Shannon came to me seeking a really fun 50s style dress and it was an absolute must for her to have a matching bolero. During the initial consultation she fell in love with the "cherry blossom" colour on one of my other samples so we created a custom design together incorporating a lovely fitted waist, a full gathered skirt with a soft sheer overlay and a matching bolero all in the soft cherry blossom shade.
The Proposal:
I was lucky enough to spend the time around my 30th birthday touring around Europe and visiting all of the romantic hotspots- Paris, Prague, Rome... Clinton and I had been together for a while and I had had a hunch that he was going to propose while we were away, but when it didn’t happen at the top of the Eiffel Tower I figured it wasn’t going to happen! So he took me by complete surprise on a romantic gondola ride in Venice, when he attempted to get down on one knee (not recommended. Gondolas are not as stable as one would hope). Venice is a very romantic city to be proposed to in and my answer was, of course, yes.
When we came back home to Brisbane the wedding planning got under way in earnest. I have always loved New Farm Park and the Powerhouse, and it was the first reception venue we visited when planning the day. We felt obligated to look around at other places but ended up coming back to the Powerhouse and its Rooftop Terrace.
This became the philosophy behind our wedding too: the use of vintage-inspired elements that blended beautifully with newer inspirations that reflected our personalities. I knew that modern, strapless wedding dresses would never ever ever suit me, nor are they the kind of style I like. I was lucky enough to come across Silver Sixpence on the internet. It seemed too good to be true that they were based in Brisbane too!
Our ceremony took place in the very gorgeous surrounds of the Rotunda at New Farm Park. This stately old structure was just right for an intimate ceremony at twilight, and fit our 40 guests with room to spare. A short stroll across the park took us up to the Rooftop Terrace, where decorations were kept at a minimum to allow the building and its history to shine through. Clinton had initially been unsure of all the old graffiti left on the wall, but on the night and with fantastic lighting, the venue looked simply amazing. I had a number of our guests, including the older and more conservative of our relatives, compliment the venue choice and rave over how good everything looked.
Our catering was superb, as was the service of the catering staff. Our ‘cake’ wasn’t vintage in the least: it was a very modern donut cake, which reflected my love of the things! It was a bit of a quirky choice but again, received lots of compliments and was enjoyed by the guests. Dreamy Donuts did a great job of presentation and in fact even sent us a voucher for free donuts! So my donut love affair continues.
Having a wedding that combined the old and the new was a way of really reflecting different facets of our individual personalities. It made the event very special and I feel very lucky to have had the chance to plan such an event. Thank you to you Melanie for providing such a key element to me feeling so good about the day!
P.S. The bride had one great piece of advice for future brides - she had the most fabulous pair of heels with glitter on the sole. They looked great but were super slippery!!!