£Danielle has watched a lot of chick flicks? so the pressure was on! says Benji, an artist and designer who proposed to Danielle at a gallery in London where they first met back in 2003. Armed with a silver padlock, a key and an engagement ring, he asked if she’d be willing to “unlock their future together”. £Thankfully, she said yes! adds Benji.
In no rush to seal the deal, they spent the next two years sourcing all the elements for their outdoor wedding held on Valentine’s Day at Summerlees Estate in New South Wales. £I guess you could say the overall theme of the day was relaxed summer’s day brunch with a slight hippy, Valentine’s Day flavour, says Danielle who as well as collecting antique dinner plates and vintage handkerchiefs which doubled as invitations, spent almost their entire engagement searching for a suitable dress.
£I tried on many dresses of all shapes and sizes in London, New York and Australia? I was beginning to lose hope when I stumbled across an Australian photographer’s blog via Google (can I just take a moment to praise the Google Gods!) and found the most whimsical images of a local Sydney designer’s capsule wedding dress collection. Amongst the images, there it was: the Snow White’ dress created by the very talented, Brigitte May.
It was a perfect addition to their fairytale wedding, made even more surreal by Benji’s giant-sized portraits constructed from four kilometres of powder coated metal mesh. £About a month before the wedding we went to see the venue and I suddenly had the crazy idea to create some sort of sculpture or installation, he says.
£I wanted to create a piece that celebrated our journey together and the idea of two souls taking physical form, falling in love and sharing every twist and turn along the way. A natural food chef, yoga instructor and health coach, it’s safe to say Danielle’s future will be long lasting. But no matter where life takes her she’ll always remember four very special people.
£Patty, owner of Summerlees Estate and Kelly from Chef in Your Kitchen. These women became my wedding fairy godmothers! Finding and booking James Alexander from Zephyr Productions and Lilli Waters form I Got You Babe were the best decisions we ever made. And the best piece of advice she can give? “At all times, aim for bridechilla, not zilla!!” says Danielle who enjoyed their day with the sweet sounds of We Play Records in the background.
Keen to check out another fab Summerlees Estate wedding? Simply click here. You can also see more work by Lilli Waters of I Got You Babe by clicking here, here and here or by viewing her full portfolio via our online directory.
CREDITS Photos I Got You Babe // Bridal gown Brigitte May // Getting ready outfits Primark // Shoes Valentino // Rings Dimitries Jewelers // Bridesmaid dresses Prada, Karen Millen and ASOS // Bridesmaid shoes Karen Millen // Bridesmaid gifts Steal Time Back // Jacket, pants and shoes Zara // Shirt and groomsmen gifts Benjamin Shine // Suspenders American Suspender Co. via Amazon // Ties Roger David // Groomsmen suits Saba // Stationery Lucky Luxe // Ceremony, reception and decorative elements Summerlees Estate, NSW // Catering Chef in Your Kitchen // Other desserts Danielle Shine (bride) // Wedding favours Down Memory Lane and Australian Stone Jewellery // Prop or furniture hire South Coast Party Hire // Lighting / sound hire and entertainment We Play Records // Celebrant Erin Fisher Dore // Transport Dream Hire Car // Cinematographer Zephyr Productions // Arial photos Craig Parry.