Date: Friday 25th September 2015

How did you meet your husband?

David and I went to the same school, although he was a few grades above and we never truly met each other whilst we were there together. We met properly when we were introduced by a mutual friend, while watching my favourite band (‘The Dandy Warhols’).

Describe the proposal.

David took me out to dinner to our favourite restaurant which is a lovely short walk along the beach from where we live. When we returned, he told me to close my eyes and led me inside – the entire apartment was filled with candles and he was down on one knee! It was so personal and sentimental. We then went away for the weekend to the Byron hinterland.

Describe your wedding theme / style.

Enchanted forest! The venue had a fantastic neutral canvas to work with for the reception – high ceilings with exposed wooden beams, a rustic chandelier in the centre… just stunning. We wanted things to be very colourful with flowers & greenery dripping from the ceiling and wrapping around the pillars in the venue, with fairy lights inside & outside and candles everywhere. For the ceremony it was much the same, with a marquee just outside of the reception building on the grass surrounded by trees.

Which part of the wedding planning process did you find most enjoyable?

I will always cherish spending time planning the wedding with my mum and dad. And definitely dress shopping…. it was the easiest part!

Describe the moment you found your wedding dress.

My parents & I booked in a weekend away in Sydney to go and see a few wedding dress designers. I thought I had found the dress in the first shop as I got very excited (albeit not very emotional!). We decided to still go to Eternal Bridal as Galia Lahav was a designer I had always loved. The first dress I tried on was the Madison gown…. words can’t describe it! What an incredible moment. The girls at the store were so excited and bubbly, it made the experience so much fun even though I was really emotional. We cancelled all of our other appointments as we had found the perfect dress.

Do you have any advice for bride-to-bes?

Yes – relax! It is likely to be one of the only times you will ever have all of your best friends & family in the same room… so take it all in. You are marrying your best friend – as long as you have good music and great champagne, what could go wrong? And don’t worry about weather, poor weather makes for fantastic photos!

Samantha wore ‘Madison’ by Galia Lahav Haute Couture. See the collection here.

 

VENDORS

Bridal gown: Galia Lahav Haute Couture from Eternal Bridal
Photographer: Milque Photography and Films