Alexandra & Matthew

The glamour started from the get go at Alexandra and Matthew’s elegant white and gold Sydney wedding. The bride’s beautiful custom-made gown with sweeping train, the glittering gold wedding cake, the greenery and lush floral arrangements which spilled over in all their glory and the heartfelt stories that added a beautiful layer of personality to the day.

Captured by gm photographics, this is the story of Alexandra and Matthew, which starts in high school. Says the bride “we met in high school in July of year 12, we went to a party and met by coincidence. We both weren’t meant to attend this party (Matthew was sick and I didn’t particularly know anyone that well attending except for one or two friends) but something told us both we should. From then on, we have seen each other at least twice a week until now.”

The bride added a few sentimental pieces to her look for the day, explaining “I wore my mum’s diamond earrings which were my “something borrowed” and “something old” but I did organise a photograph of my late father to be put in a charm which was attached to my bouquet. It was like my dad was with me the whole day. I also had a blue evil eye pinned to my dress (on the inside) which was my “something blue” and my dress and shoes were the “something new”.”

“The bride wore a custom-made gown by Leah Da Gloria. She remarks “I always admired Leah Da Gloria from even before I was engaged, due to her detail and precision, so always knew I would probably end up with her. I went to see her last because I knew my mind was made up that she was the only one that could make my vision come to light and nothing else compared. The experience with Leah was so magical. I didn’t have to explain too much of what I wanted. I showed her a few photos and she instantly understood. She quickly sketched a drawing and I almost cried. Leah stated she usually charges people for their first consultation but she felt such a connection with me and knew I wouldn’t go elsewhere so she said she wouldn’t charge me. Every fitting I was always left speechless because Leah did everything I wanted. Even my mother who is so hard to please was left in tears after every visit.”

The couple chose Our Lady Greek Orthodox Church in Redfern for their traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony. The bride remembering “we chose the Cathedral of the Annunciation of our Lady Greek Orthodox church because my parents were married in this church and I was also christened here.  Matthew didn’t mind where he got married and since I am more religious, he let me choose the church. I was lucky because this particular church is not your typical Greek Orthodox church. It was an old Anglican Church so had all the amazing stain glass windows and sandstone arches as well as having the typical icons and beautiful Byzantine chanters found in all Greek churches which make this church so unique and regal among the other Greek churches. We had the best of both worlds.”

“My brother, Chris, and mum, Juliet, walked me down the aisle as my dad is no longer with us. I walked in to beautiful Byzantine chants by the church clergy. It was magical.”

Of the ceremony, Alexandra remembers “the priest was so lovely and assisted us along the way which made us feel very comfortable. I was so nervous walking down the aisle that I tried not to cry. I was shaking so much by the time I reached the alter and my flowers were shaking too. My maid of honour had to compose me by holding my hand. We loved how it was so traditional, but we asked for everything to be in half Greek, half English as Matthew is Italian and we wanted it to be fair for all our guests to understand. Our best man who has never attended a Greek wedding before had to do the rings and stefana. He was so nervous but did it well with the help of the priest. Once it was all over we could all finally relax and enjoy the day.”

“It went so perfectly and smoothly, the whole day was amazing and the band really got everyone excited and moving on the dance floor. I still have people telling me it was the best wedding they have been to due to the “kefi” which in Greek means atmosphere. It really makes me grateful that all my hard work planning it myself was worth it. Being two years engaged while studying law full-time and working two jobs took its toll on me but allowed me to plan exactly what we wanted.”

Of their photographers, the bride tells “the photographers were amazing. From the get-go, they made us feel so comfortable and happy, we didn’t feel like we were getting photographed. They were so professional in every way and captured everything perfectly. I even had my uncle who went up to my cousin (his daughter) who is also engaged and told her to get the same photographers because he thought they were amazing. And he is a man of few words which showed they made an impression on everyone, not just us and the bridal party.”

The evening celebrations kicked off at Sergeants Mess, the bride remarking “Matthew did not want to have a venue which shared our night with other weddings (meaning he wanted a venue which only had one room exclusive to us). We went to many venues but nothing felt right. We were then asked to attend a bridal showcase at Sergeants Mess in Mosman by my mum’s friend who was a wedding planner. When we attended, we instantly fell in love. The venue was ticked all our boxes as well as being modern, had high ceilings, beautiful chandeliers and a jaw-dropping view. We knew this would be perfect. And it was.”

Dina Elkheir created the lush floral arrangements, Alexandra telling “We wanted just white flowers with a lot of greenery. We wanted to match the elegance of the venue with not too many different colours. The florist I went with went above and beyond. She added her special touch everywhere with extra flowers and candles more than what I initially asked for. She blew me away with her styling. Couldn’t thank her enough.”

In lieu of favours, the newlyweds made a donation to The Heart Foundation . The bride noting “our favours were in memory of my dad who passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 2010 when I was 20 years old. I printed cards with a little message outlining this and paired it with sugared almonds in a clear perspex box and white ribbon.”

“I wanted to be very comfortable, fluid and effortless. I told the boys to keep the speeches short and sweet. It was a perfect summer night and they opened all the doors at Sergeant’s Mess so it was beautiful to see the view and just dance the night away with the amazing band.”

Of the first dance, the bride reminisces “I chose “You are so beautiful to me” by Ray Charles which was one of my late father’s favourite songs. I couldn’t contain my tears through the song because I wished he was there with us so it was quite emotional. Matthew held me very tight and kept kissing me. He also pretended to know the words which he had no idea what they were which made me laugh. It was perfect. The second song was “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers where the rest of the bridal party could join us. We also had “Can’t help falling in love with you” by Elvis where we invited everyone else on the dance floor.”

Alexandra and Matthew chose Soda Films to capture this beautiful film of their day.

Congratulations on your marriage Alexandra and Matthew! Thank you for taking the time to share your lovely day with us! Thank you also to gm photographics for today’s photographs!