These two tied the knot on their seventh wedding anniversary after four years engaged and postponing their original plans due to COVID. The bride, who wore Karen Willis Holmes and the groom, who donned M.J. Bale describe it as “a chic, stylish city elopement that was intimate and small, where we could celebrate with only our closest people.” It was organised in ten days and in our opinion, well worth the wait! Photographer, Lara Hotz, lensed the event and you can see it all below…
THE VENUE “Since we were having an intimate ceremony, the most important thing for us was to choose somewhere special where we could enjoy great food with the people we love. Sagra Restaurant is one of our favourite restaurants; their food is exceptional, and the space is cosy and modest, which was perfect for us.”
THE DRESS “Inspired by Bianca Jaggar’s Yves Saint Laurent bridal suit, four days before the wedding, Nic found Karen Willis Holmes’ Elopement Collection had a white suit and called up the head office asking for a miracle. Jazz from KWH found one suit left in the correct size, and Susan altered it last minute. KWH ladies are absolute lifesavers- they made Nic feel comfortable in her body – we cannot thank them enough. Nic fully encourages any bride with anti-bridal tendencies to consider a chic suit and get down to Karen Willis Holmes. Jamie bought his suit – a classic black tuxedo – from M.J. Bale after visiting a few other vendors with his groomsmen.”
REFERENCES “We found most of our vendors online through research and looking at their work on Instagram. Once we found one or two vendors that we wanted to book, we asked if they had a list of recommended vendors for other tasks. Our thinking behind this was that our vendors are the experts – they would know which vendors are best to work with.”
MEMORABLE MOMENTS “Our favourite memories are of the guests arriving and the shocked looks on everyone’s faces. This ceremony was a surprise to all but a few guests, including our parents. Also, in lieu of a honeymoon, we booked in a couples indulgence session with Endota Spa the day after to fully relax and enjoy our first day of married life together!”
MARRIAGE MEANS… “Challenging each other to be the best versions of ourselves and eating together, through fatness and health.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Really strongly consider having a small wedding – it ensures that you spend meaningful time with the people who really matter on your special day and it’ll save you ludicrous amounts of money. If you do decide to go big, hire a wedding planner/coordinator. They may seem expensive, but they will save you so much hassle and are worth every cent. Additionally, an excellent photographer whose work you love to see on your walls and picture frames in your future home. The photos become priceless memories of a very special day.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer Lara Hotz and makeup artist, Kristin Brett from Bride To Be Makeup Co.. Lara is so knowledgeable about lighting, timing and weddings in general! She went above and beyond – her professional advice was priceless. Jazz and Susan from Karen Willis Holmes – both of them worked so hard to ensure that Nic had something to wear on our special day.”
If you are on the hunt for you and your partner’s look for the big day, do yourself a favour and check out more from Karen Willis Holmes (she has an abundance of dresses, not to mention Nic’s incredible suit and separates!) and M.J. Bale, who have chic suits on tap. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Lara Hotz Ceremony, Reception & Florist Sagra Restaurant Celebrant Rev. Matthew Kennedy Rings Gregory Jewellers Accommodation Spicers (Potts Point) THE BRIDE Bridal Suit & Veil Karen Willis Holmes Robes Peter Alexander Shoes Christian Louboutin Accessories Sarah & Sebastian, Dinosaur Designs Hair & Makeup Bride To Be Makeup Co. (Kristin Brett) THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Aquila Grooming Frank’s Barbershop