Catherine & Julian
There is a definite sense of enchantment at Catherine and Julian’s romantic woodland inspired wedding. From the bride’s incredible family heirloom hairpiece, to the wooden table rounds of hand printed menus. Every moment was considered to reflect the love and style of the newlyweds and all was captured by Elleni Toumpas with planning and styling by will&jac.
Catherine tells the story of how she and Julian came to be. “We met while studying music together at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane. Our weekly keyboard class brought us both to each other’s attention and it wasn’t long until we became a couple and have now been together over ten years.”
Catherine chose a gown from Nevenka , noting, “I fell in love with the story behind Nevenka and their one-off bespoke creations. I walked in one afternoon and knew that the style and fit of the dress were just for me. I met the owner of one of their beautiful dresses and couldn’t have been happier with how I felt on the day.”
The groom wore a custom bow tie by Beau Tie as well as a family heirloom brooch to match the bride’s detailed headpiece.
Catherine and Julian were married at Abbotsford Convent, noting, “It was always Abbotsford Convent – from the moment Julian and I walked into the surrounds, saw the ceremony location in the Courtyard with the old world convent elements meets nature, and the high ceiling and exposed beams of the Rosina Hall, we were sold. We were also terribly spoilt by their staff who supported and offered first-class service during our entire planning stages.”
Paul O’Donohue officiated the ceremony, Catherine explaining, “Our ceremony brought together Julian’s Jewish heritage and my Catholic upbringing. We had Paul O’Donohue facilitate our ceremony – he brought such joy, comfort and relaxation to our ceremony. We were then joined by a family friend Fr Francis who offered a Catholic blessing, and then Nita Jawari who presided over the Jewish elements. We think we had a lovely combination of both our family’s cultures, in a modern setting.”
Of their photographer, Catherine remarks, “We first met Elleni at a mutual friend’s Wedding, and it was then that it became known she was initially a music photographer from Brisbane – instant friendship! We felt comfortable with Elleni and found that her photos truly told a story in a unique and natural light. On the day Elleni allowed us to partake in the celebrations with shots being taken without our knowing – we wanted to be immersed in the day, rather than posing for countless shots. The results speak for themselves!”
“The favourite part of the wedding planning for me, was being the bride. After being part of so many weddings, it was fun being on the other side of the process and thankfully I had my right-hand lady by my side – Clare!”
will&jac planned and styled the wedding, Catherine noting, “We loved will&jac being involved and allowed to shine! We wanted a earthy, green, woodland style with vintage touches.”
The woodland elements were carried through the reception thanks to Honey Honey Creations and will&jac ” The wooden table rounds were hand crafted by Honey Honey Creations, with will&jac labouring over the personalised menus for each table. It was our biggest DIY job and was totally worth it. The finished product has been mentioned by all guests.”
The cheese table by Milk the Cow was one of the highlights for the bride and groom, the bride telling “Our decadent and delicious cheese grazing station – out of this world! We always wanted cheese as part of our Day but the way the fabulous head cheesemonger from Milk the Cow, Laura Lown, gushed over our station and nearly made it too beautiful to eat! All of our guests were in awe of this feature element.”
For the first dance, Catherine remembers “We chose “The Look You Give That Guy” by The Ells A band that Julian and I have shared a lot of memories with over the years, and this song truly tugs at the heart strings – it just felt right.” The Dan Melita Band performed the music for the day – from the beautiful ceremony music to the tunes ready to get people on the dance floor.
“Being a luncheon wedding, we continued the party at Dr Morse following the Reception. Julian loved that we were able to continue mingling with our guests, especially with all the necessary formalities out of the way, we were truly able to kick up our heels and celebrate!”
Congratulations Catherine and Julian! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Elleni Toumpas and will&jac for allowing us to share today’s wedding!
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