Olivia and Nathan

Olivia & Nathan

I’m always excited to have a venue or a photographer we’ve never featured before on Polka Dot Bride and today’s is a double header because we have a fresh venue and a fresh photographer making their first wedding appearances!

Today’s wedding is the beautiful Autumn celebration of Olivia and Nathan- it has everything I love about Australian weddings- lots of smiles and laughter, elegance and the laid back beautiful style that Australians know how to execute so perfectly!

Olivia shared the story of how she & Nathan came to be. “Eight years ago as nineteen year olds we met at a dinner date through friends – my girlfriend was asked out by Nathan’s best friend and we went along with other friends to break the ice between the new lovers – lucky for us it was love at first sight and we have been together ever since.”

Luisa Brimble of Serendipity Corner Photography is today’s photographer. I’ve been dreaming over Luisa’s work for a little while now, because there is well – a dreaminess to it that captures the mood and feeling of her events with such beauty.

Olivia carried a dusty pink and white bouquet by GrandiFlora. Her makeup was by Stoj and her gown by Sydney designer, Helen English. She says “I had never had a dress made before so I was anxious about choosing a style and hoping that it would look great without trying it on but Helen was so calming and confident about our ideas that I felt completely at ease and had the most fun dancing around her beautiful terrace studio in a calico dress full of pins! Helen loved the new design so much that it is now part of her collection as the Olivia dress”.

Olivia styled the event herself and has now launched her own event styling business Mrs Bentwood.  She created the stationery herself along with the decorations with her essential elements of, ” The Bentwood chair + Linen fabric + Brown paper + Natural timber + Huge balloons”. The ceremony was decorated with a welcome sign (made by Olivia’s sister and husband from a fallen down tree on their farm), a rose petal aisle, pails of roses and masses of white balloons.

Olivia’s bridesmaids wore blush pink gowns from (now closed) Rose & Ruby while Nathan and his groomsmen wore suits from Hugo Boss.

Olivia & Nathan married in the rose gardens at Sydney’s Centennial Park. Olivia says “A park not far from home, we spend many Sundays reading the paper in the shade of the trees we got married under. And in the days to come it will be here for our family to enjoy and for us to visit when we’re feeling sentimental.” Olivia walked down the aisle with her best friend, her sister and arm in arm with her little brother to “”Down to the River to Pray” by Paris Wells  from Brother Where Art Thou?

After a glass of champagne and some photos in the gardens, Olivia and Nathan joined their guests in the park’s restaurant. Olivia put her own special touch on the reception held at Centennial Parklands Dining. Olivia says “With the creative direction of my sister (matron of honour), my sister-in-law  (who flew in from Boston) and my best friend (who flew in from Paris) we crafted invitations, ceremony booklets, menus, cute blackboard signs around the venue, cootie catchers for the tables and the most beautiful seating plan using screen printed linen that I bought extra meters of to upholster a chair or bed head or cushions in our new home one day.”

Simmone Logue made a two tier white cake which was topped with metallic birds. Olivia loved that somehow Nathan got the most “kisses” from the cootie catcher.

For their guestbook, Olivia worked with Luisa to create a Polaroid booth where guests snapped their photos and wrote heartfelt messages. Olivia decorated the reception with her favourite things “The relaxed rose and snow-berry arrangements, masses of festoon lights, long linen table runners, and my favourite bentwood chairs made to restaurant look so dreamy – it was just perfect.”

The first dance was a particularly memorable moment for Olivia “Nathan chose Coldplay’s ‘Til Kingdom Come” and as he asked his new wife to dance after his speech and as the guitar strums started my tears started rolling  – I was a hopeless dancer but loved every second, shuffling around the dance floor laughing and crying together.”

Family made the day so very special to the newlyweds. “All my family are from Perth and they flew into Sydney for us all to be together – it was like Christmas having everyone in the same place – so we went on a harbour cruise the day before the wedding and I think that was the best thing – to just get some sun, relax and not worry about anything – whatever we didn’t get finished was not a big deal – it was just so great to have all the family together in our beautiful city Sydney!”

Guests danced all night to music by The Secondhand Band- Olivia remembers thinking it was almost over but looking at the clock and realising it was only 10pm! She says “I loved dancing the night away with my 80 year old Nan & Pop there until the last song and then hitching a ride home with us in the wedding car”.

A big thank you to Olivia and Nathan for sharing their wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Wonderful wishes to you both! Thank you also to Jessica of Silk Truffle (do you remember Jessica and her fabulous eco-friendly wedding dress design?) who gave me the heads up on the beautiful work of Luisa Brimble of Serendipity Corner Photography who allowed us to share today’s stunning wedding!

Photos by Serendipity Corner

Want more? Check out these posts from the archives

1. Olivia and Hendy
2. Lauren and Nathan – The Celebration
3. Angela and Nathan
4. Olivia and Hendy – The Celebration
5. Lauren and Nathan

Colours Blush PinkMilk ChocolateTaupe | Australia - New South Wales, Bride, Inspired Weddings | Comments 10