Thank you | Manning Cartell

thank you to the 'queens birthday' public holiday. the perfect day that all five of my lovely bridesmaids and i had the day off to travel into paddington to (hopefully) find the perfect dress... X5!

first stop, 'soy latte please' and then we were off to zimmermann.

the dress that the girls tried was beautiful and would give an overall look of beauty and elegance to the day.
each of the girls liked the dress, but then it was time to head off to investigate choice #2...

a short walk [three stores down] and manning cartell was ready for some serious competition... once the girls saw the dresses, they fell in love with the colour and gorgeous fabric. they each got a different style to try & as soon as they emerged from the dressing rooms, there was definitely LOVvvE!
each of them was simply dazzling in their dress and they looked like models lined up next to one another.
there was a defined buzz in the store & the decision was DONE!




ahhhh, perfect perfect perfect. i was thrilled with the dresses and each of the girls loved them... thank God we found them just in the nick of time! [8 sleeps until B is off to mexico] don't you just loveee when things just fall into place?

now... to start on the boys!

X O X O

Eat | Me

yesterday evening i dashed home from work, grabbed my "cake inspiration" folder & M and i were off to ettalong to meet with joan, our cake maker! recommended by my dearest girlfriend K who had a beautiful beach wedding on the 28th nov last year. K mentioned that meeting with J and discussing the fine details of the cake was one of her wedding planning favs. we were on our way, prepared and sooooo excited!

we arrived and were welcomed into J's home. she was super lovely and wanted to hear about our plans for the big day... our ideas, inspirations, colour themes, the whole deal.
she then showed us three large albums which displayed many of her wondrous creations...
we discussed shape, style, colour, tiers, flavours, design details, flowers, the topper, transport, storage, the final presentation... everything, until we had our perfect cake!

simple, affordable and so much fun...
i cannot wait to eat it! [yummm]

X O X O

Successful | Monday

the crisp monday morning begun in sydney with breakfast [most important meal of the day] and a delightfully brewed soy hazlenut latte- the perfect kick start to a successful day!

we arrived in paddington for my dress fitting at 1030am, eeeeeee it's finally looking like the dress i had imagined, dreamed of & designed... a few alterations and we're getting close to the finishing details! now looking in the mirror whilst standing in my ivory silk chiffon gown & finishing with a long, flowing veil, i actually feel like the bride-to-be! so surreal & waaay exciting... only 6 months & 4 days till the BIG day! "They" say time flies when you're having fun!

after the appointment, we decided to make the most of our trip to the city, so continued on to visit a few fav designers in the area... little did i expect to spot a total bargain and definite b.m possibility! the full length silk zimmermann dress in grey & pink fell beautifully on R & would give the overall wedding a look of effortless beauty and elegance. i arranged an appointment for the following week for all the girls to try the dress - perfect! as easy as that... "thank you Jesus!"


absolutely thrilled with the find, R & I continued to visit a few more stores along the strip... only two doors down in manning cartell, my eye caught a fabulous dress on the rack ...secretly hoping it would exceed the b.m price budget i picked up the price tag to find it also reduced to the same price as the zimmermann dress! ahhh. R tried the antique toned dress in three varying styles & suddenly we had a dilemma on our hands.. the choice! i organised an appointment for the same day next week for a dress fitting.

who would have thought, not only one dress found, but TWO! my mind is jumping from one to the other... but don't get me wrong, i am overjoyed to have this issue! haha, let the fun begin...

X O X O

Party of | Five

i always envisioned myself as having an intimate number of beautiful bridesmaids, one or two at most. being a girl who doesn't mind a heartless cull of numbers, i thought this would be simply to pan out... but anyone who has been in a brides shoes would know that this is no easy task!
beginning with a rather large selection of close girlfriends & family, it was a hard call to minimise numbers at all. after much pondering upon the thought, i eventually got to my smallest number of FIVE! ...yes, i know, not that small at all. but in turn in actually ended up being the perfect choice with M also deciding on five fabulous groomsmen & i was able to involve my other dear girlfriends in the service in other special roles. too perfect!

now comes the joy/challenge of finding their dresses... i believe this is crucial to setting the tone and dynamic that the wedding as a whole will carry. i want each girl to look unique to herself whilst intertwining my personal style for a unified overall look. i've been keeping my eyes wide open, with no love just yet... that's how i judge my final decision, if i LOVE it, it's meant to be. umm-ing and arrr-ing is a NO. thank you M baby, who reminded me of that last night whilst i was hastily contemplating a dress choice. the decision is a NO -and the search continues...
this monday in fact. i will be in paddington for my dress fitting [yay] with fingers crossed to also come across the b.m dress=love, shoes, accessories, all of the above! *please & thank you Jesus*