Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Posted by Brigitte

I’m happy.

I’m not going to lie to the Facebook faithful. I’m in a really good mood. I had typed out a standard cynical blog entry in which I had a whinge about how TV weddings give an unrealistic view of what is affordable and what is not. But I’m happy. So I’ll talk about how awesome weddings can be.

I had the pleasure of flying to Darwin for my friend Rosie’s wedding a few weeks ago. When we were all back at Uni, I had the pleasure of living in front of her in a rather party like duplex. Through the years we went in our different directions but still stayed close. I joined the Airlines, she became an MD. Along the way she met a beautiful man called Rocky (not his real name, but I’ve never called him Andrew before. Ever) and they moved to Darwin about 18 months ago, when Rosie took a position at a NT hospital. 

From the moment I landed in Australia’s north, straight away heading to the 80s themed Hens night, to the fourth Bloody Mary thrusted to me at the Qantas Club Lounge on departure it was a barrel o’laughs. 

The gala affair consisted of a picturesque garden ceremony, overlooking the stunning Timor Sea and the reception followed at the same venue. It screamed of Rosie and Rocky: - stunning, casual, fun, crazy and entirely full of chortles. They clearly prioritised their needs, as most of their budget went on high end booze products. I know I was happily kept replenished with Premium Australian Sparkling wine as we danced the floor bare though out the evening! It was… well, as described… boozy. Words can’t describe how much fun it was. The best part was, you could not wipe the smile off the faces of Rosie and Rocky… they were apples!

Now this is not the first Wedding that I have been to since my new found career started but it is the first where I started to notice stupid things, for example… the decorators didn’t tie the sash properly, I should go and change it for them, they didn’t cover their ceremony chairs… hmm. As my friend MyMy said to me, Bridge no need to worry about these things, you’re not at work (or something along those lines). It didn’t stop me from having all of these illicit thoughts; I just sat back and enjoyed the hilariously sweet ceremony.

A wedding is about two people who love each other dearly, wanting to bind themselves to each other for life. I think sometimes we get too caught up in the small details and we forget about what weddings are really about. As a stylist, my role is to make your wedding reflect your wishes, your taste, and your personality.  It is your day. Edwina, Michelle and I can guide you in the right direction and pull you up on design misconduct but the small fact of the matter is that as long as you are happy, we are happy. We have some phenomenal ideas, and ecstatic for you to adopt them: - but make sure it’s in alignment with your needs and budget. Don’t get caught up on the small things. Chances are your chair sashes may be two shades darker than that of your bridesmaids dresses, the floral you want may not be in bloom, and the caterers may forget that Second Cousin Clarence is on the Atikins Diet and subsequently serve him risotto. You and your partner are getting married! Smile! Drink! Eat food! Dance! Enjoy! 

Just keep your guests well lubricated with Alcoholic Grape Beverages…As someone on facebook said, "This is the 6th Hour of the Dancefloor"


A very BIG congratulations to Mr. & Dr. Rock. Your wedding was PERFECT.

Why am I so happy today? That’s another story.

All Photography was taken by Kate Fitz, who as per usual, always comes through with the shots that capture the night.

Sinead & Aaron... 14.05.2011

Post by Brigitte

Photography care of Michelle Kiddie

www.michellekiddiephotography.com.au

You never know where you’re going to meet a client. My special man friend was back in Perth last February, and we found ourselves with a group of his friends at the Spiegel tent on the boozier side of a Friday evening. One of the first conversations I generally have with his friends is ‘So, you’re not flying anymore… what do you do?’ and this occasion was no different. I found myself talking to the beautifully creative Sinead English, the talented Director/Buyer at the Perth based fashion store, Billie and Rose. I quickly discovered that she was planning on marrying her partner of nine years and hosting her own reception in the privacy of her home.

Home residence weddings are becoming increasingly popular, and I genuinely believe it is a good direction to be heading down. Firstly, your numbers are limited so the ‘invites out of obligation’ i.e. – third Cousin Serena and her latest boyfriend that you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting are a non-issue. You physically only have the capacity to invite your nearest and dearest.  You can spend more money on quality booze and food, and more money on decorations. You don’t need to deal with third parties saying ‘this is not aligned with our policy’ when you are the owner of the venue. It’s all wins in my world, and I’m not just saying that because from a professional point of view, I see them as a blank canvas worthy of my creativity.

I’m not going to lie to you all, a few glasses of Sauvignon Blanc goes a long way for my confidence level, and I found myself exchanging business cards with Sinead and saying ‘Bridal Creations can do anything, we’re rainmakers.’ Low and behold two weeks later I found myself in talks (and knee deep in alcoholic grape products yet again) in the showroom as we began to design her space together. Sinead had seen a photo on Net-A-Porter (don’t get me started on how much I love and my Visa card can’t handle this website) and we based her theme around this: - all shades of Pink and Gold.The orignial design is from a UK Based Decorator, a talented gent by the name of Mark Niemierko.

I’m not going to say that this wedding design was easy, or cost effective, and while in the end the venue looked beautiful and all parties were happy, it was not without adversity. What I can say is Sinead is a woman of taste, and for her I sourced Gold Cutlery, Bohemian Crystal  Wine Glasses and Tumblers, Vintage Crockery and Champagne Saucers, Antique Italian Florentine Trays and gold tea light holders: - just to name a few. At this point I was getting a little scared about how much this was going to cost to turn my Bride’s vision into reality. As a bride, you have to come to a realisation quite early on in the piece that if you want High End Product – you’re going to be faced with an invoice that reflects this. Luckily for me, my bride was aware that her needs came at a cost. Moreover, the logistics of hosting a Backyard Wedding can be a difficult task. Sinead wanted a single long table to seat her guests for the eve, and that would have been fine for her original intended 35 guests, but her numbers ballooned to 42 so with a tight squeeze we still were able to seat everyone on 2.2m rounds. I’m not going to bore you with all logistical nightmares of this particular wedding, but what I will say is that I’m so proud to be part of such an innovative team, that truly can solve most problems rationally and within the time allocated. 

The ceremony and reception looked exceptional and telling by the photos courtesy of Michelle Kiddie, the couple in question and their guests had a truly memorable evening. A big congratulations to Sinead and Aaron from the whole team at Bridal Creations, it was truly a pleasure.

We Have a Blog!

Well... we have finally managed to get with technological times and create our first blog...  Although in saying that, we do have a pretty good excuse as to why it has taken us so long!  We have just spent the last six months or so running around like headless chooks making sure every one of our special weddings ran smoothely and with perfect precision.  Now, as we head into the 'quieter' season for Weddings, we have a little bit of time to spare... or breathe... either way!!

We are hoping to use this blog as a means of sharing our special 'Wedding Planner' stories; letting our followers in on new season trends and fashions;  showcasing Real Weddings and Real Brides and of course receiving your own feedback and personal stories too...

Stay tuned for more soon!

Bridal Creations xx