Real Wedding :: Nat + Dan

Introducing Nat + Dan, married in September last year. From the moment Nat contacted me to discuss their wedding, I was thrilled to be working with them. Nat positively glowed when sharing details of their wedding plans - such a sweet, polite and happy couple!

Nat + Dan :: Saturday 10 September 2011
Rosalie, Brisbane, Queensland

Nat and Dan met while studying law together at QUT in 2003 to 2006. They didn't become an couple until 2007, when they both undertook postgraduate studies to become admitted as solicitors. The proposal was "simple, yet meaningful," Nat explains, "Daniel isn't the type of person to propose in front of 100 people, or someone who would skydive out of a plane in a suit holding a ring. Instead, he took me to the Roma Street parklands which was where he took me on our first date in 2007 for a moonlight wine tasting tour. He seemed uneasy and I soon realised why when he unexpectedly pulled a magnificent diamond ring from his pocket. Both sets of parents knew in advance that Dan would be popping the question that weekend and were in Brisbane to celebrate."







Theme :: "Classical elegance."

Ceremony Location :: The couple were married by Father Frank O'Dea at Sacred Heart Church, Rosalie. "We are especially thankful to Father Frank who took the time to get to know us and tailored the ceremony to suit the two of us. He also married Dan's parents almost 30 years ago so it was special that he was able to marry us."









Reception Venue :: Brett's Wharf, Hamilton. "Juliette Buhot and the team at Bretts Wharf were very professional and organised and took the stress out of planning the reception. Being Alastair McLeod's restaurant, the food was exquisite too!"

Wedding Gown :: Nat looked stunning in a Alberta Ferretti silk organza gown, which a friend of hers purchased for her during a visit to Paris. "I knew that it would be to my taste – very feminine sleek fit which is classic Alberta Ferretti. With sheer silk chiffon sleeves and overlay, it is hand beaded with Swarovski crystals and pearls. I secretly hid it at the top of my closet in my old bedroom at my parents' home so that Daniel wouldn't find it. I also wore a vintage beaded and laced headpiece Jill bought from Paris and an ostrich feather bolero to keep warm during the evening." Nat's shoes were by Rodo, purchased from Maryon's Shoes in the Brisbane Arcade. Nat's bridesmaids were radiant in Lisa Ho grecian-style floor length gowns.







Groom's Attire :: The groom and groomsmen were very smart in chic black and white dinner suits, by Elio Moda, Brisbane, finished with black dress shoes.

Photographer :: Choosing a photographer was an easy decision for Nat and Dan - "Peter and Mary Lindley of Sheldonlea Studio have taken our family photos for years - they are almost a part of the family."

Florist:: Nat and Dan placed their trust in florist and stylist, Beth Webb from Divine Flowers and with good reason - her work is amazing. Nat says, "She arranged all of our bouquets, the boutonniere for the boys as well as coordinated the entire reception styling. She has a great eye for design and colour."







Other recommended suppliers :: Nat and Dan hired 3 x black Rolls Royces by Continental Wedding Limousines - "two mates who love their cars and team up on weekends to do weddings. They were lovely blokes!" Nat and Dan were also very impressed with their cake, a traditional fruit cake by Greg Clearly of Sweetums Designer Cakes based in Kenmore. "His website is amazing!"

Tips and advice for other brides :: "No matter how well you plan, something will go wrong. Don't worry about it; someone else will fix it. It is a big day so break it up into parts and enjoy each part before you move on to the next. Practice walking down the aisle with a friend. It will help you get used to it so that when it actually happens and the music is playing, you will be able to enjoy the moment and focus on the man at the end."

Most treasured moment of the day :: Aside from marrying the man of her dreams, Nat recalls, "During the ceremony, when I turned and locked eyes with the Best Man, he mouthed one word...wow. He is Dan's best friend and the three of us lived together before we were married so we have become friends too. During their speeches, both the Father of the Bride and Best Man quoted lines from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as marriage advice. They both know me well." Natalie also decribes their first dance as another beautiful memory. "We danced a foxtrot to Green Eyes by Coldplay played live. This is relevant as on our third date Dan invited me over to his place for his specialty, pesto pasta. He had prepared a play list for the night and Green Eyes was the third track."





Creative/Personal Touches :: "On our gift table, we had individual photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day. This was a way of including our grandparents who are no longer with us and acknowledging our heritage." Additionally, the couple organised canapes for their bridal party at "Claret House Wine Bar in Teneriffe before heading out to Bretts Wharf, Hamilton for the reception. The old wool stores at Teneriffe provided an excellent backdrop for photos."





The Details

Stationery chosen :: The couple selected our 'A Little Luxe' design which was printed on our 'ice gold' metallic paper stock and by using our 'stone' colour swatch as an overlay on the stock, we were able to achieve a slightly deeper result. Paired with our 'deep plum' colour swatch, the result was beautifully rich. The couple decided against embellishing the stationery and preferred a more simplistic look. We really enjoyed working with them to create each and every piece and after seeing photos from their day, their wedding stationery could not have been any more fitting!

We designed double-sided folded invitations personalised with guest names & customised double sided rsvp, information and 'next day' cards (the couple had organised a lunch with their guests for the following day), along with two table seating charts, customised personalised placecards, favour tags, customised tri-fold table signage for the reception and order of service booklets for the ceremony. The couple decided against tent-folded placecards so we custom designed flat cards to sit upon the napkins. Nat and Dan wanted to use names of famous golf courses instead of numbers on their table signage, as Dan is a keen golfer, so we ran the names vertically. This allowed the text to remain at a size that would still be prominent from a distance, while maintaining an attractive design and making it easy for guests to locate their table. Additionally, we put together their order of service booklets from cover to finish, using black text on a white coated stock on the inside as a contrast to the strong colour on palette used the cover. Finally, we produced double-sided tent-folded thank you cards including an image from the day.











"We loved your 'A Little Luxe' collection and we chose it because the design is simple yet stylish. The emblem is sophisticated but the text is modern and the two together work well. I have received so many invitations over the years with buckles and ribbon that have fallen off or are crooked which looks a little tacky. With Love's designs are so modern yet classy and the paper and print job is of such a high quality. We received numerous comments about the quality and professionalism of the invitation suite and ceremony and reception pieces. Jackie, you have an incredible talent, an eye for design and were easy to deal with. We loved that you could adapt your design to suit our needs - I'm so glad I found you."

Thank you Nat and Dan, we wish you all the very best!