Sara and Fintan's Vintage Glam Wedding

Sara and Fintan

The celebration of Sarah and Fintan’s wedding held echos of yesteryear- the groom and groomsmen wore top hats and tails, the red roses and black gowns provided a vintage glamour feel to the Sydney morning wedding. A sense of formality as the sun beat down.

Sara tells their story. “Fintan’s sister is a friend of mine. We met at her going-away party when she moved to work in Dubbo. Fintan and I talked for hours about our mutual love of all things bookish … and haven’t ever really stopped. ”

Photographs of the vintage celebration are by Inlighten Photography who capture the vintage elegance so beautifully.

The groom was outfitted by P Johnson Tailors. Fintan recalls, “Patrick was fantastic in arranging my outfit. The quality of work and service is exceptional”. The men all wore top hats, the groom from Lock & Co and groomsmen from Strand Hatters.

Sara wore a v neck gown with lace accents by Louise Alvarez Couture with shoes from Tony Bianco. She wore earrings from Etsy and a “Something Borrowed, her mother’s bracelet. Sara explains “Louise Alvarez did an exceptional job with my dress and veil. With the veil, I told them my idea (lace around my head but not a full mantilla) and they created something I thought perfect. ”

Each of Sara’s bridesmaids wore a black gown of their own.

Sara and Fintan held their ceremony and reception at Sergeants Mess. Sara walked down the aisle to ‘Prelude to Te Deum’ by Charpentier.

Sara and Fintan were married by Phillip Holland . Sara recalls “The ceremony was short and very sweet. During it, the celebrant stated that Fintan and I look forward to a time when all Australians can marry the person they love. It was very important for us to acknowledge discrimination against same-sex couples in relation to marriage, and the celebrant was very open on this issue and addressed it in a way we were happy with.”

Sara and Fintan were married in the morning and guests celebrated over lunch. Sara remarks “Consider a morning ceremony – lunch reception. Fintan had a strong preference for this arrangement so I went with it—though I am not a morning person. In hindsight it was the best decision for us. First, we made the most of an outdoor ceremony and a beautiful harbourside venue. Second, we did not have to wait as long to get into said venue. Third, we had plenty of time to follow the reception with a relaxed and slightly debauched afterparty!”

The bouquets were styled by Jodie Mcgregor Flowers.

Sara’s aunt made the wedding cake. Instead of a wedding registry, guests donated to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Fintan’s mother baked heart shape biscuits for guests to take home as wedding favors.

Sara remembers the first dance. “The first dance was to Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’. We worked hard on the dance (with the fabulous Jennifer of Your Bridal Dance) and were told after that it was a wedding highlight. As a bonus, we very much enjoyed Jennifer’s lessons.”

Sara says “A suggestion by the photographers, was to have the location photos taken after the reception. This worked well – the ceremony flowed immediately into drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and then into lunch, and there was no waiting or gaps for the guests.”

Of their photographers, Sara says “They were fantastic—we had two photographers for the event, and were able to capture all the moments we wanted. They were exceptionally professional and great to deal with on the day. ”