This lovely couple had a shabby chic wedding with vintage china and country garden flowers…
The proposal
Hollie and Gary had booked a month off work to embark on a trip of a lifetime, and Gary took it as the perfect opportunity to surprise his future bride. “We had just arrived in Bali and were excitedly starting out on an adventure that would take us up the South Coast of Australia, ending in Sydney for New Year’s Eve,” remembers Hollie.
“On our second night in Bali, Gary was very insistent we go to the beach to watch the sunset, despite my protestations that I would rather chill by the pool for another hour. We made it just in time to see the sun disappear beyond the horizon, and so continued for a little walk until we were completely alone. We were sitting in the sand when Gary asked me to stand up – and that’s when he asked me to be his wife!”
The bride’s outfit
“This might seem unusual, but I always knew that a wedding isn’t all about the dress, so I just went online and ordered a few that I liked,” explains Hollie. Our bride picked her darling gown from Phase Eight.
The groom’s outfit
Gary wore a wonderful Hugo Boss suit, which he had specifically altered to make the fit even more perfect.
The bridesmaids
Partly to help keep costs down, Hollie decided not to have any bridesmaids, but she asked her sister-in-law to be her maid of honour and join her
down the aisle.
The ceremony
“My best memory from our civil ceremony has got to be when Gary messed up his vows in the most hilarious way,” remembers Hollie. “Part of the vows were: ‘I will laugh with you when you are happy’ – but Gary came out with ‘I will laugh AT you when you are happy’, which was met with the whole room erupting into laughter, before he’d even realised what he’d said!”
The decor
Hollie wanted to decorate the reception in a shabby-chic style, drawing inspiration from a vintage tea party. “I trawled charity shops and the internet to help me find 80 vintage cups and saucers to use as place settings,” remembers Hollie. “We also had milk jugs as our table centres that were filled with rustic, country garden-esque blooms provided by Clare at Bliss Flowers.”
The honeymoon
The couple had a blissful week of rest and relaxation in Santorini, Greece at the San Antonio Suites.
Bride’s advice
“I think I might have tried to take on too much during the wedding morning, because I did all the venue dressing myself, meaning I didn’t leave myself much time to get ready! Delegate tasks, have a long hot bath in the morning and relax!” advises Hollie.
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