Tom completely surprised Danielle when while on the holiday of a lifetime in South Africa, the two were wrapping up the trip with a luxurious three day safari dinner by the fire… which ended with a ring! “The chef lead us down a candle lit path to their beautiful wine cellar for a ‘special dessert’. It was all very romantic and candle lit, and it was there Tom dropped to one knee and popped the question! We celebrated with champagne and the very excited lodge staff.”
Wanting their day to feel, simply, like a “big celebration with all of their favourite people”, Danielle and Tom opted for a romantic and stylish day with a white colour scheme at Gunners Barracks in Sydney.
“It was the first venue we had looked at, and it was love at first sight. We were blown away by the view – we had a lot of guests travelling from interstate and overseas, and wanted to show off our beautiful city. Also the staff were incredibly professional. We booked in the wedding date then and there,” explains the bride, who dazzled everyone with her DIY skills.
“We made our own invitations and place cards. I just wanted something simple on good quality paper that didn’t cost a small fortune. So we purchased canvas paper and ran it through the printer at home which turned out perfectly!”
After going through a nightmare of an experience trying to find ‘the one’ (i.e. having visited 17 dress shops in Sydney), Danielle finally took the plunge and headed to Melbourne to see what they were serving up in the CBD. “My dress was the first I had tried on in Jane Hill and ticked all of the boxes. The actual style of the dress was really quite simple and elegant, but the lace was incredible. I also loved how the nude fabric and open back made the dress a bit cheeky!”
With Larsen Jewellery, Your Marriage Celebrant, Justin Aaron Photography and Jardine Botanic behind them this pair admits that taking dance lessons and building up a fantastic crew of suppliers were the two things that were most glad that they did. “All of our vendors were fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for more professional and talented team!”
CREDITS Photos Justin Aaron Photography // Bridal gown and veil Jane Hill // Shoes and bridesmaids dress Scanlan Theodore // Accessories Aristides Fine Jewels // Hair and makeup The Bridal Makeup Co // Rings Parade Jewellers and Larsen Jewellery // Bridesmaid dresses Alice McCall and Karen Millen // Bridesmaid shoes Tony Bianco // Bridesmaid gifts Country Road // Suit and socks David Jones // Shirt, tie and cufflinks T.M Lewin // Shoes Antoine & Stanley // Watch Maurice Lacroix // Barber / grooming Toni & Guy // Groomsmen suits Pepper Formal Wear // Stylist and florist Jardine Botanic // Ceremony, reception and catering Gunners Barracks, NSW // Decorative elements Dollar King // Wedding favours Black Pantry // Signage Officeworks // Entertainment Australian Wedding Entertainment and Impression DJs // Celebrant Your Marriage Celebrant.