Helen & Jason

There are so many magic moments in Helen and Jason’s romantic Sydney summer wedding that I can’t wait to share with you. That stunning Sydney golden light, the traditional Chinese tea ceremony, the beautiful garden setting where the vows were said and, of course, the elegant reception. Each part of the day was beautifully thought out and of course, beautifully captured by Tealily Photography. I can’t wait to share it with you today!

The couple met at university, the bride reminisces, “Jason and I met at university through mutual friends. After meeting we realised we were studying the same course so we started to attend classes together and became really good friends. I later discovered Jason had fallen in love with me. It took over a year before we started dating.”

 

The day kicked off with a traditional round of games for the groom to win over his bride before guests gathered for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony.

The bride wore a ballgown by Monique Lhuillier, telling, “My dress was a silk tulle gown with chantilly lace appliques, a V-neck bodice and delicate spaghetti straps. I chose this dress because I wanted a ballgown that is not too traditional and also a bit romantic and ethereal.”

The couple chose Lions Gate Lodge, Royal Botanic Gardens for their garden ceremony, the bride walking down the aisle with her mother to Pachelbel’s ‘Canon in D’.

Helen and Jason chose Robyn Pattison to officiate proceedings, Helen remarks, “We wanted it to be fun and relaxing and not too formal. It was one of the reasons we chose our celebrant Robyn Pattison. After getting to know us and our stories she wove them together beautifully on the day with a lovely sense of humour. She even spoke a little bit of Chinese for our non-English speaking guests! Even just her presence kept us calm and always made us feel like everything is under control.”

Helen and Jason chose Tealily Photography to capture their day, noting, “We chose Tealily because of their simple and honest style of photography. We love that Trish is always seeking to capture the tiny details and sweet moments in between!”

Guests gathered at Sergeants’ Mess for an evening of celebration. “We had a large guests list (240 guests) so our options were already quite limited. We chose Sergeants’ Mess because of their reputable quality of service and food. We loved that it is a bit secluded and showed off Sydney’s amazing harbour views,” says the bride. She adds, “I designed and created the wedding invitations and stationery such as the welcome sign, seating charts, menu cards and place cards. I also made a children’s colouring books filled with cartoon pictures of Jason and me in wedding shenanigans!”

Ashdown & Bee worked to style both the ceremony and reception along with beautiful florals by Francis Floristry. Helen notes, “Annie from Francis Floristry was amazing! Not only did she stick to the brief but she went over and beyond what we asked for. Our brief was ‘pastel pink, peonies, dahlias, phalaenopsis orchids and lots of foliage’.”

For the first dance, the newlyweds chose a new take on an old favourite, explaining, “We chose a jazz acoustic version of Elvis Presley’s ‘Love Me Tender’ sung by Norah Jones for our first dance. We took dance lessons in preparation for the wedding day but moreso because it was a great opportunity to do something together we’ve never done before. Looking back, it’s one of our favourite moments of the night.”

This beautiful film by Paper Cranes captures the spirit of the day. That joy when it begins? It’s so evident how it was the theme all the way through (even the parts that may have had me in tears!)

Congratulations on tying the knot Helen and Jason! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thank you also to  Tealily Photography for sharing today’s stunning photographs.