Sarah and Grant

Intimate weddings are ones I never ever get sick of – they’re relaxed, they’re incredibly beautiful and when you see a guest’s smile, you know that they’re extra special to the bride and groom. It’s like being part of a secret, being let in on something really special. Today’s bride and groom are Sarah and Grant who held their own intimate wedding in Sydney – it was beautiful, filled with their favourite things- from beautiful blooms, stunning gowns to cheese (Dear Sarah and Grant, I love cheese too, can I have a piece of your cake?)

Sarah explains how she and Grant met. “We kept bumping into each other at various work functions. The clincher was at a Melbourne Cup event, Grant winked at me from across the room. He was wearing a suit and completed his look with his Grandad’s hat.”

Photos today are by Michelle Fiona Photography. I love the relaxed, candid nature of Michelle’s work. Limited posing, but lots of happy smiles – easy smiles and easy, sweet moments.

The flower girl was the only member of the bridal party. Sarah says “We kept our wedding small and intimate. We didn’t have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Our niece (barely walking!) played the part of flower girl just beautifully. She wore an apricot ballet tutu and ballet flats from Bloch.”

Sarah wore an asymmetrical gown from Lisa Ho with a glittering sash from Alannah Hill, and her mother’s pearl bracelet and classic drop earrings from Georg Jensen. She says “I bought the first dress I tried on. I knew it was right when Mum burst into tears.” She paired it with ballet flats from Parisian Ballets “Being quite tall, I chose flats for the wedding day. I guess I’ve always dreamt of princess lace ballet flats for my wedding day.”

Sarah and Grant held their ceremony and reception at Banjo Patterson Cottage Restaurant. Sarah says “We wanted a venue and setting that had historical significance but wasn’t stuffy or opulent.”

One of Sarah’s favourite memories was having the little ones involved. “It was lovely to see our friends’ kids get excited about the day. Walking down the aisle with the kids blowing bubbles was a special moment.” Sarah walked down the aisle to “Your Love Is King” by Sade.

Sarah and Grant were married by Coral Kortlepel “The most important thing to us was our Mums liking Coral. They did! Coral was warm, professional and considerate.”

Sarah’s stunning bouquet was styled by Penny at Flowers on Norton St.” She pulled together our dream flowers. Who would have ever thought lotus pods, blushing brides, ranunculus and hydrangeas could look so marvelous together. Being a Kiwi, the groom chose s sprig of New Zealand native tea tree for his button hole.”

The groom wore a classic dark grey suit from Ermenegildo Zegna.

In lieu of a sweet wedding cake, Sarah and Grant had a “cheese” cake. Sarah recalls “The cake was probably the most photographed item of the day. Our guests are still talking about it.  A friend sourced the cheeses and pulled together our amazing tower of cheese! It was decorated with dried apples, berries and figs. We had a dessert option for those with a sweet tooth.”

Following photographs, Sarah and Grant continued celebrating with their guests at Banjo Patterson Cottage Restaurant. “We had a lunchtime, cocktail reception. The delicious food kept coming and so many of our guests commented on the wonderful, friendly service.”

Sarah and Grant had simple invitations made by Papers Of Distinction” I’ve always loved my parent’s simple, elegant ‘letter style’ wedding invitation from more than 35 years ago. We recreated their invitation in conjunction with Papers of Distinction. We opted for a simple ivory stock with a torn edge. We used a traditional red fleur de lis wax seal to complete the traditional invitation look.  They made the favors for their guests too. “We filled small brown paper bags with Baci chocolates. Bacio, meaning ‘kiss’ in Italian had special meaning to us as we had traveled together to the European Chocolate Festival in Perugia, the home of Baci chocolate.  The bags were tied with jute string and stamped. The stamp read ‘may we share a lifetime of kisses’.“

Congratulations Sarah and Grant! Thank you for allowing us to share your wedding day on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Michelle Fiona Photography for sharing today’s imagery!