Kate & Reuben

There’s nothing quite like a backyard wedding. Walking out of a house that is filled with memories, down the aisle to marry your lover. Kate & Reuben married in a beautiful, intimate wedding in Reuben’s parents garden in Macleod, a suburb of Melbourne and celebrated by dancing on the lawn under the open skies. Not only did Kate and Reuben come together for the day, but so did their family and friends- many contributing their talents and time and effort into creating a beautiful wedding day for Kate & Reuben.

Photographs today are by Sayher Heffernan. Sayher has such a gentle beauty to his images and has captured the intimacy and delight of Kate & Reuben’s wedding day so sweetly.

The couple and their families decorated the wedding themselves. Kate explains ” We made fabric flower garlands for inside the house, and used colourful yarn from the Australian Tapestry Workshop (they have over 300 colours!) to hang the garlands and fence off some areas of the garden.

Brightly coloured flowers (from Reuben’s mother’s garden and Fowlers Flowers ) were grouped in bottles. Kate explains ” We collected bottles and jars for the flowers over a couple of months – we had some good finds of Mason and Fowlers jars at second hand stores, but most of the small hanging bottles are juice bottles from the Mediterranean Wholesalers on Sydney Road, Brunswick. ” Milly Sleeping designed the couple’s stationery.

Family and friends being involved was a major part of Reuben and Kate’s wedding day. Kate recalls “We love that so many of our friends and family contributed to the day. A friend designed our invitation, we had a sewing bee to make the fabric flower garlands, Reuben’s brother made the cake, Reuben’s sister did Kate’s hair and a whole lot of other people contributed in so many ways leading up to the wedding.” Will Costello styled Kate’s makeup.

Kate wore a gown she purchased off the rack. She accessorised with jewels created by Yuko Fujita at Pieces of Eight Gallery. Kate walked down the aisle with Reuben to “The Book of Love” by Magnetic Fields.

Kate and Reuben married in Reuben’s parent’s garden. Kate explains “The whole thing took place took place in Reuben’s parents’ garden because it’s such a beautiful setting, and we wanted somewhere that felt personal. And it’s such an amazing garden! We were very happy to get married amongst the flowers and veggies, and with the chooks down the back. ” The couple were married by Gina Andrews.

The couple chose wedding rings from an artisan gallery. Kate explains “The three rings (engagement and two wedding bands) are by Suzi Zutic at Pieces of Eight Gallery”

Of their photographer, Kate remarks “Sayher was brilliant. We met him at a friends’ wedding earlier this year and loved his photos. And he’s a really nice guy – just the kind of person you want to have around at a wedding!”

The wedding cake was made by Reuben’s brother, a former chef.

food&desire catered the wedding with sweets from Balhas Pastry and extra cakes made by Reuben’s mum and grandmother.

Congratulations Kate & Reuben! Thank you for sharing your wedding! Thank you also to Sayher Heffernan for sharing today’s wedding photographs!

Colours Nude Pink | Bride, Inspired Weddings, Victoria | Comments 1

I loved sharing Melissa and Marc’s wedding with you earlier today and I’m even more thrilled to share their gorgeous wedding movie with you from One Day In Mind. I love how the movie moves from anticipation, emotion to just a great celebration!

Bride, Inspired Wedding Videos, Queensland | Comments 1

Melissa and Marc

Whenever I start to write up a wedding, I always read it like a book. I open the photos, I read the stories, the memories the moments and let it come together. Today’s wedding was so powerful to read and then I saw the photos – there was intense emotion. Laughter, tears and a sense that this day was momentous for Melissa and Marc – not just for the fact that they chose each other, they chose to say their vows. But as a day it seemed to open the doors and have the universe say “See! This is what love is! this is how amazing it can be!” and with that, I bring you the elegant, emotional wedding of Melissa and Marc.

Melissa tells the story of how she met Marc. “We met through a mobile phone shop, where I worked part time while studying.  Marc had an import business and supplied the store with his mobile phones, though he found himself making excuses that required him to attend the store far more often than necessary.  After six months of shop courtship, we finally started dating in December 2003, and within a couple of weeks Marc found himself joining my family for a memorable Christmas. I was a little worried what Marc might make of my family singing and dancing the night away, but the warm welcome he received ensured he came back time and again, and they have been together ever since!”

Photographs today are by Adam Finch of Studio Impressions who in the typical Studio Impressions style has captured elegant, stunning imagery that is simply beautiful. Melissa and Marc had their wedding filmed by One Day In Mind.

Melissa chose a stunning lace gown by MXM Couture and paired it with Jimmy Choo shoes. Her bridesmaids wore pale pink and black Alannah Hill gowns with matching pink shoes. The Powder Room styled the girls hair & makeup for the day.

The flowers for the day were styled by Green & Bloom. Melissa’s bouquet featured shades of white, cream and pink.

Putting their own touch on the day, Melissa and March met before the ceremony. Melissa explains “We decided to have a “first look” before the ceremony with just our bridal party and our close family. It made the moment of seeing each other for the first time so much more intimate and emotional “. Marc and his groomsmen wore suits from Precision Tailors.

“Marc waited for me at the bottom of the stairs at Customs House as I ‘snuck’ down behind him. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around and we saw each other for the first time. I will never forget the look of admiration on Marc’s face as he saw me for the first time.”

Melissa recalls “My bridesmaids had teased me in the lead up to the wedding about becoming a bridezilla on the day, as throughout the planning process I had been quite relaxed and comfortable with our fabulous wedding planner’s assistance. However on the day, I was completely calm and not nervous at all! On the other hand, Marc was apparently very worried about me as he also thought I might be a nervous wreck. It wasn’t until I saw Marc waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs that I felt butterflies in my stomach. When we finally saw each other for the first time, we hugged, and I felt Marc breath a sigh of relief that I was okay.”

Of their photographer, Melissa says “Adam Finch was our photographer from Studio Impressions. Photography was one of the first things we booked…even before we found our location! It was a priority for us to have someone amazing, as the photos are what capture those special moments forever. We had always loved Studio Impressions’ style of photography and when we met Adam, we were really impressed with his work. We met with other photographers before we made our final decision, but kept comparing them to Adam so we knew we had found our match.”

Melissa and Marc held their wedding at Queensland Rugby Club overlooking the Brisbane river. Melissa remarks “Our whole wedding was held at the QLD Rugby Club – the ceremony was outside on the Tempo Terrace and the reception was inside in the Tempo Restaurant. The view was just breathtaking and luckily the rain held off so that we could marry on the open air terraced area. The food was amazing and the staff made us feel like royalty, pulling out my chair whenever they saw me get up and always making sure we had everything we needed.”

Melissa and Marc enlisted Victoria from The Little White Wedding Company to plan their wedding. Melissa notes “Our wedding planner Victoria Cameron from the Little White Wedding Company was incredible and without her, our dream wedding would never have happened. She understood our style and went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our wedding was perfect.” The terrace was set with black Tiffany chairs and masses of candles.

My favourite part of the wedding of Melissa and Marc is this moment and Melissa loves it too. ” I remember walking down the aisle – as my dad has passed away when I was 19. I decided it wouldn’t be right to replace him with someone to give me away. Instead, I walked in on my own and waited at the end of the aisle for Marc to come and greet me. Then we walked up the aisle together. It was a very emotional moment and was something different we hadn’t seen done before.”

16 Strings entertained guests and played as Melissa and Marc walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon In D. Melissa explains “I have a soft spot for music with strings, so a string quartet was a must for our ceremony. I have always wanted to walk down the isle to Canon in D as it is a gorgeous piece that gives me goosebumps.”

Melissa also loved the couple’s chosen wedding vows. She explains “We loved writing our own vows as it reminded us of why we wanted to get married and what we were willing to promise each other.”

The first look meant Melissa and Marc could celebrate with guests straight away. Melissa notes “I loved the fact we had our ceremony and then the reception straight afterwards meant that our guests didn’t have to wait around for us to get photos. We could relax and join in with them celebrating.”

A stunning black and white three tier wedding cake was created by Sweetums while Urban Weddings created the stationery for the wedding.

Melissa remarks ” Our wedding was unique, intimate and everything we dreamed it would be. ”

The first dance was played by Atmosphere DJs who kept guests dancing all night long. Melissa recalls”We wanted to make our first dance special, so we invested in some dance lessons with Gemma Davies who was recommended by our wedding planner. Gemma was amazing and helped us choreograph a dance to one of our favourite Ben Harper songs – Gold to Me. We got almost to the end of our dance and Marc said “I can’t believe I haven’t stepped on your dress!” and with the next step, he accidentally did. We quickly recovered with a dip and the crowd was none the wiser.”

Congratulations on your marriage Melissa and Marc! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Adam Finch of Studio Impressions for today’s images!

Tags www.studioimpressions.com.auwww.thelittlewhiteweddingco.com.au | Bride, Inspired Weddings, Queensland | Comments 9

Zoe and Chris

Weddings by the seaside are almost always infused with a special kind of ease. A casual romance that is coloured with the scent of the salt water and the warmth of the sand. Zoe and Chris married in a relaxed ceremony on the New South Wales Central Coast and the beauty of their wedding compliments their relaxed personalities.

Zoe tells the story of meeting Chris. “Chris and I met in 2002 while studying at CIT in Canberra. We were friends for over a year before officially getting together. We have been together since 2003 and have travelled together and built our house earlier in 2011.”

Photographs today are by Casandra of Capsix who captured the moments and elegance of the day beautifully.

Zoe and Chris married at Seafarm. Zoe remarks “We wanted a very relaxed, party kind of wedding that really reflected us. We chose Sea Farm as its a stunning location, and meant we could have the ceremony and reception at the same place. We stayed at Sea Farm for 3 days before the wedding, and 4 days after, making it quite an event! We had our bridal party and their partners stay with us the whole time which was amazing. They helped us set up, decorate, clean and organise the last minute details of the wedding and we would have been lost without them! We are very lucky to have such amazing friends!”

Zoe says “My bridesmaids and I got ready in the small cottage on the property (which was a last minute change) and I’m so glad we did. It was great spying on the boys getting everything ready throughout the morning, and watching the guests arrive. The cottage is beautifully decorated, and was the perfect place for us to have a few champagnes before everything started.” Zoe’s bridesmaids wore lilac gowns from Forever New.

Zoe chose a glittering gown from Maggie Sottero and paired it with Wittner Shoes. Angel Blooms created beautiful colourful bouquets.

Chris and his groomsmen wore suits from Roger David.

One of Zoe’a favourite memories was “Watching Max (first Bridesmaid to walk down from the cottage) be redirected by the guests to the actual aisle is something I will never forget. My dad and I had a bit of a laugh watching her go the wrong way!”

Zoe walked down the aisle to a very special song. She explains “One of Chris’s groomsmen (Gethin) played the guitar while we walked down the aisle. He played a song that Chris made up years ago, that I had always loved. It was comforting to hear it as we walked down, especially as Chris also played this song for my sister when she walked down the aisle last year.”

Zoe recommends choosing the right vendors for you. She remarks “All our vendors were absolutely amazing. Everything ran so smoothly and I had so many comments on the delicious food and wonderful service staff- as well as the gorgeous flowers that Tanya provided.”

Of their photographer, Zoe says “Casandra was wonderful, she gave us directions when we needed them, but also left us to our own devices. I think she captured the day wonderfully.”

The reception at Seafarm was filled with decorations made by Zoe and Chris ans styled by their family and friends. Zoe explains “I made all our decorations with help from my wonderful bridesmaids and friends. We all collected jars for months in advance and spent a lot of time scraping off the labels! We also had a couple of nights making poms poms and putting wire on the hanging jars. Sea Farm on its own is just beautiful and didn’t need much to dress it up!”

The reception needed to have a relaxed feel, just as the couple wanted. Zoe says “We wanted the wedding to be a ‘relaxed party’ feel, and I think that’s what it was… we didn’t do any traditional things like throwing the bouquet or a garter toss, as they just weren’t us. Our MC organised a great reception game which was lots of fun. We also hired some giant games (connect four and Jenga) for our guests to play throughout the night.

We chose to have 2 long tables rather than traditional round tables – and I think it worked really well. We also chose not to have a bridal table, which meant we could talk to all our guests easily and our bridal party could sit with their partners.”

There was one final surprise for both Zoe and Chris to round off what was a magical day. Zoe tells the story “I bought Chris a guitar as a wedding gift which one of his groomsmen (Gethin) gave to him the morning of the wedding. It was something he had wanted for years, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get him something special. Gethin also helped me choose the guitar on some secret lunchtime missions.

Little did I know that Chris had been planning to play one of our favourite songs (‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters) on his old guitar after his speech at the wedding. Gethin also knew about this, so had to keep both secrets for months in the lead up to the big day! He did a wonderful job as we were both very surprised!

Chris playing a song for me was the most special part of the day (apart from becoming his wife) and is something I will remember forever. I can’t listen to that song now without thinking of that moment.”

Congratulations Zoe and Chris! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Capsix for sharing today’s photographs!

Colours Lilac | Bride, Inspired Weddings, New South Wales | Comments 0