An Intimate Rustic Wedding in Sydney was the best decision ever!
"I nearly ruined the proposal!" - Marina H.
Wedding Date: 29th of September 2019
Meet Sydney Couple Marina & Andreas, who made a decision to have a two-year engagement, so they could plan their wedding bit by bit!
You will be absolutely inspired by their perfectly planned and rustic style wedding day in Sydney.
Wedding Tips & Advice
Enjoy it!
Marina & Andreas tried to spend time before the wedding not talking about the wedding but it was really hard. If they did it over again, they think they'd like to try and enjoy the lead up to the wedding as much as possible and each other's company.
"I would also definitely try and stress less about timing on the actual day - I was so worried about running late, I ended up being 30 minutes early to the church.
"Pick your vendors based on who you are comfortable with and once you book them, stop looking at other suppliers on Instagram! Trust who you've chosen."
The Proposal.
"I had actually almost ruined the proposal. Andreas had sent me a big bunch of roses on our second anniversary and planned a really romantic evening"
"I had a suspicion that something was up and made the mistake of jokingly asking if he was going to propose."
Andreas ended up proposing under Sydney's iconic Harbour bridge, which made for a magical and intimate moment. They then followed it with dinner at the restaurant where we had our first date, to then go home and celebrate with our families."
How did you meet?
The couple met at work, where Marina had just joined a firm where she was introduced to Andreas.
As any gentleman would do, Andreas checked in with Marina every day to make sure she was settling in okay. They then developed a beautiful friendship and started dating. The rest is history!
See! Workplace relationships do have many happily ever afters!
The couple said their "I Do's" at St. Charbel's Maronite Catholic Church and followed on to the quirky, yet oh-so trendy Grounds of Alexandria to celebrate.
Wedding Stying & Theme
The rustic style of wedding, was enhanced with simple & light florals with a mix of fresh foliage and soft fairly lights, which was perfect for the neutral theme we were aiming for.
The Wedding Dress
Marina's wedding dress was platinum white designed by Paola Sebastian, and the bridesmaids were in white too, complemented by the Groomsmen's navy suits.
Invitations & Stationery
The wedding stationery was also very simple, black on white. To keep the wedding more intimate, a live band entertained the guests at the wedding, who did an incredible job of keeping the everyone dancing.
How did you plan your Wedding Day?
With a huge spreadsheet and lots of time! The couple had a two year engagement, so they tackled the wedding bit by bit, starting with bigger stuff first.
Marina made a shortlist for each wedding service, and and met with Vendors to then choose who they felt most comfortable with.
ABIA always recommend meeting with the Wedding Vendors, or at least organise a video-call to e-meet each other.
Favourite Wedding Moment?
"So many to choose from!"
The Speeches.
The speeches on the night were really moving - they had all the guests in tears.
Family.
It was also really heart-warming when my mum walked me down the aisle.
My dad passed away when I was three so I naturally developed such a strong bond with my mum. It was really emotional when she gave me away.
Some Extra Fun.
We had an interactive donut cart at the reception which was so much fun. The guests could pick their own donuts and take them home as a thank you gift.
Also, for an Egyptian/Lebanese wedding it was really small and intimate, which we absolutely loved. The venue was also very unique for us - it was the first time anyone we had invited had ever been to a wedding at the Grounds. The atmosphere of an outdoor wedding really added to the excitement on the night.
Favourite Wedding Vendor?
"So hard to pick a favourite! Inlighten photography were a stand out, they made us feel so special every time we came to see them! They have also been amazing after the wedding, the photos were amazing and the process to pick our album shots has been the easiest and best process ever!
My hairdresser - Dodie Jay from Natalie Anne and my makeup artist - Helen Sotis, made the morning so incredibly comfortable and fun. They also went above and beyond on the lead up to the wedding."
Photography Credit: Inlighten Photography (ABIA Award Winning Wedding Photographer [2018 + 2019])
