Caroline and Nic

A simple, sweet intimate wedding to share this morning. The bride, a lover of the 1920s and 30s styled the wedding to suit her and her beloved’s romantic, vintage style.

Caroline explains how she and Nic met. “Nic and I met through our mutual friend, Oliver, about 6 years ago. We were friends for a while and kept in contact whilst Nic was living in London. When he came back to Perth, we bumped into each other on the street and discovered that there was something there.

On our one year anniversary, we went to Cottesloe Beach to see the annual Sculptures by the Sea event. There was an intriguing installation called 7000 Classrooms, made by students of Shenton College in collaboration with the Hong Kong School of Creativity. Two rows of five metre high bamboo poles were connected by a single strand of rope, forming a tunnel.  After watching the summer sun set over the Indian Ocean, Nic and I walked through the 200 metre tunnel. When we reached the end, Nic proposed to me, to my great surprise.”

Photographs today are by Natalija Brunovs of I Heart Weddings who captured the fun, vintage spirit of Caroline and Nic’s day so beautifully.

Caroline wore the Butterfly Effect Gown in brulee, by Perth designer Aurelio Costarella and paired it with art deco style brass earrings, with golden shadow tear drop shaped Swarovski crystals, by Peter Lang.

Caroline says “I was inspired by the timeless, yet modern art deco style of the 1920s and 30s – my favourite era of the 20th century. All the dresses, accessories, invitations and reception styling were clean and elegant modern day interpretations of that time. Our colour palette was neutral – champagne golds, vintage cream, blush pink and ash grey – with shots of colour in the smaller pieces, like the coloured mosaic tiling on the invitations and the burnt orange bridesmaid bouquets.” The bride used Ashley Brockman for makeup and Antonio Sorgiovanni for hair.

Caroline describes getting ready as one of her favourite moments “I loved getting ready at the Richardson with my bridal party, parents and styling team was an hilarious and memorable time. We ordered room service breakfast with lots of coffee, as we had a dawn start and it was just so intimate and fun, like one big close family.”

For her feet, Caroline wore Badgely Mischka Randee Heel in gold.

Caroline and Nic were married at the neo-gothic Chapel of St Michael the Archangel in West Leederville. “St Michael the Archangel is a Gothic chapel, on the top of a hill, which has views of Lake Monger and Perth city. The surrounding gardens and the chapel itself are impeccably maintained and the site is also the headquarters of the current Catholic Education Office.”As he walked her down the aisle to as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Bach, Caroline’s father wore traditional Filipino dress.

There were plenty of handmade touches at the wedding. Caroline explains, “I created my own ceremony head piece with a Peter Lang brooch and a cream bird cage veil, as I wanted something quite simple but detailed for the service.” For the reception, she changed into the Chloe hairpiece by Reny Kestel Milinery. Nic , an architect also designed his wedding ring after not being able to find anything he liked.

 

Caroline and Nic were married by a special family member. “We were very moved that our celebrant was a family relative, Bishop Justin Bianchini, uncle of the groom and Bianchini family patriarch. We spent a lot of time with him in the lead up to the wedding, discussing marriage and spirituality and he really put us all at ease on the actual day with his humour and genuine caring nature.”

Caroline remarks “The whole event was sort of a DIY collaboration between us and several close friends who made the wedding cake, styled the entire reception and provided the music/entertainment. During the entire preparation process, we consulted with many friends for ideas, opinions and feedback. Without them, our wedding would not have been possible, or as meaningful.” The flower girl wore a gown by BIG by FIona Scanlan.

 

Of their photographer, Caroline says, “Nat was an obvious choice as our photographer as she was already a friend of ours and we were well acquainted with her relaxed, unobtrusive style, creative eye and talent for capturing natural moments”

Caroline’s bridesmaids wore mismatched gowns. “My maid of honour wore Pia Gladys Perey “Ivy Gown” in Ash grey. My bridesmaid wore Pia Gladys Perey “Erika Gown”, also in Ash grey, exclusive to Varga Girl in Leederville, WA. They chose different dresses, but the same colour and fabric to complement their different individual styles and personalities. This was also reflected in their choice of accessories.” The floral arrangements were styled by Celesta Wijaya and consisted of polar star cream vintage roses and burnt orange cala lilies with plenty of rich chocolate blossom foliage.

Caroline and Nic held their reception at Mosmans Restaurant “Mosman’s is a seafood restaurant on the Swan River in Mosman Bay. As it is actually on the river, the floor to ceiling glass doors and windows offer uninterrupted views of the sky, passing boats and the water, which was tranquil due to the perfect, sunny weather that we had on the day. Our guests arrived to pre-dinner drinks and canapés on the Mosman’s jetty, accompanied by the sultry voice of Megan McInerney, who sang a collection of blues, jazz and acoustic tracks.”

Continuing the vintage theme, Caroline and Nic added touches to their reception. Caroline explains, “The reception venue was also decorated with clusters of antique amber coloured glassware and vases, which came from Varga Girl, in Leederville. Much of this glass dates back to the Depression era and was further decorated with spider orchids, fresh fig branches, limes and spear grass”

The speeches were a hit “My sister and maid of honour, Vanessa, deservedly received a standing ovation, when she delivered her reception speech. Her sparkling wit, graciousness and charm absolutely brought the house down, with tales of our childhood, plus a focus on the importance of family and friends.”

A black and white photo booth was a hit at the reception Caroline remarks “Collaborating with Nat in creating the reception “noir” styled photo booth was so exciting and we were all so impressed with the results. The photo booth was a creative and entertaining way for guests to interact with each and let their inner silent movie characters come out. We utilised a box of props, such as feather boas, top hats, lace umbrellas, toys and complimentary chocolate moustache lollipops, which were in aid of raising money for the Movember cause.”

A special message was passed on at the reception. Caroline explains, “Our good friend Daniel could not be with us in person, as he was overseas in Japan at the time. However, our MC read out a poignant personalised message from Daniel and an evocative poem by ancient Japanese poet, Horikawa. The poem works like an analogy. At first love is messy and wild. But with time, it mellows into trust and faith. Tangles become entanglements that lead eventually to knots. And it is upon knots that we lay or trust. Whether they be spiritual or physical. I suppose that is why we say “tying the knot” when we get married?”

Congratulations Caroline and Nic! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us! Thank you also to Natalija Brunovs of I Heart Weddings for sharing today’s photographs!