Real Wedding: Kristen & Roxley

Recently I posted some happy snaps of one of my Toowoomba brides 1950s inspired dresses here.  Kristen had fallen in love with Audrey Hepburns wedding dress from the movie Funny Face, so we came up with a dress and veil that was very much inspired by this dress.

Kristen was kind enough to take the time to send in some of the most spectacular pictures from her wedding day in some amazing Toowoomba locations along with the story of her happy day!  Included is a mixture of her fantastic professional images as well as some happy snaps which show off the small details of her day.

Roxley and I were married in a small, remote timber Church at 10.30 on a mid spring Sunday morning.  We had a string duo provide music in the Church and had a very short, simple marriage service.

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We had family photos outside of the Church and then visited some Toowoomba landmarks for our official photos.  As the photos were at midday we wanted an inside venue so the sun didn’t interfere and we were lucky enough to be able to hire Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre to as our backdrop.  I remember the feeling of crossing the road to the Empire Theatre, I felt that I was from the 1950s, it was just so exciting!  

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Salt Studios

My dress felt perfect.  I loved how well the Alan Pinkus heels I chose complimented the dress and bouquet.  I wore my hair in a loosely curled faux-bob and kept the veil Melanie made for me on all day.  I wore Stephanie Browne’s Art Deco earrings, I loved the pearl element, and I felt the design matched my engagement ring well, not that anyone except me noticed that!  

I also wore a pair of stretch lace gloves to the ceremony; I actually wore these gloves to my aunt’s wedding as a child.  One of the most special moments of the day was that same aunt giving me back the bells I hung on her arm on her wedding day.  I carried a small bouquet of ivory and soft pink roses, with all of our flowers provided by Deane’s Roses of Highfields.

 For our reception we had a lunch and high tea buffet in the garden of The Coffee House.  We dressed the tables with light blue gingham tablecloths that we made ourselves, I decorated the tables with a collection of vintage teacups and saucers that I made into candles, and on each table I also had a vintage vase with Chantilly roses.  For our bonbonniere we gave each guest a pastel mug with personalised ribbon tied around the handle.  We had lunch served and then had a high tea buffet set up.  We cut a Victoria Sandwich cake (made for us by The Coffee House), and had matching butterfly cakes (made by Penny Freeman), to ensure each guest could have “wedding cake”; we also served mini citrus tarts, melting moments, savoury muffins, mini heart pink lamingtons and strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce, all made by the Coffee House.  I collected many old and new cake stands, cake plates and vintage cake servers.  Markets and second hand stores were great for bringing collecting everything I needed. 

 Guests commented that they loved the old fashioned feel of the afternoon tea, and I loved recreating the tradition of my grandparents’ day, when a wedding ceremony was followed by tea and sandwiches.  At the ceremony, we just used classical pieces, some blues and easy listening music played on an IPod throughout the garden.  We had a combination of artists like Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart and Ella Fitzgerald.  I put so much work into the play list, it was funny to catch snippets of songs throughout the day and remember back to downloading it!

 The dress Melanie made for me, I felt, worked perfectly with the day we had planned.  I was glad to not be dragging a long dress through the morning dew on the grass, and it suited our style of reception, which was an outdoor lunch and afternoon tea.

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At 6pm we had a traditional farewell, with all of our guests creating a guard of honour, which we ran through, while Auld Lang Singe played (I chose the one from the Sex and the City movie – it’s a beautiful version). 

That night we stayed at Toowoomba’s Vacy Hall historic guest house, it was lovely to walk in and see a four poster bed.  The house is just amazing. 

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By the by, I am a massive fan of Audrey Hepburn and I was so lucky that on our honeymoon in Switzerland, we made our way to Tolochenez, the beautiful village where Audrey lived and is buried.  Thanks to a Swiss girl who pointed us in the right direction, we found the house Audrey lived in, and her grave – it was a lovely experience.

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Dress & Veil: custom made by Silver Sixpence who specializes in vintage reproduction gowns, Brisbane

Photography: Andrew Coates - Salt Studios, Toowoomba

Shoes: Alan Pinkus

Bridesmaids Dress:  Bramptons, Toowoomba

Decorator:  The Coffee House Toowoomba.  Tables were decorated using Chantilly roses in vintage vases, collected from markets and 2^nd hand stores, as well as teacup candles in vintage teacups and saucers.  The table for the high tea buffet also used new and vintage cake stands and cake plates.  We incorporated a lot of homemade items; we decorated the birdcage for cards, made the guest book and invitations, and all of the tablecloths for the reception as well as table decorations.

Music:  Cantata String Trio

Flowers: Deanes Roses Highfields

Hair:  Analiese Designs Toowoomba

Make Up: Carol Swan – Jazzy Lane Hair and Beauty Toowoomba

Jewellery:  Stephanie Browne Earrings, lace gloves I wore to my Aunt’s wedding as a child

Cake:  The Coffee House made us Victoria Sandwich cakes, and Penny Freeman made us matching butterfly cakes

Transport:  Chevrolet Trucks

Stationery: Scrapbook Obsessions Highfields for invitations; pinkfrosting.com.au for personalised napkins and personalised ribbon to tie around the bonbonniere, which we purchased from Jaybelle Home Decor and Gifts, Highfields.

Celebrant: Pastor Hubert Krenske

Special memory:  I loved people driving by beeping at us as we had our photos taken.  It was amazing to feel like a bride, and, walking in front of the Empire Theatre I really felt like we were in the 50s.