My Wedding

It is finally time to share with you all my amazing Wedding day.

I feel very lucky to report that (as far as I know) everything went to plan and more importantly my husband and I had the BEST day and night celebrating our love with our friends and family.

I'm including some photos, minus the faces for privacy reasons so I hope you can understand that choice.

I'll step you through every little bit :)

My bouquet is made of artificial flowers so I can keep it forever, they looked SO real even my photographer didn't realise! I went with a mix of white flowers; roses, spray roses, hydrangeas and baby breath. 

Ok. I am one of those crazy women who went and ordered her dress to be made from an overseas online store for $300 (including the veil)... I know! And you know what, IT TURNED OUT AMAZING! This was my compromise so that we could afford a videographer as well. I ordered my dress from dressilyme.com and it was a great success. I did pay for someone to do my alterations once I received it but I had a friend who didn't need any on hers. Make sure your measurements are accurate. They also were very quick to respond to my emails, friendly, professional and willing to help make any changes necessary to the original design. 

For my Father of the Bride present I decided to go with a set of personalised cuff links, which my dad loved. One is our favourite picture of us from when I was little and the other had the words 'I'll always be your Princess' because that was (still is) his pet name for me. There are a lot of businesses on ebay.com and etsy.com who make this and can tailor to your needs. 

For my Mother of the Groom present I got my MIL an embroidered handkerchief. I bought the handkerchief from Myer (btw very difficult to find classic frilled edged old school style napkins so don't leave it last minute like I did). I went to a little kiosk store at my shopping centre and had her initials and name with the message 'Thank you for raising the man of my dreams' along with my name and our wedding date in our main wedding colour (yellow). I don't know if it was used but she really appreciated it.  

The Groomsmen gifts were superhero themed cuff links. It was fun to have this little bit of our quirkiness without taking over the styling of the wedding. The guys loved it (a lot more than I thought they would..) and it totally brought out the little 'super hero boys' in them. My husband of course wore the batman ones. 

A view of our chapel and my dad's pride and joy vehicle used to bring the groom and groomsmen.

Our ringbearers (aka our adorable nephews) wore our rings on a rustic style rope around their necks.

Our page boy (aka yet another adorable nephew) wore the 'Here comes the Bride' sign. We made this our self with just a piece of wood I found laying around painted with chalk board paint.

A very cute moment when he gave my husband a flower. You can't plan for this adorableness! 

A view of bridal party during ceremony inside the chapel. I fell in love with the floor to ceiling windows. Our photographer was very skilled to still get amazing photos despite the bright background.

The outfit our Ring bearers and Page boy wore. I ordered the suit set and bow tie separately from ebay.com

Another spectacular view.

A cute one of us.

Love my shoes (something blue).

Bridesmaids wore yellow chiffon full length dresses with lace top from forherandforhim.com 

They had baby breath (real) bouquets which just went so perfectly. They all had their hair in updos (my MOH had a little bit of baby breath in her hair) and for accessories; big tear drop silver earrings, silver shoes (I gave them the option to chose their shoes flat or high heel), and they wore the rings I got them as their present. See other post for those gems, click here. 

Groomsmen and Groom wore dark grey suits with white shirts, black dress shoes, yellow ties (all from Lowes, amazing quality and super affordable price), and baby breath boutonnieres. Groom had a black vest and yellow rose in his boutonnieres. 

Fun Fact: He proposed to me with a yellow rose so it was a special thing for us to bring into the wedding.

We hired large lawn games for our guests to be entertained while we took our photos. We had Chess, Jenga, Ring Toss and Connect Four. We found a business on gumtree.com to hire from.

Our delicious wedding cake. I found inspiration from a few cakes on Pinterest, photoshopped them together, sent the picture to a small business I found through facebook and Voila! She even delivered.

Our cake topper is lazered acrylic from a store on Etsy.com (on the right has our surname going down). It came with a stand to use as home decor afterwards which I love.

Our Reception set up. Large baby breath bouquets in tall thin cylinder vases which sat on a circle mirror and tea lights. 

Some entertainment for our guests. 

Bridal table.

Our bonbonnieres  were these jars I bought from Ikea. I ordered the chalkboard stickers and a white chalk pen from ebay.com as well as made the tags to go around. One side is what you see, the other side said 'Thank you for making our day complete'.

These were their jars to use to fill up at the lolly bar.

The oh so lovely lolly bar (which was practically GONE by the time we arrived btw lol). 

A MASSIVE HIT!

This wishing well was made by my older brother for my sister's wedding, then it was passed to an older brother for his wedding, and finally through to us as we got married. Now it is ours until we pass it on again one day.

Bridal table.

Back lights.

Sparkler send off.

And there you have it! The most amazing Wedding, I could never imagine it would be that wonderful.

Any questions or comments please leave below :)

Until we meet again my loves,

Questions To Ask Your Photographer

Here are the questions you should be asking your photographer:


Number of weddings photographed?
Experience, portfolio, references...

How many weddings will you shoot on my day?
You'd be surprised by how busy they can get. If there are more than just yours then make sure there is plenty of time in between - and a backup plan never hurts...

Deposit?
Get your understanding of price and deadlines for payment...

Cancellation policy?
Who knows why, but you need to know...

Ever photographed at my venue?
If yes then they should have a good idea of some great spots, if not then ask if they could please check it out before the big day...

Preferred style of photography?
Traditional, artistic, natural light, scenery, photojournalism, quirky, props, posing...

Can I request images to be taken?
Make sure you detail what you want and if they are capable of meeting those desires...

Do you bring lighting?
They should say yes, but if not make sure they explain...

Do you have a list?
Check out my post on Tips for You and Your Photographer which should look similar to their list and if not then give mine to them...

Hours included in package?
Read the fine print and make sure you know how long they will be there, if they will tell you when time is up on the day, and how much extra it will be if time goes over...

Number of images?
Make sure you understand what you are getting including raw and edited and if you get a choice of which ones are edited...

Time period on photo proofs?
Find out when you get to see them...

CD/USB/Prints/Album?
Find out the cost if extra for prints and if an album is included...

Will my photos be used for advertising?
Most photographers will get you to sign a waiver which gives them the right to use your images however they want so make sure you read what you sign and make it known if you are ok with this or not...

What will you wear?
Sounds strange and odd but imagine you are from a conservative family, having a conservative or religious wedding, and the photographer turns up in a crop top, or singlet with tattoos of the devil staring into your poor old grandma's soul! ... or on the flip side you are totally casual and relaxed and the photographer turns up in a tux - awkward... 

What is your plan if you fall sick or there is an emergency where you cannot make it?
I repeat - a backup plan never hurts...



Hope these tips help you so there is no stress or confusion with possibly the most important person there to help you capture your special day, forever.

Tips for You and Your Photographer

Here are the absolute basics that your photographer should be doing with photos on your wedding day.


Make sure you read through this and even print it out with whatever additions or changes you may want or need so that the photographer knows. You want everyone on the same page. Remember this is all in one day so if you make a list now then you wont have to worry about it on the day.



*Quick tip - give your photographer or maid of honor (give someone this job) a list of the names of family etc you definitely want in photos. That will make it easier for them to scream out the names and gather whoever they need...


Photos you need:

Before the Ceremony...

- dress, veil, garter, bouquet, wedding rings
- getting ready photos 

*tip - get the photographer to do the groom first in a faux getting ready, then the boys can undress and relax while the photographer goes to you and follows you to the ceremony...

- groom with groomsmen
- solo of the bride
- bride with bridesmaids



At the Ceremony...

- outside shot
- guests arriving
- bridal party walking down the aisle
- groom waiting for his bride
- father giving away bride
- first kiss
- throwing confetti etc

*tip - if you are wanting a photo of that special moment when the groom first sees his bride, then ask your photographer to have the camera on him first to capture that split second moment... you will look stunning the whole walk down the aisle with plenty of time for photo ops...



At the Reception...

- newlyweds greeting guests
- toasts
- father and daughter dance
- first couples dance
- wedding cake
- table photos with newlyweds
- guests dancing
- getaway car
- send off



Formal Photos...

- full-length solo bride
- bride with parents
- bride with bridesmaids
- groom with best man and groomsmen
- groom with parents
- bride and groom together





Hope all these tips rested your mind. They seem so simple, yet so easy to forget about sometimes.

Good luck!

5 of My Favourite Wedding Table Decoration Ideas

I don't know why but for some reason I really enjoy browsing through table decoration ideas.
This is a strange realisation because I think I assumed that every bride-to-be goes straight for the dresses but so far my order of events have been 1. Booked venue, 2. Bought the picture frames I want our wedding pictures in, 3. Research the shoes I want to wear (then found them and cried at the price), 4. Ask bridal party, and now 5. Table decorations.... Because this order makes sense.... Right?
(On some level this really tells you a lot about me haha)

Here are some of my favourite ideas so far:

1. Check out this cute idea for the champagne bottles, perhaps it could be for the ones on the bridal party table. The idea is to have two champagne bottles, one covered in a suit and bow tie and the other in a wedding dress. I have not seen this one before and think it is so cute and quirky!

Image from Pretty Little Liars Season 4 Episode 23.

Click here to find these cuties on ebay.



2. This one is definitely something I'll be doing at my wedding because I've seen it done a few different ways and love the style of a very tall, thin vase with big, almost overflowing flowers on top. It would also be really helpful because your guests will be able to see everything including each other at the table, rather than have an obstacle in their face.  This looks oh so very simple yet chic.

Image from http://www.sirromet.com/barrel-hall/w1/i1104343/

3. Another trend going on is to bring the outdoor in. This gives a rustic feel which is a very popular style right now. I don't know why but rustic is everywhere, everyone is doing it, I've always loved it and now that it's my turn ofcourse it's what everyone else is doing. But that's ok because it means easy access and I get to see all the great ideas people are coming up with. It gives a very earthy, warm and romantic feel, especially hanging tea light candles on the tall branches/twigs as well as placing candles around the base.

Image from http://www.sirromet.com/barrel-hall/w1/i1104343/

4. This is a brilliant idea! Again another I will be wanting to do. Having your table numbers as pictures of the bride and groom at that age. I've also seen other ideas where they've used the numbers as significant dates from your relationship. However I am not sure if you could manage this for consectutive numbers, or if you can pick and choose. (I think my OCD would go crazy if I didn't have numbers in order.) What a lovely way to share some history with your guests (and then keep those pictures for when you start having children to see the resemblance).

Image from http://www.weddingwindow.com/blog/what-wedding-flowers-come-in-green/

5. And last but certainly not least this fabulous and creative idea to fill mason jars with glow stick fluid. Simply cut open a glow stick (make sure to wear gloves just incase, and do this over a sink), shake the contents into the mason jar and add a bit of glitter for some oomph. Close it up with the lid, and lastly give it a shake. Now I'm assuming from my experience with glow sticks that this will most likely be a job for on the day of the wedding just to make sure you really get the neon colour and to make sure it will last all night long. This is such a magical idea, and one that no one will forget! I can just see the children in particular loving this one.

Unaware of any copyright. Please comment.

Comment and share below what you are planning or have done for your wedding!

How I asked my Bridal Party (Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Ring Bearer, Flower Women)

Today was so much fun...
I was extremely excited as I have been working really hard on how I wanted to ask my bridal party.
I browsed the internet, and ofcourse good ol' Pinterest to get some inspiration, and this is what I came up with.

There are 4 girls in my bridal party. My sister is my Maid of Honor, and my fiancee's three sisters are bridesmaids.

I gave them each a box that on top of the lid said "I can't say I do without you" and when they flipped open the lid the other side said "Will you be my Maid of Honor/Bridesmaid?" Inside the box I layed down yellow shredded paper and sat on top a bar of chocolate, a lollypop ring, an information card with the bridesmaid's numbers and names (at the top I placed an image from Bridesmaids the movie because it's hilarious!), some "I promise" cards, and a minimergency kit which I added in items such as a packet of tissues, bandaids, hair pins, panadol, nailpolish, lipgloss, mirror, sewing kit, deodorant, TOM items, etc. They all absolutely loved it! They were so suprised, excited, happy and honored. Ofcourse they all said "Yes"! YAY!

I told them to close their eyes, handed them the box, said open, and watched the magic happen...

It feels so much more real and exciting now that I have my bridal party. It was such a relief to finally be able to tell them.

I love the even number of four bridesmaids, and in particular how it looks in photos with two on each side of the bride. And I prefer to have family as it's a lovely way to include everyone and will be great bonding time.

As for my two best friends (who unfortunately cannot be squeezed into the bridal party) I am asking them to be my "femmes de fleur" [flower women in french]. I am going to ask them with a boquet of flowers and a lovely poem I wrote - "There is something special I need to ask, And it involves the day I'll say "I do". I need my best friend by my side, And I want you to walk down the aisle too. (name), Will you be my Femmes de Fleur?" 

My fiancee and I both have a young nephew so we will be having two ring bearers. We asked them with a photobook that we turned into a little book about their job as ring bearer, including pictures of them, the bridal party, and ofcourse us. It's like a little story book where we ask them at the end. They loved it! Especially finding the photos hilarious. So cute! Cannot wait to see them in their little suits!

My fiancee asked his Dad to be Best Man, and my three brothers as Groomsmen. 
They were given a piece of paper that said "I (picture of a moustache) you. Will you be my Best Man/Groomsmen?" GET IT?! haha we love it! And so did they. In particular my future father-in-law was very chuffed from this unexpected honor. (I just know he is going to have an absolute blast planning the bucks night)

We asked my future mother-in-law if she would read out a prayer at the ceremony. We thought this would be a lovely way to include her, and even more fitting as she is religious. 


Hope this has given you some inspiration!

I'm Engaged!

This post is wayyyy over due. But I'm in the mood to do some updating as there are big things ahead!

I'll start from the beginning....

There was this boy.
We became best friends.
One night we realised how much more we meant to each other.
We fell madly in love.

On February 14th (yes Valentines Day) 2014 he asked me to marry him...

It all started that morning when I was given a little origami heart with a clue written on it. There were many more to come. First I was sent to Ella Bache (a fancy spa) where I was pampered for 4 hours indulging in a full body scrub, massage, manicure (yes!), and pedicure. When I arrived back home my favourite yellow dress was laid out and the next clue was to get ready like a princess. There was a knock on the door and much to my surprise I discovered a man waiting with a stretch white limo behind him. There was champagne and a rose inside. I arrived at the Sofitel Hotel and was greeted by the General Manager who gave me my final heart along with a hotel key card. I opened the door to see a room full of rose petals, candles, fairy lights, and my love standing there in a suit. He said his sweet speech, "I've loved you since the first night we spent together. You are my rock. You've seen me at my highest and my lowest and you're still around. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want to start that now". Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, "(full name), will you marry me?". I said "Yes!" (through tears of happiness). 
There was a photographer there to secretly capture the special moment, and we ended the night with our own private server in the room for dinner to celebrate. It was more than I ever dreamed of and we could not be happier. We are tying the knot in July 2015.

Here are my precious clues that he hand made. (in order left to right)

Watch this space for my Bride-to-be adventures!