Background 
 

How did you meet your (now) husband?

We were best friends for a year before we started dating but technically we met at a party through mutual friends.

How long have you been together? 9 years!

Do you have a proposal story?

Will had planned a surprise trip for my birthday and told me to pack for a beach location. Knowing nothing we flew to Melbourne and found out at the airport that we were off to New Caledonia! The day he proposed he really wanted to carry my beach bag. I kept saying to him, “it’s fine, it’s not heavy, it’s just got the towels in it!” but he kept on insisting so I let him. Then we got a private boat out to a tiny island called Ill Aux Canards for the day. We got ourselves some sun beds and I started pulling out the towels. I flicked mine out onto the bed and then as I was about to flick out one for Will too, he tried to stop me but it was too late and I flicked the ring that he had rolled up in his towel out onto the sand! Luckily it was in the box and didn’t go too far but I immediately burst into happy tears and Will said, “Well, I guess we’re doing this now then...” and then proceeded to propose which I accepted between sobs of happiness.  

The Wedding

What was your wedding date? 28th May 2016

Location (Ceremony and Reception)

Where? Verrierdale, Sunshine Coast Hinterland        

What made you choose there? The property there was such a naturally beautiful place. When we saw it for the first time, there were flowers and greenery everywhere, kangaroos were hopping around and we fell in love with it.

How did you find it? Our amazing wedding planner Carly from CL Weddings & Events

How was the weather on the day? Perfect!! Hardly a cloud in the sky.

The Wedding Details 

Theme?

We fell in love with the property so we wanted to keep with that theme of just naturally beautiful and simple elegance. Lots of flowers and clean white linen.  

Where did you draw your inspiration/ideas from? Carly and Pinterest mostly!  

Were any aspects of your wedding D.I.Y? If so What? Will was determined to use branches from his home and strap them to the inside roof of the marquee and to his credit, the finished result looked beautiful.

Bridal Party 

Bridesmaids?  

Maid of honour/best friend: Kaitlin

Bridesmaid/best friend: Jessica

Bridesmaid/family friend: Belinda

Bridesmaid/cousin: Lauren

Groomsmen?  

Best man/Best mate: Michael

Groomsman/best mate: Shaun

Groomsman/best mate: James

Groomsman/Will’s brother: Tom 3.    

Flower girls/Page boys?  

We had two flower girls, my little sister Ellie and my niece Penny

Wedding Gown

What made you decide to come into Karen Willis Holmes?

The dress I ended up with I actually saw in a magazine when I first got engaged but for some reason, I didn’t try it on the first time I went there. I went to a few other places in between but when I went again I saw it, tried it on and didn’t even hesitate. I knew it was the one as soon as I put it on and saw my mum’s face!  Rebecca looked beautiful in our 'Matilda' gown. 

Where have you seen our gowns (if at all) before? Cosmo bride was where I first found out about Karen Willis Holmes. 

How many gowns did you try? Maybe10.

Where did you purchase your gown from (which store or stockist)?

The Paddington store in Brisbane. The girls were so amazing and I was lucky enough to have Karen there on the day I bought the dress and the day I had my first fitting!  

What did you especially like about your gown? Everything. I honestly felt like a princess.  

 
Fashion

Who is your bridesmaid dress supplier? I actually got the girls to choose their own dresses. I wanted them to feel beautiful and to actually want to wear them again. So I just told them white cocktail dresses and they all looked amazing!

Where did you get the groom and groomsmen’s suits? The boys got their tailor made tuxes from the Black Label.

What accessories did you choose to finish your gown and also for those in your bridal party?

I’m very simplistic in my accessories so I had simple diamond studs and my mum’s tennis bracelet. For the girl's, some of them don’t have their ears pierced and all have such different tastes so I got them Daily edited nude leather clutches with their initials embossed on them and a little bottle of perfume and bridesmaids kit – bandaids, mints, safety pins etc.  

Where did you get your shoes from? My step mum said when we got engaged that she wanted to buy my shoes so we made a girls trip of it and flew to Melbourne to buy the most divine pair of Valentinos rockstud caged pumps.  

Did you wear a veil/headpiece? Where did you get this from? I didn’t want to wear a veil. I’m not very traditional so I just wanted to go with the natural theme and had some gorgeous flowers that were provided by my florist, Twig and Grace. 

What advice would you give brides organizing their wedding?

Wedding planners are expensive but they are worth every penny if you stress like me! Especially if you get one as good as Carly!

What advice would you give brides searching for their wedding gown?

Just keep trying them on until you don’t want to take one off! Anything extra that is special or you would like to share about your big day.

Something Old? A pair of diamond studs my mum gave when I was a teenager.

Something New? The dress and shoes.

Something Borrowed? My mum’s tennis bracelet that she wears every day.

Something Blue? My garter Suppliers  

Other

All of our suppliers were suggested by Carly, our wedding planner. Every single one of them was amazing and we were so happy with the service we got.

​Photographer – Bushturkey Studios

Florist – Twig and Grace

Videographer – Yellowbull

Weddings Music – Cut A Rug  

First Dance – Ain’t that a kick in the head by Dean Martin

MC – Our friends Jordan and Sarah.

Celebrant – Beth Stevenson from I heart ceremonies – Such a beautiful person!

Stationery – CL Weddings

Menu – The Van Fine Street Food and Pizzantica

Cake – Will’s grandmother made our cake

Bombonieres – We decided not to do bombonieres

Hair – The Beauty Case – Khesanh and Mel

Make-Up – The Beauty Case – Khesanh and Mel

Wedding Bands – Ridge Jewellers for my wedding and engagement ring and The French Door for Will’s wedding band

Bec + Will [Cinematic Teaser] from YellowBull Media on Vimeo.

Background

How did you meet your (now) husband? We met through his sister, Katie, who invited us both to be on a social sports team.  I was terrible at the sport (touch football) but kept showing up for every game to see the cute guy on the team!  It turned out that Kane was doing the same, and after the season ended we started dating.

How long have you been together? Three years

Do you have a proposal story? Kane organised a summer picnic on Sydney Harbour, and half way through the picnic he popped the question and pulled out a bottle of hidden Moet to celebrate as we called our family and friends to share the news.

The Wedding

What was your wedding date? 22.01.16

Location (Ceremony and Reception)

Where? Ceremony & reception were at Centennial Vineyards, Bowral

What made you choose there? We love Bowral, it’s so relaxed, and we immediately fell in love with Centennial’s beautiful vineyard and grounds.

How did you find it? Through looking for venues in Bowral

How was the weather on the day?  Pouring with rain just as the outdoor ceremony was about to start!  We luckily had a nice indoor option for the ceremony with a view of the vineyard, and our photographer was amazing and was happy to stand in the light rain and capture our photos after the ceremony.

What made you decide to get married on this particular date?  We wanted to get married in summer, and a January date allowed all of our overseas friends and family to be present.  The number 22 is a special number for me, and was also the number on the back of my team shirt, where Kane and I met.

The Wedding Details

Theme?  We wanted the day to be relaxed and elegant, so we went for a relaxed elegant vineyard theme – gold and white were our colours, and our invitations, placecards, and clusters of floral arrangements all focused on a variety of beautiful summer florals.  Amazingly on the day, the florist chose Star Jasmine as one of the varieties on the tables, and the entire venue had a beautiful Jasmine scent all night, our guests kept mentioning it, it was a lovely accidental touch.

Where did you draw your inspiration/ideas from?  A little bit of everywhere, there was a lot of Pinterest inspiration and my sisters were wonderful for ideas and inspiration.  Never one to make my mind up and stick to it on anything design related, the theme and details changed until the last possible moment!

Were any aspects of your wedding D.I.Y? If so What? I love making things and Kane is very creative, so we couldn’t help but get involved in some of the decorating.  Kane and I spent weeks spray painting 250 vases, wine bottles, and candle holders in gold paint for the florist, it was quite a task.  We used them in clusters on the long reception tables.  The pale pine timber logs on the tables were cut from a tree next to Kane’s parent's house and sanded and prepared by Kane.

Bridal Party

Bridesmaids – who/relationship?

1. Erica – maid of honor, bride’s sister
2. Lisa – bride’s sister
3. Prue – bride’s best friend

Groomsmen – who/relationship?

1. Luke – best man/best friend
2. Tamara – groomslady, groom’s sister
3. Katie – groomslady, groom’s sister

Flower girls/Page boys – who/relationship?

1. Amy’s two nieces, Sara and Catia
2. Kane’s niece and nephew, Summer and Jack

Wedding Gown (the most important part!)

What made you decide to come into Karen Willis Holmes?  As soon as I saw the gowns I loved the styles, they were what I’d imagined – elegant.  I also loved that Karen Willis Holmes is an Australian designer.

Where have you seen our gowns (if at all) before?  Everyone around me had heard of them, but I hadn’t because I didn’t know many (any!) wedding gown designers before I started looking.

How many gowns did you try?  All together, about 6 different gowns

What did you especially like about your gown?  I loved that it was elegant, modern, and it felt sleek and minimal yet dramatic.  I loved the perfectly designed bodice, the buttons down the back and the waist belt, and the way the skirt added a touch of drama and elegance.  It was also surprisingly comfortable.

Fashion

Who is your bridesmaid dress supplier?  Pia Glady’s from White Runway

What accessories did you choose to finish your gown and also for those in your bridal party? We chose green Mimco earrings for the bridesmaids, and I had a bracelet, earrings, and a hairpiece that I put on for the reception when my veil came off.

Did you wear a veil/headpiece? Where did you get this from?  I wore a veil that my alterations lady made for me, it was over the face to walk down the aisle.  I had a small headpiece for the reception.

Other:

What advice would you give brides organizing their wedding?  Enjoy the process and include your friends and family because those times organizing, and chatting about ideas, and running around to appointments are some of my best memories.

Something Old? A gold charm of an angel, pinned inside my dress, which was bought for me from my uncle/godfather when I was born.

Something New? My earrings

Something Borrowed? My sister’s wedding bracelet

Something Blue? A small blue traditional Turkish good luck charm, from my best friend whom I was a bridesmaid for last year, which I pinned inside my dress

Suppliers

Florist – Flowers on Norton, Sydney. Penny Clarke, owner and floral designer, really amazed us with her outstanding design, endless ideas, and professionalism. We couldn’t recommend her more. Penny brainstormed the entire theme with us and helped us coordinate the 250 vases and candles that were spread down the long tables.  She arranged a room full of different varieties of white flowers, and the entire reception room smelt like star jasmine all night – the guests are still commenting on it.

Photographer – Zoe Morley Photography,  Zoe was wonderful, endlessly happy and enthusiastic and put us completely at ease.  Her photos are stunning and speak for themselves and we would recommend her to anyone getting married.  She was so professional and didn’t stop taking photos in the rain until she had everything she wanted.

Videographer – Inkster Productions,  Matthew Inkster.  Matt’s video’s are very personal and touching, and the perfect memory of our day.  He captured every little detail and moment.

Music – FJ Entertainment (DJ)

First Dance – Nora Jones, Love Me Tender

MC – Relative

Celebrant – Cari Worstencroft

Stationery – Designed by Amy, printed by Tomcat Printing

Menu – Centennial Vineyards Restaurant

Cake – Delaney’s Cakes, Wollongong

Bombonieres – they were candles by ‘Light and Lather by Bel’.  Bel makes the most beautiful candles and soaps and runs a small store in Wollongong.  She was so professional and helpful and made us so many candle samples to choose from to help us select the right ones. Everyone loved the bonbonieres!

Hair – Erica Tremopoulos.  Erica helped me think of ideas for hair, and for the bridesmaid's hair and consulted with me on the dresses and hairstyles to suit.  She is a true perfectionist which is exactly what every bride needs.

Make up – Liv Slee from the Flawless Makeup Academy, Olivia was wonderful and so flexible.  We all loved our makeup.

Other – The bridal party stayed at Heritage House at The Rift, Bowral.  The old converted coachhouse building and interiors were simply stunning, with the lovely Janet overseeing our stay.  It was an amazing place for photos, especially since it was raining and we weren’t able to venture out into the gardens.

AS FEATURED BY: 

This stunning editorial by Shae Estella Photo is rustic, warm and full of old world charm. Set on the manicured grounds of Flaxton Gardens in the Sunshine Coast, this shoot filled our hearts with love.

When asked to be involved in this charming collaboration we excitedly obliged, provided three contemporary and elegant looks to suit the theme. Sophisticated, whimsical and romance, this photoshoot of unique botanicals, soft textures and bespoke bohemian jewels it one not to be missed!

Our bohemian 'Tillie' lace crop and 'Natasha' silk skirt combination gown perfectly suited this ethereal backdrop. 

The second look featured was our more structured  'Mabel' bodice and 'Karly' skirt combination gown. 

The third was our  'Ingrid' lace overlay and slip with center front slip. This non-traditional lace gown was perfect for this fashion forward editorial. 

CREDITS

Photography - Shae Estella Photography

Styling - Made To Match Events
 

Location - Flaxton Gardens
 

Jewellery - Salita Matthews
 

Florals - Woods & Bloom
 

Stationery - D&d Letterpress
 

Men's Accessories - Wood and Beau  
 

Suits - Suits Direct
 

Hair - Sass & Niki Wedding Hair
 

Makeup - Sally Townsend
 

Models - Tallulah and Anthony from WINK Models

Proposed to in Sydney, born in Sri Lanka and married in New Zealand.  If there were to be a cultural fusion to a wedding, this is it! The stunning couple, Iresha & Kirin wed in Auckland, New Zealand with their closest family and friends over two magnificent days of celebrations.  Many of their guests made a long trip over from Sri Lanka, so this was the couple's way of spending some incredibly valuable and rare time with their loved ones they don't get to see so often. Spreading their wedding over two days allowed them to celebrate both the cultural and western aspects of their life and upbringing, uniting the two worlds magically in an effortlessly romantic garden setting.  Iresha glowed head to toe in the fully beaded Karen Willis Holmes 'Amelie' gown. 

Background
How did you meet your (now) husband? We met through friends at Uni but didn’t start dating until a few years after that
 
How long have you been together? 7 years
 
Do you have a proposal story? Kiran proposed to me the day before we went to Sri Lanka (where I was born) at a beautiful restaurant with 360 degree views of Sydney. It was then so lovely to go to Sri Lanka the next day and celebrate with all my family and friends who I rarely get to see because they live so far away.

The Wedding
What was your wedding date? 8th & 9th January 2016
 
Location (Ceremony and Reception)
Where? Day 1: Mt Albert Memorial Hall, Auckland, NZ
Day 2: Markovina Estate, Kumeu Auckland, NZ
 
What made you choose there? NZ would always be home for us so it was never a question as to where we would host our wedding.
 
How did you find it? Mainly through scouring internet wedding sites

 
How was the weather on the day? On day one is poured and poured with rain, luckily it just fined up for when we wanted to take photos. Didn’t make too much of a difference on that day because the wedding was hosted indoors. However, I was praying for a fine day the next day as I had my heart set on a garden wedding. Lucky my prayers were answered and day 2 was a stunning summer's day.
 
What made you decide to get married on this particular date? We definitely wanted a summer wedding and we knew it didn’t really get hot in Auckland until Jan. We also knew that a lot of our friends and family would be traveling to Auckland for Xmas and wanted to avoid them having to travel twice in a short span.

 
The Wedding Details
Where did you draw your inspiration/ideas from? Pinterest
 
Bridal Party
Bridesmaids – who/relationship? Keshani Naidoo, Shria Florencio, Samantha Dharmapriya, Lana Van Sevenhoven (3 best friends and sister)
 
Groomsmen – who/relationship? Nilesh Sima, Sunil Bhana, Vijay Sima & Jay Rama (Brother & 3 best friends). 
 
Flower girls/Page boys – who/relationship? Mia Bhana - Kiran’s niece

Wedding Gown (the most important part!)
What made you decide to come into Karen Willis Holmes? I tried on a few different brands of dresses at the David Jones bridal suite but KWH was by far my favourite. You had me at sparkles! (Iresha wore the stunning 'Amelie' gown)
 
Where have you seen our gowns (if at all) before? David Jones
 
How many gowns did you try? 5-6
 
Where did you purchase your gown from (which store or stockist)? Paddington
 
What did you especially like about your gown? I loved the sequins and the fit of the dress. It made me feel so glamourous!

 
Fashion
Who is your bridesmaid dress supplier? Review

Where did you get the groom and groomsmen’s suits? Kiran got his suit from The Black Label and the boy's suits were from Topman

Did you wear a veil/headpiece? Where did you get this from? I wore a simple chapel length veil

 Other:
What advice would you give brides organizing their wedding? Use Google Docs, this makes collaborating with your family/friends so much easier. You can have folders for everything and never have to worry about making sure everyone is working off the latest version of a spreadsheet.
 
What advice would you give brides searching for their wedding gown? Be open to trying different styles of dresses, what you first imagined might not always be what’s suited to your shape. Be patient, your dream dress is just around the corner.

Anything extra that is special or you would like to share about your big day? It was so great to spread our wedding across 2 days. Not only did we get to celebrate both the cultural and western styles of our upbringing - we were able to spend more time with our guests which was awesome since the days went so fast!

 
Suppliers

Photographer - Jessica Sim
 
Videographer -Side Project
 
Music - DJ O9

MC - Vijay Sima
 
Cake - Fresco Cakes
 
Bombonieres - Siracha2go
 
Hair - LoveHair
 
Make up -  Abbie Gardiner