Getting ready together at home was a highlight for Bec and Luke – the bride donning a timeless Prea James frock, and the groom in bespoke InStitchu. These lawyers and lovers-4-life got hitched at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, surrounded by countless roses, 55 friends and fam, and one cheeky ibis (more on that below). Afterwards, the party (sans bin chicken) headed to Chin Chin, which nailed the newlyweds’ top criteria: excellent food and drinks.
Embracing the day’s intimate, relaxed, and authentic vibe, Bec and Luke sought-out opportunities to tap into the support of their talented loved ones. Meanwhile, photographer Samantha Heather also scored a shoutout for her work behind the lens. “She has a way of capturing emotion in such a beautiful way. She also brought such a relaxed and fun energy on the day.”
From those iconic harbour happy snaps to a wedding cake baked by the bride, there’s a lot to love. So scroll on to soak up Bec and Luke’s inner-city garden soiree.
DIY
“I made our wedding cake. I had always envisaged doing this, being a very keen baker and cook. As we were having quite a small wedding and already had dessert as part of our menu with Chin Chin, I knew I could do something quite small and simple. I did a couple of tests (which my colleagues at work were grateful for) in the lead up to the wedding, but landed on a vanilla sponge recipe from Katherine Sabbath. I made a lemon curd to go between the layers and decorated it with raspberries and red ribbon, which tied in with our flowers and overall theme. This was something Luke repeatedly tried to sway me out of doing (for fear of it all becoming too stressful), but I’m glad I persevered with it. My beautiful and extremely creative friend, Isabella Viney, helped me with making place cards. Together we spent hours cutting out place cards, and Bella hand-painted each guest’s name.”
THE DRESS
“My dress was from Prea James. I loved the simplicity and timelessness of her designs, and ultimately was trying to decide between two styles for a while. In the end, I went with my dress as it was a tea-length dress, not full-length, finishing around the ankles. It was comfortable, and I loved that this meant I could wear the same dress the whole night but still change things up with different accessories (I changed shoes for the reception). I also felt like the style was very “me”, and I would look back and love it still in the future.”
THE SUIT
“Bec’s view was that a simple black suit with a bow tie would suit best. At first I didn’t agree, but after trying on some samples I was won over. The suit is a bespoke suit from InStitchu. The process is really simple. Over the course of two appointments, you select the style and fabric, and at the third appointment, you try on the finished suit. I have another suit from InStitchu that has worn really well. I’d highly recommend a bespoke suit – I have many off-the-shelf suits, but nothing fits as well as a bespoke suit.”
REFERENCES
“I found a lot of the key vendors off Instagram and Hello May. I was also lucky enough to have a close friend get married a couple of months before me, and she was so helpful with recommendations, even if they were vendors who she had enquired with but hadn’t been available for her day.”
LITTLE LOL
“Right at the time I was walking down the aisle with my parents, an ibis decided to join us and was walking directly ahead of us down the aisle, it was definitely an ice breaker!”
You can go ahead and file this under Sydney weddings that Samantha Heather has captured impeccably (in the biz for over a decade, it’s a big file!) You can spy more of Samantha’s work (and contact details) here. Or if Luke has sold you on the benefits of having your suit done bespoke, why not reach out to the InStitchu team? Thinking about marrying your person in the heart of Sydney? Get inspired by this stylish city shoot or hit the directory to discover our favourite NSW vendors.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Samantha Heather Florist Studio Sonder Stationery Bec (Bride), Isabella Viney (Friend) Ceremony Venue Palace Rose Garden & Pavillion, Royal Botanic Gardens Reception Venue Chin Chin Sydney Cake Maker Bec (Bride) Hire Items Bentwood Events Entertainment Appassionata Strings, Chris Murray (Friend) Celebrant & Day-Of Coordination Grace Viney – Events with Grace Rings Lindelli Accommodation Paramount House Hotel THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Prea James Shoes Midas, LMS Accessories Natasha Schweitzer, Sarah & Sebastian Hair Laura Morris (Family) Makeup Natalie Urban Fragrance/Perfume A.N Other THE GROOM Suit, Jacket, Shirt & Pants InStitchu Shoes R.M. Williams Watch Citizen
