A gorgeous wedding held at Bendooley Estate in Berrima by our stunning couple – Maryanne & Louis. Take a peek at the article featured in this month’s edition of Bride to Be Magazine…on sale now.  Wearing a breathtaking gown by Jenny Packham and shoes by Vera Wang this is a wedding with style and elegance. A beautiful couple who are so in love. Read all about it here…

For more samples of our destination weddings click here

Pretty in pink was an appropriate theme for the intimate wedding of Maggie and Felix.  The ceremony and reception were held at the elegant Park Hyatt in Sydney.  Maggie looked absolutely stunning in her gorgeous tulle layered wedding gown, red manolo blahnik and roses flowing through her hair in lovely shades of pink.  With the assistance from Sweet Art wedding planner the wedding couldn’t have been more beautiful.  Touches of pink decorated the room at every turn from the 8 tiered wedding cake covered in pink roses to the lovely floral arrangements and the delicious lolli table full of pink macaroons and other yummy sweets.  It was a magical evening for the newlyweds which they will always remember.  Enjoy the photos from their special day and visit our gm photographics YouTube channel to view the entire day slideshow.

This week we look back at one of the most romantic weddings ever… Zoe Balbi marries the love of her life- football star Benji Marshall.

With so much attention to detail, Zoe’s stunning gowns were designed by her great friend and wedding couture master – Steven Khalil.

The custom rings designed and hand crafted by the amazing Affinity Diamonds, Sydney.

We absolutely loved being apart of their special day and helping them create a wedding album of their dreams.

Read all about their special day featured in Woman’s Day.

This gorgeous wedding is in the grounds of Bendooley Estate.

A beautiful and private location for wedding photographs.

Maryanne wears a stunning gown by Jenny Packham.

Hand made wedding rings by Affinity Diamonds, Sydney.

For more on this vintage wedding see our real wedding albums

This gorgeous couple have just been featured  in Cosmo Bride China.

AFL Swans player Lewis Roberts Thomson and his stunning bride Zoe Stenmark wed in Sydney at Shore Chapel with every attention to detail.

Zoe’s custom wedding dress complete with pockets was designed by Steven Khalil.

Lewis and his groomsman all wore suits by Patrick Johnson (P. Johnson tailors).

Their reception was held at The MCA Foundation Hall withThe Usual Suspects getting the night underway with some classic tunes.  The MCA could not have been more stunning, with flowers by Sean Cook of Mr Cook, cake by Planet Cake, and styling by The Style Co their reception could not have been more stunning!

We hope you enjoy this little sneak peek of their wedding !

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One of Australia’s best-known wedding planners and stylist Kathy Apostolidis, founder of Nightingales, is an expert when it comes to wedding trends. The choice for many celebrities – Nightingales is at the forefront of the wedding industry.

We recently sat down with Kathy and her team to talk weddings. Here is Kathy’s take on weddings of 2015, inspiration and great tips for the planning bride;

When it comes to bridal inspiration it seems that social media is the go to place for the bride to be. Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest are by far the most popular. It is quick and easily accessible. “ We find wedding magazines still have their place but ultimately they will grab their phone and show us images on social media.”

When choosing a venue there are many considerations from space, atmosphere, location to food and service. For the team at Nightingales, a fabulous wedding venue is one that has 3 elements – “Select a venue with a good entrance, high ceilings and a beautiful terrace or garden attached to it.”

When styling a reception venue the first consideration is how to use the venue’s existing style and then create a style for the client that fits in with this and will further enhance or embellish the venue.  “Sometimes the venue is so set in its style it is best left as it is and then we will add florals and lighting to change the mood and feel.  In other cases we can completely transform a venue so that it can look like a French chateau or the Hamptons, it is amazing what we can do with clever use of backdrops, lighting, florals, trees and beautiful furnishings.”

In terms of florals for 2015, it’s all about whites and greens. It is a classical timeless combination that stands the test of time in photos.

As for overall colour accents in décor – “Gold is still very popular at the moment with rose gold and variations of this colour such as copper being an emerging request at the moment. Combining 3 tones of gold’s such as light gold, deep gold and rose gold with accents of copper added is becoming popular. Other colour tones that are coming through are aubergine and olive tones in cloths or napkins as a rich added tone.”

Both lighting & flowers are crucial elements when styling any wedding. Kathy says “Great lighting can take an ordinary item and make it a feature, light is transformative. If you can…invest in both!”

For Kathy and her team the most important aspect of styling a wedding is catering to the couple’s individual style and taste… “I really want to create something new with every couple so that it is about their style not my personal style – I then will make suggestions to further enhance the look and push the boundaries as far as they are comfortable – ultimately it is all about them and we want them to be excited and awestruck with the result.”

Going about your planning can be a daunting task, but with help from an expert it can take the stress away. Simple inspiration ideas can be quickly brought to life. “We ask our couples to bring us photos, its important that we get a good understanding of what they love and hate so that we have a starting point with which to create a style for them. If they don’t have photos to bring we then guide them with inspiration and mood boards on offer to start them thinking about the things that they would love for their wedding.”

The biggest trend emerging in 2015 has seen many couples increasing their investment in styling their wedding day. Kathy says “I think that social media has created pressure on couples to overproduce and compete with others when it comes to their wedding – I have a lot of respect for the Brides who are strong enough to want something that is all about them and the things that they love and do not compete with another wedding.  Otherwise in the future they may look back and wish they hadn’t worried so much about what other people thought. The other flip side to this is that some images on social media are far more expensive than they imagined and are way out of their budget, so its important to be inspired by what you see but still create something that you can comfortably afford for a beautiful wedding.”

Most recently Nightingales planned and styled Aussie Cricket legend David Warner and Iron woman Candice Falzon’s country wedding. Reflecting on this gorgeous affair Kathy says “With both David and Candice being so busy and in the media spotlight it was so rewarding to be able to create a Wedding Day for them that was beautiful, personal and fun, and reflecting their personalities in the details.  Every couple deserves a beautiful experience on their Wedding Day and we find it very rewarding to be able to make that a reality for them.”

For more information on wedding planning and styling head to www.theweddingplanner.com.au

Ivan & Aileen’s springtime wedding on Sydney Harbour is featured here on Bride Story Blog. We loved capturing this gorgeous couple and their special wedding day.

Beautiful springtime weather calls for an outdoor garden ceremony, which Aussie boy Ivan Phuah, and Singapore girl Aileen Lai did at Sydney’s historic 19 th century Vaucluse House.

Surrounded by perfectly pruned bushes, giant jacaranda trees and white picket fences, the venue was beautiful in itself so they didn’t need do much to dress up the place. Using a simple palette of blush and gold, they slightly enhanced the natural surroundings with small details like hanging vases from trees, buckets of baby’s breath and pretty little signages by Singapore design house, Breakfast. “They designed the wedding invites, placecards, ‘Here comes the bride’ sign and thank you cards,” details the bride.

They had a simple cocktail reception after the ceremony and served guests light bites and beverages. “Chloe from Fresh Catering provided a lovely soda stand with wild berry and elderflower soda, as well as a citrus, cucumber and mint cooler, all served in little glass bottles with yellow striped straws,” she adds.

“We worked with Jodie McGregor Flowers to handpick select the right blooms for our table centrepieces – David Austin roses, peonies, hydrangeas, silver miller – and filled the place up with tea lights and candles in vintage glass holders.”

In the evening, they hosted a dinner reception at one of Sydney’s most iconic restaurants, Quay Restaurant which has an awesome view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. “Many of our guests were visiting Sydney for the first time and we wanted to show them the best view of the city,” says Aileen.

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, the couple worked with Leigha Wills from Moreish Macarons who created a gorgeous six-tier macaron tower, topped with a six-inch red velvet cake brushed with cream cheese. “We had all our favourite flavours on each tier – Ferrero, salted caramel, blueberry and white chocolate, cookies and cream, peanut butter and Tim Tams!

We wish Ivan & Aileen every happiness in their married life together

xxx

What a beautiful day it was photographing Katie and Marcus on their wedding Day.

To find out more and read the full article…see Bride to Be Magazine

STYLIST SOMETHING WHITE somethingwhite.com.au

CEREMONY ROSYLN PACKER THEATRE roslynpackertheatre.com.au

RECEPTION DECKHOUSE deckhouse.com.au

FLOWERS BUDS AND BOWERS budsandbowers.com.au

GOWN VELANI velani.com.au

SHOES JIMMY CHOO jimmychoo.com

BRIDESMAIDS SHEIKE sheike.com

RINGS CANTURI canturi.com

SUITS GEORGE AND KING georgeandking.com.au

MAKE-UP ELOISE PROUST eloiseproust.com.au

HAIR PETA WINTER BRIDAL HAIR facebook.com/petawinterbridalhair

STATIONERY MYCUPPATEA mycuppatea.com.au

BRAINBOW brainbow.com.au

CAKE FAYE CAHILL fayecahill.com.au

TRANSPORT WHITE BAY LIMOUSINES whitebaylimousines.com.au

CELEBRANT CLAIRE BELFORD clairebelford.com.au

ENTERTAINMENT THE WHITE TREE thewhitetree.com.au

PHOTOBOOTH IN THE BOOTH inthebooth.com.au

ACCOMMODATION THE DARLING thedarling.com.au

For more details and to read the full article head over to www.bridetobe.com.au

THE COUPLE’S WEDDING SUPPLIERS

PHOTOS GM PHOTOGRAPHICS www.gmphotographics.com.au

STYLIST & PLANNER AUDREY & ANGUS www.audreyandangus.com

CEREMONY MACEDONIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

RECEPTION DOLTONE HOUSE www.doltonehouse.com.au

FLOWERS ROCOCO FLOWERS www.rococoflowers.com.au

GOWN STEVEN KHALIL www.stevenkhalil.com

SHOES JIMMY CHOO www.jimmychoo.com

BRIDESMAIDS UNSPOKEN www.shop.unspoken.com.au

JEWELLERY PETER LANG www.peterlang.com.au

 GROOM’S SUIT HUGO BOSS www.hugoboss.com

GROOMSMEN POLITIX www.politix.com.au

HAIR & MAKE-UP LORES GIGLIO www.loresgiglio.com

STATIONERY OOH-AAH INVITATIONS www.ooh-aahinvitations.com.au

CAKE SWEET ART www.sweetart.com.au

 CAKE TOPPER ROCOCO FLOWERS www.rococoflowers.com.au

TRANSPORT ROLL UP IN A ROLLS www.rollupinarolls.com.au

FILM HIGH TEA FILMS www.highteafilms.com

REGISTRY DAVID JONES www.davidjones.com.au

ACCOMMODATION THE STAR www.star.com.au

——————

THE COUPLE’S WEDDING SUPPLIERS

PHOTOS GM PHOTOGRAPHICS www.gmphotographics.com.au

STYLIST & PLANNER ANGELIC EVENTS www.angelicevents.com.au

CEREMONY & RECEPTION BURNHAM GROVE www.burnhamgrove.com.au

GOWN FOREVER VINTAGE www.forevervintage.net.au

SHOES ALANNAH HILL www.alannahhill.com.au

BRIDESMAIDS ALANNAH HILL www.alannahhill.com.au

RINGS OROGINALE JEWELLERY www.oroginale.com.au

SUIT HUGO BOSS www.hugoboss.com

STATIONERY NATALIE BY DESIGN www.nataliebydesign.com.au

CAKE ALL THINGS SWEET BY CARISSA www.allthingssweetbycarissa.com.au

CELEBRANT ELIZABETH TREVAN www.elizabethtrevan.com.au

ENTERTAINMENT DAMIEN HIGGINBOTHAM AND FUNKIFIED ENTERTERTAINMENT www.funkified.com.au

ACCOMMODATION THE DARLING www.thedarling.com.au

There is a chic sense of the beautiful in today’s all white waterside wedding. From the bride’s stunning beautiful gown, to the peaceful and beautiful church ceremony. The celebratory boat ride and the flowers, oh, the incredible flowers at the reception!

It seems Laura and Rowan were always meant to be. On how they met, Laura tells, “Our parents have always known each other, and our dad’s went to school together back 50 years ago in Sicily.”

Laura and her bridesmaids wore gowns from D’Amico Couture.

The bridal party arrived by boat to the reception held at Catalina, Laura noting, “Rowan and I where the only two that were supposed to be on the boat but at the last minute we got a bigger boat and the bridal party joined us!”. The trip turned out to be one of her favourite parts of the day.

Of their first dance, Laura remembers, “We danced to A Groovy Kind of Love by Phil Collins. Ever since we first heard the song together we fell in love with it.”

Congratulations Laura and Rowan! What a beautiful day you had!

To see the full story and gallery head over to PolkaDot Bride

When Natasha Ristevski (née Kakouratos), the junior fashion editor at Famous magazine, started looking for her perfect wedding dress it wasn’t as simple as she had hoped. Having fashion as your career not only gives you an incredible taste for what’s out there, but it can also mean you know exactly what it is that you want, and that can be difficult to find.

After countless, and unsuccessful, trips to wedding dress appointments all over Sydney, Tash decided she had to go for custom made . . . and not by just any dressmaker, she opted for the renowned Steven Khalil. Famous for his stunning silhouettes, eye for detail, beautiful fabrics and intricate laces, his styles come with an appropriate price tag. Not wanting to sacrifice anything on her Big Day, she got exactly what she dreamt of. Did it fit her perfectly? Without a doubt. Was it absolutely unique? It’s one of a kind. Was it the beautiful and breathtaking touch on the top of an incredible day? Definitely.

Here we chat to the junior fashion editor about the things she learned from planning her wedding day, choosing the right dress and getting the most out of it all.

To read the full article on Popsugar click here

Dress: Yulia McAuley design with fitted chantilly lace bodice and layered silk organza skirt

Honeymoon: Three weeks in Mexico, LA, Las Vegas and New York

When and where married: St Nikola Tavelic Croatian Catholic Church and reception at Curzon Hall on April 11

Melanie Miletovic met husband Kevin Pisani on the very first day of high school, lucky enough to grow up with her best friend by her side.

They grew up in the same area of western Sydney and went to the same school, meeting on the very first day of Year 7.

“That’s where we found each other and we have now been together for 10 years,” Melanie, 27, says.

“We were good friends from the beginning but it wasn’t until Year 12 that we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend, which was due to a lot more social activities and we grew closer, kicking off after a friend’s party.

“People we went to school with are still in shock that we are still together — I think it’s quite surreal these days to hear stories like ours.”

In 2008 the Cecil Hills couple spent three months travelling Europe together, exploring Melanie’s native Croatia, and Kevin’s native Malta.

“We both studied at university and have been there to support one another — it was great to be a part of that,” the advertising account manager says.

“A lot of couples say ‘I wish we had met 10 years ago’, but we don’t have to, because we did.

“We haven’t missed much of each other’s lives, that’s for sure.”

Kevin, who works in logistics, proposed to his high school sweetheart in the beautiful Hunter Valley on his birthday weekend.

“It was very unexpected,” she says.

“He had booked the best room at one of the best resorts in the Hunter and after a long day of wine tours we had dinner at a very lovely intimate fine dining restaurant.

“He had arranged with the hotel staff to set a romantic scene while we were at dinner and when we returned he popped the question.”

They were married at St Nikola Tavelic Croatian Catholic Church followed by a traditional reception for 370 guests at Curzon Hall’s Lady Mary’s Pavilion room.

“Our wedding day was everything we imagined and more,” she says.

“I am a very big perfectionist but it’s such a surreal feeling — you let everything go and you just enjoy every moment.

“I am Croatian so it was very cultural. We had a live Croatian band with lots of Croatian dancing and drinks, and it is customary for guests to be greeted with rosemary stems to wish away any bad spirits for the couple.

“It was amazing — but the highlight was walking down the aisle with my Dad — I have never seen him so emotional.

“We are both the first children in our families to get married so it was very special for everyone — it was such a lovey day.”

To read the full article in The Daily Telegraph click here

To see the full article head over to BridetoBe.com.au or pick up the latest issue

The couple’s suppliers

CEREMONY ST BRIGID’S MARRICKVILLE stbrigid.org.au

RECEPTION DOLTONE HOUSE doltonehouse.com.au

FLORIST MARIA LUSH marialush.com

GOWN STEVEN KHALIL stevenkhalil.com

SHOES VALENTINO valentino.com/au

BRIDESMAIDS ADRIANNA PAPELL adriannapapell.com

RINGS LUCIANO CERRONE lucianojewellers.com

GROOM’S SUIT THE SUIT SHOP suitshop.com.au

MAKE-UP SUSIE AYOUB susieayoubmakeup.com

HAIR LIZZIE LIROS lizzieliros.com

CAKE THE CAKE STUDIO thecakestudio.com.au

TRANSPORT ROLL UP IN A ROLLS rollupinarolls.com.au

To read the full article pick up the lastest issue of Bride to Be Magazine or click here

The couple’s suppliers:

STYLIST NIGHTINGALES www.theweddingplanner.com.au

CEREMONY LORETO KIRRIBILLI CHAPEL www.loreto.nsw.edu.au

RECEPTION OPERA POINT MARQUEE www.ariacatering.com

FLOWERS NIGHTINGALES www.theweddingplanner.com.au

GOWN PETER LANGNER www.helenrodrigues.com

SHOES CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN www.christianlouboutin.com

BRIDESMAIDS AMSALE www.amsale.com

RINGS TIFFANY & CO www.tiffany.com.au

JEWELLERY PASPALEY www.paspaley.com

GROOM’S SUIT HUGO BOSS www.hugoboss.com

MAKE-UP LAUREL BROWN www.laurelbrown.com.au

HAIR LUC ESPACE www.tribelifestyle.com.au

STATIONERY OOH AAH INVITATIONS www.ooh-aahinvitations.com.au

CAKE FAYE CAHILL CAKE DESIGN www.fayecahill.com.au

BOMBONIERE BARILLIANT www.barilliant.com.au

TRANSPORT VARIETY WEDDING CARS www.varietyweddingcars.com.au

ENTERTAINMENT OPUS 4 STRING QUARTET www.opus4.com.au

& THE USUAL SUSPECTS www.theusualsuspects.com.au

REGISTRY DAVID JONES www.davidjones.com.au

ACCOMMODATION PARK HYATT SYDNEY www.parkhyatt.com.au

Sometimes all you need is simplicity and elegance and this elegant Sydney wedding has all that and more! Sousan and Harvey chose a popular Sydney venue for their wedding – marrying in the courtyard before celebrating with their guests at a sit down reception and of course, the best part – dancing the night away! We were there to capture it all.

Marianna Grillo styled the bride’s hair and makeup.

The bride wore an elegant gown by Amanda Garrett. Her bouquet of roses and blushing brides was created by Maria Lush.

Sousan remembers, “There was a huge storm / mini cyclone from 3.30-4.15pm which we could see from our hotel as we were getting ready for the ceremony. The skies opened up and the sun shone just in time for the 5.30pm service!”

Sousan and Harvey held their wedding at Gunners Barracks. They both wanted a relaxed ceremony surrounded by family and friends, so chose the venue’s courtyard for the ceremony proceedings. Sousan remarks, “Many attending the wedding were from overseas and interstate so the Gunners Barracks was the perfect Sydney venue – a venue so unique!”

Celebrations continued inside at Gunners Barracks, the entire event planned by Events by Nightingales who worked with Maria Lush to create a beautiful feeling to the space. Sousan remarks, “All of our chosen vendors were outstanding, but the florist drew the most comments from the guests. The wonderful organisation of Nightingales and the venue allowed us to relax and enjoy the day.”

To read the full article on Polkadot Bride click here

Credits

Photographer: gm photographics / Wedding Planner & Stylist: Events by Nightingales / Bride’s Dress: Amanda Garrett / Bride’s Shoes: Saint Laurent / Bride’s Jewelry: Tiffany & Co / Groom’s Attire: Tom Ford / Groom’s Shoes: Bally / Groomsmen Attire: Harrolds / Hairstylist: Marianna Grillo / Makeup Artist: Marianna Grillo / Flowers: Maria Lush / Invitations & Stationery: Natalie by Design / Venue: Gunners Barracks / Ceremony Musicians: Vov Dylan – String Quartet / Cake Baker: Something Blue Cakes / Band: Lets Groove Tonight

Andy and Carly went through school together and knew many of the same people but had never met until 2009 when a mutual friend introduced them. “Andy asked me to add him as a friend on Facebook and that night I did… we started chatting and it only got better.”

“Andy proposed to me at my favourite restaurant – China Doll in Woolloomooloo. We enjoyed dinner and then whilst we were eating dessert, we were also served a fortune cookie which I opened to read “Will you marry me?” I was hysterical !!! I replied “yes”.”

Carly wore a Steven Khalil strapless nude fully embellished crystal gown with detachable sleeves and a heavily embellished veil. Her bridesmaids looked so beautiful in dresses by Yulia Mc Couture. Anthony Ellis did hair whilst Melissa Sassine perfected the make-up.

Carly says “Our reception was held at Waterview in Bicentennial Park  My father is the Director of Waterview and this is why we got married there. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Waterview was built for the purpose of having all our family weddings there and this is what made it so special. It made me feel so proud. Our wedding planner and stylist Jason James Design transformed the space into a modern, sophisticated and avant-garde ‘Fairytale Forest’. Our colour choice was black, gold and white – it was very royal, elegant and modern. We wanted our styling to be unique and this is exactly what Jason delivered – he was amazing!”

“I love and persisted on having masses of cascading greenery, Columbian roses and phalaenopsis orchids in my arrangements and bouquets. I provided my florist, Seed Flora, with a budget and let them work with Jason to bring their magic to life. I really wanted my florals to be a statement and look abundant, breathtaking and unique. Andy and I organized onyx personalised nametags and gold bottles of Ace of Spades Champagne to be placed on each table for all our guests. A flower wrapping station was setup by our florist to wrap up all the flowers for the guests to take home too – with paper which included our monogrammed emblem.”

To read more of this article and see more of our photographs click here

CREDITS

Photographer: GM Photographics / : Siempre / : Jess Jacob Creative / Bride’s Dress and Veil: Steven Khalil / Bridesmaid Shoes: Cosmopolitan Shoes / Bridesmaid Dresses: Yulia Mc Couture / Bridesmaid Accessories: Midas Jewellery / Hairstylist: Anthony Ellis / Makeup Artist: Melissa Sassine / Groom’s Attire: Tom Ford / Ceremony Venue: St Mary’s Cathedral / Reception Venue: Waterview in Bicentennial Park / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Jason James / Flowers & Decor: Seed Flora / Cake Baker: Sweet Bloom Cakes / Invitations & Stationery: Zed and Bee /  Styling and Decoration: Events by Nadia / Candles and Favours: Loved by Lucy XO

Fiona Deans- Dundas is the founder and CEO of Couture Wedding Planning. As one of the best in the business, we sat down with her to talk all things weddings. Here is her take on weddings for 2015 and the New Year coming…

When asked of her favourite venues Fiona is quick to respond with Sergeants Mess. “It’s a larger venue to style located in Chowder Bay in Mosman. Sergeant Mess has incredible harbour views and has beautiful art deco chandeliers and bar. Sergeants Mess has a minimum of 100 guests and maximum of 250.”

“One of my favourite smaller venues at the moment to style is Gunner Barracks also located in Mosman and also has beautiful harbour views with a vintage luxe feel – they have 3 ceremony location, the stunning Harbourivew lawn, the historic courtyard and enclosed Harbourview Terrace. Gunners’  can take approx. 80 guest seated in the main dining room depending on the floorplan. A wonderful thing about both venue is you are the only bride at each venue when you get married – both are very exclusive.”

“I actually wanted to get married in Gunner Barracks’ but sadly it was a little small for my guest numbers and also enquired about Sergeants Mess for my wedding but sadly it was still under construction 6 years ago.”

“Both venues are owned by the incredible Grand Pacific Group who also own Dunbar House and The Queen Victoria Tea Rooms.  I particularly like working with this group as they have very helpful sales staff with a can do attitude and wonderful banquet staff that run the events.”

Some of Fiona’s favourite venues located in Sydney if you wanted to consider them for your upcoming wedding include:

Over 100 Guests

• Sergeants Mess
• The Opera House Marquee
• Deckhouse
• The Water Room at Pier One Sydney Harbour
• The Great Hall at Sydney University –
• Taronga Zoo Event Centre

Under 80 guests

• The Green Room at Quay
• The Private Dining Room at Aria
• The Guest House at Park Hyatt
• Palais at Luna Park –
• Altitude Restaurant at Shangri La Hotel
• Gunner Barracks

When it comes to finding the ultimate wedding dress Fiona says “I adore going to the Wedding Dress Boutique with my brides, it is one of my Favourite parts of the wedding planning process. You immediately know when the bride finds the gown of her dreams as there is usually a very emotional energy in the room and most of the time we all cry – which is lovely to witness.”

‘From overseas I adore Galia Lahav who is fantastic Israel Designer, thankfully Eternal Bridal now stocks this stunning brand so it is available to Australian brides.”

“I also love Vera Wang (had the privilege of trying on her Fall 2015 collection in New York Recently and the gowns where exquisite) Inbal Dror –  available at Helen Rodrigues and Berta Bridal – available at Brides By Francesca. Locally I really love what Steven Khalil has created for my brides over the years, he has incredible fit and really knows how to dress a women’s figure. Some of my other designers here locally include Pallas Couture, Velani, Diane Lewis and Moira Hughes.”

If you are a bride just starting out and planning your wedding, here is Fiona’s best tips;

“Firstly, Start a basic Budget, begin with some approx. costings – what you think things will cost and then add in the actual costs as you receive the quotes from your suppliers and then once you lock them in, add in the deposit you have paid and how much and when final payments are due so you don’t have to go back through all the invoices and contracts again.” The Easy Weddings Website has some very helpful Wedding Planning Tools including Budget Management for the brides that wants to plan their own weddings. For our Couture Wedding Planning Brides this is major part of what we do for each of couple.

“Secondly, Make sure you begin a rough timeline from the beginning of your planning – begin by adding the start time of the ceremony and reception and then as you go through the wedding planning process just add the information as you receive it from your suppliers such as the start time the make up artist, when you cars will arrive and what time your florist will be setting up for the ceremony and reception and then when you get to the wedding, you can just send this document to you all your suppliers to confirm you are all on the same page. For each Couture Wedding Planning Bride we will make sure we maintain a very detailed timeline that we communicate to all your suppliers.”

“Thirdly, Create a mood board either on Pinterest or just add your Favourite images to a word document – this way you can take this document or present your pinterest board to your supplier such as your florist, Stylist and Décor Hiring Company etc to show them the direction and Colours you would like to incorporate into your wedding. We love creating a unique moodboard for each couple so they have a clear understanding of what their wedding will look like before the wedding day.”

When asked about wedding trends, Fiona replies “Looking at the coming year florals are trending heavily. Flower Walls are increasing in popularity at the wedding. Love the stunning framed fresh flower walls by Maria Lush Floral Designer.

Beautiful Floral Ceiling Installations are massive at the moment. Vesna Grasso has some beautiful silk wisteria which are perfect for ceiling installations.

Gold is very on trend at the moment. Both John Emmanuel, another talented florist I love working with at the moment and I are obsessed with.

Luscious Linens are becoming even more popular in Australia like the incredible Preston Bailey Linen available at Events by Nadia.

Stunning Charger plates are increasing in popularity at wedding in Australia at the moment as suppliers have a much wider variety available to our brides. Contact harbourside decorators to view their large range.”

If you are just starting out Fiona suggests an appointment sooner rather than later… “One year is fantastic but we have planned weddings in 3 months before for example Joe and Kuan we planned with in a year 1 year and Frank and Elizabeth we planned in 3 months.   I am also planning two wedding at the moment for 18 months.”

Fiona’s favourite element when styling a wedding is florals.

“Flowers are Key – Florals are a key element in any wedding styling – they can communicate the colour scheme of the wedding to all the guests as well as theme of the wedding and personality of the Bride and Groom in the way they are arranged and what vases they are contained within. For example a modern bride use structured flowers like orchids and tulips in glass vessels, a classic bride might us a tall vases with beautiful floral balls and a boho bride might use Hessen wrapped vases of a mixture of vases.”

Fiona has seen dramatic changes in wedding styling in the last 2 years in Australia – “Things have just amplified. I believe this is due to increasing popularity of social media amongst Brides like Pinterest and Instagram which shows Aussie Brides what is trending in America and so these items are becoming more and more available in Australia such as Charger plates, a large range of stunning chairs and beautiful linens.”

“Some brides arrive with whole folders and some with just one or two photos and then we help them build on these as we develop their Wedding Mood Board. Magazines and Instagram are very inspiration but pinterest is by far the most popular way of creating mood boards and easily communicating them to your creative suppliers – We normally create an anonymous pinterest board for each of our couples. Pinterest is such an amazing tool but be warned it is very addictive.”

Here are some tips for all couples to make follow during their wedding planning

Always ask how much Extra Sides are when seeing your photographer

Always read the contract

Always do a menu tasting

Always do a floral mock up

Always do a final meeting with you venue, florist and photographer

Here is a taste of Couture Wedding Planning’s packages;

The Haute Couture is a very exclusive package available to 3 lucky couples each year. We limit this package to small number of couples so we can provide them with the exclusive and detailed service. Be part of this Exclusive Society and allow Couture Wedding Planning to create a beautiful wedding for you and your fiancé from concept to completion. Our Haute Couture Couples will be provided with an Ipad so they can connect with their personal wedding planner and create mood boards and store all their documentation.

The Demi Couture package is perfect for couples who have organised their wedding venue and a few other suppliers so far but not sure what to do next and need help with organising the rest of the wedding and with tying all their ideas together.

The Couture Coordination package is perfect for a Bride and Groom who would like to plan their own wedding but would love to have professional wedding planner there on their wedding day to ensure that all your intricate details are in place and will make sure their day is seamless.

Check out Couture Wedding Planning’s website for more details on our packages and view their portfolio

Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up the latest styling trends Check out the Pinterest page and start pinning!

the couple’s suppliers

CEREMONY BONG BONG ANGLICAN CHURCH mossvaleanglican.com

RECEPTION MALI BRAE FARM malibraefarm.com.au

BOUQUETS & CAKE TOPPER ANNETTE’S FLORIST owersonargyle.com

FLOWERS FLOWERS BY VAN TIL owersbyvantil.com.au

GOWN WENDY MAKIN COUTURE heavenlycollections.com.au

SHOES FRYE BOOTS thefryecompany.com

BRIDESMAIDS ALFRED ANGELO abridesblessing.com.au

RINGS GREGORY JEWELLERS gregoryjewellers.com.au

EARRINGS MIMCO mimco.com.au

SUITS OXFORD oxfordshop.com.au

HAIR & MAKE-UP SIMONA JANEK simonajanek.com.au

CATERING VIOLETS & VINEGAR violetsandvinegar.com.au

CAKE DOLCETTINI dolcettini.com.au

BOMBONIERE MONTROSE BERRY FARM montroseberryfarm.com.au & COOL STUBBY coolstubby.com.au

ENTERTAINMENT VOLKY volky.com.au & RECOVER UNIT soundcloud.com/recoverunit