Andrea & Scott

I mean, if there wasn’t already a lot to love about an art deco wedding, when the bride wears a stunning blush dress like today’s bride Andrea did, well, you’re very much in the wrong place. It wasn’t just Andrea’s blush dress that had me smitten though, it’s the beautiful images by Lightsmith Images, the story of how it was planned, how it unfolded and how every minute of the day was carefully curated to reflect the happiness of the newlyweds.

Andrea tells “Scott and I met three years prior to our wedding. We met through the online world and after one email I suggested a drink in a city bar on a Sunday afternoon. The rest, as they say, is history.”

The bride worked with designer Christina Kim to make her gown. She tells “I went to Christina’s studio with a girlfriend of mine who had put me in touch with her. I  had always known some things were certain a) the colour b) I wanted an effortless style c) something beautiful to wear. Christina made me feel completely comfortable from the very first appointment and I never regretted the decision to not step foot in a traditional bridal store. Having something made for me using Christina’s talented skills and eye for detail was very appealing.  Christina poured her heart and soul into every stitch and I couldn’t thank her enough for making me feel beautiful and indeed bridal. The dress was completed just in time for Christina’s most amazing bespoke creation to arrive!!!”

The newlyweds met before the ceremony for photographs, the bride explaining “It was important to Scott and I to have a relaxed feel for the day and spend as little time as possible driving to various locations so that we could experience the day as our wedding guests were. We both chose to prepare in separate rooms of The New Inchcolm Hotel at Spring Hill and due to the art deco feel and style of the hotel we took the opportunity to have a First Look moment there and spend some time with the bridal party.”

>Andrea adding “I think we were both a little apprehensive that we would be taking something away from the moment of me walking down the aisle towards Scott. Danielle (photographer) spent a long while thinking about how it would take place to make it a moment that we could savour and enjoy. Straight away Scott and I both commented how perfect it felt and that it was important to have that time to ourselves.”

The art deco style of the day unfolded quite naturally says Andrea. “Initially I was quite unsure of what our wedding style would be. I was thinking one day of certain elements that had already been chosen and felt that my engagement ring and envisioned dress were both of an art deco style which Scott and I both love. This then filtered into the small details of our day and we were thrilled with the old elegance feeling that the day had.”

Pink and Purple Petals designed the floral arrangements for the day, Andrea noting “I adore flowers so I knew that they would certainly be a feature of our day. After doing some online research and investigating weddings online that I had seen with stunning florals I made an appointment with Daniella from Pink & Purple Petals. She was warm and engaging and as excited about the concept of our day as I was. After two other lacklustre appointments with florists, I was completely sure that Daniella was the florist for us and she did not disappoint.”

“The couple chose Hillstone St Lucia for the wedding, noting “The ceremony and reception were both held at Hillstone, St Lucia which was the only venue we, in fact, looked at. We liked the idea that once we were all there we did not have to leave again. Hillstone suited all of our requests for the day including good wet weather options should the need arise (thankfully not all a concern on the day) and Lauren and the staff were amazing to deal with and efficiently answered all of my many questions.”

The bride hand dried the petals for the ceremony, telling “I love blue hydrangeas but knew with the timing of the wedding I would not be including it in my arrangements. In the February prior I decided to dry some bunches while in season. To my delight, I was successful in doing so and the petals retained the lovely shade of blue and were so light and delicate I was able to provide them alongside rose petals for wedding guests to throw on the day as we were walked up the aisle together as husband and wife.”

The bride was accompanied by her father down the aisle, she remembers “My father William walked me down the aisle and it was such a highlight. I had always hoped that one day my dad would walk me down the aisle and it was on my bucket list of life. It turned out to be one of the most special moments for me. Dad was very happy and calm on the day and I remember him saying just before we made the walk together ‘breathe and take this all in!’“

Pastor Jake Smith officiated the vows, Andrea says “The ceremony was very important to us and we wanted it to feel like it was not just a minor detail between the excitement of getting ready and the party to come. We had 52 guests which was a great number to say our vows in front of. We did quite a bit of research to find a wonderful celebrant and we certainly hit the jackpot by finding Pastor Jake Smith. Jake geared a non-religious ceremony that was warm and engaging. Jake greeted me as I got out of the wedding car and told me (and also Scott) to relax and enjoy it and he would look after the rest…that piece of advice also helped me feel composed and really in the moment.”

One of the bride’s favourite photos was all about sunsets and champagnes. She notes “There is a photo of Scott pouring me a glass of champagne. We were at the end of having our bridal portraits and Danielle suggested we stop, have a drink and take in the moment to ourselves before rejoining our wedding guests.”

Of their photographer, Andrea remarks “Danielle from Lightsmith Images has been a friend of mine for some time and I have always admired her ability to make people feel utterly relaxed to get the best of people in her images. Danielle was very supportive of what we envisaged our wedding day and photo style to be like and offered the great idea of having a First Look as she was as excited about the images we could get at the Inchcolm Hotel as we were! When we met with Danielle to preview our images I was reduced to tears. Scott and I both left with a spring in our step after seeing our day through the eyes of someone else.”

  

“I enjoyed spending many hours (hundreds!) pouring over publications such as Polka Dot Bride and websites such as ETSY and Pinterest” says the bride. “Such a great way to narrow down certain details that I particularly liked. Scott bought me a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine on our departure from New York to celebrate our engagement and it has become a sentimental item to keep.”

Silver candlesticks adorned the table, Andrea explaining “My parents offered to us the use of their silver candlesticks…the same ones that were used at their wedding and the wedding of my grandparents. They were a lovely addition to the table that we chose to make the bridal table.”

Friends all lent a hand for the day – from MC’ing the event, to crafting the cake. “A generous friend and colleague of mine kindly accepted the task of using her talents to make our wedding cake. The wedding cake was exactly as we had requested in every way but we found out the next day that there had been a cake transportation disaster. Natalie swung into action with the assistance of Hillstone and at the very last minute salvaged the cake and completely redecorated it. We were humbled the next day to find out that both Lauren at Hillstone and my wonderful friend Natalie went to such great lengths to ensure our cake was at its very best and dealt with it without even breathing a word of it to Scott and I.”

The groom chose the first dance song, the bride noting “Scott had suggested Islands In The Stream and its lyrics are perfect and makes us both smile. The Franky Smart band played it for us in true style and it encouraged our wedding band and wedding guests to join us to save our awkward dancing ability.”

A big congratulations to the newlyweds on the beginning of their marriage together! Thank you so much for sharing your story. Thank you also to Lightsmith Images for sharing today’s gorgeous images!