Jane Found Her Dream Gown With Only A Months Notice
“And with the time pressure I was under (I only had a month to find something), it was great to find a dress that didn’t need a nine-month wait and barely needed alterations.”
Bride & Groom: Jane and James
Gown: Alon Livne White from Luxe Bridal Samples
Venue: Bryon View Farm
Photography: Amelia Fullarton
Planner: Elope
Floral: The French Petal
How did you and your husband meet?
We’re both Brits, but we met here in Sydney, through a mutual friend at work who set us up on a sneaky double cinema date once she’d sussed we were interested in each other. I asked for his number, and a couple of weeks later we had our first proper date - a trip to an art gallery in Chippendale. Art gallery wanderings turned into drinks turned into dinner and before I knew it, we’d spent the whole day together - a marathon date but it passed by so quickly! Loads of things in common.
How did he propose?
We’d talked about it theoretically for a couple of months and I thought it might happen on my birthday, but when it didn’t, I forgot about it. Then when we next went on holiday, James invited me for a sunset walk along the beach. I thought nothing of it! He’d been a bit quiet, but nothing that made me suspicious. We walked along the sand, and as the sun was going down, laid down on our towels. I think I looked away at some dogwalkers and then when I turned back he had pulled out the ring… I didn’t quite twig what he was saying but when the ring came out something went off in my brain… like ‘oh, he’s proposing!’. And I’m afraid I laughed, because that’s what I do when I’m nervous! Anyway, and my answer was ‘of course!’ I remember thinking the ring was super unusual at first, and I suspected he’d had help from my sister, but no, none. He’d just tried to find something that was unique and different and special, all the things he knew I’d want, I loved him even more for that.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
The original plan was to get married in the UK where we’re from, and where our families live. However, once COVID hit, we couldn’t visit and look at venues. Organising a wedding from abroad was already going to be hard, but it felt impossible with Covid happening. I really agonised over whether to do it in Australia, but in the end, we felt it was worth doing now, rather than waiting for borders to open back up. Good thing we did, otherwise we’d still be waiting! Once we decided, the vision was to keep it small, intimate and stylish. We flirted with the idea of elopement, but I really wanted it to feel like a wonderful party, so we invited 6 of our best friends to help us celebrate!
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
I’ve never really been someone who fantasised about getting married, but I’ve been to so many weddings, and to me, the best are those that truly reflect the couple and their values. So I was somewhat inspired by friends’ approach. Aesthetically, Instagram and Pinterest were my go-to - so much inspiration for the dining table came from there, including these gorgeous Tony Assness beeswax candles that formed part of the tablescape.
What drew you to your gown from Luxe Bridal Samples?
Those divine lace puff sleeves! As soon as I tried the Rita dress, I knew she was the one. And with the time pressure I was under (I only had a month to find something), it was great to find a dress that didn’t need a nine-month wait and barely needed alterations. Even though it was more than I’d planned to spend, I knew it was the perfect dress. My style usually leans more to elevated sportswear than out-and-out romantic, so I wasn’t even sure I wanted a traditional wedding dress. However, this just made me feel ‘special’ straight away.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
Because of Covid screwing up plans, and so much umming and ahhing over whether to do it in Australia, we actually only gave ourselves 7 weeks. So we enlisted the help of the lovely Emily from Elope. She helped us pin everything down, narrowed down our choices so we could make decisions quickly and provided lots of general guidance and support to make sure everything would run like clockwork on the day.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
Choosing our venue! It sets the tone for everything else, so we knew we had to get it right. We weren’t able to visit Byron View Farm in person, so it was a bit of a gamble, but we trusted Emily’s judgement, and prayed that the photo’s wouldn’t be deceptive. And they weren’t! As soon as we got there, we knew we’d made the right decision.
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
Oh, I can’t choose one moment. From the ceremony - which we broadcast via Zoom so folks at home could watch - to the speeches (my favourite part of every wedding) to our having dinner and dancing on the verandah with our beautiful friends, it was absolutely dreamy.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Nope!
Is there any advice you would give other #LuxeBride’s?
Try not to be swayed by anyone else’s idea of what your wedding should be. Understand your priorities, and then stick with them! Once you know what’s important to the both of you, you won’t go wrong.
“Wedding dress shopping can be intimidating but Helen is a total pro. I knew I was in great hands and quickly felt at ease. Her and her teams service was always top notch, it was always a delight to go for a fitting and know that everything was in hand.”
