Preparation: The boys prepared at the Mecure Hotel http://www.mercuresydney.com.au/sydney-cbd-maps-attractions.html whilst the bride prepared at the  Shangri-La http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/sydney/shangrila

 The Ceremony: The Beautiful Holy Trinity Garrison Church, The Rocks, Sydney (cnr Argyle and Lower Fort Streets) http://www.thegarrisonchurch.org.au/index.html

The Shoot: Pier One, Park Hyatt, Harbour Bridge, Terminal, Cargo Bar, then a boat  picked them up from Campbells Cove & zoomed them over to their Reception at  Cockle Bay.

The Reception: La Aqua,  The Terrace Level Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Park, Sydney. http://laqua.com.au/ We and all of our guests had such a fantastic night at our reception with dancing, fireworks, delicious wine and great food.

The Honeymoon: 6 perfect nights on Hamilton Island http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/ & THEN…. 4 nights on the amazing Hayman Island! http://www.hayman.com.au/

Testimonials:

The Couple: Our wedding was fabulous! We had such a perfect day! Collections was fantastic! Our  entire bridal party absolutely adored Collections and said to me throughout the day how great you were. We had a lot of fun on the photo shoot!!!! Thank you very much for all of your help, patience and assistance. We had no dramas, it all went smoothly and no doubt due to your wonderful organisation and coordination!! So happy also that we had luck on our side & had no rainfall! It was just so hard to cut down, you did such a wonderful job with the photos we couldn’t choose,the album looks magnificent!!!!! Thank you. We love it :- )

The Sunday Telegraph Editor: Brittany Stack: My name is Brittany and I put together the Wedding Pages here at The Sunday Telegraph. Thank you for sending me your beautiful wedding photos. Some of the most beautiful wedding photos I have seen in a long time (and, believe me, I  see a lot!). I would love to feature your wedding in the upcoming pages, but first I need a little bit more information. There is some detail in the questionnaire about the photos I require for the page, but ignore these instructions as the photos you have sent me a perfect.

To VIEW more of Eliza & Adam’s photos go to our facebook page & press LIKE:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=206192702775624&set=a.206192652775629.51211.107502469311315&type=1&theater

Leonie & Daniel eloped to the beautiful Plantation Island in FIJI to be married http://www.plantationisland.com/theisland.html  It was absolutely beautiful and incredibly romantic. We had torrential rain all the way in the boat over to the ceremony spot, and then it just stopped for the ceremony, we were all VERY pleased about that :- ) What an unforgettable day! http://www.plantationisland.com/weddings.html

How They Met: Leonie & Daniel met on New Years Yve on a White Shiny Boat, all fun and games from there and 3 years later Daniel proposed whilst Leonie was filing her nails, come on Daniel! :- )

To VIEW more of Leonie & Daniel’s images go to facebook page below & LIKE it : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.196223440439217.49374.107502469311315

What a beautiful day shooting in a field Central Coast, Joy!

Bella loved the camera & we had fun

Somebody is in a hurry to get taller!!!

Soaking up the last rays of winter sun….

To VIEW more images of Bella go to Collections Facebook page & press LIKE, see you there: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.184662784928616.47325.107502469311315&type=1

How they Met: They met at a friends birthday …… 11 years ago!!! :- )

The Look:

Bride:  Her gown was an empire line from Mariana Hardwick bought at “Marry Me Bridal, Mosman” http://www.bridalgowns.com.au/ Bridesmaid’s: The bridesmaids dresses were from Ivory Bridal,  Brookvale 9905 5200. The Makeup & Hair:  Gorgeous look by Studio Bride, Newtown 9557 7521. Groom: The grooms suit was from Calibre. Groomsmen: The groomens suits  were hired from Peppers Formal Wear, Cremorne.

The Ceremony: St Thomas Anglican Church (North Sydney) www.st-thomas.org.au/

The Atmosphere: A beautiful natural setting for the ceremony location and the reception, so it made the venue and the day a relaxing guest experience.

The Cars: Great service, great look and from Classic Bridal  Cars, Castle Hill 9894 6266.

The Reception:  Grooms family home, a simple reception with 140 guests & a marquee on the tennis court. A warm environment was chosen as a special place with the family.

The Reception Extras:

Cake:  A huge 3 tier cake with each tier being a different flavour by Faye Cahill, Dulwich Hill  http://www.fayecahill.com.au/ The Flowers:  All roses, all soft & dusty colours from Devine Flowers, Cremorne http://www.d-vineflowers.com.au/ The Stationery:  Papier D’Amour, Double Bay http://www.papierdamour.com.au/  The Bonbonniere:  was by Pink Frosting www.pinkfrosting.com.au

The Photography: Collections Photography  www.collectionsphotography.com.au

Brides Advice & Tips:  Stay present as the day goes way to fast!

To VIEW more of Phaedra & Tom’s images please go to our FACEBOOK page & like us, link below:   http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.208202259241335.51558.107502469311315&saved

How they Met:  Craig and I met in 2003 when he was transferred from Townsville to Sydney with work and was put up in the Hotel I managed while he looked for his own rental apartment.

Craig stayed at the hotel for 4 weeks and liked to drop by reception to have a chat. There was always a lot of flirting between the two of us and It was not until the day of checkout he asked me out for Dinner. I accepted his invitation and from there we became very close…. I never wanted the relationship to go anywhere as I was moving to London on a two year working Visa and a boyfriend was the last thing on my mind, so 6 months on I hopped on my plane waving goodbye to the Man I had become very very attached too, thinking I’d never see him again.

It only took 9 or so hours to get to Malaysia where I stopped for a 5 day shopping trip that I made my first call to say I was safe to Craig, once in London 1^st thing I did was buy a UK sim and spoke everyday, 3 times a day until he decided to come over and see me, we had the most romantic Holiday in Santorini Greece and the rest is history…. My 2 year working Visa turned into 8 Months and I was back in Sydney and moving in with him. Since then we have bought a house, renovated the whole lot and getting married in 2010 was the cherry on top of one very sweet cake.

The Ceremony: The Amphitheatre, Taronga Zoo, Mosman http://taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo

The Photography: Collections Photography www.collectionsphotography.com.au , based around  Martin Place, Pitt Street, Castlereagh Street, Commonwealth Bank, GPO Building, The Argyle & the Rocks

The Reception: Terrace, Taronga Zoo, Mosman http://www.taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo/functions-venue-hire/functions-venue-hire

To VIEW more images of Claire & Craig go to facebook page & LIKE us:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.196206537107574.49371.107502469311315

How did Alan & Joyce Met? Through a mutual friend from New Zealand.

How Alan (the groom) proposed? He put the ring in the wine glass filled with red wine over dinner on a weekend night out. I found it when I finished the glass of wine. Then he got down to his knees with flowers etc ….. the usual routine, ha ha!

The Ceremony: Leichhardt Park (Leichhardt) www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/Weddings-in-Parks.html It was at Leichhardt Park, outside Le Montage (our wedding reception venue). We bought a gazebo for the string quartet players, and there were ~100 guests during the ceremony at sunset time next to Iron Cove Bay (Parramatta River). The reception venue prepared ~ 30 chairs and red carpet and signing table for us and our marriage celebrant helped set up the seating arrangements before the ceremony.

 Brides Look: The Dress: Royal-Wed (Overseas)   www.royal-wed.com.tw My white gown was hired from a bridal shop in Taiwan (no one buys gowns in Taiwan). I bought a Qi-Pao (Chinese dress) which I changed into after the ceremony, making it much easier for me to move around. The Rings: Tiffany & Co

Hair & makeup: Kaori (Sydney) http://kaori.zena-style.com/index.html

The Grooms Suit: Messini (Pitt St, Sydney) Ph: 9267 1300

The Bridesmaids Dresses: Novita (Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt) Ph: 9568 1977 The bridesmaids dresses were kiwi green silk dress. Lengths were adjusted by bridesmaid’s themselves. The groomsmen’s’ ties were made from the same fabric bought from the shop.

The Flowers: Sincerely Yours Florist (Hurlstone Park) www.sincerelyyours.com.au/

Singapore orchids and white lilies and few soft pink roses, a round bouquet.

Stationery: Stationary Online (Australia)  www.stationeryonline.com/

The Reception: Le Montage (Leichhardt) www.lemontage.com.au

It was preceded by pre-dinner drinks at the balcony looking over Iron Cove Bay. The dinner had 3-course meals and a calamari platter. Our bonbonniere was from overseas. Our DJ was provided by le Montage and the highlight of our night was seeing everyone on the dance floor, relaxed and having a good time.

The Cake: Le Montague catered it (Leichhardt) www.lemontage.com.au The three tier cake was made by the cake maker recommended by Le Montage. We picked the flavours (chocolate and hazelnut swirls) and design ourselves.

Joyce’s Advice & Tips for other brides? Stay as relaxed as possible, and never forget to enjoy the day yourselves.

WEDDING of Rachael & Christian KING

How did Rachael & Christian Meet? We met at a night club in Wollongong, when we were 18 years old.We got to know each other at university. We were studying the same subjects during our first year at university.

How did Christian propose? We were living in London at the time. We took a trip to New York to celebrate 8 years together. Christian proposed as we were taking a walk through Battery Park. The wedding planning started straight away. The date we set was 9 months after our engagement.

Rachael Leaving the House - Collections Photography

The Preparation: Home

We were sentimental and prepared at home.

St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral - Collections Photography

The Ceremony: St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral (Wollongong) www.sfx.org.au/

In line with a classic style we arrived at the church in a traditional Rolls Royce and Bentley. I felt completely relaxed walking down the aisle and we both enjoyed the ceremony, though it felt like it passed in 5 minutes rather than half an hour.

St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral - Collections Photography

St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral - Collections Photography

We had 230 guests at our wedding, so the photographer had a hard time getting us away from everyone who wanted to congratulate us outside the church. Photo time was fun but as brides often say, be prepared!

 

Rachael & her mum - Collections Photography

The Cars – Roll up in a Rolls (Sydney) www.rollupinarolls.com.au/

Bridal Party - Roll up in a Rolls CARS - Collections Photography

Rachael’s Look:  Her Ring: Tiffany & Co (Sydney) http://au.tiffany.com/?omcid

Rachael’s Dress – Collections Photography

The Bridal Gown: Amy Mitchelson (Caroline Castigliano London) www.amymichelson.com

My dress was made in cream chantilly lace, and had a halter-neck-line and low-back.

Organza layers formed the bottom of the dress to the ankle. The second layer in the skirt of the dress was a soft apricot colour.

An organza piece tied around my waist to make a bow at the back.

I also loved my veil, which was short enough to show off the back of my dress.

Rachael & Christian - Collections Photography

The Makeup: Amy-Jean (Wollongong & Gold Coast) Ph 0414 288533 www.amyjean.com.au/

The Hair: Sha-ar Hair (Wollongong)

Ph 4225 0950

The Bridesmaids: Peter Bartlett (Wollongong) Ph 4229 6979

Rachael & her Bridesmaids - Collections Photography

The bridesmaids wore full-length, silk pink dresses. We had found a dress style off the rack we liked and copied it, altering the neck lines for each bridesmaid for something different.

Christian (The Groom) - Collections Photography

The Grooms Suit: Versace (Sydney)

Ph: 9256 9452

The Stationery: Huetopia Design (Paddington) www.huetopiadesign.com/ 

Rachael's Bouquet - Collections Photography

The Flowers: Bouquet & Cake Decoration: Bunches (Wollongong) www.buncheswollongong.com/

Reception Table Flowers: Flowers with Panache (Sydney)www.flowerswithpanache.com/

 

Reception Flowers - Collections Photography

In the restaurant, each table had a flower arrangement in a glass vase as the centre piece.

The arrangements (like the bouquets) were cottage-style, with a mix of David Austin roses, lisianthus, rose buds and berries in vintage colours, such as apricot, cream, pink and mushroom.

Half of the tables had a low vase while the other half had a very tall vase which added definition and colour to the large dining room.

The Photography – Collections Photography (Zetland) www.collectionsphotography.com.au

“A friend recommended us to Collections Photography, as her brother had used them for his wedding, and I was impressed by the photos they’d produced from other weddings.

Rachael & Christian - Collections Photography

We chose Collections Photography as they catered to 3 different styles, and we chose classic/candid.

Our photographer was so on the ball. For instance, I hadn’t precisely thought about where we’d have the photos taken after the ceremony, but they coordinated us and the photos taken between the ceremony and reception include some of our favourites.

We requested a mix of classic and candid styles. We didn’t have a theme as such for the day, but the tone was classic, elegant and a little vintage which stemmed from the wedding dress. The location, near to and with views of the beach, was also a feature of the day.

Rachael & Christian - Collections Photography

Our photos are classic, but with a modern twist. They look great and complement the tone of our wedding day.

The album is beautiful. The atmosphere of the day shines through. Collections also turned the album around quite quickly. We weren’t waiting for months to receive it.

We have already recommended Collections Photography to our cousin who is using them this October. Thank you Collections Photography.” Rachael & Christian King.

 

The Videographer: Angel Wedding Videos (Sydney) www.angelweddingvideos.websyte.com.au/

Rachael & Christian's Reception Arrival - Collections Photography

The Reception: The Lagoon (Wollongong)www.lagoonrestaurant.com.au

The Lagoon Restaurant - Receptions Photography

The Lagoon was a great venue as it was near the beach, complementing the summer & holiday season.

Rachael & Christian Arriving - The Reception - Collections Photography

The wedding date also mean almost all of our friends & family could attend including those who live elsewhere but visit home for Christmas and the New Year.

While we quickly had our photos, our (230) guests enjoyed canapés and champagne on the terrace at The Lagoon restaurant. The weather was lovely and a beautiful spot by the water, especially appreciated by our English and European friends who were visiting Wollongong to be at our wedding.

The Cake - Reception - Collections Photography

The Cake:

The cake was of a vintage style, 3 tiers, decorated with the same flowers and colours as the bouquets.

It was mud cake; chocolate, vanilla and caramel; one flavour per tier.

 

The Music & Entertainment:

Ceremony Music: Chamberesque (Wollongong)

We had a string quartet at the church ceremony and pre-dinner drinks.

Reception Music: Slide McBride (Sydney) www.slidemcbride.com

Rachael & Christian Dancing - The Reception - Collections Photography

We had a band at the reception that played a mix of jazz, lounge, rock, pop and dance tunes.

The party kicked off after our bridal dance, which I had to choreograph (I have a dance background so a full routine was expected).

It was to an upbeat ‘Prince’ number played by our band.

Slide McBride - Reception Band - Collections Photography

At midnight we changed venues and partied on until the early hours of the morning with DJs for music entertainment. My husband asked our friends who were organising the after-party (who work in the music and event industry) to make it like a KISS concert – it came close – strobe lights, smoke machines, the works. Such good fun. Just the way we wanted it. A huge party and celebration with family and friends.

What made Rachael & Christians Wedding Day?·

“I would say the after-party was a unique addition to the traditional structure of a wedding day and to other weddings I have attended, and is possibly the most memorable event for many of our guests.

We finished at the restaurant reception around midnight then kicked off the next phase of celebrations at a venue nearby. Christian and I changed into cocktail / party attire for this final part of the day. More drinks and dancing with DJs playing until the early hours. Friends of ours in the music and event industry organised the party; including strobe lighting, smoke machines, loud speakers… I think Christian’s brief to them was to make it like a KISS concert. He was (half) joking but they came pretty close. We didn’t want the party to end, and nor did our friends. Given our fairly large guest list, we appreciated having the extra time to spend with our guests. It made for some very funny photos too.”

Rachael & Christian's Reception - Collections Photography

Rachael’s Tips & Advice for other Brides:

Even if you adopt a traditional wedding day structure, I think it should feature things that represent you, both as a couple and as individuals. For example, the style of your first dance, the drinks you serve, the flavour of your cake, entertainment and music style. Guests will take note of these details and how they are reflective of you. And for you personally, it will make the day more meaningful.

The Bridal Party - Collections Photography

The Honeymoon – W Retreat (Maldives) www.wretreatmaldives.us/

Food and wine, and more food and wine. The highlight was a dinner on a small island a 20 minute boat trip away, with our own private chef and a menu designed just for us. The whole week was extremely relaxing.

Rachael & Christian's Bridal Party - Collections Photography - www.collectionsphotography.com.auChristian proposed as we were taking a walk through Battery Park. The wedding planning started straight away. The date we set was 9 months after our engagement.

What a good little baby girl, Sarah just slept peacefully through her shoot

….. with a few smiles here & there

….. she is definitely a hat girl!

To VIEW more images of Baby Sarah see our facebook page link below & press LIKE: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.184696384925256.47334.107502469311315&type=1