THE TIMES AUSTRALIA
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Bridal
Vol. 3 No. 5
November 2015
THE TIMES AUSTRALIA
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BRIDAL
Your Day
How to Stay Calm on
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Let Them Eat Cake!
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&Lipstick White Lace
44
Your Wedding Day
18
Top 5 Tips for
Destination Weddings 38
Memorable
Moments
52
Editors
note
When I was 20, I had the privelege of
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moving overseas to study for a year. Whilst I was in Canada, I met some amazing people, and have taken every opportunity over the years to go back and visit.
Your Day ..............................................................8
My last visit was for the wedding of my
How to Stay Calm on Your Wedding Day....... 18
beautiful friend, Jen Jones, who is featured
Let Them Eat Cake! ........................................ 30
in this issue, as well as on our cover for October with her wonderful husband,
Top 5 Tips for Destination Weddings..............38
Bryan. I couldn't have been more grateful
White Lace & Lipstick...................................... 44
and happy to have attended their wedding and be treated as such an honourable guest.
Memorable Moments......................................52
These two genuinely epitomise what family values and lifelong love are all about. This month is all about destination weddings and all of the fantastic opportunities that come with an overseas wedding. As we settle into Spring and the weather warms up, seek inspiration in the simple joys that a warm day brings. New ideas for your big day are everywhere! Enjoy October x
Jessica
Contributors Jennifer Jones Sarah Gill Rebecca Low Mona Ciancotti Melanie Lee Allen Shanahan
Cover Image ChriLee Photography
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Welcome
note
The joy, stress, fun and excitement of planning a wedding! If you are looking for ideas to spice up your special day, wedding services, trends, information and great stories, then pour yourself a beverage and have one with us (mine has bubbles!) A wedding is a special day to celebrate the love between two people, and there are many ways to honour this commitment in front of family and friends. At the Australia Times Bridal, we hope you'll enjoy reading about the unique ways our readers have chosen to personalise their special day.
We aim to inform, entertain, teach, encourage, educate and support the community at large by facilitating communication between all Australians. By providing the opportunity for all opinions to be shared on a single website.
Your Day By Jennifer Jones
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Who Jennifer Jones & Bryan Douchamie
WHERE Geraldo’s at Lasalle Park in Burlington, Ontario, Canada
THEME
Friday, September 4, 2015
WHEN
Rustic chic
Flower Girl: Sydney; Ring Bearer: Alex; Banner Bearer: Lucas Maid of Honour: Laura Bridesmaids: Natasha, Sarah, Kelly, Sarah Best Man: Stephen Groomsmen: Mark, Daniel, Geoffrey, David
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Honeymoon Destination Mediterranean Cruise: Italy, Greece, Turkey. It was amazing!
Three words to describe your day Celebration, Love, Fun
Advice for brides to be The day goes by fast. Try your best to relax, enjoy your day side by side with your new husband.
Favourite moment Walking down the aisle, and looking into the eyes of my new husband <3
ChriLee Pho tography
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And a summary of the day from start to end. Really anything you'd like to put in! The morning began early, at 7.00am, with my best friends and family. We woke up and got our hair and make-up done at my parents house. During the morning, Bryan had flowers and a card delivered to the house. Reading his card and receiving a gorgeous bouquet made it all real to me. Once everyone was done, the bridesmaids got into their gowns, then helped me into mine. I walked down the stairs and will never forget the look on my dads face; he was so happy, with tears in his eyes. Then before I knew it, the limo arrived and it was go time. I thought to myself, 2.00pm already?! At this point nerves and emotions started setting in, but I took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the moment.
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As we pulled up to our venue, I could see everyone outside; my heart started to pound. My maid of honour and bridesmaids looked at me and said 'remember no ugly crying! If one goes we will all go!' We got out of the limousine
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As I looked into Bryanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes, I
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I felt so loved, happy and lucky.
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14 ChriLee Photography
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BRIDAL and the girls started down the aisle. My dad and I started to walk, waiting for our cue.... then the emotion was over whelming and I cried as I began to walk down the aisle, looking at my best friend and love of my life waiting for me on the other side. At this moment there was no one else but him and I. I took a deep breath, remembering ‘No ugly crying!’ As I looked into Bryan’s eyes, I felt so loved, happy and lucky. I listened to the words as my officiant started the ceremony. We shared ourows. Said I do. And then it was time to celebrate!!
Through out dinner we had speeches, which went well, so as people ate they listened and laughed as our loved ones spoke. After dinner, Bryan and I had our first dance, we did the father daughter dance, then it was time to celebrate... everyone on the dance floor. The party was good, the Photo Booth was rocking, the drinks were flowing. The day was perfect!
After the ceremony Bryan and I went for a short walk together, enjoyed the moment. Then we went off to take photos, while our guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks. After photos were complete, Bryan and I mingled and talked to guests, receiving hugs and kisses every time we took another step. At this time we started a receiving line, guiding our guests into the reception area. The bridesmaids assisted in finding each groups table on the chart, then out groomsmen escorted each group to their table. Many of the guests enjoyed this, as it cut out a lot of confusion.
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Vendors Venue Geraldo's at LaSalle Park 50 Northshore Boulevard East, Burlington ON Photography Christine Lee Photography smile@chrilee.com www.chrilee.com Hair & Makeup Pretty in Pink Makeup & Hair www.prettyinpink-mobilemakeup.com
Photobooth RockStar Photobooths 200 North Service Road, Oakville ON info@rockstarphotobooth.ca http://rockstarphotobooth.ca Cake Cop Cakes copcakes@hotmail.com http://copcakescanada.weebly.com 16
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DJ Services Olympic Sound 339 Steepleridge Street, Kitchener ON info@olympicsound.com http://olympicsound.com Officiant Deborah Coleman 62 Dartford Place, Hamilton ON marryme@deborahcoleman.ca http://deborahcoleman.ca Decor Blooms & Posies Kim Boin info.bloomsandposies@gmail.com www.bloomsandposies.com
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How to Stay Calm on
Your Wedding D By Sarah Gill
Your wedding day is fast approaching now, and you are starting to freak out! Here are my top tips to help you stay calm leading up to and on the wedding day.
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Day
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19 Image from Thinkstock
Write a list
You will most likely have many things to do before the wedding and it is easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about everything you have to do, so write it down!
Use a checklist and break things down into smaller tasks you can get done. It’s important to remember to do one thing at a time. I used a site called EasyWeddings.com.au it provided a free checklist of things to do each week leading up to the big day. It also helped me with timeframes of when to do things. If you are super organised like me, you can even have a schedule for the day, I had a timetable for myself and my bridesmaids to ensure everyone was ready and had their hair and makeup done on time – I even included extra time for issues just in case. Having that schedule on the day really did help to calm my nerves and avoided any mishaps.
Doandone thing at a time enlist your bridesmaid’s help! Just like with your lists, its important when leading up to the wedding that you focus on one thing at a time, by now you would have a venue, so confirm the guest list first and then confirm numbers. Everything will fall into place and don’t forget your all-important bridesmaids and maid of honour – this is what they signed up for, so utilise them in getting things sorted. If you insist on doing everything yourself or if you don’t have a bridal party then that’s ok, as long as you remember to take it one step at a time. There is no rule that it has be done all at once, planning a wedding is a big deal, and it takes a lot of organisation and time.
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21 Image from Thinkstock
22 Image from Thinkstock
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Remember
why you’re doing this! Its ok to have a little Bridezilla moment, but don’t let your needs and wants get in the way of why you are doing it all – because you and your fiancé love each other. So whenever your mother in law invites someone you don’t know or your flower girl doesn’t like her dress, just remind yourself that you are getting married because you and your husband to be are in love, and you want to share the union of your love with all of your friends and family.
Medi t ate and do yoga Now that most things are taken care of all you have to do is sit around and wait for the day. To help keep your mind calm and your body feeling energized it is a good idea to do some yoga and relaxation meditation. Yoga and meditation go hand in hand and regular practice can help keep your mind settled and your body feeling renewed, which is just what you will need before the wedding day. So go to a local yoga class or look up some yoga and meditation techniques online.
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Take time out
to pamper yourself
One of the most important things I did for myself a few days before my wedding day was to get pampered. Make sure you book yourself in for a massage and/or mani-pedi either the day before or a few days before the wedding. A nice idea is to go with your bridesmaids and the mothers to a day spa before the wedding. Though I would suggest that you take some time out to be on your own too, the wedding day will be hectic and you will not get a moment on your own. So it’s a good idea to book some time out for you before the day comes.
Breathe
Now its time to be realistic, no wedding day is completely perfect and without incident. Something is bound to go wrong, it may just be a minor issue. The music may start a little later than you wanted to go down the isle, the flower girl might not want to walk down the isle on her own, a little rain may start when you are about to have an outdoor ceremony and then your even planner has to move everyone indoors. No matter what happens, just breathe. Leave those issues to someone else on the day. It is not your job to worry; this is where your mother and bridesmaids really shine, and the groomsmen too. The day is all about making you and your husband happy, everyone will do what you want and so they should – it’s your day! If something goes wrong or you find your nerves getting the better of you – just breathe and remember, its ok to be nervous this your day and it will be perfect in your eyes no matter what happens.
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25 Image from Thinkstock
Take a moment
to soak it all in
The most important piece of advice I give every bride to be is to make sure she spends a moment with her new husband after the ceremony to take it all in. The day goes so quickly and its easy to get caught up in everything that is going on around you, people following you for photos, constantly hugging you and wishing you well. So take a moment, once you have been announced as husband and wife in the reception and when the meals are out is a good time. Sneak away to a quiet spot where you and your husband wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be disturbed and just reflect on the day so far and the immense occasion that is happening right now! On my wedding day this is one of the moments I remember very clearly. My husband and I took only a few minutes to have our time together and I am so glad that we did. If there were only one of these hints that you take with you on the day, I would hope that you take this one, it really does make all the difference on your memories of the wedding day and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what makes it even more special. There were things on my day that went wrong, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry and I had the best day of my life, it was a beautiful wedding, and five years on I still remember every detail vividly as if it were yesterday!
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27 Image from Thinkstock
Le
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et Them Eat Cake! By Rebecca Low
Do you go for two tiers or three? Modern or classic? Fondant or fon-donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t? Whilst a cake is there to be eaten and enjoyed, it starts off as the centrepiece at your venue, it is also the cherry on top of the look and feel of the reception.
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My best advice is to have your venue, dress and colour scheme chosen before you start looking at cake designs. Your venue will set the tone, be it modern, classic or a specific theme, such as a beach wedding. Your dress determines the style of the day and your colour scheme provides the finishing touch. I tend to steer couples in the direction of the shade of the dress. White wedding gown – white cake. Ivory wedding gown – ivory cake. In essence, when you picture yourself standing next to the cake, you don’t want one tone playing off against the other, making the ivory look slightly “dirty” against a pure white. The sky is literally the limit when it comes to cake design. Cake artists are developing wonderful techniques all the time and not even gravity will stop them in some clever cake engineering. Sugar lace deserves a special mention as it provides the look of lace, with the amazing delicacy of being made of sugar. Sugar flowers are still extremely popular. Create a classic look with sugar roses and peonies or a relaxed approach with whimsy and colourful floral accents.
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Cake toppers are very hip right now but still offer a classic look. I had a couple whose family values were the central theme for the wedding day. Instead of speeches, each parent stood up and spoke of a particular value that was important to them, sharing their story and advice to the newlyweds. I created wooden flags for the top of the cake which included each of these values. It was the perfect touch to a beautiful wedding. Pretty additions to dessert tables are great for adding creative flair to your day. Think pretty cakes on stands or a gorgeous maccaron wreath as a centerpiece. Just as you should never judge someone on the outside, there should be no compromise when it comes to taste. I like to take a client’s favourite dessert and emulate this in a cake flavour for one of the tiers. Lemon delight, complete with fresh lemon curd and crème brule feature in my more popular flavours. Take a look at your menu. If you have rich, chocolatey desserts, opt for light flavours. If you are having your cake for dessert, mix the flavours up for each tier and allow a choice for your guests.
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If you are having a smaller wedding but want the wow factor of a larger cake without the wastage, opt for false tiers, where some of the tiers will be styrofoam and decorated as per the rest of your cake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nobody will need to know and it will save you some dollars. Similarly, if you are having a large wedding and need to stick to a specific budget, by choosing a usual sized cake and having kitchen cakes that your venue staff will keep behind the scenes and cut up along with your wedding cake, offers a good option. Once you have designed the perfect cake for your wedding day, all thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do is eat, drink and be merry!
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JUST DO
Sho
ShoutFor
O-NATE.
out.
rGood.com
r o f s p i T Top 5
Destination Weddings By Mona Ciancotti
However, without the proper planning and research, destination weddings can be as expensive as having one locally. So here are 5 tips we think may help you on your quest!
Choose your Dates Wedding season is during spring and summer, where the days are long and hot with beautiful wildflowers and clear blue skies. However, with Australian Summer towards the end of the year, coinciding with many other holidays such as Christmas and New Year, it can get tricky. So why not head out of town when it’s cold and wet and treat your guests to a bit of sun, beach and surf? We find that the best times to travel and when airfares are extremely cheap is usually in May and August. We tend to find that it is during these periods that tourism is at its low peaks and there are plenty of bargains to look out for and we don’t clash with the Northern Hemisphere’s “spring break”!
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Know your Destination Language barriers are another difficulty that can come across for couples planning their wedding overseas. It can be daunting not knowing if you are getting value for your money, so search around for reputable hotels and or service providers who have contact in the part of the world you want to get married in. It is well worth investing in someone who can speak the language and help ensure you fill out the proper legal paperwork. Some places may only allow residents to be able to apply for marriage licences, and it is even possible that you will be required to be a member of a church or religious affiliations, as they do not offer civil ceremonies. Think ahead and give the local embassies a call and ask them if they have legal requirements for you to be married in their country. Most embassies are more than happy to provide information and will reply to you within reasonable time so make sure you ask early on in your planning process so that you can have all the necessary visas and paperwork.
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Ask and you shall receive! I don’t know of any hotel who wouldn’t want to accommodate a wedding and their guests. When you are making your bookings and approaching venues, don’t be shy in asking (nicely) if they could maybe offer you a deal for a wedding party. We’ve had instances of free breakfast for all guests, cheaper room rates, discounted massages and coupons and special VIP services.
Compromise
Unless you are specifically wanting the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben, then remember to compromise because there are far and plenty more places where you can celebrate. Many people are surprised that they can have the exact same theme and atmosphere for a fraction of the price for somewhere further out of town or on a different island all together! It’s always exciting to try new places and your guests will also wonder how on earth you came about this new paradise.
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Make it an Adventure Last but not least, make it an adventure. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point in repeating the same old thing done year in and year out? Live out the moment and create something beautiful and magical, surprise those special guests that you have with you and take in the culture and diversity of the place you have chosen and immerse yourself in the life of the locals and draw inspirations from local traditions. Read your vows on an elephants back, take beautiful pictures in front of magical waterfalls in a flowy white beach dress, have a wedding and kiss under the falling snow or even say your 'I Dos' on a hot air balloon. Whereever your creativity takes you, give yourself the freedom to be adventurous, wild and free. Create the most amazing moments for years to remember and as always happy planning!!
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43 Image from Thinkstock
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&Lipstick White Lace Text and Images by Melanie Lee
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If you have been wondering about the same thing don't tell anyone but I have the answer!!! Well, a few actually. So traditionally, there was really only one way to make your lipstick last longer and it involved multiple steps. These can still be used today particularly since traditional lipstick is of course still very much readily available. These steps are as follows:
1
lean and scrub away dry skin from your lips using a lip polish or C scrub or just a good old toothbrush.
2
Moisturise and remove excess product from your lips with a tissue
3
pply foundation or concealer (which ever you prefer) to cover your A lips
4
Use a lip liner (1-2 tones darker than the lip colour you choose) to line the lip and colour in the lip
5
Apply lipstick and blot with a tissue
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Dust with finishing powder (super fine silica based is best)
7
Reapply lipstick
Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of steps and a lot of bits and bobs to carry around with you to reapply should you need to. There are some brilliant new products out thanks to new technology that have less steps.
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BRIDAL I have 6 brilliant products that I highly recommend you give a try for your wedding day. They are all long lasting and stay looking fresh and vibrant all day and into the night.
Number 1 is by Loreal called Glam Shine. It’s more of a gloss and is super long lasting; up to 6 hours. It comes in a range of colours with a great shaped applicator for precision application. They also have a delicious sweet flavour and scent making kissing your new husband even better!
Number 2 is by Sephora. Now that we have a few stores in Australia, it’s a lot easier to get a hold of. It’s a lipstain type of product that is quite thin to apply. So if you’re not keen on creamy or sticky lip products on your lips this is a good one for you. But, as a warning the colours on the end of the tube are not correct, particularly if they are lighter in colour. Being a lipstain you can’t really make your lips lighter in colour. So you can see below in the photo that although the end of the tube in the top picture is light the product inside is quite dark.
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Number 3 is my all time personal favourite and the one I use the most and have the most colours of for myself! It’s the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 2 Step. There is a bit of a trick to application but once you know how its easy. Prep step – Make sure your lips are clean and oil/food free Step 1 – Apply colour smoothly and leave to set (its sticky once set) Step 2 – Once your lips are sticking together glide on the moisturizer AND THAT’S IT! Kiss proof, eat proof and smudge proof lipstick for 8+ hours
Number 4 is something fairly new on the market by Klara Cosmetics. It’s a matte lipstick option that is super easy to apply but also easy to mess up! You really need to have a steady hand with this one as it set really fast. Once applied, it has a beautiful velvety matte finish. Its super long lasting and surprisingly not drying to your lips at all!
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Number 5 is from a range of makeup products I have been using for many many years and have never been let down â&#x20AC;&#x201C; LaGlam Mineral Cosmetics. Recently they have brought out some new additions to their lipsticks which were of the traditional variety. But their newer range of the Gold Collection includes some fabulous bright colours, perfect for the spring wedding. Although they present like a traditional lipstick are long lasting as well as 90% mineral, meaning they have some great benefits for your skin.
Number 6 last but certainly not least is the new Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer. It feels like a creamy gloss with super pop colours, but works like a creamy lipstain. It's tricky to apply because its so creamy; you want to layer it on but this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow it to set, making smudging accidents very easy. So the trick with this I have found is to wipe as much of the product off the applicator as you can on the edge of the tube and apply very lightly. Also because most of the colours are very vibrant, you need an extremely steady hand for a perfect application.
Make use of your time and select a lip option that requires low maintenance - nobody wants to be spending their big day topping up their lip colour. Let us know your favourite!
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Memorable
Moments Text and Images by Allen Shanahan
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When I look back at my memories of the many weddings I've had the honour of organising, one wedding in particular still holds a special place in my heart. A wedding so simple and beautiful that you could feel the love in the air. On the sunny Saturday of January 25, 2014, the Wattle Park Chalet hosted the fairytale wedding of Amy and Nathan. From the moment I saw them I knew they were a couple that would last forever. Nathan was a friendly and funny guy, always making people laugh wherever he went. Amy would always be by Nathan's side with her beautiful smile and loving eyes, laughing at Nathan's silliness. Their wedding was in the late afternoon in the private gardens of the Wattle Park Chalet, with 150 family and friends in attendance. "We loved the idea of having a garden wedding and having the reception in the same place" Amy arrived in an elegant white Rolls Royce, her hair curled and tied back with a white floral feather adorned veil. Amy's dress was one of the biggest highlights of the day. She wore a sweetheart style, ruffled white ball gown with a silver jewelled belt. It fit her style perfectly and still remains to be one of the biggest 54
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and best dresses I've ever seen. The wedding bouquet was a floral mix of pink, white and yellow flowers. When Amy walked down the aisle, everything just came together. The smile and awe on everyone's faces and the love and excitement of the couple, all surrounded by the romantic atmosphere of the garden was simply electric. After becoming husband and wife, the guests blew bubbles into the air in celebration. Then it was time for the reception, where two families would come together for the first time. Amy and Nathan styled their wedding to combine both of their families' traditions. They chose to hold their reception in the English style Wattle Park Chalet to reflect Nathan's Australian roots and Amy chose an 8 course Asian banquet to reflect her Chinese heritage. For colour and theming, Amy and Nathan had chosen purples and pinks as the colours for their wedding. For centrepieces, the couple chose to have the 5 point iron candelabras with small fishbowls of pink, white and yellow flowers from Flowers & More. 'We wanted to make it colourful but simple so guests could still see each other on the tables'. Amy and Nathan's bomboniere for the guests were delicate sweets in small pink 56
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polka dot boxes with a cartoon of a themselves in various poses. The wedding cake is still one of my favourites that I still talk about today. A 5 tiered cream cupcake tower adorned with small pink roses and a small vanilla cake top. 'We had alot of fun cutting the cake, we made all these different funny poses and our photographer shot us from every angle possible. A moment I will cherish forever is Amy and Nathan's first dance. It was a sight to see them perform their light ballroom dance. I learnt on the day that Amy is a dance instructor and they had done a lot of practicing in the lead up to the wedding to get it just right. Although Amy and Nathan's wedding was quite big, they were very relaxed through out the whole process. I admired their calm nature and their focus on having a fun wedding. They taught me that simplifying and focusing on what you really want leads to a better, happier wedding. Amy and Nathan's wedding became the unforgettable fairytale they always wanted, and I know that they will be smiling together for many years to come.
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