As a wedding photographer herself, Leila knew exactly what she wanted when it came to marrying her man of seven years, James. The number one priority for the couple, who met at uni and were engaged for three years, was to enjoy the wedding themselves, “we wanted the vibe to be chill and fun,” they share.
Being surrounded by a dream team, some of whom Leila had worked with before, certainly helped keep things calm and cruisey, including Evermore Weddings, who was tasked with taking the pictures. As you’ll see once you start to scroll, the talented photographer nailed the brief…
THE VIBE “We wanted to keep it small and intimate, and for the wedding to be rustic but also romantic and vintage. Autumn and golden colours are our favourite so we chose April and autumn colours as our theme.”
THE VENUE “As a wedding photographer, I have seen many venues so I had a quite clear vision of where I want to get married. I really wanted somewhere which had a spectacular view, which could be the background for our ceremony. I also knew I wanted an indoor area for the reception because Melbourne weather is so unpredictable. We wanted the venue to feel rustic, but also romantic. Coombs Hill Barn met all my requirements.”
THE DRESS “My wedding dress is from Prea James. I actually saw it a couple of years before I even have chosen my wedding venue. I fell in love with that dress straightaway as it has that nice square neck bodice. I’m from China and the pattern on the dress also reminds me of our embroidery culture so I felt that connection.”
A TOUCH OF TRADITION “It was extremely lovely to have Leila’s parents over from China for the wedding and have them meet all my family. We had some great friends who helped to translate vows/speeches in advance so we had translated print-outs for Leila’s parents.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “For brides, take some time, wearing your wedding gown and shoes and do some walking and dancing in the house because it could feel very different on the day!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Even though I have worked with my makeup artist, florist, photographer and videographer many times before, their work was still beyond my expectations. Yaya Makeup seriously made me feel so confident and happy for all three of my looks; Blacc Flower created such beautiful arrangements. And Evermore Weddings and Calvin Videography captured the best moments of my life.”
Loving these pretty pics as much as us? Head to the Hello May directory to get in touch with Evermore Weddings. Smitten with Leila’s Prea James gown? Check out this list of luxe gowns we love.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Evermore Weddings Cinematographer Calvin Videography Florist Blacc Flower Ceremony & Reception Venue Coombs Hill Barn Catering Dreamer Coffee Hire Items Mansfield Party Hire Celebrant Tiffany Nicholas Celebrant Rings Reveire Bespoke THE BRIDE Bridal gown designer Prea James Bridal Veil White Fangle Getting Ready Dress Luck & Trouble via Universal Store Shoes Cider Accessories HLSK Hair & Makeup Yaya Makeup Fragrance Jo Malone Bridesmaid Dresses Billy J THE GROOM Suit, shirt & tie Menzclub Grooming Justcuts Eastland
