Ettia by Maggie Sottero for a Rustic Glamour Inspired Wedding

Good morning lovely readers and happy Saturday.  This weekend I am off to spend some time with a friend in Liverpool and visit an exhibition on Pre Raphaelite painting (I was an art history student once upon a time). I absolutely adore the Pre-Raphaelites for their romantic themes and the stories told within the painting, and perhaps the same could be said of my love of wedding photography. Today’s wedding, set in sunny Australia and featuring the most glorious dress, wonderful greenery, smiles and the cutest little boys in all the land, is also romantic and full of stories. So let me introduce you to our two leading characters and begin our tale of happily ever after.

Linda, who works with families in social welfare and Alex, a finance manager, married on the 4^th of October 2015 in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney, Australia, surrounded by family, friends and the most wonderful flowers and foliage.

“We drew our inspiration for styling from the venue itself; beautiful, laid back and natural. My favourite description a guest gave of our wedding was “rustic glam” – and that is exactly what we wanted.”

Photography by Goldhat Photography

The three gorgeously cheeky pageboys looked smart and comfortable in trousers and shirts from Target, shoes by Myer, bow ties made by Linda’s mum and braces bought on eBay.  Meanwhile, Groom Alex was the picture of sartorial elegance in a sharp suit by Studio Italia, worn with a shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt.

For table decor, place names and favours, the couple chose small succulents for each guest from Terrariums by Brooke, which looks marvellous in the setting.  I’m so envious of couples who have enough trust in the weather to eat outdoors!  (I was a November bride in the North East of England so this was never really going to be an option!).

Makeup artist Liv Lundelius and hair stylist Nicole Boulter from Strands of Colour were responsible for coiffuring and enhancing our bride’s natural beauty.

Linda wore the sumptuous Ettia by Maggie Sottero, which she purchased from Abbey Bridal, Sydney.  Our bride chose her gown with a champagne layer over ivory with Swarovski crystals and the effect is both elegant and glamourous- don’t you agree? UK brides, our Little Book For Brides member Miss Bush of Surrey stocks a wonderful collection of Maggie Sottero gowns and we highly recommend a visit there.

“My mum actually picked my dress; it was the second dress I tried on and I only tried about five dresses in total.  After I tried my dress on for the first time I kept comparing each subsequent dress to it; I had never seen another dress like it. I loved the vintage Gatsby feel.”

In her hair, our bride chose a Swarovski crystal clip from Nelder Jones, Paddington, which she teamed with Swarovski crystal earrings and matching bracelet, to ensure she would absolutely sparkle her way through the day.  On her feet she wore a delicate pair of Diana Ferrari shoes and her toilette was complete with a spray of Addict by Dior.

For entertainment, the happy couple chose acoustic musician Luke Koteras  to sing throughout the day.

“Luke was incredible, he sang from the guest’s arrival, he sang as I walked down the aisle and sang his way through dinner.”

I absolutely love the name of Alex and Linda’s chosen venue- The Grounds of Alexandria– it’s just so wonderfully grandiose.  Alexandria was of course the home of one of the wonders of the ancient world and a place of myth and legend, so absolutely perfect for hosting a memorable day.

“We chose The Grounds because it is beautiful, with a laid back atmosphere and they provided us with the lovely Louise Hogan to plan our day, who did an amazing job.”

The bridesmaid looked fresh and summery in a yellow/chartreuse gown from George at The Strand Arcade, Sydney and I also just had to mention the mother of the bride (who I think bears a strong resemblance to Helen Mirren!) who looked fantastic  in a bright blue lacy dress.

“Our wedding rings and my engagement ring are all from Nicholas Haywood Jewellery Concierge.

Alexander’s ring is quite different in its almost matte finish; the colour really suited his skin tone and the shape is beautiful.  My engagement and wedding rings fit beautifully together and you can never have too many diamonds!”

“We wrote the whole wedding ceremony ourselves. We kept it short and to the point, which everyone said they loved.”

This is a beautiful excerpt from the couple’s ceremony:

“Alexander and Linda believe that marriage is a partnership; it is based on love, loyalty and trust in each other.  It is a friendship too, where good humour and respect for each other’s individuality will allow each of them to grow as individuals in their life together.  For Alexander and Linda, marriage is a lifelong commitment to someone who makes your day brighter and to someone you cannot live without.”

The talent behind the images was Mark of Goldhat Photography…  I absolutely love the light captured in these images and the emotive special moments that he seems to have a sixth sense for.

“Mark was amazing and he made us both feel very comfortable.   The photos are very natural and not contrived which is exactly what we wanted.  Everyone has commented on how beautiful they are.”

“We had a five tiered cake of cheese and absolutely loved it. We weren’t too fussed regarding the type of cheese; so we were surprised with an amazing variety.”

“My favourite part of the day was having some time together away from everyone when we were getting our photos taken.  It gave us a moment to sit together and take it all in uninterrupted and just be with each other.  My favourite moment was sitting with Alexander on the back of a ute next to some pumpkins and there is a beautiful photo that captures this moment.”

 

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Don’t stress. It will all work out.  Planning your wedding should be an exciting time and while at times there was some stress, it was also a lot of fun. We didn’t spend days looking at every option for every item, once we saw something we loved, we bought it or we booked it and moved on to the next thing.  

We had a very laid back attitude to most things – e.g. not picking specific flowers, not picking specific cheese for our cake; not even picking specific music other than the first dance song and the walk down the aisle song.  It gave us less stress and it also allowed us to have a few surprises throughout the day.”

Thank you so much to Linda and Alex for sharing their wonderful day, and to Mark of Goldhat Photography for allowing us to use his beautiful images.  I’m suddenly feeling a need for more sparkle in my life…

Much love,

Shona x

 

Photographer – Goldhat Photography
Venue –The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney, Australia
Wedding Planner – Louise Hogan of The Grounds of Alexandria
Wedding dress – Ettia by Maggie Sottero, purchased from Abbey Bridal, Sydney
Hair accessories – Swarovski crystal clip from Nelder Jones, Paddington
Accessories – Swarovski crystal earrings and bracelet, purchased from Abbey Bridal
Shoes – Diana Ferrari
Perfume – Addict by Dior
Bridesmaids’ dresses – George, purchased at The Strand Arcade, Sydney
Page boys –Trousers + shirts, Target; Shoes, Myer; Bow ties, made by my mum; Braces, eBay
Groom – Suit, Studio Italia; Shirt, Charles Tyrwhitt
Florist – Provided by the venue
Cake – Provided by the venue
Catering – By the venue
Makeup artist – Liv Lundelius
Stylist – Nicole Boulter, Strands of Colour
Rings – Nicholas Haywood Jewellery Concierge
Transport – No supplier named
Favours – Terrariums by Brooke
Entertainment – Luke Koteras (acoustic musician) + Soul Empire