Soft romance meets modern elegance: a Sorrento wedding
Dreaming of a European wedding? Emma and Jamie brought that effortless elegance to life in sensational Sorrento. Their day unfolded with a soft, romantic mood layered with modern touches.
From the moment the bridesmaids stepped out in rich green hues to Emma’s stunning strapless Eva Lendel gown from our friends at The Bridal Curator, every detail felt thoughtfully curated. Florals popped throughout the day, with every aspect of the décor and styling executed to perfection.
At the heart of it all was a ceremony centred on love, made even more special when the couple surprised their mums by asking them to be their witnesses. The soundtrack to the day was flawlessly set by Paper Hearts, carrying the celebration from heartfelt vows through to the dance floor.
A champagne tower pour kicked off the celebrations, followed by a cherry-topped cake that was truly the cherry on top, before Emma slipped into a chic mini dress for her second look. See the day unfold through the talent of their photographer, Kinship by Kristy.
The meeting.
Jamie and I met on Bumble. Although we allegedly first met as little kids playing at the club hotel in Warragul. Mum says that she remembers thinking ‘they play really nicely together’.
Our conversation flowed very easily and Jamie quickly asked me on a date. We went to ‘Everything’s Better With Wine’ and had an amazing first date. The way the tables were set up meant that Jamie was really far away when sitting across from me. I said ‘you’re really far away’ so Jamie came and sat on the couch next to me. He thinks that this was the move that got us to where we are today!
I was immediately attracted to Jamie because he is a mega babe, but also due to his friendly and kind nature. He was really genuine in all on our conversations and we had a great time! He was also completely accepting of my situation at the time, and wasn’t scared off by the fact I had a beautiful little boy.
The one.
Jamie says that for him, it was love at first sight, which is so lovely. For myself, I was trying to protect my little heart, so wasn’t as open about how I felt like Jamie was. But Jamie’s gentle reassurance made me realise very quickly that he was the one.
The proposal.
Jamie proposed in my favourite place – Wategos beach in Byron Bay. We then went to my favourite restaurant for dinner, Rae’s.
I had no idea that it was going to happen. Otherwise, I would have been very nervous all day. We’ve had many holidays together and I always get my nails done in the hope that there may be a ring. But this time I didn’t as I was sure he wouldn’t do it.
We arranged a babysitter and organised to go to dinner. As we arrived, Jamie suggested walking on the beach before dinner. As we walked along, I noticed Jamie wasn’t talking and seemed nervous. This was the first time I thought, ‘why is he being weird, is he proposing?’ A second later, he spun around and told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him. I’m pretty sure I said yes! We then had an amazing dinner watching the sunset and soaking it all in!
Oh, I forgot to mention that Jamie proposed with a necklace as he wanted me to choose my own ring. The following day, we stumbled across a jeweler and found the ring. The kids also helped choose which was special.
Planning process.
The planning process was actually quite straight forward. We were very lucky to have very experienced suppliers who touched base regularly.
Style inspiration.
I wanted our wedding to feel elegant, soft and romantic, but still quite modern.
I loved looking through photos of beautiful European weddings, which definitely inspired my choices of colour, texture and style. I love things to look beautiful and intentional.
I loved looking at real weddings as they were so helpful to connect with suppliers local to the area you are getting married in. It was also helpful to get an idea of what is achievable in terms of styling. I also liked seeing dresses on real bodies!
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was all about love. It honestly felt like we were the only two people there. Our beautiful celebrant stood off to the side, which was perfect as we didn’t have to keep looking behind us.
We wanted everyone to know how much we love each other, and our friends and family actually commented on how beautiful it was to see two people share their feelings so openly and comfortably.
We wanted our children to be included as much as we could. Leo and Coco walked down the aisle hand in hand, and presented us with our rings. Our celebrant also created a special ‘Ferguson Family’ certificate which they both signed.
We also had our mums as our witnesses, which we left as a surprise until the moment they had to sign. They loved it.
The outfits.
I looked at a lot of dresses online before booking at a few stores that had some of the dresses I liked. I made sure I tried a selection of styles to see what looked best on my body type. I had a really lovely experience at the Bridal Curator. They gave me the time and space to select the dresses I wanted to try on, and helped me to find my style!
I wanted something simple, but with a point of difference. I absolutely loved the lace detail on my dress. And my veil perfectly matched the dress.
For my second dress, a chose a cute bubble dress from Effie Kats. It actually had similar elements to my main dress and was perfect to dance in.
Favourite moment.
It is too hard to choose just one! But I think seeing each other for the first time walking down the aisle was incredibly special.
We also arranged our DJ to play a song that our kids loved straight after our first dance so we could all have a moment together. The kids loved it and Leo even finished his dancing with a cartwheel which was hilarious and adorable.
Meaning of marriage.
We wanted to get married to celebrate us and how much we love each other. We want to share the rest of our lives together and marriage is formally promising that we will love, respect and be loyal to each other forever. It formally solidifies our commitment to each other.
It also is a beautiful experience for our little family and getting to share the day with them was so special.
We also love a party! And weddings are so much fun. We wanted to experience this together because we are both finally where we are meant to be in our lives, together, and that is worth celebrating!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Your Song – Ellie Goulding
Signing: Silver – DMA’S
Ceremony exit: Beautiful Day – U2
Reception entry: Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
First Dance: Lover – Taylor Swift
Reception exit: Praise You – Fat Boy Slim
Kid’s dance: Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Not really! We hired a wishing well from Poppy Culture, and it was supposed to be collected the next morning. When they arrived, the well had vanished, and we were frantically calling around to figure out who had taken it and how to get it back. In the end, it turned out my dad had it the whole time, we were pretty stressed initially!
Planning surprises.
I think the planning process went quite smoothly. I was surprised a little by how much the cost of a wedding has increased over the years. But I think that the professionalism of vendors has also greatly improved.
Words of wisdom.
- Planning and communication is key! Ensuring that your plans are communicated effectively to your team will make your day run smoothly.
- Trust your suppliers and let them use their talent and creativity to create something amazing!
- Don’t get overwhelmed by all of the planning and expectations, just remember that it’s all about love!
EMMA & JAMIE’S VENDORS
I relied on Instagram and Pinterest quite heavily to find my suppliers! I found that Instagram especially has the most up-to-date photos and information.
Wedding blogs like Ivory Tribe were so helpful as they link all of the suppliers used in real weddings. This helped so so much when putting our team together!
The team of suppliers we had were absolutely amazing! They were all so organised, professional and had such a beautiful style. They really listened to what we wanted and went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect on the day.
Ceremony and reception venue: The Continental, Sorrento
Celebrant: Nicole Ferguson (Your Ceremony by Nicole) She also MC’d and was essentially the wedding coordinator on the day! The most organized lady you will ever meet!
Photography: Kinship by Kristy
Videography: Annette and Dani Films
Styling and floristry: Poppy Culture
Hair: Kim Toogood Hairstyling
Make-up: Lizi Hance
The dress: Eva Lendal (Purchased at The Bridal Curator), Reception dress was Effie Kats
Veil / headwear: The Bridal Curator
Shoes: Betts, and Harlo
Rings: Michael Hill (Emma) and Pettits Jewellers (Jamie)
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Billy J
Suits and attire: Mensland, Warragul
Catering: The Continental
Cake / Cake topper: Let Lola Cater
Stationery / Signage: Ivory and Ink, Welcome sign was from Etsy
Entertainment: Paper Hearts (Music by Demi)
Décor: Complete Occasions (candles and fabric for draping)
Honeymoon: Bali (Uluwatu and Ubud)
