Real Wedding – Rachael and Edward, Wallalong NSW
Rachael and Edward’s description of the favourite moment from their wedding day brought us goosebumps, and its no wonder it’s a memory so clearly etched in their minds.
Their dream day was a simple premise of, “we’ll never regret simplicity”, and boy did they deliver. Simplistic, timeless and romantic styling paved the way for a modern affair that spoke volumes of their character.
Just as beautiful as their wedding celebration, is their relationship itself, and these childhood sweethearts pay perfect tribute to their time together, with Alex and Dan of White Vine Photography there to document it all.
The meeting.
Edward and I met during year 11 high school in Adelaide, South Australia, where our families grew up. We went to different schools, but yep, we’re one of those “high school sweetheart couples” who met through mutual friends.
The ‘one’.
I don’t think we can pinpoint our relationship to one of those moments. As we had the beauty of growing up together through our teenage years and early twenties, we navigated through a lot of life’s chaos together. I think as soon as you realize you wouldn’t want to make any of those important decisions without consulting the other person, you know you’ve found the one – at least that’s how it was for us anyway.
The proposal.
This unfortunately did not go to schedule! We were soon to be hosting a Sydney Harbour boat party with about 80 friends in celebration of our 10 year dating anniversary. The weekend prior to this, Ed surprised me with a romantic weekend away in the Blue Mountains (where he was meant to pop the question), but the ring was not delivered in time!
After having the ring stuck at the post office for the entire week, Ed’s proposal was sweet and unassuming – just us in the comfort of our home the night before all our friends arrived from interstate for the anniversary-turned-engagement party. He still got on one knee.
Style inspiration.
We wanted our wedding to have a simplistic and timeless style to it, so the brief for our styling was romantic and classic modern.
Think black, white, cream, soft pinks and burgundy. We also didn’t want to put an overwhelming amount of effort into our decor – it was more about having all the people we love in one place and ensuring they have a fabulous time.
This is very easy to say but when Instagram and Pinterest show you a thousand amazing styles, it was easy to become overwhelmed. Something we tried to remember was that ‘we would never regret simplicity’.
The dress.
I wore a fitted crepe gown designed by Alyssa Kristen. It had a timeless square neckline and low back, with detailed buttons for that classic detail and a slight twist of modern with angular slits beneath the arms.
I had actually already brought a pre-loved Helen English gown and was planning to have this tailored, but booked a few boutique appointments for fun (or perhaps my subconscious was telling me something). When I tried on the Alyssa Kristen gown at Love Marie Bridal Boutique, there was just a different kind of butterfly in my stomach and I knew I was on to something that was just me, and that I loved.
Favourite moments.
Umm, can we say the entire day?! If we had to pin point, one of our top moments of the day was actually curated through our amazing crew, White Vine Photography and LightWise Cinematography. Whilst we were whisked away for a few additional photos during dinner time, the crew crafted what felt like time standing still for us. We stood in each other’s arms and were guided to close our eyes, breathe deeply and just have a moment of reflection; take in everything we smelt and heard around us and just reflect on the day’s activities and just how happy and loved we felt, right there, at that moment. We’ll cherish that moment for a lifetime.
Meaning of marriage.
To put it simply, marriage for us doesn’t change anything. It simply puts a symbol to what has been so good in the past and what will continue to be so good for the rest of our lives. It’s having that person always there for you when you get home, and the confidence of knowing that together the two of you can soundly navigate life’s adventures.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice
Reception entry: Love Is In The Air by John Paul Young
First dance: Your Song by Elton John
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Our celebrant was a dear friend of ours, but unfortunately her registration papers did not pass through in time so one month out, we had to change up the ceremony to include both our friend and a legal celebrant.
Also, on the day we had a slight misunderstanding with our venue about who was setting the table. Luckily, I had designated a colleague to be our coordinator on the morning of and she set 116 plates and napkins before we were even aware it was an issue! Moral of the story – you need someone (not a family member) dedicated to be a point of contact on the day because something will always come up!
Planning surprises.
Instead of a gift for each of our guests, we wanted to write personal place cards filled with memories of why they were so important to be present on our day. We severely underestimated the amount of time this took to write these – which almost resulted in them not being printed in time!
Words of wisdom.
Just do what is important to you. Follow your personal instinct. There’s simply nothing else that matters. If you are having photographers or videographers on the day, make sure your personalities and style are similar – you spend a significant portion of your day with these people and they are a part of some of your most intimate moments and the more comfortable you feel, the better your photos will be.
For another marvellous, modern celebration – check out Alex and Stefan’s magic wedding day here.
RACHAEL & EDWARD’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception: Wallalong House
Celebrant/Officiant: Scarlett Koehne and Victoria Langham
Photography: White Vine Photography – Holy heck these guys are phenomenal at what they do. We LOVED having Dan and Alex apart of our wedding day. They honestly felt like family and were so comforting to be around.
From our very first enquiry right the way through to the weeks following the wedding, they were one of the most responsive vendors we worked with – always available for any type of assistance.
On the day, Dan and Alex were super professional, relaxed, quick to help and above all else, just a great laugh. So many of our guests and bridal party also have since commented on what legends they were.
Receiving sneak peek images on the night was an incredible touch and just a tease of what is to come. Our gallery was available the next week – (which we couldn’t believe!) and had us astounded. Very sophisticated and romantic photos that are not staged – they manage to just find beauty in the simplest of moments.
Videography: LightWise Cinematography – Equally, another absolute legend who we LOVED having on our day. Sam is one of the most relaxing and down to earth persons you can have with you on your day. His ability to capture the most romantic footage without you even knowing he is there is unrivaled. We were laughing all day with Sam and he went above and beyond to capture additional pieces of footage for us. This is not Sam’s first rodeo – he knows exactly what to do and capture and will fit right in on the day like he’s in your bridal party.
Styling: We let the venue and florals speak for themselves.
Florist: Willa Floral Design – Julie (the owner) was very helpful all the way through to ensure our mood board of colours came to life with the floral budget we had. They also had a great range of candles and table settings available for hire too, making it all very convenient. And remember when I mentioned the near miss with the tables not being set?! Julie and her team went above and beyond their remit to stay later and help our coordinator ensure everything was set up beautifully. It’s these small things that really show value, integrity and set vendors apart from one another.
Hair: Hair by Jaala – If you are in NSW, Jaala is the absolute QUEEN of hair. She is our go-to for all hair styling events and a calming soul to have around during the morning chaos.
Make-up: Make Up by Liatte – Liatte is one talented woman who listens to the brief well and truly cares.
The Dress(es): SYDNEY by Alyssa Kristen. I found this dress from an absolute gem of a woman, Amy who owns Love Marie Bridal Boutique. Amy’s store experience was by far was the most comfortable and she has a fantastic range of labels (many Melbourne based) that can be hard to find. Worth the travel!
Veil / headwear: Untamed Petals
Shoes: Nine West
Rings: Custom made engagement ring by Benita Edwards, wedding bands by Nicholas Hayward (for Rach) and Pierre Jewellery (for Ed).
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec & Bridge
Menswear: MJ Bale
Catering: Mason Catering
Bar: Wallalong House
Stationery / Signage: A talented friend of ours, Alicia Zerella.
Entertainment: Blacks & Whites Music
Honeymoon: A week in Port Douglas, QLD immediately after the wedding. We’re also planning an overseas trip to NYC and Italy.
