Belinda and John have got stamina guys. They had to change their three times due to COVID (four if you count the weather raining them out of their last Royal Botanic Gardens plan). Their perseverance paid off though, and here we are bringing their gorgeous wedding to you – shot by Across the Forest. Scroll down for all the pics and details to boot!
LITTLE LOL “We were married on the wettest day (torrential rain) of 2021, so we had 24 hrs to sort out a new venue. We were supposed to be married at the Bennelong Lawn (which we had to wait 6 months before confirming) we ended up at the Opera House, the only venue that was available! They were so helpful and accommodating.”
THE INSPO “Citrus highlights, minimalist and simple – filled with joy and happiness.”
FAVE DETAILS “Flowers [by Muscari]. My brief was freshly picked out of the garden, unique citrus toned flowers that were colourful, dainty and cute. Muscari nailed the brief. Cake – I love desserts and Rockpool Dining Group Events ended up making a giant version of their famous Catherine’s Passionfruit Pavlova for us. Food: Our guests have constantly complimented the Rockpool feast, saying it’s the best meal that they’ve ever had. My shoes – my citrus/ pistachio coloured crystal Jimmy Choos were so exciting to put on. When I found them, they were perfect, I wanted to make sure every detail had highlights of the citrus tones throughout.”
DIY “I designed our wedding favours – I wanted to give back and find a way to donate to Koalas given the stress they had gone through from the 2020 Fires in NSW. I also wrote the envelopes myself as place cards. My veil was also made by myself, I bought the fabric and found a way to tie it into my hair (saving me a tonne of money!)”
THE DRESS “My beautiful double silk satin dress was from Mariana Hardwick, it took me two months to find. Very lucky, just before COVID hit in March. I looked everywhere to find a simple dress with unexpected minimal detail. For me it was the asymmetric draping, the deep back and the V cut on the hips that made me choose it. It was so flattering and easy to wear. The experience was so seamless with Mariana Hardwick, they fitted me remotely due to the lockdown so I couldn’t travel to Melbourne to do my fitting.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “Our favourite moment of the day was seeing each other for the first time down the aisle. I was so ecstatic that I went in for a kiss before we were married and John went for the forehead instead (haha). I loved seeing how emotional he was. We also didn’t expect it to be such a joyful but also emotional day given we’d been together for 13 years. All our friends and family gave us so many happy tears. We didn’t stop crying all day!”
A WORD OF ADVICE “You can’t control weather, always have a plan B, (or C or D)…”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Across the Forest – our photographers were so amazing, they were relaxed and are such a beautiful couple. They had such high expectations of themselves and took the most amazing photos of us and our loved ones. Marry me Zoe brought the story of our love with such joy and happiness. A perfect balance of touching emotion and fun. Muscari – Sophie honestly treats flowers with so much respect, every piece she put together was well thought out and the end result was so beautiful, all the florals looked like art sculptures. They were the most amazing flowers I had ever seen. I felt so lucky, I spent moments just staring at my bouquet.”
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Across the Forest Florist Muscari Ceremony The Sydney Opera House (Utzon Room) Reception Rockpool Dining Group Events (Eleven) Catering Trippas White Group (Ceremony) Wedding Favours Koala Hospital Port Macquarie (Koala Adoption) Handcrafted Cards ThistleandFox via Etsy Photo Booth iphotobooth Signage Love Sick Weddings Celebrant Marry me Zoe Rings Ole Lynngaard THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Mariana Hardwick Veil Bride Robes Homebodii Shoes Jimmy Choo Earrings Natalie Schweitzer Hair Miller May Hair Salon (Sarah) Makeup Leah Baines Artistry Bridesmaid Dresses Rebecca Vallance & Third Form Bridesmaid Shoes Schutz Bridesmaid Gifts Reliquia (Earrings) THE GROOM Suit & Shirt P. Johnson Bow Tie Tom Ford Cufflinks Mont Blanc Shoes Aquila Watch Panerai Grooming QT The Barber Shop Groomsmen Suits P. Johnson Groomsmen Gifts Paul Smith (Cufflinks) & Lanvin (Bow Ties)