Real Wedding – Ashleigh & David, Abbotsford VIC
When Ashleigh and David began planning their stunning Abbotsford Convent wedding, they knew they wanted to create a dark, wintry and romantic mood that was inspired by David’s heartfelt proposal in Paris.
The pair were a picture a love, romance, and old-world glamour and combined with a fabulous team to execute their vision to perfection. The deep plum hues of the bridesmaids’ dresses and stunning florals made for the ideal accessory to Ashleigh’s breathtaking One Day Bridal gown, and the intimate Abbotsford Convent was the ideal setting for the magic to unfold.
Upon seeing the incredible photographic work of Tess Follett, Ashleigh and David they knew she was the perfect person to capture their day and the gorgeous imagery below truly speaks for itself.
In Ashleigh’s words…
The meeting.
We met nearly ten years ago at a party.
The ‘one’.
When we realised that everything we did was made richer and more enjoyable by being able to experience it together.
The proposal.
We were in Paris, and David had surprised me with flowers and a romantic dinner. It was so romantic, I spent the entire time waiting for him to propose! He didn’t, which was a little disappointing. Later that night, once I had forgotten all about it, we went for a walk and he caught me completely off-guard! He got down on one knee in the middle of the tiny cobblestone street outside our apartment.
Planning process.
The first thing we locked down was our venue. This was really helpful as the team at Bursaria (the company who looks after the venue we used) were really knowledgeable and helped us get the ball rolling with the rest of our planning. We then relied on Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. We found the planning process fairly easy to begin with, but it definitely became more stressful in the couple of months leading up to the wedding. This was the only time I wished that we had hired a wedding planner – there is just so much to do in the immediate lead up, it would have been useful to have some more help. Luckily all of our suppliers were awesome, and our event manager from Bursaria was fantastic at keeping us calm and organised.
Style inspiration.
We wanted it to feel dark, wintry, and romantic – somewhat inspired by the trip we were on when we got engaged.
The dress.
My dress was custom made by One Day Bridal. I knew from the beginning that I wanted long sleeves and lace, and a style that was completely classic. I knew that the lovely ladies at One Day Bridal could definitely create something that fit this bill, and it was so exciting to see the dress come together just for me.
Favourite moment.
Our “first look”. We saw each other before the wedding, and I couldn’t recommend this highly enough. The moment that we saw one another was so emotional and special, and it was great to experience it with just the two of us. We could also really relax and savour the moment. To be honest I don’t remember much of my walk down the aisle – it was such a blur and over in seconds!
Traditions.
I had some family heirlooms with me on the day, but in general we are fairly non-traditional.
Meaning of marriage.
It means being with someone who will always support you, love you for who you are, and with whom you can achieve more than you could alone.
Wedding soundtrack.
Bridesmaid Processional: Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez
Bride Processional: Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky (recorded by the Groom – which was a complete surprise for me on the day!)
Recessional: Baby I’m Yours by Arctic Monkeys
First Dance: Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul McCartney
Funny stories/near disasters.
Lots of little things went wrong in the lead up to the wedding (and on the actual day!) but it’s amazing how little they mattered in the end.
Planning surprises.
How much fun we would have getting to know our awesome suppliers – we were lucky enough to work with some amazing people, we miss catching up with a lot of them!
Words of wisdom.
Feel free to pick and choose the traditions and “rules” you adhere to. This day is about the two of you: do what feels right, makes you happy, and reflects you as a couple. Make sure you set aside time to have a quiet moment together on the day – I know everyone says this, but it goes so quickly! Try and soak it in together as much as you can.
Ashleigh and David’s Tribe…
Ceremony and Reception venue : Abbotsford Convent – the ceremony in the courtyard and the reception in the Rosina space.
Celebrant: Charlotte Cels (friend)
Photography: Tess Follett – Tess was incredible. She was everything we wanted and needed in a photographer – she has such a great attitude and really put us at ease. We are over the moon with the images she captured, she is so talented.
Videography: Purple Ribbon – we can’t recommend Purple Ribbon highly enough – so unobtrusive on the day, and the quality of the footage they captured is breathtaking. Such an awesome and talented team.
Styling: Self-styled with decorative elements by Prunella.
Florist: Prunella – It is hard to pick a favourite detail from the day, but the floral styling would have to come close. Vanessa and Caris from Prunella are so talented, and they have impeccable taste. We gave them some inspirational images and they took it from there – we were blown away by the result.
Hair and Make Up: Monica Gingold – Monica was invaluable. I loved my hair and makeup, but she was also a source of calm and assistance throughout the day.
The Dress and veil: One Day Bridal – what a great team. They created such an incredible gown and veil for me, and were great at dealing with a stressed out bride in the lead up to the wedding!
Jewellery/Accessories: Keshett.
Shoes: Jimmy Choo – the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn!
Rings: Keshett – I decided that I wanted a custom made wedding band three (!) weeks before the wedding. They were totally accommodating and I love their work.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Kookai
Grooms suit: Oscar Hunt Tailors
Groom’s shoes: Loake
Groomsmen suits: MJ Bale
Bow ties / ties: Lanvin (groom)
Catering: Bursaria
Favors: David Powell (Groom)
Cake: Cake by Cherrytree Bakehouse and floral topper by Prunella. Mel from Cherrytree Bakehouse is so talented and passionate, the cake looked beautiful and, most importantly, it tasted delicious!
Stationery / Signage: Peep Designs
Entertainment: Lark Music
Transport: Triple R Cars
Honeymoon: Heading back to Europe in April
