Surrounding yourself with beautiful things is good for the soul and Katie of The Wedding Nest brings a special talent with her interior design background and her eye for style and the touches that make a room sing. Now she offers her expertise to you through her online emporium of all things tasteful, stylish and eclectic. Express your individual style through her easy to navigate website by selecting those items for your home that will add those special touches to your first home together – with pieces that are going to be meaningful because they were bought with love by people you love. Memories of the people who gifted you the piece always make you smile and that’s the best kind of gift as you know that you’ll always find a place for it – no matter where you live. So let’s take a peek behind The Wedding Nest today.
How long have you owned The Wedding Nest?
Almost 2 years!
Image by Amanda McLauchlan Photograhy
What is your career background? What was it that led you to The Wedding Nest?
I have Design background – working over 12 yeas as an interior designer both in commercial/retail and high end residential
Felt like I had finally come out of the fog of having a baby and had a real desire to achieve something separate from raising my little girl. I had always planned on going back to my previous Interior Design position but this opportunity came up and I couldn’t believe my luck. My brother sums it up nicely, “Katie you get to spend all day sourcing and looking at homewares and buying them!”
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography
What unique talents have you bought to The Wedding Nest?
From my previous experience of working in Interior firms you are very client focused and making sure the client knows exactly what is happening and when. Communication with clients is very important to me! I want them to feel at ease during what can be a very stressful time in their life.
Can’t forget my office Pug Peggy, she is very talented!
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography
Have you bought a new direction to the business?
The new website was launched which allows for better navigation and search methods, more interaction and most importantly more products!
How is The Wedding Nest different to other wedding registries?
The design focus is really big for us due to the interiors background.
Any item over $300 automatically becomes a ‘contribution gift’, where guests can choose how much they would like to spend. This allows couples to include the larger ticket items such as furniture and art works.
The Wedding Nest also offers gift cards that the guests can add their own special message for the happy couple. As a special personal touch we have collaborated with a writer who pens the message as calligraphy.
The couples registry is shown as a lookbook designed to showcase the couple’s gifts and style. It was modelled off the Pinterest layout style, we are obsessed with Pinterest!
Like every other aspect of your wedding, your registry becomes an expression of your individual style to inspire your guests. We style your registry like a magazine with your dream home inspiration style photos integrated with your wedding gifts.
Your guests won’t just feel like they are giving you a gift but that they are helping you create your dream home.
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography, Image by Amanda McLauchlan Photograhy
Being solely online, how do you customise your offerings to couples?
Wishing wells can be customized to your gift and amount. These monetary gifts are really up to your imagination. Be it a romantic dinner on the beach or a snorkeling tour, why not have your grandparents pay for your pool side cocktails!
Add your own gifts – seen something you really want that we aren’t showcasing, we can add up to 5 of your ‘own gifts’ to your registry.
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography
You’ve grouped your items into four styles. Please give us a brief description of each?
Sleek lines and hot designs this edgy collection will create a uber cool and contemporary space. Choose from abstract artworks, wishbone chairs and fluoro vases.
A bohemian mix of colours, contents and a dash of wabisabi – your home will be brimming with gypsy soul. Choose from one off Kantha throws to Indian etched silver chargers and painterly patterned cushions.
Whether its industrial, French country or classic Parisian-chic, pieces in this collection will savoir-faire your home. Choose from a studded linen chair, an oversized carriage clock or scallop edged ceramics.
Whites, blues and all things natural this collection encompasses coastal style and beachcomber treasures. Choose from driftwood lamps, sustainably sourced coral and colourful hammams.
Image by Amanda McLauchlan Photograhy
How do you choose the items for your registry? Do you make sure that you follow trends?
We are very lucky to have so many avenues to source new product – Trade fairs all over the country. instagram, Pintrest and Facebook. Social media is fantastic for sourcing new up and coming brands especially Australian based companies.
I do try to most avoid trends as we want our gifts to be timeless and the couples to love for a very long time.
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography
Would you give us five tips to consider when buying items from a gift registry?
Firstly register, which is free and simple to do.
We then recommend couples browse through the categories and brands plus check out the example registries to get a feel of how the registry ‘lookbook’ is setout, which they can customise later on.
Go crazy and add everything you like as you can add or remove items when ever you like.
Couples can send through information to us so we can make suggestions for you, happy to discuss over the phone what style direction you would like to go in and if there is a product you are really after let me know as we may be able to source from one of our suppliers.
- Go with what you and your partner like and need, everyone has different styles and there are so many nice things to choose from. Don’t be afraid to ask us for help too.
- Guests really want to be able to purchase some that makes you happy.
Have a good selection of price points – books are a great starting base!
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography
Your items are beautifully styled. Are you able to advise on styling to make the most of the items purchased?
For Sydney based clients the Wedding Nest is the only registry that offers a home styling service. Our initial consultation is free of charge. We will visit your home to run through the gifts to see what items would be perfect for your style and taste to be included in your registry.
Interstate clients we discuss over the phone and even sometimes via facetime.
Please offer us some of the most important styling tips to add the most style impact in our homes?
We always recommend Vases and soft furnishings – flowers are a great way to mix up an interior. You can add texture and colour with throws and cushions.
Arm chairs are a great place to start with changing the look of your living area plus a great rug.
And of course we can’t go past art. There are so many amazing and affordable pieces to choose from in a plethora of colours, patterns and sizes! Be it an original piece or a photographic print.
Compiling a mood/ concept board can be really helpful to make cohesive design decisions – we just can not get enough of Pinterest!
Ultimately the key to creating timeless style is to choose items you love that really speak to you and your partner, not only pieces that are “on trend”.
Image by Amanda McLauchlan Photograhy
If we receive something from The Wedding Nest that is not really our style, are we able to return it and choose a replacement item?
We understand that sometimes gifts you see online are different to what you imagined in real life, so if you are unhappy with any of your gifts let us know within 7 days and we would be happy to organise an exchange.
Are you able to ship Australia wide?
Yes we do!
Image by Lavana Dancer Photography
What are your other interests apart from design? What exciting things have you discovered?
Love cooking and preparing menus. Love searching for healthy recipes that are really good. I have discovered some great cooks
https://www.theweddingnest.com.au/product/whole-new-way-eat
https://www.theweddingnest.com.au/product/beauty-chef
https://www.theweddingnest.com.au/product/mr-wilkinsons-simply-dressed-salads
My partner is a very good cook who loves to try out new recipes so I am very lucky!
Thank you Katie for sharing the story of your inspirational business. There are so many yummy items on Katie’s website that your main problem will be trying to stop at ordering just a few! To find out more about The Wedding Nest visit the website.
Headshot courtesy of The Wedding Nest.
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