We wanted our wedding to feel a bit like a big family dinner set in the garden
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We are James and Alexandra. Alexandra works at a not-for-profit, and James works in finance. We are social, family-oriented people who like spending time with friends, bike riding and going to book club. Our favourite thing to do would be to share a meal and a glass of wine with friends and, as of very recently, spend time with our son Francis.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We’ve been family friends for about 20 years, although we weren’t always close. We would both admit that we never thought that we would end up with each other if you asked our teenage selves – does this count as a first impression? One day James asked Alexandra out for a coffee and had the bright idea to ask her out again and again.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
We wanted our wedding to feel a bit like a big family dinner set in the garden, that was a little bit fancy. We opted for share-style food and sticky date pudding for dessert on long, communal tables that were dotted with small vases of flowers. This way the hall was filled with many conversations and our guests peering at each other through small patches of greenery and colour.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We tried to keep things simple where we could in terms of the number of decisions that needed to be made in the planning of the wedding. Our mothers in particular were an indispensable organisational resource. We leveraged our family and friends for their expertise also. Our advice would be to do what you feel comfortable with; your wedding day goes so quickly, you don’t want to be making decisions or worrying about what is or isn’t done on the day.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Our wedding was in a town hall with limited kitchen space and utilities. Our food vendor, Capriccio Osteria, was very helpful, easy to communicate with and deal with. We trusted them quickly. We felt their family and community approach to food was a good fit for our wedding. We were also thrilled with our photographers, Woody and Ben Gooch. Again, they were very easy to communicate with, and we trusted them to go and shoot the day without a strict plan. They took photos of us that we were very comfortable with; they made us feel relaxed. We were really thrilled with the photographs they took.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
No story in particular. The bridal dress was custom, as was the groom’s suit. We wanted to dress formally, but with a little bit of fun.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Alexandra’s wedding band was her mother’s original wedding band (Alexandra’s mother updated her wedding band to be silver later on), and the engagement diamond belonged to James’ great-grandmother. The ring the diamond came from originally had three stones on it, which James’ mother has kept for her three children.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Flowers, food and photography. We felt that flowers were probably the most important visual aesthetic, as we think that flowers really set the tone of a room. We wanted our guests to enjoy their meals, but appreciate that the visuals of people sharing food together also create atmosphere. All of this needs to be captured by good photographers, of course.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Reading our own vows at our wedding ceremony and hearing our families speak at the reception was very special for both of us. Perhaps our one highlight though was right at the end of the evening. The final song of the night was Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” (lol). As there was a stage in the town hall, Alexandra and I both got up on stage, and our guests threw flowers at us as we danced in front of the crowd. It was extremely fun and a bit spontaneous.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Being married for us means that we got to participate in a big celebration with everyone we love, who loves us, while we expressed our love for the other person. Honestly, the day-to-day is much the same, but being married and wearing your wedding band adds an extra glow for sure.
CEREMONY LOCATION Campbell St Church, Balmain, @campbellstreetbalmain RECEPTION LOCATION Leichardt Town Hall, Leichardt BRIDE Alexandra GROOM James PHOTOGRAPHER Woody and Ben Gooch – Studio Anjori, @studioanjori FLORIST Bridal Bouquets – Date Night Studio, @datenightstudio; Flowers were also purchased from a grocer in Balmain, and arrangements were done by the mother and sister of the groom, along with a family friend ENTERTAINMENT Ryan Fairley, @ryanfairley HIRE Simply Seated, @simply.seated CATERING Capriccio Osteria, @capriccio.sydney CAKE Sticky Date Pudding – Capriccio Osteria, @capriccio.sydney RINGS Meakins Jewellers, @meakinsjewellers BRIDE’S DRESS Ara Experience, @araexperience BRIDE’S SHOES Owned by the bride BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – Incu, @incu_clothing HAIR & MAKEUP Bride to Be Make Up Co, @bridetobemakeupcompany GROOM’S SUIT P. Johnson, @pjohnsonworld GROOM’S SHOES RM Williams, @rmwilliams GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Tie – P. Johnson, @pjohnsonworld GROOM’S HAIR Mallard, @mallard.syd BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Sourced individually by bridesmaids
