Let's go back to where it all began. How did you and your husband meet?

It's one of those stories where we could have met many times (and probably did!) but never really took much notice of each other. A friend of mine actually met him some time ago and said he would suit me, but I didn't pay much attention back then. In the end, it was his cousin that set us up. His cousin is an old family friend of mine, and he told my now-husband that I was single and to "follow this girl on Instagram". We got to chatting, and now we're in it for life!

Hit us in the heart strings. How did he propose?

Traditionally, we knew that we would be getting married and we had decided on a ring together. He told me that the ring would be ready at a certain date. The proposal itself was a complete surprise, because it was actually ready way way waaay before the time he had told me! The jeweller he worked with was in on it - shoutout to Margaret at Cerrone who was fantastic in setting this up! 

We went to the blue mountains, spent a lovely day in a swimming hole, drinking some wine, exploring the hills, and visiting a tiny church hidden in the hills. There was a moment in the day where we stopped on the side of the road and sat on the roof of the car, and it was so picturesque and green, we wanted a moment to take it in. Earlier on in our relationship we had discussed that we don't see many photos of our parents in their youth together, and so we like to print some photos off into a scrapbook. 

The proposal day ended at a sunset lookout where he showed me some new photos he added to the scrapbook. Behind some photos, he had written "Mirna, will you marry me?" Almost knocked me off my feet from the surprise! I didn't even say yes immediately, I said something along the lines of "But you said the ring wouldn't be ready?!"

Was there a theme for your wedding? If so, what inspired you?

I've been grateful to have been to a lot of weddings. I knew that I didn't want a similar look that I'd seen on others - with social media and white flowers everywhere, a lot of weddings had started to blur. I wanted something that resembled a garden.

What inspired your bridal look?

To feel like myself, and that it's the best I've ever looked. I chose a beauty team who I knew would work with my features and understand that I wasn't a sleek-instagram-ready kind of person. I wanted to be genuinely smiling all day. I'd spoken to a hairdresser once and she had remarked that the most important decision on the day is who you chose for your "look", because it'll show on your face if you're not feeling comfortable on the day and it will hang over your mood like a black cloud. It's the best wedding advice I've received. I did my trials and I didn't realise that that was where I was directing all my efforts at, but in my trial Dodie said "ethereal" and it all clicked together that that was what I had been working towards.

What was the highlight of your special day?

Oh we had so much fun it's hard to pick one highlight! There was a moment in the ceremony where I felt God's presence, and I felt that shift from being engaged to married. There's also the first moment alone in the car where we got to celebrate that we made it! And oh, so much dancing... 

What made your chosen gown stand out from all the others?

I'm a spreadsheet person. I went to a few different stores and thought that if I didn't find what I wanted, I would get it custom made. The dress I ended up with had all the core elements I was looking for - thick bordered laced flowers, A line silhouette, complements my décolletage, and has a basque waist. 

Describe the moment you found your gown at Eternal Bridal:

It was the last possible day I could go dress shopping for a while and it was my last appointment for the day. I was stressed and was coming from a 'meh' experience at a different bridal store. Honestly, given my stress, hats off to the team at Eternal Bridal who made me feel comfortable. 

There was a lineup of dresses I wanted to try on - so much variety! I picked a few, and we noticed that we kept comparing it back to one of the first ones in the queue. Spotting my excitement, my stylist suggested I put it on a second time. It hit me as I thought, "Yes, good idea to try it on again. I think this is the one." I was so excited I felt a bit overwhelmed! I'm quite lucky that my sister and mum were accompanying me and were just as excited as I was, which helped me say ‘yes’ to the dress.

What made you fall in love with your gown?

The lace is remarkable. It's so luxurious and high quality. I didn't want a lace that felt cheap. The quality of the cuts were also excellent. I love the structured boning that gave me great shape, and the multiple layers of lining that made the gown so comfortable to wear. 

If you could give your newly engaged self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Get married quicker! A year of planning can get tiresome.

Mirna’s wedding vendors:

Photographer / Videographer: Sitto Studios @sitto.studios
Ceremony / Reception Venue: Eden Venues @eden.venues
Florist: Events by Andy @eventsbyandy - this guy is an incredible star
Make-up and Hair Stylist: The best in the business. @dodiejayhair and @lydiasleimanmakeup
Cars: @sydneymustangs
Brunch @mattis.kitchen