On the 17th March our co-founder Kristy (finally after 13 years together and 2 previous cancelled Covid wedding dates!) married her love Mike. We of course couldn’t let her off the hook (If you haven’t already noticed our founders like to stay behind the scenes) and so we are thrilled to feature Mike and Kristy's magical day.
For those that know Mike and Kristy they are both super easy-going and relaxed and so they wanted their day to reflect this energy from the ceremony through to the reception. It was important to them both that all of their guests had a lot of FUN, that the food was aplenty (and delicious), and the drinks kept flowing!
There was a little sadness on the day as both Mike’s brother and young family and Helen (Le Rose Co-Founder) and family couldn’t attend due to contracting Covid. Luckily a Zoom livestream was set up so that they didn’t miss out on the important moments.
The Proposal: “We got engaged 5 years ago, as you can tell we don’t like to rush things haha! Mike proposed in Praiano in Italy at sunrise. I was very apprehensive to be getting out of our beautiful hotel bed so early in the morning but am so glad that I did.”
The Planning: “After being in the wedding industry now for eight years and having received advice from so many brides I really enjoyed the planning process. I had help from our friend and amazing event planner Hannah (Hannah Carroll Events) to ensure the day went smoothly. Helen (my co-founder of Le Rose and best friend!) helped me plan all of the smaller details from start to finish and with her attention to detail I knew the day would be absolutely magical! We were both absolutely devastated that she wasn’t there on the day!”
The Venue: “We were married at Bangalay Luxury Villas in Shoalhaven Heads, NSW. Our original plan was to be married at Mike’s parents private property on the South Coast but after trying to reschedule we had issues with our required vendors dates lining up and were so lucky to secure a date at Bangalay. We had kept our guest list small due to the original Covid restrictions of 50 people and were looking for a venue that could comfortably accommodate that number seated but would also feel intimate and allow us to have both our ceremony and reception at the same venue. The food was also one of the most important aspects of our day and we had dined there a number of times so we knew they definitely wouldn’t disappoint! The best part as well was that our guests could stay on the premises in their luxury villas and so after cocktails on the dance floor it was with ease that they headed back to their rooms.”
The Dress(es): “Yes, I had two dresses haha. My dresses were designed by Helen and myself in collaboration with Xamara Couture. It was important to me that my ceremony dress was classic and timeless and Claudia from Xamara was so accomodating in making sure I was completely comfortable and I was so thrilled with how it turned out. The vision for my reception dress was inspired by my Aquazurra shoes. Helen knew exactly what I wanted without me even having to explain it to her and we developed the most amazing pearl beaded fabric that completely brought the vision to life.”
Getting Ready: “Myself and ladies of course got ready in my LR favourites! I wore both our ‘Arianna Beaded Lace Maxi’ and ‘Lillie Lace Trim PJ Set’ and my ladies wore our ‘Andrea Rose Mist PJ Sets’ with us all matching in our ‘Sadie Fluffy Slippers’. We all had a blast getting ready, our hair and makeup was done by the amazing ladies at Kyzo Bride. I chose the PJ’s for my ladies basically because obviously I love PJ’s haha! I also knew we would be in our getting ready outfits for quite a few hours and wanted my ladies to feel comfortable being pampered and drinking champagne in our villa. The ‘Rose Mist’ print I designed myself so that was really special that they all were wearing it and the florals in the print perfectly matched my flowers on the day. Helen chose our ‘Arianna Beaded Lace Maxi’ for me to wear on the day and I absolutely love the photos of me wearing this. As soon as I put it on I truly felt like a bride for the first time. It felt so special to finally be wearing one of Helen’s designs (especially because she wasn’t there on the day!).
Standout Vendors: “Of course our photographer Cass cassandraladru.com. Cass is the absolute magician behind all of Le Rose’s campaign photography and I couldn’t have imagined anyone else capturing our day. As I have been on so many shoots with Cass I knew she would be a delight to work and that she would capture all of the super special ‘in-between’ moments. She didn’t disappoint. (I’m also so glad she convinced us to head to the beach, these shots are some of my favourites!) I definitely need to mention Sophie from Muscari who put up with me and my last minute changes to my florals and created the most stunning arrangements. Josh our videographer from Joyride Films was also so much fun on the day, nothing was too difficult for him and we can’t wait to see the magic he creates!
Advice for future brides: “Don’t stress too much about the little things that might go wrong and remember to breathe and be present on the day. A practical little piece of advice, make sure you have your getting ready outfits and dresses steamed or pressed, your jewellery, perfume and any little extras aside ready for you to pop on and start the big day. It will take so much stress away from your morning and allow you to relax.”