Ever witnessed a wedding ten years in the making? Well after dating for eight years (and spending another two engaged) Shannan and Anthony made sure that their wedding was every bit the glam, the sparkle-filled party they deserved! Says Shannan “Getting to live out such a special day with someone who’s been by my side for that long was the most rewarding thing. We both had an absolute blast!”

Asking Gui Jorge to document their day, this was one filled with all the pretty. Gorgeous lavender bridesmaid frocks, flowers in shades of pink, and red and blush, and all the fun of course – disco balls, dessert stations, acrobatics – it has it all and it is the most perfect way for us to end the week!

Let’s head back to where it all started – at school! Tells Shannan “Funnily enough, we crossed paths many times without actually meeting. All the same parties in high school, the same formal etc, but it wasn’t until our first year out of school that we met through a mutual friend at her birthday.”

Anthony popped the question on a trip away to the beach at Shannan’s family holiday home. “He had driven up earlier that day to decorate the place with flowers, balloons, champagne and a giant cookie in the shape of a heart. Then he came back and drove me up there and as soon as I walked in the door, I was met by all of his thoughtful gifts and decorations. Of course, I said yes, immediately.”

Anthony and his groomsmen went for timeless looks, thanks to Top Ryde Tailoring,  says Shannan “The groom was in a very fashionable black tux from Top Ryde Tailoring – and the groomsmen were in suits from there also. Very timeless, elegant and handsome.”

The day started with hair and makeup, Shannan giving well-deserved praise to hairstylist Cara Clyne. “Shout out to my hair stylist – Cara Clyne. She is not only a hair stylist but also an unofficial bridesmaid, hype girl, photographer and instant best friend. She went above and beyond and everybody’s hair looked phenomenal.”

The special details? Aplenty! “My sister got married earlier in the year, and wrapped around her bouquet was a photo of my grandfather, who passed away a few years ago” explains Shannan. “She kindly gifted me the little photo so that I could tie it around my bouquet, with a blue ribbon, and have him there with my on my day as well. This was special to me.

Shannan’s dream for her gown? Something glam and certainly something sparkly! She found her Berta gown at Kayrouz Bridal. “I still can’t get over that I got to wear a Berta gown. It was such a dream come true and I did not want to take it off at the end of the night. I truly left a trail of glitter everywhere I went. I had always admired their gowns and didn’t even know they sold them in Sydney – so when I found the fantastic Kayrouz Bridal does stock them, I was so excited and it was the second and final wedding dress store I tried. The gown I went with was the first one I chose and once I tried it on, it was all I could imagine wearing on my day. I knew straight away it was the one.

My gown is insanely sparkly and glitters differently in each light. It’s a corset-style dress with a big layered skirt and I truly felt like a princess while I was wearing it. I also worked closely with the boutique to add some detachable sleeves for the ceremony – a touch that I really liked.”

Shannah & Anthony were wed at the same venue where Shannan went to school, the church at St Charles Borromeo, Ryde.

Shannan, a keen Swiftie, walked down the aisle with her dad to “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift. “I’m a massive fan so I incorporated her songs everywhere possible.”

The flowers are bright, beautiful and styled by Pia & Jade. Shares Shannan “I wanted the main floral colour scheme to be purple, pink and pops of red. Our florist achieved this so perfectly and I could not have been happier with my bouquet. The florals were so bold and fun and added so much colour to the day. They look incredible in all of the photos, it’s always what my eye is immediately drawn to.”

Dressed in lavender gowns found at Bridesmaids Only, says Shannan “My bridesmaids looked stunning – alternating dresses from TH&TH and Jenny Yoo in the shades Smoked Orchid and Vintage Lilac. I always knew I wanted my bridesmaids in a shade of purple, and the tulle made them look like they stepped straight out of a fairytale. It was incredible!”

Making sure every beautiful moment was captured was Gui Jorge. “He was wonderful! So patient and creative with his shots” remembers Shannan. “When we received all of the photos back, we couldn’t stop smiling (and still haven’t) we’re just so happy with them all! He understood our vision and captured the most wonderful moments.

We loved having our photographers and videographers there as long as possible. There were so many fantastic moments, and I’m beyond glad that most of them were captured. From the getting ready process to our exit from the venue, they were there, adding to the energy and vibe of the day and capturing everything!”

“Try and enjoy the process” advises Shannan. “It can be stressful and overwhelming at times, and there are moments where you may want the planning to be over, but after the wedding – after seeing all of your planning take shape and come to life – you realise every second spent on it was worth it. It made me realise I wish I had put even more time and effort into planning. Also, put a lot of thought and consideration into your vendors, they are such a huge part of the day.”

Time to celebrate! As dusk fell, the newlyweds and their guests headed to Doltone House at Jones Bay Wharf for a grand reception.  “We chose Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf as it is such an elegant space that matched our vision for the day perfectly – lots of black interior meaning we could decorate with lots of white and pops of colour. They have such an amazing reputation, so we knew we’d be in good hands. They were also able to accommodate our large guest list!

Doltone House also provided a few incredible dessert stations – we had churros (with all the toppings), a decadent desserts cart with plenty of slices and cannoli, a gelato cart and also a zeppole cart!”

“There are honestly so many good ones! Before our guests made their way into the reception, we were able to sneak in and have a look at everything set up – all the flowers and styling. It took our breath away! There is a photo of us dancing on the empty dance floor and that one is probably my favourite. It was such a special moment, seeing everything for the first time.”

The couple had a definite vision in mind for their reception – a sparkly, modern party! “Between the amazing styling – which included lots of disco balls – the acrobat upon our entry, the four different dessert stations and the fact that the dance floor was like a mosh pit, the whole night just felt like the most fun party we’d ever been to, with all our closest friends and family members by our sides!”

The couple left the (incredible) styling of their day to Ashdown & Bee. “Mel from Ashdown & Bee did the best job we could have asked for! Every little detail was perfect! I emailed her right after we first saw the room, saying “THIS.PLACE.LOOKS.AMAZING!!’ It couldn’t wait, I had to let her know then and there.”

“We always knew we wanted to have a photo booth, so we were extremely glad that we booked such a great one! The attendant, Seb, from In An Instant Photobooth, was so lively and friendly and our guests commented on him and the booth above almost anything else! It was such a hit.”

“I think a cool detail is that when we made our entry to the venue, we had an acrobat hanging from a hoop doing a number to Panic! At The Disco’s The Greatest Show (From the Greatest Showman). This was such an awesome moment and set the tone for the evening.”

 

The newlyweds chose the song “You and Me” by Lifehouse for their first dance.  Remembers Shannan “It was the exact vibe we were hoping for and hadn’t heard that choice at any other weddings before. It’s also a song that we both love so much and have felt such a special connection to for many years. I was a little nervous for the first dance, as our dance floor was a little slippery, especially when my heels came into contact with the many layers of my dress – so it wasn’t so much of a dance as it was a swaying and shuffling number haha!”

“Something that stands out to me is the dance floor. Our DJ (Ministry of DJs) was great and we had provided him with a very long list of all our favourite songs so he could get to know our style well. We had so much fun dancing to classics, early 2000’s punk rock songs, and plenty of Taylor Swift! Our dance floor honestly resembled a mosh pit from the moment we opened it – with Love Story by T-Swift of course, until the very last song – What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Congratulations to you both Shannan & Anthony! Thank you so much for sharing your joy-filled wedding day story with us. Thank you also to Gui Jorge and Bridesmaids Only for sharing this celebration with us.