grail by Hunters and Collectors playing) into the horas (Jewish dancing that the function begins with).

The banner read “TWO TEAMS, ONE LOVE. STACE & HOBBSY”.

Michael and I bonded over our mutual love of footy and he is a bombers supporter while I am a swan’s supporter. We were both raised on football and I had always joked that I would run through an AFL banner on my wedding day. I had it made by a banner maker in Victoria and shipped to Sydney for the big day.

Also – The groom secretly organised a flash mob for me with his groomsmen (to ‘I want it that way’ by the Backstreet Boys). A few months before the wedding the best man was in a scooter accident and broke his ankle. He was adamant that he would still be able to perform the dance on the night…. And that he did – walking stick, limp and all like a total superstar!

I had no idea what Michael had planned (and choreographed!) and was totally shocked and amazed and laughed hysterically with joy and surprise throughout the whole performance.

Any DIY décor elements?

Our individual, personalised origami paper ‘fortune tellers’ designed, printed and folded by Michael & I were used as an all-in-one place setting, menu and message to guests. We painstakingly printed, cut out and folded 150 individual origami pieces but it was worth it to see the curiosity and delight on our guest’s faces when they opened and read them and realised we had made them all especially for each one of them.

We sourced vases of various shapes, sizes and colours (blue, crystal and gold) from various variety stores and op shops for the table flowers and I made the table numbers from old classic looking children’s books tied together in a bundle to create a holder for the table number.

We also set up a photo booth table with Polaroid cameras, an album and pens for guests to take photos and leave a note as a memory of the night.

If you could do it all over again, what would you change?

Nothing!…… except I would do it earlier so my grandmother could have been there. She was too unwell on the day to come to the wedding and passed away shortly afterwards and I will always think that I shouldn’t have waited a year. Time really is so very precious.

Any tips that you can give to future brides?

Be true to yourselves and chip away at it every week ahead of the wedding. Do your research! There are plenty of DIY projects and fun things you can do together or with friends for the wedding that really give it a personal touch and will definitely save you a lot of money! If there is something you realllly want, be as inventive and creative as you can to achieve it.

As stressful as the wedding planning was sometimes, we were really happy in the end that we had planned the whole wedding ourselves. It meant that our wedding was a true representation of who we are as a couple. The whole day was everything we could have ever imagined and more!

Anything else you’d like to add?

I (Stacey) am Jewish so it was very important to both myself and Michael to incorporate as many of the Jewish traditions into the ceremony as we could. We were married under a chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) borrowed from a friend who was also married under it,  we were both walked down the aisle by both parents, I circled Michael seven times as I entered the chuppah, family members said the seven Jewish wedding blessings, we drank wine from my grandparent’s kiddish wine cup (from my grandparent’s own wedding in 1948), Michael smashed the glass to conclude the ceremony, we signed a traditional Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract); and we danced the horas at the beginning of the wedding function (which were sung by a close friend of ours.

To top it off our close friend Leor became a celebrant especially so he would marry us. It was an incredibly generous and heartfelt gift that we will be forever humbled and grateful for.

Having family and friends involved in the whole day was something that was very important to both of us.

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The Team

Dress: Erin Clare http://www.erinclare.com.au/

Makeup: Nicky Lurie http://www.nickylurie.com.au/

Hair: Hair by Louka https://louka.co/

Shoes: Panache

Accessories: My grandmother’s engagement ring pinned to my bouquet (something old), Pearl earrings (given to me by Michael as a first anniversary present) from Mazal Jewelry (something new), Pearl head piece from my sister in law (something borrowed) & Blue Ostrich feather bolero by Diamante dresses (something blue).

Bridesmaids Dresses: The only request I had for my bridesmaids was to wear a blue dress (my favourite colour) in whichever shade they wanted. Three bought dresses from Alannah Hill and Review and the other two wore dresses they already had. I wanted them to wear something that they felt completely comfortable and beautiful in and that they would wear again.

Grooms Suit: Peter Jackson Menswear

Photographer: Milton Gan http://miltongan.com/

Wedding Invitations: Adorn Invitations https://www.adorninvitations.co.uk

Cake: 3 tier cheese wheel cake by Bendooley Estate

Food: Bendooley Estate

Flowers: Flowers by Emma http://www.flowersbyemma.com/

On The Day Wedding Stationery: http://www.bweddinginvitations.com/

Ceremony Venue: Bendooley Estate Gardens http://www.bendooleyestate.com.au/

Reception Venue: Berkelouw book barn at Bendooley Estate. NSW.

Band: Mike Champion and the Cool https://www.mikechampion.com/weddings-events

AFL entry banner: Milestone Banners http://www.milestonebanners.com.au/

Ketubah / Personalised Jewish Wedding contract: Etsy

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Why Jewelry is the Ultimate Gift for Your Bridesmaids

Trisha Okubo, Designer at Maison Miru

Your wedding day may be your big day, but let’s be real: it takes a village to make your dreams a reality. And more likely than not, your bridesmaids did more than their fair share to make it happen. Your bridesmaids planned your bridal shower (hello, all of the finger sandwiches and little cakes you can eat). They tried on armloads of potentially unflattering dresses under equally unflattering fluorescent dressing room lighting – all without a whiff of complaint. And they signed up to stand by you and attend to your every need on your big day (including, perhaps, holding your dress as you went to the bathroom). How do you thank your best girls for everything they do for you? Give them the gift of jewelry: something that they’ll be able to treasure long after you say “I Do.”

When I was searching for the perfect gift for my bridesmaids, I considered just about everything that I thought they’d love. A luxury spa day? Relaxing and certainly a treat, but it’d have been a repeat of one of our pre-wedding activities, and it’s only ephemerally enjoyable. Dinner at a fancy restaurant? Likewise, it’s fun in the moment, but it’d only last a single evening. A box of chocolate truffles? Delicious, but ultimately not long lasting. A luxurious robe? This fit the bill as a treat that they probably wouldn’t splurge on for themselves, but it’s so hard to get sizing right, and any wearable gift is wrought with potential figure flattery issues. Nobody wants to be the girl who accidentally bought her friend a robe a size too big. Tickets to an event? It’d need to be customized by bridesmaid to match her interests, and it’d be difficult to keep the gift equitable price-wise between bridesmaids. Way too complicated.

But when I hit upon jewelry, I knew I had a winner. Jewelry is the perfect accessory, as it works for everybody without worries about offending people with the wrong size! Jewelry never met a body type it didn’t like, and it doesn’t discriminate. Plus, it’s timeless. Clothing fades and goes in and out of style, but a beautiful piece of jewelry can be treasured for years to come.

Most importantly, jewelry carries the weight of meaning. Jewelry can say things for you that you may find hard to say. Hearts say “I love you,” an eye symbolizes protection, and a moon symbol recalls intuition and clarity. The gift of jewelry is a tangible symbol of your friendship, a piece of love that you can hold in your hand. When you wear it, you’re reminded of all of the things you’ve been through together: staying up until dawn talking about life, that road trip you took right after college with more than a few mishaps (and manhaps!), and how you were lucky enough to share your big day with your best girls in the world.

I got married before I became a jeweler myself, and I ended up commissioning a designer friend to make bespoke friendship necklaces for each of my best girls, as I couldn’t find anything out there that was just right. After I became a jeweler, I set out to design a series of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings imbued with meaning, so that you could choose the right symbol and message for each of your friends. At Maison Miru, I wanted to create a luxurious, adult version of the friendship jewelry that we all exchanged on the playground with our friends – those lanyard style bracelets that we tied on each other, promising each other that we’d always be there for each other. I wanted to create jewelry that could truly be Love Made Visible.


When shopping for your bridesmaids, your budget will help dictate the kind of jewelry you can afford to buy. When looking at jewelry, you’ll want to be aware of metal composition. Be aware of metal allergies – many ladies have allergies to nickel, so you’ll want to look for jewelry that doesn’t contain any nickel. Solid gold (or sterling silver) is the most long lasting, but also by far the most expensive. For brides on a tighter budget, look for gold plated pieces with a thick plating that will extend the life of the jewelry. My goal at Maison Miru was to keep the pieces affordable (weddings can be SO expensive!) – so our series of bridal jewelry features a thick plating of 14k gold over solid brass, all nickel-free. But if you can afford to spend a little more, gold filled pieces (which are similarly gold over a base metal, but must be at least 5% gold) can be a good compromise as well.

If you choose a piece of jewelry that has shared meaning for you and your friend, something that makes you both smile, it’s hard to go wrong. And if you’re very very lucky (as you were, when you found your husband-to-be), you’ll pick a piece that she’ll treasure forever.

Debbie + Felix’s Golden Beach Romance Wedding!

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Our love story goes a little something like this…

Over 12 years ago Felix and I met on a church altar, as he was introduced to me as my new guitar player for a group I was in. (He told me that, I don’t remember lol) We went on to being friends and meeting up occasionally because we had a lot of mutual friends.

Felix says that I stood him up one night (for what was suppose to be our first official date), lol…very true. Because of that, we didn’t speak for a while. Fast forward 5 years, we found a mutual interest, House of Cards. We set up a time to watch it and hang out (the new season was said to be released in 4 months…bummer).

Later that week, we decided to hang out before the season would air. At that time, we haven’t seen each other in 4 months!! We went out, I was on crutches and he was so proud to be with me and my broken foot. I knew it was real from then. That was the official part of the introduction of our love story.

He proposed in Puerto Rico and we got married there as well. Choosing Puerto Rico as our destination wedding location was easy! Puerto Rico is beautiful, rich in culture, rich in activities and the FOOD AMAZING! It was fun, creative, filled with love and epic! One weekend filled with three epic days of activities. From ATV’s, to street fairs, to a large catered dinner at Raices, to the Bacardi Factory tour every detail was carefully thought out. My husband and I even rented a van to keep the traveling parties together (we even tried some singalongs). We created epic pieces like our guest globe and our mad-libs for the guest to share their blessings/date tips with us. The Mr & Mrs sign was a special project that we worked on together as well. It was simple, cute and fun! This Professional DIY Wedding was one for the books!

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Hello!

Who are we you ask? Well you will just have to check back to find out! We are hard at work creating a new look and feel for DIY Bride, but don’t worry it won’t take too long, and we will be back at curating inspiring and gorgeous content very soon. With that being said, welcome to the new DIY Bride! We’re so excited that you’re here.

We are passionate about helping you create your dream wedding and everything leading up to your big day. We want to take some of the work out of your special day so you can spend more time enjoying and less time thinking, planning, and stressing.

You can expect to see tons of beautiful images, tutorials, gift ideas, party planning, timelines, and more. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in seeing, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a post. Also, if you were subscribed before, be sure to sign up again since we don’t have the previous list.

Did you create your own centerpieces, favors, or gown? We want to hear from you! Submit your wedding to be featured as one of our DIY Brides to submissions@diybride.com.

Interested in learning more? Have an idea or suggestion for something you’d like to see us feature? Send us a message at hello@diybride.com, we’d love to hear from you!

We can’t wait to share so much goodness with all of you. Stay tuned!

Help Wanted: Beauty Bloggers

DIY Bride is seeking a few freelance beauty writers to support our small and dedicated editorial team.

The ideal candidate is someone who knows her way around high-end makeup counters and her local drugstore cosmetics aisles. She has an arsenal of solutions for common beauty problems, follows bridal beauty trends, and can community with readers in a clear-but-engaging style.

As our readership is very diverse, we’re looking for writers who are experienced with (or specialize in) women of all colors and ethnicities. We’re also seeking writers who specialize in hair, nails, and skincare.

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Responsibilities:

  • Write beauty posts including (but not limited to): how-tos, product round-ups, product reviews, new beauty launches as they relate to the millennial bridal market.
  • Pitch beauty story ideas.
  • File stories with compelling copy, web-friendly headlines and well-photographed images.

 

Qualifications:

  • A minimum of 1 year producing beauty content for the web.
  • Knowledge of WordPress.
  • Makeup, hair and/or nails expertise.
  • Excellent photography skills.
  • Strong communication skills.

This is a contract, work-from-anywhere position.

 

To apply:

Please include your resume, a link to your clips/online presence, and the following editorial test, in lieu of a cover letter:

Today is your first day at DIY Bride and you are asked to write a beauty “How To” that our bridal readers will click on today, share with friends on social, and actually try later. Please include a click-worthy headline, a detailed description of what the post will cover, and how you would execute it (images, video, interviews, resources). Let us know what caption you would use to promote it on social.

Email to jobs@diybride.com

 

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