An Ethereal English Country Garden Wedding in Australia at Redleaf Wollombi

Lauren Megerdichian
November 20, 2024
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Pastels with an emphasis on pinks, creams, blush and periwinkle blue. It had to be floaty, feminine, soft and delicate.[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

I knew I wanted it to be absolutely romantic, like an ethereal English country garden. When I collated the inspiration pictures I had collected for months, I could see that they were all very floral-heavy, a very soft colour palette, and that I was really drawn to an aesthetic that had a little bit of an overgrown and rambling look to it. I left it in the hands of our absolutely wonderful wedding planner, Christie from Haus of Hera, and together with our florist, she created something beyond my wildest dreams.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]In 2021, Covid lockdowns were still prevalent in Australia and Jarrad and I were stuck in different states for six months at a time. We had one week to reunite in the middle of the year, so I had booked us an Airbnb on a little island so we could spend some quality time together. Unbeknownst to me, Jarrad had been designing a ring, and he thought he would capitalise on our time together to propose. He asked me to pack something nice, so that we could get a photo together. When I went to see what he had packed, it was his best suit, so I was a little suspicious. I only became more curious when we almost missed the ferry and he got increasingly nervous, but we made it on time, and the rest is history![/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]My wedding dress was something I had thought about for YEARS before Jarrad actually proposed, and I had been saving every photo that took my fancy for some time, but none of them felt like “the one” for me. Like so many girls before me, I loved the timeless beauty of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, but I thought that the skirt in particular would look too heavy and structured on me, and I wanted the lightness of a lace bodice to continue into the skirt. I also knew that I didn’t want a train, because we would (weather permitting), be outdoors for the whole day, and I wanted something that felt practical enough to actually move around in. I went for a consult at the Leah da Gloria Atelier in Sydney, and she drew up my dream dress on the spot, then patiently went through swatches of lace until we both felt that we had landed on one that would really compliment the design. I was in the best hands with Leah and her team, and the finished product was better than I could have hoped for.[/field]

[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]One of the most important things to me was that my friends felt like a million dollars on the day as well. I had three girls, all with different tastes and body types, so I started the search about 12 months in advance, and almost immediately found these buttery Manning Cartell dresses that I thought would be perfect for all three of them, and they all agreed. I knew that I wouldn’t find anything I loved more, so I ordered them immediately. I still love them just as much as the first time I saw them.[/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Jarrad wanted to wear something classic and special, so after some research, he went to see The Bespoke Corner tailors in Sydney. They talked him through every step of selecting his suit, and I added personalised cufflinks as a wedding present.[/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]By the time our wedding rolled around, we had the pleasure and privilege of being invited to quite a few others, and we had experienced some wonderful food and some not-so-wonderful food. I knew that Jarrad really wanted something special for our wedding, and so even though we had only every discussed a traditional three course dinner, when I stumbled across the Italian tasting menu from Fennel & Co, I knew it was the perfect fit for us. We did a tasting ahead of the wedding and were absolutely thrilled.[/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Flowers were such a central design element, and we were so lucky to find a florist and wedding planner who were so intent on executing our vision perfectly. Our wedding planner showed me some photos she’d found of reception tables nestled amongst flowers, almost as though they were in the middle of a garden. The way in which our florist brought this to life was one of my favourite things about our day.[/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Choosing a cake was probably one of the hardest elements of wedding planning for us, because neither of us wanted anything with fondant or modelling chocolate. We had seen a few photos of one metre diameter single-layer cakes, and we started thinking that this would be the biggest impact and best tasting option. We only had a guest count of 45, so it really was overkill, but we both loved it for the visual impact, and the leftovers we got to take home.[/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]I walked down the aisle to “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last, which makes me cry every time I hear it, and seemed fitting considering we had spent the four years prior to our wedding living in different states and managing a long-distance relationship.

I’m a ballet teacher, and I felt a lot of pressure to get our First Dance exactly right. In the end, I let Jarrad choose it from a tutorial website, knowing that he would be far more comfortable that way. We boogied to “Do You Love Me” by The Contours. We had so much fun learning it together, and that is as much of a special memory as performing it on the day. I will say that Jarrad’s version of the routine was highly embellished by the time it got to the big day.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]For the reception and dancing, I changed into a shorter, feathered dress and some bedazzled sneakers. Besides being such a fun outfit, being able to dance properly was really important to me. I’m so glad I was in something so comfortable, as it meant I could really enjoy my night without the distraction of sore feet or the worry of people stepping on my wedding dress.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]As our wedding drew closer, I was so worried about our wedding invitations, because I knew I wanted something custom and illustrated, and finding the perfect fit seemed to be a bit elusive. Our wedding planner put us in touch with Quill Fine Art Creations, and they were a dream from start to finish. Our invitations were one of my favourite little keepsakes from our wedding day, and I loved that from the moment they opened them, our guests got a feel for the day and what to expect.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]Video for Style Me Pretty Instagram reels: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bzzidyy4yytjyt67vj514/HeidiJarradwed.mp4?rlkey=k09b11ozkb99ig65gz5cpr20y&st=5267o245&dl=0[/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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