Real Weddings

Article by

Sophie

Posted on

14/10/2019

Posted in

Real Weddings

As if being a graduate architect and PhD candidate wasn’t enough, Gabrielle and Matt decided to involve themselves in some pretty heavy DIY in the lead up to their big day. Together for nine years, these two laugh, “When you’re carefully cutting out various stationery items with a Stanley knife at 2 am you really do start to wonder about the decisions that led you to this point”. It was all worth it though when Gabrielle walked down the aisle to the love of her life decked out in Made With Love’s super sleek Harper Gown. Maddie and Alex from Love Fool were on hand to capture all the gorge moments. Be sure to scroll down for more…

THE VENUE “We knew we wanted somewhere green and out of the city, somewhere close to where Gab grew up in the Adelaide Hills. For the reception, we also wanted a dry-hire venue that had both indoor and outdoor areas with a decent kitchen for catering and the opportunity to style the spaces as we wanted. We looked at lots of quaint country halls before we found Kuitpo Hall. The hall is a beautifully restored heritage building with lots of heart, bordered by a dense pine forest and strawberry farm. Inside, the hall is a very functional event space and a great blank canvas.”

DIY… “Oh my gosh yes, lots and lots of DIY! I designed the save-the-dates, invitations, menus, place settings, signage, favour packaging and beer labels. We assembled some of the stationery together with some help from our family and friends in the late stages. We also provided most of the decorations and greenery for the reception (foraged from Gab’s Aunty’s property) including the hanging centrepiece at the reception which was quite the engineering feat!”

THE DRESS “It’s funny how finding ‘THE’ dress is expected to be a ritual of sorts for most brides, and it’s hard not to feel the same expectation. I had a look around in magazines and online to see what bridal boutiques were in Adelaide and knew from early on that I was after something relatively simple in its shape and material. The first dress I tried on I loved; that was until the bridal shop person told me it was just a slip! I only visited three stores over two weekends in the end – knowing myself (and indecision) I tried not to complicate things too much. I tried on some really fun and different gowns suggested by the attendant to push my comfort zones but kept coming back to the ‘simple, clean-lined’ dress. I visited the Adelaide Made with Love bridal store last with my Mum and Twin sister and was helped by the wonderful attendants, Alexia and Sharon. Luckily, the first gown I tried on I was beyond smitten with! Overall I had a great experience, but I think this was mostly helped by an exhaustive list of options, making me feel more confident about my decision. I had to remind myself that there will always be more gowns out there you would love and you could look forever! But you have to remember how you feel at that moment – happy, special and very excited.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “Don’t even try to predict the weather! You can organise a lot with a wedding but the weather definitely isn’t one of them, so have a plan B if you can! Looking at the weather forecast a week before our wedding we knew we’d be in for a cold/rainy one. There were a few last-minute changes but everything turned out amazing and added an extra special quality to the day we didn’t anticipate. We wouldn’t change a thing. Also, our Hello May wedding field guide saved us!! Definitely, recommend having a good wedding planner book to organise the chaos!”

STANDOUT VENDORS “Again, so many! Maddie and Alex from Love Fool Photography went above and beyond in so many different ways helping us keep on track with our schedules, constantly helping fix my dress in the windy weather and picking an amazing couples portrait location. They moved around seamlessly and discreetly, and caught some truly special moments we’ll treasure always. We felt like great mates by the end! Having delicious food was a high priority for us and our caterer, Sarah from Francesco’s Osteria, really delivered. We had lots of compliments from our guests and Sarah was particularly helpful in working with any dietary requirements. Sarah also organised extra staff to run the bar and collected and delivered all of our glassware, which meant we only had to engage one supplier for food and beverage and had to do so much less running around in the days prior to the wedding. Extra spesh mention to our friend Ryley, who runs Tennyson Events and played some amazing tunes. Everyone loved having a boogie on the dance floor at the end of the night.”

If you fancy seeing more from Made With Love Bridal you are in luck! We just blogged their stunning new collection In the Name of Love just last month. Click here for a peruse.