Boston Bridal Shops

Endless Summer Wedding Inspiration

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:17:31 +0000

With summer well and truly upon us (or is it? There seems to be a distinct lack of sunshine and plenty of rain lately!) this “Endless Summer” inspiration shoot shot by Shutter & Lace Photography and organised by Savor the Moment Wedding Planning pulled together a team of talented wedding professionals to create an inspirational shoot. Packed full of ideas to inspire your own summer wedding celebration.

Lillie Brennan of Shutter & Lace Photography, talks us through the gorgeous shoot. “Given a simple concept board and the theme of “Summer with a 50′s twist” our vendors set to work to design and create an inspiration shoot that was colourful, fun and celebrated weddings in summer. The shoot was organised by Nikki Ruddle of Savor the Moment Wedding Planning, based in Brisbane.” Rosamund House & Wedding Gardens provided the most gorgeous backdrop for the shoot.

“The amazingly designed layered invites from Leaky Boat Design is the perfect way to set the tone of your wedding day. The invites, RSVP and gift registry cards are an instant hit of colour and funky prints with the typography giving a subtle hint of 50′s style. Not stopping at just the invitations, Bernie from Leaky Boat incorporated the prints and colours throughout most of the styling. The layering of prints and colours was used on the toffee apple place settings, bunting, jam labels and even the pinwheels that cascaded down the 3 tier cake by The Flour Girl. Getting your stationery designer involved in your decorating also is a great way of personalising and adding consistency to your styling.”

“The bouquet, buttonhole and flowers for the table were selected to complement the vintage chic styling of the shoot through an eclectic selection of blooms, foliage and pod elements. The mix of soft lacey peonies, roses and lisianthus in peaches and pinks, along with the more structured elements of Lotus Pods, succulents and dusty miller in browns and grey greens, and mustard coloured billy buttons created a romantic yet chic palate for the florals.” The floral design was by Green & Bloom Wedding Flowers.

The gowns were sourced from Element of Style Bridal & Formal Wear. “As the temperature rises – it’s the perfect opportunity for hemlines to follow – the gorgeous tea length wedding gown with its sweetheart satin bodice and tea length tulle skirt, was angelic and had the vintage appeal we were looking for through it’s 50′s inspired silhouette.

The boat neck bridesmaid dresses in their fresh colours and matching tea length hems complimented the short wedding gown perfectly and lent themselves well to the theme we were aiming to achieve. The perfect options for the modern bride wanting a breath of fresh air for her wedding. The dresses were complimented perfectly with layered pearl and crystal jewellery from Australian designer, Lisa Daniels Design.”

“The gorgeous ‘Lynette Day Designs’ headpiece was borrowed for the shoot from Sarah Dickens of SMD Weddings Blog. Sarah wore the piece on her own wedding day and when Nikki from Savor the Moment mentioned she was on the hunt for a vintage inspired headpiece, Sarah knew it would be perfect!

The 1950’sinspired bird cage veil is stunning with its attention to detail and came together so well with the choice of gown for the bride. “It was fabulous to be a part of this photo shoot and see the veil used again, it broke my heart to to think it could be sitting in a box for a lifetime” – Sarah. Each hairstyle was different and was chosen to compliment each of the girls individually – the bridesmaids wore timeless up do’s – whilst the bride’s hair was styled with the headpiece in mind.” Michelle West Airbrush Makeup Artist styled the model’s makeup while Lucie Grevell of Bella Brides styled the hair.

“ The assorted vases, bottles and beverage decanter used in the shoot form part of the hire and styling range also available from Green & Bloom Wedding Flowers. The original 50′s furniture pieces are the photographer’s own and just goes to show you don’t need to look far to find that perfect feature piece – ask around to family and friends – I am sure everyone has a grandparent, aunt, friend of a friend who owns something similar and would be more than happy to lend out for your big day.”

Photographer: Shutter & Lace Photography / Gowns: Element of Style Bridal & Formal Wear / Flowers & Decor: Green & Bloom Wedding Flowers / Cake Baker: The Flour Girl / Jewerelly: Lisa Daniels Design / Makeup Artist: Michelle West Airbrush Makeup Artist / Hairstylist: Lucie Grevell of Bella Brides / Bride’s Veil/Hair Accessories: SMD Weddings Blog / Invitations & Stationery: Leaky Boat Design / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Savor The Moment Wedding Planning / Venue: Rosamund House & Wedding Gardens

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Valentines Day Sweet Treats – Traditional

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:17:02 +0000

There really is something to be said for traditional romance. Bubbles, sugar laden treats, rich red blooms and jewels. There’s a special feeling that comes with tradition, one that feels like you’re part of something bigger. I think these can be suitable for a male or female too – bubbles, sweet treats and even flowers aren’t gender specific!

1. Laurent-Perrier’s Curvée Rosé, with Gift Box 2. Red velvet cupcake from The Cupcake Bakery 3. 2012 Artist Heart Pendant from Georg Jensen 4. Red roses in white tin from Flowers Vasette 5. Large heart chocolate box from Chocolarts 6. Heart ring from StyleRocks

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Valentines Day Sweet Treats – Stationery

Tamar and Glen’s Eclectic Country Wedding

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:20:26 +0000

Tamar & Glen

There’s only one thing better than a country wedding and that’s a country wedding where the bride wore polka dots. Oh yes! Today’s wedding not only has the sweetest couple who embraced their wedding planning with the sweetest touches but oh my, Tamar’s tea length polka dot wedding dress? Well that, my friends, is deliciously divine.

Tamar tells their story. “Our paths first crossed quite a few years ago when we met through a guy that I was dating at the time. Years later, when we were both attending the same church, we hit it off. We got together only a month before I was leaving for London for a year, and Glen was also about to leave for the Philippines for a year to work with a mission organisation. So we spent our first year as a couple primarily on skype or the phone. I have to say it was a great way of really getting to know each other, because you’re forced to talk!”

Photography today was by Brooke Holm of Lace & Bowties. Brooke has captured such honest, beautiful photographs that really feel like the intimate beauty of the day. Tamar and Glen had a wedding movie shot by Chris Schoenmaker.

Tamar put together her own bouquet with the help of family members. Tamar explains ” My sister-in-law and I selected the flowers from the Rocklea Flower Markets and then my bridesmaids and sisters-in-law helped put the bouquets and table arrangements together the night before the wedding. ”

Tamar had her gown made by a dressmaker, who also made purple bridesmaids gowns for her.. She remarks “My dress was inspired by a wedding dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in Funny Face. I drew loose drawings and had it made by a dear old lady called Mrs Mabley. The silk polka dot organza, and dupion silk were ordered from Gardams.” Tamar finished off her dress with a brooch from mysweetmuse.

Tamar and Glen chose Henzell’s Chapel, Mt Pleasant for their wedding ceremony. Tamar remarks ” We couldn’t have asked for a more picturesque venue. We said our vows in Henzell’s Chapel, a sweet little stone chapel on private land that the family had built for their daughter to get married in 16 years ago. The property is so well maintained, and we enjoyed the sweet country air.”

Walking to the ceremony was one of Tamar’s favourite parts of the day . She explains “One of my favourite moments was walking along the grass with my parents on each arm, and as we reached the entrance to the chapel, our guests let out a big cheer! It was so spontaneous and natural, and it felt so wonderful that everyone had really come with a spirit of fun and joy.

I walked down the aisle to ‘Never Had Nobody Like You’ by M. Ward. This song instantly put a smile on everyone’s faces and set the tone for the day.” Tamar’s father, brother and friends all performed songs during the ceremony.

Tamar and Glen put special touches into their ceremony to celebrate their beliefs. Tamar explains ” During the ceremony, we washed each other’s feet as our first act as a married couple. It was probably the most moving part of the day. Oh the tears! For us, it was such a special way that we could imitate Jesus’ example of servanthood in our relationship. Glen and I really wanted our day to honour God and all that he has done in our lives, so we designed our ceremony in a way that reflected that. It was such a special time, and there were lots of tears (the good kind!) “

Tamar, a graphic designer loved the chance to be creative for herself. ” I am used to trying to please my clients, so it was lovely to finally be my own client and create things that only had to please us! Some of the things we made were the flower girls’ pin wheels, silk roses for hair clips and decorations, the bridesmaids corsages and clutch bags, invitations, and order of service fans. “

Guests were able to celebrate after the ceremony, Tamar notes “We really wanted the day to reflect us and not be traditional for tradition’s sake. We wanted the day to be relaxing and enjoyable for everyone, so we tried to design all the little details around that, for example we set up tea and scones and some picnic rugs at the ceremony venue so people could relax and put their feet up afterwards.”

One of Tamar’s favourite memories was seeing the day come together. “I loved seeing all our hard work pay off, and watching everyone enjoy all the little details that we organised. It felt like such a reflection of us, and not just a copy and paste of other weddings. It was such a thrill hearing everyone talk about how much they enjoyed our day in the weeks and months afterwards. ”

Of their photographer, Brooke says “Our photographer Brooke Holm did such an amazing job. Brooke’s ability to capture the honesty of the day was outstanding. We’ve ended up with an album that sums up the emotion of the day so well.”

Tamar and Glen hired a vintage FJ Holden from FJ Classic Hire. Tamar recalls ” One of our favourite memories as a couple, is hanging out with the bridal party after our photos had been taken. There we were in the middle of nowhere, leaning on our gorgeous 1950’s FJ Holden and listening to some fantastic 1950’s music playing on a little stereo. We felt like we were back in the day!”

Tamar and Glen celebrated with guests at Mt Pleasant Community Hall. Tamar explains “Our reception was held in the community hall just down the road. We spent two days decorating the hall, and hanging lights. It was exhausting, but so so worth it.”

The tables were long. Tamar recalls “At the reception, we set up the tables in a big U shape which increased a sense of connection, and made it feel like a big communal feast.”

Tamar admits her biggest DIY project may have been a little ambitious. ” The craziest one – I whittled the little birds that sat on top of the cake. That alone took 2 days and my hands were so sore afterwards! My mum did an amazing job sewing the napkin rings and hessian table runners, and my mother-in-law lovingly sewed the order of service fans together.” The couple’s cupcake wedding cake was made by Coochie Cupcakes. “For dessert, we filled up a table with home-made sweet treats and put our cup cake tower in the middle. It was a feast for the eyes and our tummies! I wish I could go back in time and taste everything again.”

Guests dined on good, old fashioned, scrumptious food by Blue Banana Catering. “We had a relaxed gourmet BBQ for dinner, and Blue Banana hit the hungry spot! Their level of service was fantastic, and our guests were raving about their food.”

The couple hired swing jazz band The Calibre Cats. Tamar says ” They were SUCH a highlight of the day. We loved seeing everyone’s faces light up as they began to play. Their music is so contagious and full of joyful energy .One of my bridesmaids and her husband wrote such a fun song for us called “Collide”. We had been going to swing dance classes just before the wedding, so we pulled out a few moves (a little unco-ordinatedly) and danced along to it for our first dance.”

Congratulations Tamar and Glen! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Brooke Holm of Lace & Bowties for sharing today’s images with us!

Photographer: Brooke Holm of Lace & Bowties / CInematographer: Chris Schoenmaker / Bride’s Dress: Mrs Mabley Dressmaker / Bride’s Shoes: Diana Ferrari / Ceremony Venue: Henzell’s Chapel, Mt Pleasant. / Reception Venue: Mt Pleasant Community Hall / Reception Band: The Calibre Cats / Groom’s Attire: Oxford / Cake Baker: Coochie Cupcakes / Bride’s Jewelry: mysweetmuse / Transport: FJ Classic Hire / Catering: Blue Banana Catering

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Valentines Day Sweet Treats – Stationery

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:17:39 +0000

Mr Polka and I are a little odd around Valentine’s Day. We love to celebrate it (because we’re fond of celebrating everything we can, it means excuses to pop bubbles!) but we never celebrate on the day and we’re more inclined to bake, or make handmade funny gifts than go nuts on flowers and jewels (though this is me, I’m not saying ‘no’ to jewels by the way).

To help you with your own Valentines Day plans, whether big or small, filled with sparkly objects or sugar laden goodies, I’ve come up with three gift guides to spark your imagination!

First up is stationery, because there is nothing more fun for me than choosing the perfect Valentine’s Day Card (or print!)

1. Butterflies: My Valentine Card from Kikki K 2. Love You The Longest of Time Letterpress Print from Bespoke Press 3. Love Ya Card from Little Jane St 4. Like A Blank Loves Blank Card by The Hungry Workshop 5. Old Tom Foolery I Love Every Inch Of You Card from The Notemaker 6. Elvis Valentines Print from Raw Art Letterpress

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Rachel Gilbert Autumn Winter 2012

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:07:17 +0000

Rachel Gilbert’s Autumn Winter 2012 collection is a feast for the eyes and the senses. From sparkling, glittery adornments to fresh hues of navy, tangerine and melon greens.

There’s plenty of beautiful options for the bride who is a wanting a little more casual kind of wedding gown and the bridesmaids who want to wear something super stylish. I think the gorgeous Isadora gown (above) might just be my favourite with the sparkles that glitter and gleam as you move.

Rachel’s coloured gowns make a fine choice for bridesmaids (or the bride who wants to wear colour, the tangerine number above would make such a gorgeous statement!)

Photos by Rachel Gilbert

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Vendor of the Week – Ann Dally JC, Civil Marriage Celebrant

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:07:14 +0000

Good morning Dotties! I can hardly believe we are in our first full February week! We have plenty of inspiration in store for you this week- including kicking off some very special posts on our specialty blogs! But first, let’s kick start the week with our Monday morning tradition and showcase one of our wonderful members of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory!

So let’s start our week of with a fantastical, talented vendor, a spotlight on a member of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory

The directory has welcomed in a brand new year with new photographers, florists, cake bakers, musicians and even venues! We work really hard to make sure our vendors are fantastic at what they do and understand that Polka Dot couples are particularly special!

Our Vendor of the Week this week is Ann Dally one of the fantastic Civil Marriage Celebrants in our Directory. Ann Dally is a professionally trained marriage celebrant (she’s even vice president of Australian Marriage Celebrants Incorporated) and with a long history in everything from modelling to public speaking, she has a wide array of talents which are just right for officiating the most important ceremony of your life. Ann is commited ot making each and every ceremony fun and interesting- so there will be lots of laughter and nothing stuffy!

To get to know Ann a little better, we asked her five questions in five minutes -

What is your favourite after five drink?

Well chilled champagne with crushed fresh strawberries.

Your favourite weekend getaway?

One of the many beautiful B&B’s in the Blue Mountains with my hubby. Sadly don’t get the chance too often as my weddings are my priority and most are on the weekends!

Favourite restaurant?

Basils at Marsfield – scrumptious fresh lobster and scampi – Yum!

What can we find you eating for breakfast on a Sunday morning?

Bacon, scrambled eggs, snags and croissants – naughty but soooooo nice.

Your favourite wedding story?

An Awesome Moment as a Marriage Celebrant……the cool Fairytale!

I have married many amazing couples, some love stories would make the perfect movie script. This is one of them………let me share…………..
Turn the clock back in time – a young man, along with his family fled to Australia from Poland in the mid eighties when the solidarity movement caused a revolution and the subsequent downfall of the communist government followed. He was torn away from his sweetheart – for the first time in two years – there was no time for “goodbyes” – they completely lost touch – both devastated. She was 16, he was 17.

The groom, after working extremely hard here in Australia and saving all he could, returned to Poland in the 90’s to search for his love and when he arrived at her small village was told she had left a few years prior after marrying. Broken-hearted, he returned to Australia, convinced he would never see her again.

A few years later, out of the blue, an old friend from Poland visited him here in Sydney. In conversation the friend told him that the marriage of the girl had ended a couple of years ago, no children were forthcoming, and she had divorced and was now studying architecture at university in Poland.

After a few phone calls to Poland he was convinced he could and would find her again.

He was on the first plane he could catch to Poland!

He waited for her at the university gates. Apparently the scene that took place was of the “Hollywood Fairytale”. As she walked out of the gates this particular day he recognised her and approached her with trepidation – his heart was pounding. When she realised who he was, they threw their arms around one another and just wouldn’t let go! He swung her in circles! They had two weeks to rekindle their relationship – it was, they both told me – just the most amazing thing to happen to them. The groom proposed, she said a definite yes and he then had to return to Australia to apply for a fiancé visa to bring her to Australia.

The wait was long and painful but I finally conducted their wedding with Sydney Harbour as their backdrop – the tears flowed. Only 8 guests attended but it was one of the most moving ceremonies I have ever written for this exceptionally special couple – I felt so privileged that they shared their love story with me.

To have the pleasure of actually performing their marriage and declaring them Husband and Wife was an honour I will never forget. Starting them off on their new journey in life is about as good as it gets.

I wouldn’t trade being a marriage celebrant for the world!

Visit Ann Dally’s page to find out more about our Vendor Of The Week. Ann Dally JC CMC is a member of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory

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Snapshot Sunday – The Long Walk

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:05:42 +0000

Photo by White Tulip Photography

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Jocelyn and David’s Modern Love Engagement Shoot

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:13:24 +0000

Jocelyn and David

There are beautiful romantic facets to a vintage style engagement shoot. But there is something really fun and happy about gorgeous, modern styled outfits and the fun of bright bold colours. Especially if your personality is anything but “vintage picnic”. Today’s shoot comes to us from Denise Birdsong and take us to the bay city of San Francisco.

Jocelyn tells their story. ” April 8th 2009 through Match.com (hopefully someone from Match reads this and puts us in a commercial someday) and shortly after, realized that we were a match made in the streets of SF. Last November, Davy took me on an impromptu walk and proposed in front of the Chinatown Public Library, a place we had gone by on their first date. We’ll be getting married on April 8th 2012, 3 years after we first met. ”

Photographer: Denise Birdsong Photography

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Photographer: Denise Birdsong Photography

Ali-Breeze and Chris’ Vintage Inspired Brisbane Wedding Movie

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:13:24 +0000

Did you pour over the beauty of Ali-Breeze and Chris’ vintage inspired Brisbane wedding earlier this afternoon? Luckily for us, Lumina Motion Pictures have sent across the beautiful short clip of the film they made of the day!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Ali-Breeze and Chris’ Vintage Inspired Brisbane Wedding

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:11:42 +0000

Ali-Breeze and Chris

The wedding of Ali-Breeze and Chris is a feast for the eyes – Ali-Breeze walked down the aisle is a blush pink gown, to the surprise in the lining of the boys suits, to the impeccably decorated reception. Ali-Breeze and Chris embraced their love of literature and words and wove it through every facet of their wedding day.

Ali-Breeze recalls how she and Chris met. “In a pub! We got chatting, and after I wandered off to mingle, Chris was approached by a guy who wanted to get the word on what we’d talked about, so he could ask me out. He wasn’t my type, but I certainly had something to say to Chris about setting me up like that! ”

Photos today are by You Can’t Be Serious. Hailey and the YCBS team always capture weddings in such a uniquely fun way with so many unexpected and beautiful photographs. Lumina Motion Pictures shot the couple’s wedding film.

Ali’s blonde hair was twisted and tousled into curls by Lily Fontana. She says “Lily Fontana created stunning tousled up-dos for me and my four bridesmaids, incorporating tiny plaits to add a unique element to each style. Lily and Joseph bravely draped and pinned my birdcage from a plain piece of French veiling on the day.” Lily worked with Melanie Brooke of Beautique Body & Beauty to style the girl’s makeup.

Ali-Breeze wore a beautiful blush pink gown created with one of her dearest friends. She explains “My close friend Joseph Cairns work-shopped ideas with me over many glasses of wine, and worked late into many, many nights to create my flowing dusky pink silk georgette gown with wide v-neck, low back and ruched and draped bodice and long train. Over the course of the multiple fittings and sewing sessions, I got to help sew my own wedding dress, which was a very special experience. The end result was more beautiful than I could ever have hoped, and I felt quite literally dressed in love when I put it on.” The gown was finished off with a rhinestone belt buckle from Fletcher & Grace and earrings loaned from Artisans Gems & Jewels

Ali-Breeze and Chris hired vintage cars and had bridal party members drive them. Ali-Breeze explains “We hired two self-drive London taxis from A Golden Roller, and Chris’s brother Stefan, best man Nathan and my friend Jason generously drove them for us. They were very cute and since they seated eight, also very practical.”

Ali-Breeze’s wedding day finished off with beautiful shoes. Ali-Breeze recalls “Rachel Simpson UK made my off-white satin 1930s style t-bar heels with platinum leather and pink suede trim. They complimented my pink gown perfectly and were surprisingly comfortable and easy to dance in.”

Ali=Breeze’s bridesmaids wore cream silk gowns from Forever New . The floral arrangements were styled by Kate Dawes Flower Design. Ali-Breeze remarks ” Kate Dawes produced stunning, varied arrangements with a wild and rustic feel from mixtures of old-fashioned scented flowers. Her suppliers were not able to source my favourite hydrangeas so early in the season, but luckily my sister Tuscany spotted flowering hydrangeas at Bunnings only two days before the wedding!

We delivered them to Kate, who was flexible enough to incorporate them into the girls’ and my bouquets at the last minute. Kate’s designs had the perfect combination of light and shadow that I had hoped for, and each bouquet and buttonhole included tiny paper flowers made from pages of vintage novels. I provided Kate with vintage cotton lace to wrap the bouquet handles – pale blue for me and creamy palest pink for my bridesmaids.”

The invitations kept to the literature theme and were made by Ali Breeze and Chris. Ali-Breeze says “Sometimes I wonder if there were any details we didn’t DIY! I designed the Save The Dates and designed and made (with help!) the letterpressed invitations, which each included an embossed bookmark and tiny RSVP cards. The invitations ended up being even better than I’d hoped – we sewed the spines of the booklets with metallic thread, lined the cover with imported hand-marbled paper to mimic old leather-bound books, and each had a vintage bookplate on the inside cover bearing the guest’s name. The envelopes were hand-lined with pages from an old thesaurus.

One funny quirk resulting from this was that we realised just how many negative words there are in the English language. To this day we suspect that one of our guests received their invitation in an envelope lined with a page prominently featuring the thesaurus entry for “incest”! Thankfully nobody has had anything to say so far, so we can only hope that they didn’t notice!”

Of their “theme”, Ali-Breeze notes, “We didn’t want to have a themed wedding as such, but one repeated detail throughout was words, reading and vintage books. We ordered wreaths from Etsy made from pages of vintage music books to hang on the wide wooden entry doors of the great hall, and the pew ends were decorated with cute paper hearts made from vintage children’s books. All the floral arrangements, bouquets and buttonholes contained tiny flowers made from vintage novel pages, the Save The Dates and invitations were book inspired and the favours were decorated with hearts cut from a vintage thesaurus.”

Ali-Breeze and Chris were married at The Great Hall, Brisbane Grammar School. Ali-Breeze explains “We considered having a garden wedding, but it was really important to me that our guests be comfortable during our ceremony, and that we not have to worry about the weather. The Great Hall was perfect! It has a beautiful, grand ambience and the afternoon light streamed in through the leadlight windows to bathe us as we signed the register.

As a non-religious couple, it was very important to us to find a secular venue to get married in, but we also wanted to be married somewhere with a sense of history and tradition. A few months before we became engaged, we discovered that Chris’s great-grandfather had served as principal of Brisbane Grammar School from 1928 to 1940. Normally only Old Boys are allowed to marry in the Great Hall, but the current principal generously made an exception for us!”

Angel Strings Quartet (which included a cousin of Ali-Breeze) performed at the ceremony, playing Coldplay’s “Chasing Cars” for the bridesmaid’s entrance and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love”. Ali-Breeze remembers “Angel Strings created such a romantic atmosphere; I felt like I was floating down the aisle.”

The couple were married by Jennifer Cram and made sure to add many personal touches into their ceremony. Ali-Breeze explains “As keen writers and booklovers, finding the right words for our ceremony was the single most important aspect of our wedding. I spent months researching readings and rituals that would be meaningful to us, and many drafts went back and forward between us and our dedicated celebrant, Jennifer Cram.

The main theme of our wedding ceremony was the importance of our community of friends and family, and the idea that for us, it was the presence and support of key people in our lives that made our wedding sacred.

I was Jennifer’s suggestion of a love letter ceremony that proved most powerful. Chris and I wrote love letters to each other, and exchanged and read them aloud for the first time during our ceremony. Despite insisting beforehand that he wasn’t a crier, we were both in tears by the end! This ritual was especially meaningful to us because the first few months of our relationship were spent long distances apart, during which time we exchanged many thousands of words in letters and emails.”

Ali-Breeze and Chris had their rings hand made. She explains “Artisans Gems & Jewels handcrafted our lovely rings. Mine is a delicate white gold and diamond eternity band with a millgrain edge to match my 1920s-style cushion cut millgrained engagement ring, and Chris chose a platinum band with a millgrain edge to reflect my set. We couldn’t have been happier with Artisans – they worked so hard to make something special just for us, and were so genuinely delighted for us, often waving us down in the street to request updates on our wedding planning and even loaning me a beautiful pair of earrings to wear on our wedding day.”

Of their photographer, Ali-Breeze remarks “We both adored the colourful, playful and happy feel of You Can’t Be Serious’s images. We loved the way Hailey and Andrew’s work found something different in each of the weddings they shot; there was nothing cookie cutter about any aspect of their work. On talking to Hailey about what we had in mind for our wedding, it was great to see her eyes light up and know that she was genuinely enthusiastic about our vision!

Our pictures ended up so beautiful, with a lovely soft feel to them. Hailey and Andrew were great to be around on the day, and their relaxed and fun approach belied the technical excellence of the pictures they took.”

One of Ali-Breeze’s favourite stories from the wedding day was one played out by Mother Nature. She recalls “I had to work very hard in the week or so leading up to the wedding to not stress about the weather – the forecast varied between one to two inches of rain and severe thunderstorms. Mostly, I was concerned because our guests had a 700 metre walk from the hotel to the ceremony, and then back to the hotel to have afternoon tea and wait for the bus we’d organised to take them to the reception.

On the day, the weather was crazy – hot with sunshine until after the ceremony, with just enough light to take some lovely pictures, then the sky turned green and a gigantic hail storm blew up while we were doing bridal party photos at The Great Hall. (I was mightily relieved to hear that all our guests made it back to the hotel with just a few minutes to spare before the hail started!)”

The couple hired Belinda Cee Weddings and Events for the wedding day. Ali-Breeze says “With a restaurant venue that does a Saturday lunch sitting even with a big evening wedding booked, we could never have orchestrated the set up of the reception venue without our Day Of Coordinator, Belinda from Belinda Cee Weddings & Events. I knew I could trust Belinda’s impeccable taste in all the little (and big) styling decisions that I couldn’t be there to make. Her setup was perfection, and her dedication to getting a mammoth job done without ever letting me know about the inevitable dramas she encountered on the day was simply extraordinary. I couldn’t recommend Belinda and her team more highly.”

Ali-Breeze and Chris held their reception at The Summit Restaurant, Mount Coot-tha.. Ali-Breeze remarks “The Summit Restaurant is a Brisbane institution; the building was originally a 1920s teahouse, and has been sympathetically renovated to showcase the most magnificent view across the city and river all the way to the sea. The broad deck was a wonderful spot for our guests to mingle and watch the sunset with welcome cocktails while Chris and I had our pictures taken. People gasped to see how stunning it was as evening fell and the city lights came out.

The Summit staff were excited to host a completely different kind of wedding to any they’d had before, although I think that perhaps they were a bit shocked at amount of wedding stuff we brought in for the setup! We decided we wanted a relaxed wedding where our friends and family could mingle and decide for themselves who to spend their time with, so we removed most of the tables and chairs from the restaurant space, and created mismatched conversation areas from six sets of vintage velvet armchairs and couches I collected on eBay in the months leading up the wedding.

Originally, I had intended to hire furniture, but we found the range of vintage-style pieces was very limited, and it was cheaper to buy them outright. All this required enormous patience from poor Chris, who watched helplessly as our house filled with piles of vintage furniture, and from my Dad, who ended up moving most of it into and out of the venue! But everyone agreed that the effect was magnificent, like a grand-but-shabby English country house.

I also bought a rustic vintage dresser to use as our signing table, and dressed up battered vintage birdcages to hold cards and floral arrangements. The entire garden entry area, walkway, restaurant and deck were all scattered with hundreds of tealights in assorted mercury glass votives I collected. I styled our wedding myself, sourcing furniture and props through my vintage fashion and homewares business, Breeze Vintage at Woolloongabba Antique Centre. Since the wedding, I’ve expanded into a second shop space at the Paddington Antique Centre Brisbane, under the name Breeze Vintage Wedding & Home.”

The favours were homemade sweet treats. Ali-Breeze explains “My mother and I made jars of delectable salted caramel spread that we decorated with hearts cut from vintage novels and labelled with hand-stamped manilla luggage tags.”

The cake was a labor of love, says Ali-Breeze “My sister Tuscany’s mother-in-law Fran Attard made us a beautiful three-tier “naked” citrus mud cake layered with raspberry buttercream and fresh raspberries. The stunning confection was topped with flowers and a seventy-year-old bride and groom cake topper that has been in my family for as long as I can remember”

The reception was filled with meaningful momentos for the couple. Ali-Breeze explains “The bridesmaids and I made tissue paper pompoms to decorate the reception area, and I collected hundreds of vintage vases, snow domes representing the many places we’ve traveled, medicine jars to represent Chris’s work as an anesthetist, as well as assorted bits of bricabrac that represented us as a couple. These were scattered around through the reception venue to create little vignettes, along with piles of vintage books and our favourite novels, all displayed on vintage lace tablecloths and embroidered doilies.

I collected vintage picture frames off eBay and my dad painted pieces of blackboard to fit in them for our signage. He also made gorgeous blackboard arrows that we hung as “wedding this way” signs. I ordered giant ivory balloons on streamers of vintage lace that we used to create paths to help our guests navigate the ceremony and reception site layouts. Thankfully, nobody got lost!

My mum and I sewed tens and tens of metres of bunting cut from cream lace curtains, which was crisscrossed around the walls of the restaurant and around the deck railings. A vintage mirror became the menu for our cocktail-style reception, with the canapé selections and wine choices written on it in chalk pen.”

The favourite moment of the day, was one that happened before anybody knew the newlyweds were there. Ali explains “For Chris and me, arriving at the Summit and seeing all of our friends and family partying hard on the restaurant’s lovely deck, with an amazing spread of stars, occasional sheet lightning and city lights behind them, was such a joyful feeling. In fact, when we arrived they were all having such a good time that hardly anyone noticed us for quite a few minutes – it was great to have the experience of being guests at our own wedding!”

For their first dance the couple has another hilarious moment. Ali-Breeze explains “We did a rumba to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” – it was hilarious, because the mirror ball above the dance floor was hung a trifle too low and 6’2” Chris had to keep ducking under it to avoid hitting his head!” The couple hired Angel Strings Quartet before their dear friend Dr. Offig moved guests into party mode.

Ali-Breeze and Chris were lucky to have friends who made them stop and smell the roses on their wedding night. Ali-Breeze tells the story, “Chris’s friend Nick came up to us during the evening as we were both doing the rounds separately, and dragged us out onto the deck to see the magnificent golden moon that had risen above the view of the city. We think of it as our “wedding moon” and being lifted out of our social duties to see it was one of the best wedding present we could have received.”

Congratulations on your marriage Ali-Breeze and Chris! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us! Thank you also to You Can’t Be Serious. for sharing today’s images!

Photographer: You Can’t Be Serious / Cinematographer: Lumina Motion Pictures / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Belinda Cee Weddings and Events / Styling: Breeze Vintage / Bride’s Dress: Joseph Cairns / Bride’s Shoes: Rachel Simpson UK / Bride’s Jewelry: Fletcher & Grace / Groom’s Attire: StudioSuits / Groomsmen Attire: StudioSuits / Bridesmaid Dresses: Forever New / Hairstylist: Lily Fontana / Makeup Artist: Lily Fontana and Melanie Brooke of Beautique Body & Beauty / Flowers & Decor: Kate Dawes Flower Design / Ceremony Venue: The Great Hall, Brisbane Grammar School / Reception Venue: The Summit Restaurant, Mount Coot-tha. / Ceremony Officiant: Jennifer Cram / Ceremony Musicians: Angel Strings Quartet / DJ: Dr. Offig / Wedding Rings: Artisans Gems & Jewels / Transport: A Golden Roller / Wedding Registry: Wedding List Co

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