On a day filled with pouring rain, Sophie and Liam’s wedding, filled with country charm and plenty of romance, added more than it’s fair share of warmth. Filled with beautiful blues (and the most stunning white-on-white florals by Nunu Designs) the pair set out to plan a day, together, that really ticked every one of their boxes. Alex Carlyle joined the merry crew for a day that really celebrated who they are, and most of all, who they love. And that wettest day in 100-year forecast? Just added to the beauty.

Meeting through mutual friends (who also happen to be members of the couple’s wedding party) it was a summery evening at the UTS rooftop in 2016 that brought Sophie and Liam together for the first time. “The jury is still out on who is really responsible for bringing us together – so we’ll say it was a joint effort between the two of them. We met on a beautiful summery evening at a party, before heading out for the night with a group of friends. We kicked off a conversation and quickly felt an instant connection, we’ve basically been inseparable ever since.

Four years later on an anniversary trip to Bannisters in Port Stephens, Liam decided the time was right to ask Sophie to marry him. “I had been planning to propose for a while, and he had the idea to revamp Sophie’s mothers’ original engagement ring which had been damaged years ago. After getting the ring and blessing from my parents, Liam worked with a custom ring designer to add a beautiful new diamond and bring the sentimental ring back to life” explains Sophie. “After a nervous few days on the holiday away together, Liam suggested a walk along the beach. I was unusually quiet, trying my best to keep cool with a sneaking suspicion this could be a big moment. At the end of the bay, Liam got down on one knee and popped the question – I said “Of course!”. We then spent the afternoon drinking Prosecco in the sun and calling our nearest and dearest to let them know the exciting news!”

Ready to dive into this wedding with us? Start off the story with the beautiful wedding film captured by Joyride Films.

Opting for a traditional black tie, Liam chose his tuxedo, complete with a satin lapel from Woolcott St. Sophie telling  “The inside of the suit jacket matched the fabric on our bridesmaid dresses, embroidered with his initials and featured a black silk lapel to differentiate him from the groomsmen.”

Sophie’s dream of a gown was the “Sandra” by designer Sarah Seven found at The Bridal Atelier.  “It’s an A-line gown with an incredible boned bodice and sweeping sheer fabric, creating a beautiful off-the-shoulder sleeve and down into a train” she shares.
“The dress is covered in tiny pearls and fit me perfectly after some alterations. A paired this with a cathedral-length double veil, so I could add some drama to the back of the dress and have my ‘over-the-face veil’ moment too. I wore simple satin pointed heels that had some gems around the ankle.”

Sophie and Liam chose the stunning country venue of Waldara Farm for their wedding. “We had the whole property from Friday through to Sunday which was one of the best decisions we made! We got to really spend some quality time with our nearest and dearest and it made the wedding feel much longer than just the day. Waldara really stood out to us as a venue because it was so customisable but had a beautiful foundation to make our own. We were also confident in the team and the wet weather options (luckily!).”

This was a wedding filled with the most beautiful blooms – whites and greens in all different textures and sizes and all pulled together by Nunu Designs. Says Sophie “The flowers for the day were impeccable! Steph at Nunu Designs was an absolute dream to work with and really helped to bring my classic yet modern, timeless yet fun, garden-esk dreams to reality! I wanted florals that were really interesting and added to the organic country estate feeling that Waldara effortlessly brings. We did ground florals on either side of the arbour for our ceremony, as well as some amazing entryway florals and beautiful simple bouquets for me and the bridesmaids.”

As “Wild Love” by James Bay played, Sophie started her walk down the aisle with her father, the pair meeting her mother at the end.

“Our ceremony was hilarious – everything from the groomsmen coming up with a ‘bit’ to lose the rings which kept everyone on their toes, and my now husband calling me his husband during our vows.”

The ceremony was just as beautiful as you’d expect. “We had such a fun and personalised ceremony – our INCREDIBLE celebrant and overall amazing human Pippa Moore wrote our story which was heartwarming, funny and all round a great summary of our relationship. She was the MVP of the weekend and did so much more than I ever expected. She was such a rock when the weather turned and made our ceremony so fun. Loads of our guests complimented how fun and different the ceremony was all thanks to her. We also had poetry readings from my mum, my mother-in-law and a close friend even wrote her own which was amazing. Liam and I wrote our own vows which we loved sharing with each other and everyone else. ”

“I can’t go past the photo of us coming back down the aisle” remarks Sophie. “The feeling of being freshly married, hand in hand with my husband and surrounded by our family and friends.”

Sophie’s bouquet was graced with something very special. “I wore my great, great-great grandmothers’ brooch on my bouquet, which was a beautiful little tribute to the women in my family and a tradition I hope to pass along to our daughter one day.”

Sophie fell in love with photographer Alex online. “As soon as I saw her IG I knew we had to book her! She had an editorial, candid style which suited us perfectly. We had our engagement shoot with her, which helped to loosen us up and make sure we were all comfortable on the day. Alex was incredible on the day and completely captured it as it felt. I will always treasure our photos!”

“We each had five friends join our wedding party – a maid of honour + four bridesmaids & a best man + four groomsmen” explains Sophie. “These were people who had been an integral part of our story and people we knew we want in our lives moving forward and building our family. My bridesmaids all wore Shona Joy in Blue Smoke – they all chose their own style of dress from the range based on what they felt most comfortable with and felt would suit their bodies best. The groomsmen all joined the groom in wearing custom-made suits from Woolcott St – there’s were less formal and simpler but we really wanted to go for a classic look with all of the wedding which I think the all-black suits really helped to achieve.”

Sophie’s advice to you? “Take your honeymoon or a break of some kind together as soon as you can after the wedding. You’ll be in such a little newlywed bubble, it’s nice to have some downtime and reflect.”

The beautiful details were a-plenty, but they’re also some of the favourites of Sophie herself.  “The seating chart was a favourite of mine, made from linen and gave a really romantic look. We also wanted it to feel very intimate and candlelit – so there were candles everywhere from the candle-lined aisle in the ceremony to the low-lit reception with pillar candles along the guest tables.”

In the days before the wedding, Sophie and Liam made espresso martinis and bottled them into individual serves with personalised labels for their guests as wedding favours. “They were a massive hit and a great energy boost to get the party started after our Italian feast. They definitely got the party started.”

Sophie and Liam credit much of the smooth, relaxed vibes of their day to their wedding planner A To Z Wedding Planning “Amy our wedding planner was absolutely spectacular” raved Sophie. “She took all the stress out of the day and we felt like guests at our own wedding and could enjoy ourselves.”

“One of our favourite parts would have to be the speeches” remembers Liam. “Hearing our relationship from our nearest and dearest’s perspectives was heartwarming and special.”

For their dance floor debut, Sophie and Liam chose an old favourite, “Adore” by Amy Shark, “it was a sentimental song for us because we used to dance to it in our early days of dancing and it reminded us of those initial dates and falling in love. We didn’t choreograph our dance, we just wanted to be in the moment together and take it all in.”

Congratulations to you both Sophie & Liam! What a beautiful wedding story to be able to share. Thank you both and thank you to Alex Carlyle and Nunu Designs for sharing this stunning story with us.