After carrying her (uninsured) ring in his wallet around Mexico for two weeks, Brendan proposed to Ashleigh in Tulum in a hotel room at the top of a Rapunzel-style tower overlooking the beach. “We walked in after a day out and there was rose petals all around the room, along with champagne. He got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, we then went out for margaritas and tacos!”
Held at Bendooley Estate in the Southern Highlands, the pair new straight away that it was the perfect venue for their celebration of love. “It was the first venue we looked at, we both instantly fell in love. It was breathtaking and it had everything we could hope for. I love to read, the gardens are stunning, and we loved the open fires. We didn’t even need to look anywhere else, we booked two days later,” explains Ashleigh, who adds they didn’t want anything too structured for their big day.
“We knew we wanted it to be in an autumn setting. We wanted fireplaces and red wine. I knew what I wanted colour wise in the flowers, and the rest of the style kind of just grew from there,” says Ashleigh, who hired The Sisters to take care of her floral fix.
Like the location, the bride had quite an easy time finding her dream wedding gown by Karen Willis Holmes and the perfect head piece by Hello May fave Hope x Page. “It was the first dress I saw. I tried on four that day and I knew instantly that it was THE dress. I purchased it that day and got to take it home with me. I was kind of concerned, because I purchased it more than a year in advance, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made!”
Captured by The Loved Ones, this was one wedding we loved to love – and the newlyweds were kind enough to share their views on marriage with us: “Marriage means having a partner for life, we’ve got each other’s backs no matter what. It also means having someone to cuddle and laugh with every single day.”
CREDITS Photos The Loved Ones // Bridal gown Karen Willis Holmes // Veil Johanna Johnson // Hair piece Hope x Page // Robes Cotton On Body // Bride and bridesmaids shoes Siren // Hair Jill Dionne // Bridesmaid dresses Zimmermann // Bridesmaid gifts Unreal Fur // Groom and groomsmen suits and tie Jack London // Suspenders Myer // Shoes Kenneth Cole // Event planner / Stylist Teacup Events // Florist The Sisters // Ceremony, reception and catering Bendooley Estate, NSW.