Real Wedding – Sarah & Christopher, Blackheath NSW
Sarah and Chris’ wedding was a day of sublime contrasts, echoing the intense beauty of the sweeping mountain vistas that surrounded their celebrations. From a crisp, sun-drenched ceremony to dreamy fog lit portraits within a magical forest; this day is a feast for the senses in so many ways.
Sarah chose a sleek, modern silhouette for her gorgeous D’Italia gown, enhanced with elegant embossed statement lace. Alongside her bridesmaids in deep rust silk, the look was relaxed, contemporary allure, and nothing added to the impact more than the beaming smiles on both her and Chris’s face, captured to perfection by Lonely Hunter wedding photography.
Choosing an incredible team of vendors meant that this DIY day looks nothing short of a polished, delightful dream. Styling in natural timbers against hues of burnt amber, warm tangerine and pops of peach meant the wilderness surrounds reflected in every detail.
Dip in to experience this divine day!
The meeting.
We actually went to the same high school and were in the same year. We never spoke to each other; it was only after we graduated in 2010 that we started hanging out with the same mutual friends. Eventually, we started going to the city (Sydney) every weekend to go clubbing and ending up going to the same University, so we became closer from there.
The ‘one’.
I feel like it was a collection of moments over the relationship, not really a specific point in time. He gets along with my family, he’s always supportive and encouraging, we laugh at the same jokes, and most importantly, he loves to travel with me and is always up for my crazy adventures.
The proposal.
There’s a hike we like to do down south, overlooking the Sea Cliff Bridge. Once we got to the top, where the lookout is, there were about two or three other people there. Chris started setting up a tripod (which is pretty normal, as he is a novice photographer). He then went into a bush somewhere and changed into a white t-shirt that he had written “Marry-Me” on, in red permanent marker. By that time, it was just us up there together, so of course, I said yes, and we just took in the moment for another 30 minutes or so.
Planning process.
Many many excel spreadsheets including, seating plans, run sheets of the day before, day of and the day after.
Lots of research and comparing vendors to see who could stick within our budget
Many hours of correspondence between vendors to make sure they were on the same page, giving them our run sheet and ensuring they knew what they were doing (as our property was completely DIY).
The ceremony.
On the morning of the ceremony, being in a valley, it was a complete whiteout, so you could not see the mountains in the background. It was covered in fog. While this also made for a magical setting, we really did want the view of the mountains for the ceremony. Then, at about 2pm, an hour before the ceremony was due to start, a wind came in and literally blew all the fog away. We had the perfect view for the ceremony. Just as our celebrant was starting to wrap up, I felt a drop of rain hit my nose. About two minutes after the ceremony was done, everyone rushed into the marquee as the rain hit. It was about five minutes of rain, and then it cleared again, and everyone went back outside. The timing of everything just worked out perfectly.
Style inspiration.
We went for a rustic theme, with burnt orange and pale pink hues. I had just seen a few images on Instagram of weddings with similar styling and really fell in love with it.
The outfit.
I had found a style of dress I really liked through my search online, just not the lace as much. I ended up going into D’Italia in Melbourne with one of my bridesmaid’s and found these fabrics that I absolutely loved. I kept the style and silhouette the same as my inspiration photo; then, my dressmaker helped it come to life. I knew the shoes I wanted for a long time. My now step-mother-in-law actually gave them to me as a gift for my Bridal Shower, which I was so grateful for.
Favourite moments.
It would have to be between two moments. Walking down the aisle and our first dance (it was a choreographed dance which we had created and learnt in five lessons).
Meaning of marriage.
A love and bond between two people, with a lot of compromising!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle song: Hoppipolla by Vitamin String Quartet
Reception entry: Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay
First dance: The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
Funny stories or near disasters.
My bridesmaid lives in Melbourne. The day it was announced that Victoria was going into its 3rd lockdown, she packed her car and drove over the border and stayed in NSW until my wedding day, just so she wouldn’t miss it.
On the day, my cake topper somehow snapped. It was supposed to say “Mr & Mrs Visvis”, but the Mr broke off. So we ended up doing a clean snap of the rest (“& Mrs”), and it just said “Visvis” in the end. Everyone just thought we were being minimal.
Planning surprises.
More just that so many of our friends and family were willing to help. So many reached out to us to ask if we needed assistance or if there was anything they could help with.
Words of wisdom.
For a DIY wedding, I’d say delegate tasks to as many people as possible. If you take on everything, you just wind up more stressed.
Planning a DIY wedding? Take the pressure off by trusting one of our incredible hire companies to ensure your dream day vision is brought to life with stress-free style! Open that Pinterest board and get browsing, here.
SARAH & CHRIS’ VENDORS:
Ceremony & reception venue: All View Escape, Blackheath.
Malina was our point of contact and had done a fantastic job in attending to our concerns.
Celebrant/Officiant: David Lang. David was an amazing celebrant; he is so friendly and personable; it felt like catching up with an old friend every time. He was also our MC for the night.
Photography: Richard Johnston, Lonely Hunter Weddings. Richard did an amazing job with our photos; he was very professional and calm the entire day. We couldn’t recommend him enough.
Videography: Hayden Buchanan.
Florist: Hannah Sutton – Hanami Florals. Hannah did an absolutely amazing job with our florals. She has only recently started her own business after working as a florist for another business for many years. She is so lovely and literally did all possible to ensure that the florals were exactly how we wanted them – and all within our budget!
Hair: Angela Zengoski. Angela is an incredible hair stylist and friend. She knows how to work with everyone’s hair types.
Make-up: Susan Markovic. Susan and her sidekick Rebecca did my and my bridal party’s make-up on the day. They both know what they are doing and did a fantastic job. My make-up stayed put all night.
The dress: Fabric from D’Italia, Melbourne. Dressmaker: Maria Zoe. The staff at D’Italia are so friendly, welcoming and helpful. And I got my dream dress, all sticking within budget!
Shoes: Loeffler Randall.
Rings: Made by our jeweller friend, Elliott Conway.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Fame and Partners
Groomsmen’s suits: YD
Catering: The Wilderness Chef
Bar: Kegs on Legs. These guys did a fantastic job on the day/night. Their staff were so incredibly friendly and helpful, even when some guests got a bit too rowdy. They were very professional all throughout the night.
Favours: Gold agate coasters, purchased from Etsy (Boxtwine)
Cake: Casa Del. Cake topper purchased from Etsy. (BellandBeauDesignCo)
Stationery / Signage: Welcome sign, seating chart and wishing well hire – Neitsandco. Wishing well signage and guestbook signage – Nikki Design Co. Table numbers – K-Y designs. Guestbook – purchased from Etsy (RedberryGuestBooks).
Entertainment: DJ: James – First Choice DJs.
Transport: Fantastic Aussie Tours (coach hire for our guests). Kim was my main contact for our coach hire. She replied to emails straight away, and when I needed to make amendments to the pick-up and drop-off schedule, she was able to make them immediately without any hassle.
Décor: Linen napkins hire – Simply Seated.
Hire: Marquee hire, ceremony chairs, reception chairs and tables – Walkers Hire. Our main contact was Regan. We made so many changes to our quote leading up to the day, including adding more chairs, reducing them, changing them. Regan updated our quote without fuss every time, and each time we received the updated invoice within 24hrs or less. He also did all possible to ensure the marquee was set up exactly the way we wanted it on the day.
Honeymoon: Sheraton Port Douglas and Riley by Crystalbrook Cairns
