Olena and David

As much as you think it’s the best job in the world looking at beautiful wedding photos all day, it really isn’t easy. Sometimes I get so swept up in a wedding, not including any photo feels like I’m doing the couple a disservice. I want to inspired you with their love, their choices and the way they shared their day and I want to do it by telling the couple’s story.

Olena and David who married in Pokolbin,  particularly touched my heart as I put their wedding together today. The thing I look at most with weddings is how they make me feel, do they make me sigh? Do they give me butterflies in my stomach? Is there something about the way they look at each other that makes me lose my breath?

Well it happened with Olena and David. I’m not sure if it was Olena’s incredible smile in every photo, especially the photos where she can feel David near her, or whether it’s her sassy gown and bouncing brown curls. I’m not sure if it hit me when I saw the photo of the flower-girls twirling as the sun went down, or the glittering candlelight to which guests dined. This was a wedding of joy, beauty and pure deliciousness.

Olena and David married in winter in the Hunter Valley, NSW. Olena says, ‘The location and season played a big part in the colours and styling of our day – we chose a country theme with earthy colours and simple and warm tones.’”

SugarLove Weddings are our photographers- never a wedding goes by where SugarLove doesn’t cook up something dreamy and beautiful, I know it’s going to be a treat for the eyes whenever they email me!

Olena wore a stunning asymmetrical gown with a black waistband from Carla Zampatti and carried a bouquet of burgundy cymbidium orchids, cordoline leaves, red roses and spider orchids styled by Susan Avery.

Olena and David married at Peppers Creek Winery using the onsite sandstone chapel for their ceremony. The couple decided to marry in the Hunter Valley so they could celebrate all weekend with their guests and enjoy a weekend getaway.

To take the chill off the air, Olena wore a fur capelet as the sun set. Her bridesmaid wore a burgundy gown from Harry Who. David wore a Marcs suit with thin black tie. Olena recounts, ‘We are both fans of the two-button slim-fit suit, paired with a skinny tie, David just came home one day with his suit. He had picked it up on his lunch break – I loved it.’

Guests gathered for cocktail hour outside the Peppers Creek Barrel Room.

The Barrel Room was decorated simply, tables were topped with mirrors, candles and heart shaped chocolates. Olena says “The Barrel Room is so beautiful we didn’t want to distract from its features, like the massive sandstone fire place, the beautiful dripping candelabras or the huge doors made originally for elephant stables in India, so we kept decorations to a minimum”. The tables were named after special moments in the couple’s life. The bridal table was named ‘Barcelona Beach’. Olena explains “‘We decided to get married after the birth of our son, Max, it was coming towards the end of our European stay – we were on a Christmas holiday in Spain, it was definitely a surprise – I hadn’t suspected a thing.’”

A three tier cake made by Vanessa Anderson of Sugar Rush was topped with orchids and roses by Susan Avery Flowers & Event Styling. The flavours were Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting, Fuzzy Navel (orange and peach cake with French peach jam and orange buttercream), and Milk Chocolate Mud with Cookies and Cream filling.

The couple hired a band from Sydney Jazz Collective to entertain their guests.  Olena says “The sax player was fantastic, as he played he moved in and around ourselves and our guests on the dance floor – we loved his enthusiasm and could tell he had almost as much fun as we did!’

Thank you to Olena and David for sharing your wedding day today on Polka Dot Bride and thank you also to SugarLove Weddings for sharing today’s photographs with us!

White Designs also shot the wedding video of Olena and David and kindly shared it with us

Olena & David – Hunter Valley from White Designs on Vimeo.