Erin & Tim

It is no secret that I love a beautiful winter wedding and you can consider Erin and Tim’s winter day at the cozy (with those endless walls of books!) Bendooley Estate complete evidence as to why. Their day, captured by Dan Cartwright, has the most stunning seasonal light, flowers that embrace deep hues, a landscape setting with its own signature wintry flair – even the bride’s deftly-beaded Karen Willis Holmes gown had its own hint of winter sparkle.

It was magic. Though we’re sure not quite as magical as the moment these two met! Erin fills us in. “Tim and I met at work, it was an early shift starting at 7am. He came to the door and said, ‘Hi, I’m Tim’. Yes, I was sold. We definitely believe in love at first sight. Tim chased me for a while until I agreed to go on a date to coffee.” And a romantic weekend away led the groom to propose. “I decided to take Tim away for a break, for him to relax. Little did I know he was planning the proposal. We went to a little place in Cambewarra, near Berry, called Tapitallee Lodges (amazing little cottages). We were out the back watching the ducks in the pond, having a wine, when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. We had our sausage dog, Rupert there at the time (hence the sausage dogs included in our reception menus) and, of course, I said yes!”

Erin chose a strikingly beaded, long-sleeved gown designed by Karen Willis Holmes. She fell in love with it on the very first try, telling, “I knew the dress I wanted for a while, I tried on the KWH gown at a local store, and I ended up having a terrible experience. I won’t name the store, but I wouldn’t wish that on any bride! I knew I loved Karen Willis Holmes from the website and from trying on a couple of dresses in this other store. That afternoon I went to the store in Alexandria, and ended up with the dress. It was just meant to be. My mum’s friend made my veil, it was a nice personal touch.”

Erin and Tim chose the woodsy Bendooley Estate for their big day, enchanted by their rustic details. Erin explains, “When we walked into the Book Barn, the open fireplace, the exposed wooden beams and the shelves filled with books caught our attention. Later that day we looked at a couple of other venues, nothing compared to Bendooley Estate. We then knew it was the one.”

Gypsy Carmen styled sprawling floral arrangements with blooms in an unusual colour palate full of dark romance. Erin raves, “My wedding flowers were breathtaking! Clare from Gypsy Carmen is a goddess. I told her my vision – something different to what everyone else has – that I liked red and something abstract. She went above and beyond. She collaborated with Hoorah Events and they produced this beautiful, moody, romantic vibe.
Gypsy Carmen’s installation at the reception was unbelievable also. The first time I saw it was when I entered the reception venue, I couldn’t take my eyes off it, it was so full and lush.”

Sue Jackman performed the ceremony, which luckily (or perhaps unluckily for the groom) was bathed in golden sunshine. Erin shares, “Our favourite part of the day was the ceremony. I was so full of love and happiness I was actually laughing when I was walking down the aisle, I was so excited! Tim could not stop smiling either.
I found out after when we were saying ours vows that Tim had sun in his eyes the whole time. I had no idea. He said only if you moved your head one cm to the right!”

Much like their life together, it was important to Erin that she and Tim did the wedding planning together. “We thought it was very important to both be involved with the decision making. I would research and Tim would make final decisions based on the information I produced.
We were happy to splurge on the venue because we fell in love with it! And I would encourage everyone to not skimp out on a photographer, do your research and if they end up being a little over budget, it will be worth it! We were so lucky with Dan.”

The reception drew from the bride’s dream of moody hues. She tells, “My inspiration was a romantic and moody theme, including candles and deep coloured flowers (based off a couple of inspiration pics); I left it in my vendors’ creative hands. When I entered the room on the night I was blown away. I think because they all had worked together they were bouncing ideas off each other. Yes, it was great that they knew each other!”

Congratulations on your marriage Erin and Tim! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us. Thank you also to Dan Cartwright and Karen Willis Holmes for sharing today’s celebration with us.