Real Wedding – David & Cayleigh, Lobethal SA
Get ready to be blown away by the stunning wedding celebration of David and Cayleigh, held on a private property paradise in South Australia.
Post their engagement high, Cayleigh and David delved straight into planning and what we loved is that they didn’t try to have an ‘on-trend’ wedding, rather they wanted their day to be romantic, elegant and timeless, so they could treasure their magic memories for years to come.
Cayleigh adores fabulous florals so she certainly made sure they were in abundance, creating petal perfection while accenting the day with a colour palette of white, soft grey, gold, pinks and deep burgundy.
In a custom Paolo Sebastian gown, Cayleigh and David exchanged heartfelt vows that were reflective of the deep love they share. It’s hard not to swoon over this dream day so beautifully and effortlessly captured by the talent of Katie Harmsworth.
In Cayleigh’s words…
The meeting.
David and I met through one of my high school friends. I went along to her youth group on occasional Friday nights and I would see him there. I had an immediate crush on him, but it wasn’t until a couple years later after seeing each other at some mutual friends’ parties or occasions that we exchanged numbers. From there we realized just how much we had in common and really hit it off! We were both very young and had never been in a relationship, so everything was new for us, so we took it very slow. I thought he was never going to ask me out on a date! It wasn’t until his 21st birthday party, when one of his friends asked me on a date, that he realized he needed to make a move. He asked me out the next morning, and the rest is history!
The ‘one’.
David and I had been together for about 5 years when we got engaged. We had grown so much together and shared the most beautiful dating journey. Our love continued to grow, and it felt like we were made for each other. There wasn’t a moment as such, but rather knowing that we couldn’t image our lives without each other in them.
The proposal.
David surprised me with a weekend away in Sydney. He had contacted my manager at work and booked time off work for me. He organized for me to get my nails done before hand at my favorite salon (which was a big hint for what was to come) and told me to pack my bags as we were leaving for Sydney the next day! On the day that he proposed, we started the day with relaxing full body massages followed by a delicious lunch. He then surprised me with a beautiful outfit that he had previously organized, which was waiting for me in Zimmermann (one of my favorite brands) to change into. We then headed to a beautiful secret garden with the most stunning views overlooking Sydney Harbour called ‘Wendy’s Secret Garden’. It was breathtaking, and I remember thinking that he was doing to propose there! We were looking over the harbor and I pointed out to David a beautiful boat on the water. Little did I know that we were about to get on that very boat for a romantic cruise around the Harbour. When David told me, I was overcome with emotion as I was already feeling so spoilt and loved, it was overwhelming!
Once we were on the water, after a cruise around taking in the beautiful coastline and Harbour, the boat stopped at a private alcove, and that is where David got on his knee and proposed with the beautiful Cassandra Mammone ring that we had designed together. It was the most magical moment and was followed by the popping of champagne – and lots of happy tears of course! The day didn’t stop there…David had also organized the most beautiful bunch of flowers for me (knowing how much I love flowers), and a delicious dinner at Aria overlooking the Harbour. It was all very romantic, and I was so impressed by how well he planned everything.
Planning process.
My best friend and I got engaged a week apart, so most of our Friday nights consisted of sitting on each other’s beds flicking through wedding magazines or sharing our latest dilemmas or helping each other to decide between dove grey or soft grey napkins (yes, there is a difference!). It was so lovely having someone to bounce off from and to share the special season with. David and I had a fairly long engagement (about 18 months) so it was lovely not to feel stressed or rushed, and it allowed us to tick things off the list slowly. We chose ‘the big items’ a year or so ahead to make sure we locked in our first choices as these can book up fast – Videography, photography, venues, catering and dress.
Style inspiration.
We didn’t want to focus too much on what is currently ‘on-trend’ but rather wanted our wedding to be romantic, elegant and timeless. Our reception venue was our parent’s property and their home is a 1878 Victorian Villa. We wanted our styling to tie in well with the property, which lent itself to classic styling. I absolutely love flowers, so we really wanted flowers to do most of the talking with our styling. We decided on a colour palette of white, soft grey, gold, pinks and deep burgundy, which we felt were romantic and elegant.
The dress.
I wore a custom designed gown by Adelaide designer Paul Vasileff, of Paolo Sebastian. I fell in love with Paolo Sebastian’s elegant and feminine gowns and their intricate detail. The gowns are all designed by Mr Vasileff and created by hand in the atelier in Adelaide, so it was also very special supporting the talent from my own state. I enquired soon after getting engaged and didn’t actually try on any other dresses or brands, and my heart was set on a Paolo Sebastian gown. The whole process was surreal, from working on the design with Mr Vasileff, to my first calico fitting and seeing it start to come together. I chose a long sleeve gown with a full overskirt, with delicate floral and foliage beadwork. I loved the idea of having a ‘princess moment’ with the full overskirt and train for the ceremony, but also being able to remove that and wear something a little more fitted for the reception party, so that I could dance the night away!
Favourite moment.
It is difficult choosing just one favorite moment as there are a few that I really treasure.
Walking down the aisle with my Dad was a really special moment. I was so overcome with emotion seeing David standing there waiting for me, being surrounded by all my family and friends and it was the moment where it really sunk in that I was about to marry the man of my dreams.
I also loved exchanging our vows. We each wrote our own vows, and it was such a deep and significant
moment declaring our commitment to each other and making our promises in front of everyone.
Another favorite moment was shortly after we arrived to our reception venue, David and I, along with our bridal party were all relaxing in his parent’s bedroom, having a drink and eating some of the delicious grazing platter while we waiting for our moment to be called into the reception. It was the first moment that we really got to relax and absorb the day. The bedroom was on the second floor of the home and overlooked the reception area and marquee. I remember looking out and taking it all in for the first time and seeing how beautifully everything had all come together and how much everyone was enjoying themselves. I felt quite emotional at this point,
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is a very special commitment made by two people. It is a commitment to love each other unconditionally and without reservation. To support each other and encourage each other. We are each other’s best friend and it is so nice knowing that we will get to enjoy life together and be there through the ups and downs that life will throw at us as we grow old together.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle song –String Quartet playing Can’t Help Falling in Love
Just Married song – String Quartet playing This Will Be by Natalie Cole
First Dance – Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
Cake Cutting – I Can’t Help Myself by Four Tops
Father daughter/ mother son dance – The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra / Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion
Funny stories (or near disasters).
I didn’t find this out until after our wedding day, but on the night before our wedding, it was extremely windy! My husband to be, David was sleeping at his parent’s property, where the reception was being held. During the night, the catering marquee was blowing away, so poor David and his family were out in the early hours of the morning trying to secure it and stop it from blowing away. The poor things didn’t get much sleep that night!
Planning surprises.
I think what surprised me the most was how much I loved it! I loved engaging with the various vendors and working with them and bouncing off of their ideas to bring my vision come to life. I certainly miss the planning now that it is over.
Words of wisdom.
Weddings can be very expensive so I would definitely recommend deciding on what is most important to you as a couple for your wedding day and investing in these areas.
Remember to plan times during the day where you and your new spouse will be able to step away and take it all in. The day goes so fast, so you will be grateful for these moments!
Have you seen the most popular weddings we shared in 2019? If not, take a peek here.
DAVID AND CAYLEIGH’S TRIBE
Ceremony venue / location: Golding Wines
Reception venue / location: We had our reception at our parent’s home, after they recently re-landscaped their whole front and back garden. It was a tight race to the finish line, and we spent a lot of time painting and rendering on the weekends towards the end to help get it done in time! It was really sentimental for us to have our reception there, and also being a unique venue to us.
Celebrant/Officiant: Derek Andrews (Our friend and church pastor)
Photography: Katie Harmsworth – Photos and videography were two very important aspects for us with our wedding planning, as these are the two elements that will last forever and help to hold the memories from our special day. We fell in love with the way Katie captures raw emotion so effortlessly in her images. My mum and I found ourselves in tears as we looked through her wedding portfolios online, so we knew that she would be the perfect person to capture our day. We were so happy with our photos and will cherish them forever. Katie captured so many natural moments and details and was a delight to have around on the day.
Videography: La Lune Cinema – We really invested in our wedding video and were so happy with what La Lune created and how they captured our day. It brings tears every time we watch our video. They are an incredibly talented team.
Styling: I did all the styling myself.
Florist: Studio Botanic – Nadia from Studio Botanic was an absolute dream to work with. I adore flowers and knew I could trust her and her talented team to bring my vision to life.
Hair: @charlotte.enoughstudio I could not rave about Charlotte more. She is the most beautiful soul. It was so important for me to have not only a talented hair and makeup team, but also lovely people who will help set a relaxing and happy tone as we all get ready. Charlotte achieved the most beautiful, glamorous curls that lastest all night (event through the wind)!
Make Up: @_ali5ha_ I was so happy with my make up for my wedding day. Alisha created a perfect glam look that still enhance my natural features, so I still looked like me. She is such a lovely, gentle person as well, so it was a joy having her around on the morning.
The Dress(es): Paolo Sebastian – Having my dress designed by Mr Paul Vasileff and created by the Paolo Sebastian team was an absolute dream come true. I didn’t look around when it came to my wedding dress as I knew that I had to have a Paolo Sebastian gown because I love their romantic, delicate detail and timeless style. Paolo Sebastian is a South Australian couture brand, so it was so wonderful to celebrate the talent from the state that I live in.
Veil / headwear: Paolo Sebastian
Rings: Bride – Cassandra Mamone Groom – Cartier
Groom’s outfit: DRESD – It was such a fun experience working with Samuel and Rhys on David’s bespoke wedding outfit. They are such a passionate team who are extremely detail oriented with a keen eye for style. We knew that we were in safe hands with them.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Fame & Partners
Groomsmen’s outfits: Jenny & Gerry’s Bridal Centre
Catering: Andre’s Cucina & Polenta Bar – David comes from an Italian family, so food is extremely important to us. We both love pasta, so we included two delicious pasta as part of the entres as a nod to David’s Italian background. My mouth still waters thinking about that gnocchi!
Favors: Cookies from Sweetcheeks Cookies & Cakes
Cake / Cake topper: One of David’s aunts lovingly made our wedding cake. It was so special to have a family member create it for us.
Stationery / Signage: Magnolia Press – Sharon from Magnolia Press was one of our standout vendors. She created the most beautiful bespoke invitations for us, as well as our signage and menus. Sharon was so passionate and talented and put so much time and love into creating something perfect for us. I could not recommend her highly enough.
Entertainment: The Cast
Transport: David and his groomsmen arrived in a fleet of 3 Jaguar E-Type Roadsters, which belonged to David’s Father and his friends. The bride and bridesmaids arrived in a couple of Classic Mark V Jaguars from Classic Jags.
Décor: We wanted to let the florals do most of the talking, however I commissioned Hunter Made, a local artisan to create our table runners. They were all sustainably botanically hand dyed with avocado seeds. As an additional keepsake, after our wedding, Hunter Made used my dried wedding bouquet flowers to botanically hand dye a silk scarf which I will be able to treasure. I would highly recommend something like this for other brides-to-be.
Hire: We hired all our furniture, the marquee, crockery, glassware etc from White Marquee and dealt with the lovely Andrea and Greg. They were fantastic to work with and went above and beyond to ensure that everything ran smoothly for us including being there on the day and in the lead up to ensure everything was set up perfectly and helped bring our vision to life. They were certainly a standout vendor for us.
Lighting: Venue Productions were another amazing vendor who are so passionate about what they do and worked so hard in the heat to set up all of our lighting and draping. We had to make the last-minute call to put up the walls and roof for the marquee due to wind (we originally wanted a naked structure), so Venue Productions had to take down their lighting and re-do it all. They were amazing.
Honeymoon: Tulum, Miami and Bahamas
