Glamorous Gunners Barracks Wedding

Sara & Adolfo

For Sara and Adolfo, who by the time they were married had been together for ten years, having a big wedding or a a set theme weren’t high on their list of requirements when it came to creating their perfect wedding day. The couple wanted an intimate, relaxed day, with all of their nearest and dearest there to celebrate their love and commitment to each other. Their glamorous Gunners Barracks wedding was captured beautifully by Alex Carlyle, and their obvious adoration for each other, and the stunning images, will absolutely sweep you off your feet.

Of how they met, and came to be, Sara remembers fondly, “It was many years ago now when Adolfo gate-crashed one of my friend’s parties! I was still in high school at the time. If Adolfo is telling the story, he will always be sure to add that I was tipsy the first time we met, and that I tried hitting on him! We met a few more times over the years, but it was at a mutual friends birthday, three years after our first meeting, when we really connected. We exchanged numbers, started talking and never stopped. We’ve now been together for ten years!”

Sara wore an exquisitely beaded gown from Theia Couture, purchased through The Bridal Atelier. “To be honest, I was really dreading wedding dress shopping,” she remarks. “The big white wedding dress was just never something I pictured myself wearing, and I didn’t know where to begin. I had seen some of The Bridal Atelier’s stock online and really loved the relaxed, yet whimsical and ethereal style of the dresses they stocked. It was the first dress store I visited, and where I eventually found my dress. The moment I put it on, I knew it was the one, because I didn’t want to take it off! It felt like me.”

Adolfo chose his wedding day attire, from Mister Mister, fairly early on, and quite easily! “I always preferred navy suits and wanted one that I could wear again after the wedding. It had to be a traditional, two button dinner suit. I really liked the modern twist this suit had with the slanted pockets!” We do love a man who knows what he wants in a dapper suit!

Sara and Adolfo decided to have their wedding photos taken before the ceremony, Sara explaining that it was nice to see each other for the first time alone, and that it definitely helped to calm their nerves before the ceremony. Alex Carlyle captured their stunning portraits against a backdrop of lush, old world greenery and the harbour. Sara’s bridesmaids wore heavenly beaded, blush gowns from Bridesmaids Only, and Adolfo’s groomsmen looked sharp in dapper in suits from M.J. Bale.

“I walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of “Kissing You” by Des’ree, played by our wonderful musicians from Tillee Music,” remembers the bride. “I’ve loved that song for such a long time, and it was very emotional walking down the aisle with the song playing in the background.”

For the couple, the ceremony was their favourite part of the whole day! “We wanted it to be very personal, but not too over the top. In the end it was the perfect mix of light hearted and funny, yet still very touching. Our celebrant, Kathryn Breusch, did a fantastic job of helping us create a very personal ceremony. We chose two readings that we really loved – one of them being “Sonnet 17″ by Pablo Neruda. It’s not your usual wedding reading – it’s beautiful, but a little dark. Pablo Neruda is a renowned Chilean poet, so it was paying respect to Adolfo’s Chilean heritage.” The couple also chose to write their own wedding vows, which they did together.

For Sara, an absolute highlight in all of the wedding planning and process was choosing the flowers that would adorn the day. “Our florist, Annie from Francis Floristry, was a magician!” the bride gushes. “I really wanted a messier, wild flower bouquet, with beautiful reds, pinks and maroons. I also wanted the rest of the florals to be full and lush, without being too matched; I wanted it all to look a little wild. Annie made us the most perfect archway to get married under, and our bridal table and backdrop were better than we could have ever imagined. It was magical!”

The couple chose to have their ceremony and reception at Gunners Barracks in Sydney. They adored the the sandstone building and courtyard, as well as the chandeliers inside the building and the ornate mirrors. “It was the first venue we visited, and we fell in love with it the moment we saw it,” Sara tells. “The water views are beautiful, and the property is gorgeous just as it is, which meant that we didn’t have to add much to it. Another reason why we chose our venue was because we liked the idea of our guests not having to travel between the ceremony and reception. It was just one continuous celebration.”

“We danced our first dance in the sandstone courtyard, underneath a canopy of fairy lights, to “Baby, I’m Yours” by the Arctic Monkeys,” remembers the bride. “It was truly the best day of our lives, and having a fantastic photographer and our videographer meant that the day was captured perfectly, and we can continue to relive it.”