Sandra and Richard

Sandra and Richard

It’s lovely to have our old friends Trish of Tea Lily Photography gracing the pages of Polka Dot Bride again with another of her simply beautiful Sydney weddings! The nicest way to end a week full of gorgeous Australian real weddings on the blog!

Sandra and Richard met while working at the same company and held their wedding in the heart of Sydney.

Sandra wore a gown from Velani by Nicky, shoes from Wittner and jewels from Stephanie Browne. Sandra says “I loved the lace sleeves on my dress – it finished the dress off with a very soft, romantic feel. I was so glad that we could have my favourite flowers hydrangeas for the table arrangements and our bouquet flowers matched the feel of the day perfectly as did the backdrop for the ceremony with the combination of trees, grass and water and Harbour Bridge views.” The floral arrangements were created by Yuga Floral Design. Friend and guest Wendy Bunnett took care of the girls hair while Doreen Yon did the makeup.

Richard wore a suit from Saba. Sandra says “The groom and groomsmen looked very sophisticated and classic in their tailored black suits and ties, and the gorgeous dusty pink bridesmaids dresses looked amazing on the girls who had pretty flowers in their hair which added a special touch.” The bridesmaids wore dusty pink gowns from Chic Collections.

Sandra and Richard held their ceremony at Pyrmont Point Park. Sandra and Richard chose the location for their 5pm ceremony so that guests could stroll to the reception without a wait. “It was nice having a 5pm ceremony allowing our guests to enjoy the beautiful day, and then once the ceremony finished they could all walk over to the reception for canapes, drinks and soloist guitar player. This allowed for the families to get to know each other which showed by the interaction between the two groups at the end of the night.”

Sandra walked down the aisle to “She” by Elvis Costello. Set right beside the water, the ceremony was held under blue skies to Sandra and Richard’s hand written vows.

Sandra and Richard chose Doltone House for their wedding reception “We wanted a space that had green and water, and as Richard (the groom) is originally from Adelaide and the youngest of 10, we had quite a few family members and friends from interstate and overseas. Therefore we wanted a venue that was close to the reception so guests could walk over after the ceremony and enjoy the scenery as much as us.  Doltone House was the perfect fit for us, as we loved the rustic warehouse feel with the exposed beams, and the wooden decking balcony outside. It also fit the 220 guests that we had, and the food was great.”

So many fun details at the reception! Sandra says “We made our bombonniere – we bought little gift bags in Japan while living there last year and filled them with little chocolates.  We also made a set of luggage as our wishing well and guest book cards that guests could finish the sentence such as “ we wish you…” or “ love is…” and place into the vase for us to read and keep”.

Sandra and Richard couple hired African bongo players for the reception, Sandra says “The African bongo guys who did a floor show were amazing and created such a good vibe and we wanted to add something different and unexpected into the night and these guys were the perfect choice.” The newlyweds first dance was to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Lauryn Hill.

The chandelier over the main bridal table was one of Sandra’s favourite parts of the venue. Sandra says “It was the perfect day. We had such good weather and it was so enjoyable, not just for us but for our guests as well, so much so that as the night went so fast we continued to party with some guests afterward. So many people have told us how much fun they had which makes us so happy.

We had 2 African bongo guys that did a floor show and that was a real highlight – they got the bride and groom up first and then a group of guys to entertain the crowd.

The speeches were funny and the word of the night was “radiant” – the father of the groom was trying to describe the bride and was lost for words, and then all of a sudden in perfect timing shouted out ‘radiant’. It was brilliant.”

Thank you Sandra and Richard for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Congratulations! Thank you also to Trish of Tea Lily Photography for sharing today’s photographs with us!

Photos by Tea Lily Photography