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.
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!!
Megan and Mark we some of the cutest people ever. When we met up for their engagement session, they were so nervous, but so excited to be on this journey together.
When getting to know them, I resized they loved to eat and drink, but then again, who doesn’t? Right?
They laugh all the time, they laugh when they are together, they laugh when they are apart… they truly just enjoy life and enjoy each other.
They got married in a family members back yard with a beautiful view.
Directly after an intimate ceremony, Mark & Megan had a photo session and then they were off to their favorite restaurant, for a thanksgiving feast and coffee…. yes coffee.
Many of the details from this day include Megan & Marks favorite things. Incorporating their unique personalities allowed the guest to enjoy their love stories and learn more about them!
Megan and Mark we some of the cutest people ever. When we met up for their engagement session, they were so nervous, but so excited to be on this journey together.
When getting to know them, I resized they loved to eat and drink, but then again, who doesn’t? Right?
They laugh all the time, they laugh when they are together, they laugh when they are apart… they truly just enjoy life and enjoy each other.
They got married in a family members back yard with a beautiful view.
Directly after an intimate ceremony, Mark & Megan had a photo session and then they were off to their favorite restaurant, for a thanksgiving feast and coffee…. yes coffee.
Well, ladies and bride-to-be out there, I know you’ll agree with if I say that one of the most time consuming part of your wedding planning and preparation includes choosing your wedding dress. Will you go for something sleek and simple?A traditional long flowing gown or a princess type ball gown?
Wait! Don’t forget your veil! How long would you like it to be? The trim style? Will it be beaded? Glittery? Or Embroidered? As a DIY Bride, choosing your gown and veil will surely be difficult. But luckily, Anomalie is here to save gorgeous brides out there!
ANOMALIE
“Here at Anomalie, we value what the modern-day bride is interested in which is affordability and customization. Through a new process, we are able to provide our customers exactly what they are wanting in terms of their veil needs at an unbeatable price through our new veil product launch. ”
Utilizing their resources and abilities to provide luxury veils at a fraction of the cost of their competitors, Anomalie is slashing boutique overhead and designer markups to deliver handcrafted veils in a smarter way.
With the new collection, Anomalie is catering to the style of all brides, offering veils with the choice of six different trims, including beading, lace, and a raw edge, 3 different lengths (fingertip, court, and cathedral), and the option to add blusher to the style.
The veil collection offers six unique trim options:
Oopsie Daisy, inspired by Meghan Markle showcases modern and bold florals with a delicate edge.
Vintage Vines, that incorporates guipure cotton lace for the classic boho bride.
V
Royal Treatment, offers a wide chantilly trim.
Royal Treatment, offers a wide chantilly trim.
Simply Scalloped, has scalloped lace edge overlaid with a delicate floral pattern.
Simply Scalloped, has scalloped lace edge overlaid with a delicate floral pattern.
Hint of Sparkle, is a 1/2″ beaded trim with a glittery combination of hand-sewn sequins, pearls, an beads.
Tulle Have and to Hold which is a classic tulle veil with a raw cut edge.
Tulle Have and To Hold which is a classic tulle veil with a raw edge.
About Anomalie
Anomalie is the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer custom wedding dress company. Their mission is to bring more value to the wedding dress shopping experience for any body type and wedding style at an affordable price point, starting at $1,000. Anomalie arrived on the wedding scene in 2016 and within in the last year, eight percent of US brides have contact Anomalie about creating a wedding dress. Anomalie caters to the ‘Smart Savvy Bride’ who can’t find the perfect dress.
The company was founded by Leslie Voorhees and Calley Means , two Harvard Business School classmates. While in the midst of planning their own wedding, Leslie became disheartened with the entire wedding dress shopping experience from the lack of options to the insane designer markups, she knew there had to be a better solution. When she couldn’t find one, she created her own and Anomalie was born. With a team consisting of former executives from David’s Bridal, Vera Wang, Stitch Fix, Airbnb, Google and Apple, Anomalie’s new line has been funded by the early backers or Warby Parker, Stitch Fix, Allbirds and Glossier.
Another couple showed us again that distance isn’t really a big problem when you’re truly in love with each other. Love will truly find its way. Abirami and Dilshan, after meeting and falling in love while they are both working in Deloitte, maintained a long distance relationship.
But, the distance was simply too much. Dilshan decided to propose to Abirami by surprising her at her apartment – on one knee, holding a beautiful diamond ring. And after the wonderful proposal is a magnificent wedding, full of vibrancy, vivacity and colors- all inspired by their South Indian and Sri Lankan cultures.
Abirami and Dilshan Real Wedding
Our Favorite Moments of the Wedding…
Our favorite moment was when we first saw each other at the Hindu wedding, we could not stop grinning at each other. We were completely oblivious to all the wedding commotion happening around us.
We had the most fun…
We had epic levels of fun during our first dance. We had choreographed a special number to the song You Give Me something by Jamiroquai, which incorporated plenty of twirls to show off my layered lehenga skirt. It was such an upbeat way to open up the dance floor for the evening.
I cried when…
I was overcome with emotion during my Reception speech as I looked around the room at our family and closest friends. We were grateful beyond measure to have so many loved ones celebrating our love with us.
My wedding Style was…
Modern and elegant, staying true to key traditional elements.
It was most important to me that…
Making sure that our personality as a couple was reflected in our wedding events. We wanted to keep things simple, fun and above all, we wanted our loved ones to relax and enjoy the celebrations.
Most Valuable Advice for Future Brides?
Make decisions together and back each other. With Indian weddings, it’s not unusual to find yourself in a position where you feel like you need to balance everyone’s views on how things should be. Make sure you prioritize own vision as a couple, above all else.
take it all in. Your wedding day will fly by in the blink of an eye. Make sure you have mediative moments to revel in the energy, the love and the fun of your wedding day.
Look at the bigger picture. There will be things that go wrong. Despite all the meticulous planning. On your wedding day, just breather and let these little issues pass. After all, the day is only as fun as you make it!
Communicate your vision with confidence. Don’t be shy to articulate your wish list with suppliers. They’ve seen it all before and can provide valuable advice. When possible, meet with your suppliers in person. Putting a face to a name will help with all your subsequent dealings.
About the Couple
How we met
We both met in our graduate year at Deloitte. Our first meeting could not have been more unromantic. Despite us having very contrasting personalities, we became good friends over the year. It took a long time for us to admit our feelings, despite our closest friends subconsciously pushing us towards each other. Our friendship evolved into love, and as they say, “The rest is history.”
When I knew he was the one
We both knew that we had a good thing quite early on into our relationship. We were good friends before we started dating, which made us comfortable around each other, whether it be acting the fool, debating those serious topics, or laughing out loud at a good dad jokes.
Marriage to us means
This line from RM Drake beautifully captures what love means to us: “Love is a touch of magic and a handful of dreams.” To us, marriage celebrates this love for a lifetime.
The Proposal
During the year leading up to our engagement, Dilshan had moved to Melbourne for work. At that time, we had both met each other’s parents and we were starting to discuss the prospects of sharing our lives together. Out six-year anniversary came and went. We had a romantic dinner reflecting back on our relationship. A mid-dinner call from my father to Dilshan’s phone did arouse my sneaky suspicions, but, at the end of the evening, there was still no proposal, nor a ring.
A couple of weeks later, my girl friends wanted to organise a catch up at my apartment, but little did I know that Dilshan was orchestrating this ‘catch-up’ behind the scenes. Friday night came, and the girls played their roles well, routinely texting me saying they were on the way. When the doorbell rang, I buzzed the girls up and was busy doing some last minute frantic cleaning. I was mid-way through unloading my dishwasher and in bursts Dilshan, who had secretly flown in from Melbourne that afternoon!
I was in such as state of shock that I didn’t even register the fact that he was down on one knee, holding his hand the most beautiful diamond wedding ring, set in a rose gold band (exactly like the one I had dropped so many hints about). When it all finally sunk in, of course, the answer was yes! I did love that he was successfully able to outwit my cluey and suspicious nature. He told me to pack an overnight bag and whisked me away to a romantic dinner at Flying Fish Jones Bay Wharf, which boasted magnificent views of Sydney harbor.
The Details
Wedding Planning
13 months seems like ample time to plan a wedding, but time literally flies. We enjoyed our post-engagement bliss for one month before locking in a venue. We had attended many friends’ weddings and had a fair idea about Sydney wedding venues. The only challenge was trying to coordinate auspicious dates with our pundit and the availability of our preferred venues. As a result of the to and fro, and because we wanted to celebrate both my South Indian Hindu background and Dilshan’s Sri Lankan Buddhist faith, we ended up having our Hindu wedding on a Sunday and our Buddhist wedding on the following Friday. A Friday Reception worked out well in hindsight as a nice gate-opener to the weekend. Securing suppliers for Sundays and Fridays is generally a lot easier than Saturdays. The gap between the two events worked well in terms of planning unique elements for each event.
We prioritized all the major wedding decisions using a checklist we found online. We retained all the key decision making on the major wedding items – venues, outfits, photography, and décor, whilst delegating smaller tasks to family and friends. Tasks we delegated include transport, place cards, wedding favors, wishing well setup and pre-wedding events. We left all the ceremonial ritual aspects to our parents. As a couple, we made final decisions on smaller tasks as necessary.
Key Professionals INVITATIONS: We ordered all of our wedding stationery from B Wedding Invitations. I was obsessed with laser cut details at the time, and they have so many beautiful designs we could choose from. I was even able to send them an image of Ganesh, which they imprinted with ease.
PHOTO & VIDEO: We secured photography and videography services with Splendid Photos & Video. We really thought outside the box in relation to booking wedding professionals (ie. not just Indian suppliers). Splendid sat down with us prior to our wedding days in order to understand the nuances of our respective cultural ceremonies. We were also given a reasonable quote for bundling both photo and video services across two full event days. They were professional and creative and gave us plenty of direction on the day.
HAIR & MAKEUP: Hair and makeup are important to lock in early. I had my heart set on Gather and Stitch Beauty, after hearing so many positive reviews from my close friends. The G&S team was a pleasure to work with. Not only were they fun, they made us all look wow, and were instrumental in keeping me cool, calm and collected on the big day.
Wedding Shopping
With about four days of leave, I had just enough time to do some wedding shopping in Chennai, since my family had good local knowledge of stores, tailors, and jewelers in the city.
During my three shopping days, I prioritized clothing over accessories, as I already had quite the collection of temple jewelry from SukraJewellers and GRT Jewellers, being a Bharatanatyam dancer. I also had plenty of antique gold and kundan pieces I had accumulated over the years from markets and stores in India.
Ideally, I would have loved to have swung by Mumbai to pick out Reception outfits. However, without the time, I took to Instagram and discovered Carma, an India-based online store, which curates bridal outfits and accessories from a range of Indian designers. Upon my initial inquiry, they assigned me a dedicated sales assistant via WhatsApp. They were extremely professional and went above and beyond to help me source the perfect outfit for my reception by liaising with designers and communicating customization requirements.
Some designers were more flexible than others. I had a difficult time finding a pure white saree for the Buddhist ceremony. I had my heart set on a Sabyasachi saree but they were unwilling to customize the colors of their designs. I then discovered Shyamal&Bhumika. I just loved their signature antique gold floral embroidery work. All their designs are fully customizable in terms of color and style. I liaised with them via WhatsApp and FaceTime to customize my pieces.
I was very lucky, as the fitting was perfect for all the items I ordered online. I had a tailor in Sydney take my measurements correctly before passing them on to the designers via WhatsApp.
TIP: I did have one touch-and-go situation with Shyamal&Bhumika when their definition of ivory was closer to gold than white, which is different to what we know to be ivory here in Australia. I luckily caught onto this before confirming the final order. To keep things simple, I told them to simply customize the saree to white, rather than get into the complications of shades of white.
Wedding Events
Wedding events took place at the beginning of September 2016 in Sydney, followed by an overseas Reception in Colombo, Sri Lanka in December:
VENUE: My family lives in Canberra so in order to accommodate our international guests here in Sydney, we rented a rockin’ holiday home at North Curl Curl via Stayz, just a stone’s throw away from the beach. The garden at the home provided a beautiful canvas to channel all things Boheme.
DECOR: We did all the styling on our own. I bought silk florals and cascading greens from Spotlight; outdoor furniture and cushions from Ikea and used some playful decor found around the house to create a relaxed outdoor environment for the girls. The sun was shining bright but it was still a chilly September day so we created a warm outdoor cocoon using a king size quilt.
FOOD & DRINKS: I wanted my guests to enjoy a hearty South Indian lunch so Taj Caterers was able to set up an outdoor kitchen serving hot crispy dosas fresh off the stove! Our guests kept going back for more and more, just like we wanted.
ABI’S OUTFIT: Beige cropped anarkali with antique gold floral embroidery by Shyamal&Bhumika.
South Indian Wedding
THEME: Modern, elegant with traditional Indian elements.
VENUE: Both Dilshan and I are the eldest siblings and the first to get married in our respective families, so we needed to find a venue that could accommodate a large number of guests. We also wanted to find a venue where our guests could enjoy indoor and outdoor spaces. The gardens at Miramare Gardens are just divine. We opted for an indoor ceremony, as we were concerned about the unpredictable weather in Spring. After the conclusion of the ceremony, our guests moved to the outdoor area to enjoy the gardens.
FOOD & DRINK: Surjit’s Indian Restaurant did a great job with all the catering. Our wedding ceremony had a small intermission of 30 minutes while I was changing into my bridal saree. This allowed our guests to move to the foyer area to stretch their legs and socialize. Guests were served innovative Indian cocktail-style entrees with a twist, thanks to Rasan from Surjits. After the ceremony, lunch was in the usual buffet format but Surjits worked collaboratively with us to select a balanced menu.
HIGHLIGHTS: When Dilshan tied the thaali around my neck, the energy of that moment was unforgettable. So many significant things were happening in tandem, the priest chanting vedic mantras, our loved ones showering flowers on us, and the Carnatic music reaching a crescendo. It beautifully captured the vibrant essence and ritual symbolism of a Hindu wedding.
South Indian Wedding Decor
Irene from VIP Decorating did all the styling in the ballroom. She was able to bring to life my vision of reflecting elements of the gardens indoors, with florals and greens decking the top of the mandap structure and delicate crimson drapes edged with vines. The ceremony section of the ballroom was set up in a theater style with chairs facing the mandap.
In the dining space, we opted for long rows of dining tables, which looked nicer than round tables in the large space. The centerpieces provided by the venue were very eclectic with fresh white florals in mismatched glass vases, dispersed along the tables in a non-orderly fashion. Irene also added tea lights and vines in between the vases to add touches of the garden theme to the dining area.
South Indian Wedding Look
ABI’S OUTFIT: I bought both my kanchipuram silk sarees from Sundari Silks, which is a popular boutique saree store in Chennai. Their designs are unique and elegant. They have plenty of silk weaves in deep jewel tone hues, which were my favorite. I chose two sarees in deep tones of purple and a more traditional, crimson – noyh with pure gold zari thread work. I didn’t want anything over the top since less is always more.
JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES: South Indian temple jewelry from SukraJewellers and GRTJewellers. I made my own saree belts using zari borders, elastic and gold pearl trims.
SHOES: Shimmery gold pumps from Nine West.
HAIR & MAKEUP: Gather and Stitch Beauty.
DILSHAN’S OUTFIT: Cream brocade sherwani with maroon velvet embroidery details, along with a matching chunni, turban and chappals, all from Manyavar.
BRIDAL PARTY: Our bridal party comprised of some of our closest friends and we wanted to make sure they were also dressed to the nines. For the Hindu wedding, I gifted my bridesmaids with more traditional Mysore crepe silk sarees from Nalli Silks. I loved the teal green with contrast maroon zari borders and saree blouses, which tied-in with the shade of my bridal saree.
Sri Lankan Wedding & Reception
THEME: Modern and elegant with vintage touches.
VENUE: We chose Sergeants Mess as we had been to a couple of weddings there and we both fell in love with the elegance of the venue. Sergeants Mess is one of Sydney’s most coveted wedding venues, boasting incredible views of Chowder Bay. Our guests were able to move between the indoor and outdoor spaces with ease, and that’s the sort of relaxed vibe we wanted to create for the evening. The team at Sergeant’s Mess were incredibly professional, we didn’t have to worry about a thing on the day, they ran everything like clockwork.
HIGHLIGHTS: The Poruwa ceremony was set against the beautiful backdrop of Chowder Bay. Dilshan’s family set up the Poruwa structure beautifully, in the traditional style. Elegant Kandyan dancers and drummers led the bride and groom processions to the Poruwa. After the ceremony, Dilshan and I lit the traditional oil lamp as a couple and released doves over the water. The Ceremony as followed by Reception at the venue.
Our entrance was to Happy by Pharrell Williams, which set a really upbeat tone to the evening. For our first dance, we chose the song You Give Me Something by Jamiroquai. We wanted to open the dance floor with something fun and unique to celebrate how we are as a couple. Our getaway song was Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay, poetically sending us off into the star-filled night sky.
Sri Lankan Wedding & Reception Decor
DECOR: Drosia from Flowers by Drosia dressed up our venue with white florals and cascading greens. For the bridal table, we opted for a lush floral hedge. For the centerpieces, we wanted that touch of vintage, choosing golden candelabras with cascading florals down the stems. Drosia also created an entrance feature for us with florals and vintage candleholders. The decor was perfect and not overdone, letting the elegance of the venue shine through.
SOUND & LIGHTING: Music and lighting tech for the evening was provided by Systematic Solutions. Jana has an extensive music library and was able to switch seamlessly between chart-toppers, old school, Bollywood, and baila to cater to all our guests. We were able to consult prior to the event to make sure songs we wanted on the list were included and musical cues were set for key moments. A good DJ sets the vibe for the entire evening and we couldn’t have been happier to have the professional services of Systematic Solutions.
CAKE: We ordered our wedding cake from Paintbrush Patisserie. We wanted something elegant to tie in with the venue and decor. Our cake was a three-tier vintage beauty with embossed florals with a single statement sugar peony on top. In terms of flavors, we chose coconut with white chocolate icing. She has an extensive range of flavors to choose from and can make cakes in any design you like.
Sri Lankan Wedding & Reception Look
ABI’S OUTFIT: For the Poruwa Ceremony, I wore a beautiful customized white net saree with rose gold floral embroidered borders by Shyamal&Bhumika. The final touch was the white lace blouse I had custom made by Gather and Stitch Couture, which paired perfectly with the white saree.
For the Reception, I fell in love with a modern layered lace lehenga skirt with floral thread work in a beautiful shade of scarlet red by RidhimaBhasin at Carma. I paired this with a Shyamal&Bhumika raw silk blouse with antique gold floral patta work.
JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES: Kundan accessories I’ve accumulated over the years along with pearl and kundan bracelets by Suhana Art & Jewels and a RidhimaBhasin embroidered leather belt, both via Carma.
SHOES: Open-toe nude pumps by Nine West.
HAIR & MAKEUP: Gather and Stitch Beauty.
DILSHAN’S OUTFIT: A navy blue Joe Black suit from David Jones. Formal shoes from Aldo and quirky cufflinks from Malebox.
BRIDAL PARTY: The bridesmaids wore purple chiffon sarees edged with pearl borders, together with gold brocade blouses. These were sourced online from Vogue Loving via Instagram. The owner is based in Gujarat and can liaise with local tailors to customize sarees in a variety of designs, fabrics, and colors.
The boys looked very dapper in tailored navy blue suits from Myer. The red silk ties and pocket squares were also sourced from Myer.
Overseas Reception Soiree
ABI’S OUTFIT: Payal Singhal silk mul lehenga saree in peacock blue with gold/silver embroidery work via Carma.
JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES: Gold jhumka and bangles I picked up from Indian markets over the years, and a funky gold phoenix clutch by TariniNirula.
HAIR & MAKEUP: Myself.
Vendors:
Venue
Miramare Gardens – http://www.miramaregardens.com.au
Sergeants Mess
The Kingsbury Hotel
Photography/ Cinematography
Splendid Photos & Video – http://splendid.net.au
Invitations & Stationary
BWedding Invitations–www.bweddinginvitations.com
Printing:
InkTank Printing.com- www.inktankprinting.com
Decor
VIP Decorating – http://www.vipdecorating.com.au
Flowers by Drosia
Miramare Gardens
DIY
Bride’s Outfits
Shyamal&Bhumika – http://www.shyamalbhumika.com
Sundari Silks
RidhimaBhasin
Gather and Stitch Couture – http://www.gatherandstitch.com
Payal Singhal
Carma
Bride’s Jewelry
SukraJewellers
GRT Jewellers
Suhana Art & Jewels
Carma
Bride’s Accessories
TariniNirula – http://www.tarininirula.in
Bride’s Shoes
Nine West – https://www.ninewest.com
Hair & Makeup
Gather and Stitch Beauty
Henna Artist
Reema’s Henna Designs
Groom’s Outfits
Manyavar
Joe Black – https://joeblack.com.au
David Jones
Groom’s Accessories
Manyavar
Malebox
Groom’s Shoes
Manyavar
Aldo – https://www.aldoshoes.com
Bridesmaids Outfits
Nalli Silks
Vogue Loving – https://www.facebook.com/VogueLoving/
Groomsmen Outfits
Myer – https://www.myer.com.au
DJ & Live Music
Systematic Solutions
Catering
Surjit’s Indian Restaurant
Taj Caterers
Cake
Paintbrush Patisserie
Transport
JC Limousines – http://www.jclimousines.com.au
When it comes to planning weddings, design is the fun part. Whether you’ve had an idea of what you want since you were a little girl or you’re inspired by things you’ve seen recently, design is your chance to put it all together and create a day that feels like you. But it can also be stressful. Really stressful. Because when it comes to design, the possibilities are endless — which is definitely a blessing and a curse. Luckily, following a few guidelines can help ensure that your day is perfect for you. Here are the major mistakes you want to avoid when designing your wedding.
Choosing Items That Aren’t In Season Or Are Hard To Find
You really need to think about when your wedding is — and where it is — when you start on your design. Sunflowers in the middle of a New England winter won’t just be impossible to find, they’ll also probably just look out of place. Asking a wedding planner or local vendors about what they recommend can be a huge help in finding out what is easy to source. Trust me, it will make your life way easier.
Falling Into The Latest Pinterest Craze
I know — it all looks so beautiful, right? You go to Pinterest and there are endless stunning options for your wedding. They all look elegant. They all look simple. And many look really to DIY. Don’t believe it.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind with Pinterest — the first is that it’s way too easy to see and pick designs that are outside of your budget. It can drive a bride crazy if you sit there sifting through hundreds of options that you just can’t afford. Don’t stress yourself out — there are plenty of ways to have an amazing wedding, no matter what your budget is.
The second thing to bear in mind is that there’s just so much to see on Pinterest that you can get overwhelmed. You don’t want your wedding design to turn into a total mish-mash of every latest trend and crazy fad. Instead, focus on a few design elements that feel true to you.
3. Doing What Everybody Else Does
Finally — and most importantly — be unique. You may have been to some weddings in the past that looked beautiful, but this is your wedding. Sure, you can use other ceremonies for your design inspiration, but, ultimately, this is your day. So make it about you. Someone can have a stunning, lovely wedding — but that doesn’t mean it’s representative of you or your relationship. You want it to be as original and fresh as your love is.
Designing your wedding can be the most fun part of wedding planning, but it can also be overwhelming. Sticking with ideas that are easy to source, within budget, and, most importantly, special will help you create the perfect day that’s unique to the two of you.
No matter how large or small your wedding party, giving each participant a token of appreciation is a tradition worthy of upholding. The size and cost of the gift really doesn’t matter, so long as the gift shows genuine gratitude for being part of your wedding. And most importantly, selecting gifts for the wedding party doesn’t have to create more stress in your wedding planning process. If something unique products and on the latest trends is the idea you’d like to go for your bridal party gifts, you can check My Wed Style. Start shopping now to find the perfect gifts for your groomsmen and bridesmaids. And not all that, they also offering unique products designed by them and personalized by you isn’t that exciting well at least you can put your personal touch to your gift just to make it more meaningful to them.
This site My Wed Style is highly recommended to the future Brides-to-be’s. Wedding is the most important event in your life, so you must also treat the people who make your wedding possible and memorable. And their mission to make their customer happy and seeing them smile specially the Brides and Grooms. And their passion to make sure that each and everyone has a wonderful and unique shopping experience while their on this website.
And the most important is that you find your perfect compliment to your wedding style. When you visit My Wed Style site you will feel special why? Because they make it easy for you to find the most stylish, unique, and fun wedding items out there. They are passionate about hand picking unique vendors and designers, and then curating their best products right here in this site. They spent a lot of time finding them, so you don’t have to. It’s like that searching the most stylish and lovely wedding products they can possibly find anywhere and them bring them here and making them available to their most amazing brides and grooms.
Here’s some of the personalized gift ideas and they are the best sellers.
Robes
First on the list that you can give to your special bridesmaid. Robes make great gifts, and you can all use them as you prepare for the ceremony as the wedding photographer snaps away.
Necklace
Accessories, on the other hand, are pretty and useful gifts that your entourage can wear on your wedding day.
Sunglasses
You can opt to give different gifts for each bridesmaid, but it will be a lot easier to come up with a special gift that you can customize and give out to the bridal party. One of them is these stunning personalized sunglasses.
Mini Bottle Flavors
Customize your Mini Liquor Bottles and use them as the most bad-ass wedding favors ever! Add custom labels to mini liquor bottles and give your guests something to truly appreciate.
Wedding Tank Tops
These are the perfect stylish shirts for the Bachelor Party or just hitting up the Bridal Expos with your girls! My Wed Style ribbed tanks use the best quality of crystals, so all of the items are sparkly and shiny! (The cheaper versions you see sold use dull, flat stones and are poor quality.)
Our I Love My Wife T-Shirts are absolutely adorable for those loving married couples. For white shirts the text color comes in black.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sure, everyone is excited when it comes to their wedding day. It’s that special day in your life when you’re celebrating the love between you and the person you’re about to marry. Of course, you want everything to be perfect so it will be a wonderful memory to recall for many years to come. A marriage ceremony means gathering your good friends, family and loved ones and sharing wonderful moments with them accompanied with snazzy tunes, tasty treats and an enchanting atmosphere.
Planning a wedding, however, also involves endless details, deadlines, stressful situations and not to mention the expenses. But is it possible to plan a wedding party that will create memories for a lifetime without robbing a bank? 🙂 No need to worry, the answer is yes. There are plenty creative ways to save money and organize the perfect wedding on a budget. And here are a few tips on how to succeed in that endeavour.
Firstly, instead of renting a building or hall for the ceremony, you might consider organizing the wedding party in your house, or the house of a parent. It will surely save you a lot of money. You just need to decorate the place and voila, you’ve resolved number one on your wedding planning list.
As for decorations and all the small details which seem to be cheap, but actually cost a small fortune, here is Labeley, a free online label creator, that will help you save a lot of time and money.
Use Labeley to Create:
House Decorations
An important part of every party is decorating the house or any other place where the wedding will take place. Labeley can come in handy for creating various types of labels that can be used for creating wedding banners. Just create a few designs, attach labels to a string and hang the banner above the doorway or loop it around a bannister.
Instead of spending a lot of money on flowers, you can just pick a few flowers from a garden and and place them around the house. You can also create some labels with love notes and decorate the flowers with them.
Invitations
With a home printer and Labeley, you can create stylish invitations without any expenses. The tool offers so many different forms, backgrounds, colors, fonts, graphics etc. Just play a little and create the best design for your wedding invitation.
Food and Beverage Decorations
Food and drinks are also important for a good celebration. You can, of course, decide to order catering from a restaurant, but you can also ask for help from your family. They can prepare the food and you can decorate it. Again, Labeley is here to help. Create some fun notes and use them to decorate the dishes. As for the drinks, imagine how thrilled the guests will be when they see drinks labeled with beautiful wedding-themed labels.
Escort/ Place/ Table cards
Once you figured out who is seating where, you’ll need cards to help your guests find their spots. Labeley can help you create a set of escort, place and table cards with the same style. Place fun escort cards at the entrance of the reception room, colorful table cards that identify the tables and place cards at specific seats so guests know where to seat.
“Advertising cards” in exchange for reduced rates
A wedding is not a wedding without music or photographers, which can be very expensive, of course. What if you try to make a deal with them for a discount and offer to advertise them in exchange? Labeley can help you create small cards with all the service information and put it at every person’s sitting place. Businesses will gladly take this opportunity and you’ll save a few more dollars.
Decorating gifts
Although giving gifts to bridesmaids and groomsmen is considered a custom, writing them special “Thank you” notes can be even more sentimental. Think of what the notes might look like and create them with Labeley. The guests will appreciate your effort to create something unique for them.
Hopefully, these tips will help you plan your wedding with pleasure and without stressful situations. The tool offers many elements for custom label designs, such as wide range of shapes, variety of free borders, ribbons, graphics and fonts and an option to fully personalize the label by uploading any photo from your computer. Just visit Labeley.com and start designing the wedding from your dreams.
Over the moon to share one of our October weddings with y’all. Since the beginning of 2016 I have had the pleasure to work with the mother of the bride for this fun, rustic wedding at Hideaway Lake in Carrier, Mississippi. When I asked Jessica the bride what the inspiration behind the wedding day she said, “I told my mother that I wanted Vintage Chic, she incorporated that along with more than I could have dreamed of, and it came together beautifully.”
Fun fact is that Jessica and Joey met at in kindergarten at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Pleasant Hill, CA. They were very close friends for 16 years before the two decided to start dating in July of 2007. Joey proposed on their 8 year anniversary at the same location he asked Jessica to be his girlfriend, at a lookout point in Berkeley, CA called Fish Ranch Road. It has a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay and is stunning at night time lit up by all the cities lights. I mean, how precious!
We asked Jessica for some future advice for brides planning, “Think of what you are envisioning for your day. Mixing and matching Vintage, Rustic, Chic can be so romantic and there are so many ways to put a fun twist on it. The possibilities are endless…”
Favorite Memories of the Day: We had a lot of wonderful memories from our Wedding Day!
#1.) Seeing the look on his face when he saw me for the first time walking down the aisle. It seriously felt like no one else was there except for us. Sort of like tunnel vision.
#2.) We loved lighting off Chinese Lanterns down on the beach when it got dark out. It was a fun activity for everyone to do and made for beautiful photos.
#3.) Having so many of our friends and family fly/drive out to Mississippi from all over the country to celebrate with us. It was awesome that people were willing to make the trip, to a place most of them had never been before, just to see us get married. We felt so much love and support on our Wedding Day.
Wedding Vendors:
Photographer: Magnolias + Honey – Brittany Bostick
Event planner: Lori Bennett – Mother of the Bride
Florist: Picayune Florist – Ms. Mary Ellen
Vintage Rentals: Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals
Invites – Wedding Paper Divas
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Waters Edge – Hideaway Lake
Catering: Waters Edge – Hideaway Lake – Chef: Ginger
Cake: Paul’s Pastry
Cake topper: Leanne Madeline Boutique – Etsy
Entertainment: Donny Pascal – Diamond Productions
Decorative Elements: Sip Sip Hooray Cocktail Napkins, Eucalyptus Garlands, Lanterns, Lace Mobiles
Wedding favors: Coffee Bags – Mavora – Etsy / Personalized Coozies – CuteSayings – Etsy
Signage: Welcome Sign – OAKYdesigns – Etsy
Ringbearer Sign – SBWmonogramsdesigns – Etsy
Thanks y’all sign – ZcreateDesign – Etsy
Bar Sign w/Signature Drinks & Menu – Made by the Matron of Honor: Courtney Sinosky
Window Frame Sign with Important Dates – Made by the Matron of Honor: Courtney Sinosky
Love is Sweet Cake Stand – Made by HomesteadTraditions – Etsy
Bridal gown: Gesinee’s Bridal in Concord, CA
Hair piece: Picayune Florist (succulent hair piece)
Garter: FalabellaBridal – Etsy
Shoes: Brides Barefoot Sandals – FULYAK – Etsy
Accessories: Brides Earrings – GlamorousBijoux – Etsy
Hair: Valerie Hawkins
Makeup: Matron of Honor – Courtney Sinosky
Bridesmaid dresses: Gesinee’s Bridal
Bridesmaid gifts: Jewelry, Barefoot Sandals and “Getting Ready Robes”
Suit: Men’s Warehouse – Walnut Creek, CA
Shoes: Sperry
