For Clare and Brendan, attaining a ‘theme’ for their day wasn’t the goal. Instead, they just wanted a bright colour palette with tonnes of flowers and decorations…and a touch of gold. “Most importantly we wanted to create a party atmosphere from the moment guests walked into the reception. So music and drinks were important!” explains Clare, who looked at a handful of venues around Sydney before her Mum suggested the Botanic Gardens Restaurant.
“It ticked a lot of boxes for us great food, enough space to host 175+ guests, walking distance from our ceremony, iconic views to impress guests from out of town, etc.,” she tells us, adding that their ceremony received a lot of praise from guests.
“Under the guidance of our celebrant Jesse Cachillo, the ceremony was fun, relaxed and full of love and laughter? just like our life together.” It’s no surprise that Clare’s gorgeous two-piece from Karen Willis Holmes was the talk of the town as well.
“The dress was actually a skirt and top. I’d been to a couple of boutiques before deciding that a skirt and top was what I wanted. Karen Willis Holmes was one of the few designers who offered this option, so I visited her store in Paddington and made the decision then and there. The staff were wonderful and made the whole experience very easy.”
While the pair admits they knew from the moment they met that they’d be married, they tell us that despite the stress “being able to share our love for each other with all our friends and family was nothing short of magical” – and photographer Jo Bartholomew was there to capture it all.
“Our photographer, Jo was amazing. Her style really suited what we were looking for. Relaxed and journalistic. Too many wedding shots are over contrived but this isn’t her style. We’ve recommended her to a lot of our friends.”
CREDITS Photos Jo Bartholomew // Bridal gown Karen Willis Holmes // Flower crown Kristi Bonnici via Etsy // Robes / getting read tees Plum Pretty Sugar // Lingerie Stella McCartney // Shoes Sophia Webster // Accessories Net-A-Porter // Hair Wildlife Hair // Rings Melissa Harris // Bridesmaid dresses Lover // Bridesmaid gifts House of Fraser // Groom and groomsmen suits The Suit Shop // Tie / Bow tie Saba // Shoes Meermin // Socks Happy Feet // Barber / grooming Grand Royal // Event planner / Stylis Little Lane Events // Florist Red Fragrance Floral Design // Stationery Danielle Lattuca Design via Etsy // Printer Carbon8 // Ceremony Botanic Gardens, NSW // Reception and catering Botanic Gardens Restaurant // Decorative elements Event Haus // Lighting / sound hire Cherry Entertainment // Entertainment Shantan Ichiban // Celebrant Jessie Cacchillo // Transport Luxcar.